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E05766: The Miracles of Saint Thekla recounts how *Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092) healed a pagan sophist Aretarchos from a severe disease of the kidneys with oil from a lamp at her shrine at Seleucia. Written in Greek at Seleucia ad Calycadnum (southern Asia Minor) in the 470s.
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posted on 2018-06-18, 00:00 authored by juliaMiracles of Saint Thekla, 40
Ἀρέταρχος δὲ ὁ παρ’ ἡμῖν οὗτος σοφιστής, ὃς εἴτε ἄσοφός ἐστι μᾶλλον εἴτε ἄπιστος εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχω—καὶ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἑκάτερον ἀκμάζει τε παρ’ αὐτῷ καὶ τέθηλεν, ὡς καὶ δύσκριτον εἶναι τὴν θατέρου τούτοιν ὑπεροχήν—, δοκεῖ δὲ ὅμως εἶναι σοφιστής, οὗτος βαρυτάτῳ μάλιστα πάθει τῷ τῶν νεφρῶν περιπεσών, ὡς καὶ θάνατον ἐλπίσαι πολλάκις ἐκ τῆς ἄγαν ὀδύνης καὶ θανάτου ἐρασθῆναι δι’ ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ὀδύνης, ἔτυχε δὲ ὅμως βοηθείας καὶ σωτηρίας παρὰ τῆς μάρτυρος, εἰπούσης ἔσεσθαι φάρμακον αὐτῷ καὶ ἄκος τοῦ πάθους ἀψευδέστατον ἄλλο μὲν οὐδέν, τὸ δὲ νυκτιαῖον τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ καὶ τὸν αὐτῆς καταλάμποντος ἀεὶ χῶρον ἔλαιον. Ὅπερ καὶ αἰτήσας οὗτος, καὶ ἐπαλειψάμενος οὗ καὶ τὸ πάθος ὑπέσμυχε, τῆς μὲν ἰάσεως ἔτυχε, τῆς δὲ ἀσεβείας οὐκ ἀπηλλάγη· ὑπὸ γὰρ ἀγχινοίας πολλῆς καὶ βαθείας φρενὸς εἰπὼν καὶ ὁμολογήσας τὴν παρεσχηκυῖαν τὸ φάρμακον, ἑτέρῳ τὴν χάριν ἀνατίθησι τῆς θεραπείας. «Ὁ γὰρ Σαρπηδόνιός μοι, φησί, τὸ ζητῆσαί τε παρ’ αὐτῆς καὶ λαβεῖν προσέταξεν.»
'I cannot say whether Aretarchos, the sophist from our town [Seleucia ad Calycadnum], is famous more for his lack of wisdom or for being a nonbeliever – for both qualities flourish and throve in such equal measure in him that it is difficult to tell which of the two is his dominant trait – but nevertheless he passes for a sophist. This man once contracted an exceedingly severe disease of the kidneys, so that often he expected death on account of the intense pain, and even longed for death because of the excessive nature of the pain. Even so, he obtained assistance and deliverance through the martyr, who told him that the remedy and cure of his suffering would be nothing other than the oil from the lamp that through the night constantly illuminates her sanctuary. He asked for it and smeared it on the spot where the illness was smoldering. He obtained healing, but was not delivered from his impiety. For, although with much wisdom and a profound mind he confessed that the martyr had provided the remedy, he rendered thanks for the healing to another.
"Sarpedonios instructed me," he said, "to ask the martyr for the cure and receive it from her."
The author then mocks the protagonist Aretarchos' explanation, saying that if the Sarpedonian Apollo could have had the remedy for the supplicant, he would not have sent him to the martyr who was his enemy at that.
Text: Dagron 1978. Translation: Johnson 2012. Summary: J. Doroszewska.
Ἀρέταρχος δὲ ὁ παρ’ ἡμῖν οὗτος σοφιστής, ὃς εἴτε ἄσοφός ἐστι μᾶλλον εἴτε ἄπιστος εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχω—καὶ γὰρ ὁμοίως ἑκάτερον ἀκμάζει τε παρ’ αὐτῷ καὶ τέθηλεν, ὡς καὶ δύσκριτον εἶναι τὴν θατέρου τούτοιν ὑπεροχήν—, δοκεῖ δὲ ὅμως εἶναι σοφιστής, οὗτος βαρυτάτῳ μάλιστα πάθει τῷ τῶν νεφρῶν περιπεσών, ὡς καὶ θάνατον ἐλπίσαι πολλάκις ἐκ τῆς ἄγαν ὀδύνης καὶ θανάτου ἐρασθῆναι δι’ ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ὀδύνης, ἔτυχε δὲ ὅμως βοηθείας καὶ σωτηρίας παρὰ τῆς μάρτυρος, εἰπούσης ἔσεσθαι φάρμακον αὐτῷ καὶ ἄκος τοῦ πάθους ἀψευδέστατον ἄλλο μὲν οὐδέν, τὸ δὲ νυκτιαῖον τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ καὶ τὸν αὐτῆς καταλάμποντος ἀεὶ χῶρον ἔλαιον. Ὅπερ καὶ αἰτήσας οὗτος, καὶ ἐπαλειψάμενος οὗ καὶ τὸ πάθος ὑπέσμυχε, τῆς μὲν ἰάσεως ἔτυχε, τῆς δὲ ἀσεβείας οὐκ ἀπηλλάγη· ὑπὸ γὰρ ἀγχινοίας πολλῆς καὶ βαθείας φρενὸς εἰπὼν καὶ ὁμολογήσας τὴν παρεσχηκυῖαν τὸ φάρμακον, ἑτέρῳ τὴν χάριν ἀνατίθησι τῆς θεραπείας. «Ὁ γὰρ Σαρπηδόνιός μοι, φησί, τὸ ζητῆσαί τε παρ’ αὐτῆς καὶ λαβεῖν προσέταξεν.»
'I cannot say whether Aretarchos, the sophist from our town [Seleucia ad Calycadnum], is famous more for his lack of wisdom or for being a nonbeliever – for both qualities flourish and throve in such equal measure in him that it is difficult to tell which of the two is his dominant trait – but nevertheless he passes for a sophist. This man once contracted an exceedingly severe disease of the kidneys, so that often he expected death on account of the intense pain, and even longed for death because of the excessive nature of the pain. Even so, he obtained assistance and deliverance through the martyr, who told him that the remedy and cure of his suffering would be nothing other than the oil from the lamp that through the night constantly illuminates her sanctuary. He asked for it and smeared it on the spot where the illness was smoldering. He obtained healing, but was not delivered from his impiety. For, although with much wisdom and a profound mind he confessed that the martyr had provided the remedy, he rendered thanks for the healing to another.
"Sarpedonios instructed me," he said, "to ask the martyr for the cure and receive it from her."
The author then mocks the protagonist Aretarchos' explanation, saying that if the Sarpedonian Apollo could have had the remedy for the supplicant, he would not have sent him to the martyr who was his enemy at that.
Text: Dagron 1978. Translation: Johnson 2012. Summary: J. Doroszewska.
History
Evidence ID
E05766Saint Name
Thekla, follower of the Apostle Paul : S00092Saint Name in Source
ΘέκλαRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Collections of miraclesLanguage
- Greek