{"slug":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nazianzus-ad-eos-qui-ipsum-acciverant-nec-occurrerant","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-gregory-of-nazianzus-ad-eos-qui-ipsum-acciverant-nec-occurrerant","title":"Ad eos qui ipsum acciverant nec occurrerant","title_source":"Ad eos qui ipsum acciverant nec occurrerant","author":"Gregory of Nazianzus","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"greek","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T06:35:37Z","cost_usd":0.003059},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-gregory-of-nazianzus-ad-eos-qui-ipsum-acciverant-nec-occurrerant","work_id":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nazianzus-ad-eos-qui-ipsum-acciverant-nec-occurrerant","edition":"khazarzar","language":"","license":"Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Gregory%20of%20Nazianzus_PG%2035-38/Ad%20eos%20qui%20ipsum%20acciverant%20nec%20occurrerant.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":5,"english_words":1318,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":5190,"commentary_units":30,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":6},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nazianzus-ad-eos-qui-ipsum-acciverant-nec-occurrerant","abstract":"Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329–390) composed this oration after his resignation from Constantinople in 381, addressing those who had invited him but failed to attend his arrival. The Greek text survives in medieval manuscripts, often grouped with his other orations. The Khazarzar edition is a digital transcription based on earlier printed editions, lacking a critical apparatus. This oration is not among Gregory's most frequently cited works in later Byzantine liturgy or patristic florilegia, but appears in some manuscript collections. No English translation or detailed commentary is provided; the Greek text alone is offered without annotation of rhetorical or theological allusions.","historical_context":"Gregory of Nazianzus delivered this oration in the late 4th century, likely in Constantinople or its environs, shortly after his resignation as bishop of Constantinople in 381. The work addresses a specific community of supporters who had invited him but then failed to attend his arrival, reflecting the ecclesiastical politics and personal tensions of the period. The Greek text survives in multiple medieval manuscripts, often grouped with Gregory's other orations, indicating its transmission within monastic and scholarly circles. The Khazarzar edition is a digital transcription based on earlier printed editions, lacking a critical apparatus; variant readings from key manuscripts (e.g., Patmos 33, Paris gr. 510) are not recorded. Users should consult the critical edition by J. Mossay (1982) for textual variants. The oration is not among Gregory's most frequently cited works in later Byzantine liturgy or patristic florilegia, but appears in some manuscript collections of his orations.","significance":"This oration provides insight into Gregory's rhetorical self-defense and his relationship with his audience after his resignation. It reflects the tensions between ecclesiastical authority and personal integrity in late 4th-century Christianity. The work is less studied than Gregory's major theological orations, but it illuminates the social dynamics of episcopal patronage and the expectations of Christian leadership.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 329–390","event":"Life of Gregory of Nazianzus"},{"date":"381","event":"Gregory resigns as bishop of Constantinople"},{"date":"Late 4th c.","event":"Composition of the oration"},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Transmission in Greek manuscripts"},{"date":"1982","event":"Critical edition by J. Mossay published"},{"date":"21st c.","event":"Khazarzar digital edition produced"}],"relations":[{"work":"Oration 42 (Gregory of Nazianzus)","relation":"Another oration by Gregory addressing his resignation and departure from Constantinople","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Oration 26 (Gregory of Nazianzus)","relation":"Gregory's defense of his flight from episcopal duties","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Patmos 33","relation":"Key manuscript containing this oration","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Paris gr. 510","relation":"Key manuscript containing this oration","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Mossay (1982) critical edition","relation":"Standard critical edition for textual variants","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The date of composition is uncertain; the notes suggest it was after 381 but do not specify a precise year.","The Khazarzar edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings from key manuscripts are not recorded.","No English translation or detailed commentary is provided in this edition.","The oration is not among Gregory's most frequently cited works, so its manuscript tradition may be less well-documented."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000387,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:35:37Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/Gregory%20of%20Nazianzus_PG%2035-38/Ad%20eos%20qui%20ipsum%20acciverant%20nec%20occurrerant.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-gregory-of-nazianzus-ad-eos-qui-ipsum-acciverant-nec-occurrerant","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":5,"translated":5,"commentary_passages":5,"commentary_units":30,"english_words":1318,"source_letters":5181,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329–390) wrote this oration after his resignation from Constantinople in 381. The work addresses those who invited him but failed to attend his arrival.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The Greek text survives in multiple medieval manuscripts, often grouped with Gregory’s other orations. The Khazarzar edition is a digital transcription based on earlier printed editions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This oration is not among Gregory’s most frequently cited works in later Byzantine liturgy or patristic florilegia, but it appears in some manuscript collections of his orations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Khazarzar edition lacks a critical apparatus; variant readings from key manuscripts (e.g., Patmos 33, Paris gr. 510) are not recorded. Users should consult the critical edition by J. Mossay (1982) for textual variants.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"No English translation or detailed commentary is provided in this edition. The Greek text alone is offered, without annotation of rhetorical or theological allusions.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 5 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: khazarzar — Migne PG text (public domain); khazarzar host and the digitising project state no licence for this layer"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":5},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"ΛΟΓΟΣ Γʹ.\n\nΠρὸς τοὺς καλέσαντας, καὶ μὴ ἀπαντήσαντας. Αʹ. Πῶς βραδεῖς ἐπὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον, ὦ φίλοι καὶ ἀδελφοὶ, καίτοι γε ταχεῖς εἰς τὸ τυραννῆσαι, καὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀκροπόλεως ἀποσπᾶσαι τῆς ἐρημίας, ἣν ἐγὼ πάντων μάλιστα ἠσπασάμην, καὶ ὡς συνεργὸν καὶ μητέρα τῆς θείας ἀναβάσεως, καὶ θεοποιὸν, δια φερόντως ἠγάσθην τε καὶ παντὸς τοῦ βίου προεστη σάμην; Πῶς ὃ λαβεῖν ἐποθεῖτε περιφρονεῖτε λαβόν τες, καὶ βελτίους ἐφάνητε ποθεῖν ἀπόντας, ἢ ἀπολαύ ειν παρόντων, ὥσπερ κρατῆσαι μᾶλλον τῆς ἡμε τέρας φιλοσοφίας ἢ ὄνασθαι ταύτης θελήσαντες; Ἢ καλόν μοι καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν· ἐγενήθημεν ὑμῖν εἰς πλησμονὴν, πρὶν γευσθῆναι, καὶ πεῖραν δοῦναι· τὸ παραδοξότατον. Βʹ. Καὶ οὐδὲ ὡς ξένους ἡμᾶς συνηγάγητε, ἢ συνήχθητε μεθ' ἡμῶν, ἵν' εἴπω τι συμπαθέστερον, ταύ την, εἰ μή τι ἄλλο, τὴν ἐντολὴν αἰδεσθέντες· οὐδὲ ὡς ἀρχομένους ἐχειραγωγήσατε, οὐδὲ ὡς δειλοὺς ἐθαρσύνατε, οὐδὲ ὡς βιασθέντας παρεκαλέσατε· ἀλλ' ἀνέορτον ἡμῖν, ὀκνῶ μὲν εἰπεῖν, εἰρήσθω δὲ ὅμως, πεποιήκατε τὴν ἑορτὴν, καὶ προοιμίοις οὐκ ἀγαθοῖς ἡμᾶς ἐδεξιώσασθε· καὶ τῇ πανηγύρει κατή φειαν κατεμίξατε, τὸ μέγιστον εἰς ἡδονὴν οὐκ ἐχούσῃ τοὺς ἐμοὺς νικητὰς ὑμᾶς, οὐ γὰρ ἐραστὰς εἰπεῖν ἀλη θές. Οὕτως εὐκαταφρόνητον ἅπαν τὸ ῥᾳδίως νικώμενον· καὶ θεραπεύεται μὲν τὸ ὑψηλὸν, ἀτιμάζεται δὲ τὸ Θεῷ ταπεινούμενον. Γʹ. Τί βούλεσθε; Κριθῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἢ κριτὴς γένωμαι; ἐνέγκω ψῆφον, ἢ δέξωμαι; Καὶ γὰρ νική σειν ἐλπίζω, κρινόμενος, καὶ καταψηφιεῖσθαι δικαίως ἀποφαινόμενος.","english":"Third Discourse.\n\nTo Those Who Had Summoned Him and Did Not Meet Him. 1. How slow you are to my discourse, O friends and brothers, though you were swift to tyrannize and to tear me away from my solitude, that citadel which I embraced above all else, and which I loved and set before my whole life as a coworker and mother of divine ascent and deification? How is it that what you longed to receive you despise when you have received it, and you have shown yourselves better at longing for me when absent than at enjoying me when present, as if you wished rather to possess my philosophy than to benefit from it? Or may I say this too: we became a surfeit to you before you had tasted or made trial of us—the most paradoxical thing. 2. And you did not gather us together as strangers, nor were you gathered with us, to speak more sympathetically, out of respect for this commandment, if for nothing else; nor did you lead us by the hand as beginners, nor encourage us as timid ones, nor console us as men under compulsion; but you have made the feast for us without a feast—I hesitate to say it, but let it be said nonetheless—and you have greeted us with ill-omened preludes, and you have mixed sorrow with the festival, which lacks the greatest element for pleasure: you, my victors, for it is not true to call you lovers. So contemptible is everything that is easily conquered; the lofty is courted, but what is humbled before God is dishonored. 3. What do you wish? Am I to be judged by you, or am I to be your judge? Am I to cast a vote, or to receive one? For I hope to conquer when judged, and to condemn justly when I pronounce sentence.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"ΛΟΓΟΣ Γʹ","severity":"info","text":"The heading 'Third Discourse' marks this as the third oration in Gregory's corpus, likely part of a series of occasional addresses.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"θεοποιόν","severity":"info","text":"The term 'theopoion' (deifying) is a key Gregorian concept, describing solitude as a means of divinization, echoing Evagrian and later Palamite themes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν ἐντολὴν","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'this commandment' likely alludes to the gospel command to welcome strangers (Matt 25:35–40) or the apostolic injunction to receive one another (Rom 15:7).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ἀκροπόλεως τῆς ἐρημίας","severity":"info","text":"Gregory's 'citadel of solitude' refers to his monastic retreat at Annesi or Seleucia, which he left reluctantly to serve as bishop of Constantinople.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"νικήσειν ἐλπίζω","severity":"info","text":"Gregory's rhetorical posture of being both judged and judge reflects his self-defense in later hagiographical tradition, where he is portrayed as a victor over ecclesiastical intrigue.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"πλησμονὴν","severity":"caution","text":"The word 'plesmonen' (surfeit) may be ironic or hyperbolic; Gregory's audience likely included disappointed supporters, not merely hostile critics.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the addressees (friends, brothers, or ecclesiastical opponents) is left ambiguous; Gregory may be conflating multiple groups."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Τὸ δὲ ἔγκλημα, ὅτι μὴ τοῖς ἴσοις μέ τροις ἀμείβεσθε τῆς ἀγάπης ἡμᾶς, μηδὲ τῆς εὐπειθείας τὴν τιμὴν ἀντιδίδοτε, μηδὲ τὸ μέλλον ἐγγυᾶσθε τῇ νῦν προθυμίᾳ, μόγις καὶ μετὰ ταύτης πιστευθῆναι δυνάμενον· ἐπειδὴ θερμότερος ἅπας ἀρ χόμενος. Ἄλλος δὲ ἄλλο τι προτιμότερον τίθεσθε καὶ τοῦ παλαιοῦ καὶ τοῦ νέου ποιμένος, μήτε τὴν πολιὰν αἰδούμενοι, μήτε τὴν νεότητα προσκα λούμενοι. Δʹ. Δεῖπνόν ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις λαμπρὸν, καὶ δεξιὸς ἑστιάτωρ, καὶ φίλοι, καὶ τὸ συμπόσιον ἥδιστον· υἱοῦ γὰρ γάμος. Καὶ ὁ μὲν συγκαλεῖ, οἱ δὲ οὐ συνέρχονται· ὁ δὲ ἀγανακτεῖ· καὶ παρίημι τὰ ἐν μέσῳ διὰ τὸ δύσφημον· ἀλλ' ὃ μέτριον εἰπεῖν, δι' ἄλλων πληροῖ τὸ συμπόσιον. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν ἀπευχόμεθα· ὑμεῖς δὲ τοσοῦτον ἐκείνων γεγόνατέ μοι (πῶς εἴπω πράως;) ὑψηλότεροι ἢ θρασύτεροι, ὅσον οἱ μὲν κεκλημένοι τοῦ δείπνου κατεξανί στανται, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ κεκληκότος ὑβρίζουσιν· ὑμεῖς δὲ, οὐ τῶν ἔξωθεν ὄντες, οὐδὲ τῶν κεκλημένων ἐπὶ τοὺς γάμους, ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ συγκαλέσαντες ἡμᾶς, καὶ τῇ ἱερᾷ ταύτῃ τραπέζῃ προσδήσαντες, καὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος τὴν λαμπρότητα παραδείξαντες, ἔπειτα καταλιπόντες ἡμᾶς τοῦτο γὰρ ὑμῶν τὸ γενναιότατον· ὁ μὲν ἐπὶ τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρὸν, ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ζεῦ γος τῶν βοῶν τὸ νεώνητον, ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν νεόνυμφον, ὁ δὲ ἄλλος ἐπ' ἄλλο τι τῶν μικρῶν διεσπάρητε καὶ ἀπεπηδήσατε, μικρὰ τοῦ νυμφῶνος καὶ τοῦ νυμφίου φροντίσαντες.","english":"The charge is that you do not repay us with equal measures for your love, nor do you render the honor of obedience in return, nor do you guarantee the future by your present zeal—a thing that can barely be believed even with this, since every beginning is more fervent. And you each set something else as more honorable than both the old and the new shepherd, respecting neither the gray hair nor inviting the youth. 4. There is a splendid dinner in the Gospels, and a gracious host, and friends, and the banquet is most pleasant—for it is a son's wedding. And he summons, but they do not come; and he is indignant—and I pass over the middle parts because of their ill repute—but, to speak moderately, he fills the banquet through others. This, then, we deprecate; but you have become to me (how shall I say it gently?) so much more haughty or audacious than those, as the invited guests rise up against the dinner and insult the inviter; while you, not being outsiders, nor among those invited to the wedding, but having yourselves summoned us, and bound us to this sacred table, and shown us the splendor of the bridal chamber, then abandoned us—for this is your noblest deed: one to his own field, another to the newly purchased yoke of oxen, another to his newlywed wife, another to some other trivial thing, you scattered and darted away, caring little for the bridal chamber and the bridegroom.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Δεῖπνόν ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις λαμπρὸν","severity":"info","text":"Gregory alludes to the parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14), where a king invites guests who refuse to come. The reference is explicit but adapted to his own situation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πολιὰν","severity":"info","text":"πολιὰν (gray hair) is a metonym for old age, contrasting with νεότητα (youth). Gregory uses this to criticize the audience's disregard for both the aged and the young shepherd.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"νυμφῶνος","severity":"info","text":"νυμφῶνος (bridal chamber) likely refers to the sanctuary or the church building itself, a common metaphor in patristic literature for the sacred space of the Eucharist or ordination.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Δʹ","severity":"info","text":"The numeral Δʹ (4) marks a new section, likely a division in the manuscript tradition. It introduces the Gospel parable as a rhetorical exemplum.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἄλλος δὲ ἄλλο τι προτιμότερον τίθεσθε","severity":"info","text":"The list of trivial distractions (field, oxen, wife) echoes similar catalogues in Greco-Roman moral diatribe, e.g., in Epictetus or Dio Chrysostom, criticizing misplaced priorities.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"παρίημι τὰ ἐν μέσῳ διὰ τὸ δύσφημον","severity":"caution","text":"Gregory deliberately omits the middle part of the Gospel story 'because of its ill repute,' likely referring to the violent punishment of the guests. The exact reference is ambiguous.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'old and new shepherd' is unclear: possibly rival bishops or different pastoral generations. The 'middle parts' of the Gospel parable omitted by Gregory are not specified."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Εʹ. Διὰ τοῦτο ἀθυμίας ἐνεπλήσθην καὶ ἀπο ρίας· οὐ γὰρ ὃ πέπονθα, σιωπήσομαι· καὶ μικροῦ μὲν ἀνέσχον τὸν λόγον, ὃν δωροφορῆσαι διενοούμην τῷ γάμῳ, τὸ κάλλιστον ὧν εἶχον καὶ τιμιώτατον· μικροῦ δὲ ὑμῖν ἐπαφῆκα τοῖς ποθουμένοις, ἐπει δή γε ἅπαξ ἐξεβιάσθην· ἅτε δὴ λαμπρᾶς οὕτω λαβόμενος\n\nὑποθέσεως, καὶ τοῦ φίλτρου τὴν γλῶσσαν θήγοντος, ὃ δὴ θερμότατον εἰς κατηγορίαν καὶ εὐπορώτατον, ὅταν γένηται ζῆλος, λύπην ἐκ τῆς ὑπεροψίας προσλαβὼν ἀπροσδόκητον. Εἴ τις ὑμῶν οἴστρῳ πληγεὶς ὑπερώφθη, γνωρίζει τὸ πάθος, καὶ συγγνώσεται τοῦτο παθοῦσι, καὶ ταύτης ἐγγὺς γενο μένοις τῆς ἀπονοίας. ʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ μὲν οὔτε νῦν θεμιτόν ἐστιν ὑμῶν τι καθάψασθαι, μήτ' ἄλλοτε γένοιτο. Καὶ ταῦτα ἴσως ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτριον καθηψάμην, τῆς ἱερᾶς ποί μνης, τῶν ἐπαινετῶν Χριστοῦ θρεμμάτων, τῆς θείας κληρονομίας, δι' ἣν πλούσιος σὺ, κἂν ᾖς πένης. Κἀκεῖνά σοι πρέπειν ἡγοῦμαι τὰ ῥήματα· Σχοινία ἐπέπεσέ σοι ἐν τοῖς κρατίστοις· καὶ γὰρ ἡ κληρονομία σου κρατίστη σοί ἐστι· καὶ οὐ παρήσω ταῖς ἀριθμουμέναις τῶν πόλεων, οὐδὲ τῶν ποιμνίων τοῖς πλατυτάτοις ἔχειν τι πλέον ἡμῶν τῶν ὀλίγων τῆς ἐλαχίστης φυλῆς ἐν υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ, τῶν ὀλιγοστῶν ἐν χιλιάσιν Ἰούδα, τῆς μικρᾶς Βηθλεὲμ ἐν πόλεσιν, ἐν ᾗ Χριστὸς γεννᾶται, νῦν τε καὶ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καλῶς καὶ γινωσκόμενος καὶ σεβόμενος· παρ' οἷς Πατὴρ ὑψοῦται, καὶ Υἱὸς ἰσάζεται, καὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον συνδοξάζεται· συμψύχοις, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦσι, μη δὲν τῆς Τριάδος ζημιουμένοις, ἢ ὑπερτιθεῖσιν, ἣ ἀποτέμνουσιν·","english":"For this reason I was filled with despondency and perplexity; for I will not conceal what I have suffered. I had almost held back the speech which I intended to offer as a gift to the marriage—the finest and most precious thing I possessed—and I had almost let it loose upon you, the objects of my longing, since I was once compelled to do so; especially when I had seized so splendid an occasion, and when affection was sharpening my tongue—which is most ardent and most resourceful for accusation, when zeal arises, having taken on unexpected grief from the slight. If any of you, stung by a gadfly, has been overlooked, he recognizes the passion and will forgive those who suffer this and come near to such madness. But for me, it is not even now lawful to attack any of you, nor may it ever be so. And perhaps I have attacked beyond due measure this sacred flock, these praiseworthy lambs of Christ, this divine inheritance through which you are rich, even if you are poor. And I consider those words fitting for you: \"The ropes have fallen upon you in the best portions\"; for your inheritance is the best for you. And I will not allow the cities that are counted nor the most extensive flocks to have any advantage over us, the few of the smallest tribe among the sons of Israel, the scanty among the thousands of Judah, the little Bethlehem among cities, in which Christ is born, now and from the beginning, well known and revered; among whom the Father is exalted, the Son is made equal, and the Holy Spirit is glorified together—of one soul, thinking the one thing, neither diminishing nor exalting nor separating any part of the Trinity.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Διὰ τοῦτο ἀθυμίας ἐνεπλήσθην καὶ ἀπορίας","severity":"info","text":"Gregory opens with a strong emotional statement, linking his despondency to the congregation's failure to attend, which sets the rhetorical tone of the passage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"οἴστρῳ πληγεὶς","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'stung by a gadfly' (οἴστρῳ πληγεὶς) is a classical metaphor for sudden, maddening passion or frenzy, used here to describe the feeling of being slighted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Σχοινία ἐπέπεσέ σοι ἐν τοῖς κρατίστοις","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes a scriptural allotment metaphor (cf. Joshua 18:6 LXX), where 'ropes' (σχοινία) refer to portions of land assigned by lot, here applied to the congregation's inheritance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"external","lemma":"μικρᾶς Βηθλεὲμ","severity":"info","text":"Gregory contrasts the smallness of Bethlehem with its theological significance as Christ's birthplace, a common topos in patristic literature emphasizing humility over worldly grandeur.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Εʹ. ... ʹ.","severity":"info","text":"The passage is divided into two sections (Εʹ and ʹ), marking a shift from personal lament to a defense of the congregation's spiritual worth, despite their small size.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"Τριάδος","severity":"info","text":"Gregory's Trinitarian formula (Father exalted, Son equal, Spirit glorified together) reflects the orthodox position defended at the First Council of Constantinople (381), where he played a key role.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'gadfly' (οἴστρῳ) is ambiguous: it may refer to a specific person or a general sense of irritation. The reading taken treats it as a generic metaphor for emotional sting."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"ὡς οἱ κακοὶ διαιτηταὶ καὶ μετρηταὶ τῆς θεότητος, δι' ὧν ἕν τι πλέον, ἢ καλῶς ἔχει, σεμνύνουσι, τὸ πᾶν ἐλαττοῦντες καὶ καθυβρίζοντες. Ζʹ. Ὑμεῖς δὲ, εἴ τι χαρίζεσθέ μοι, τὸ ἐμὸν γεώργιον, ἢ ἄμπελος ἡ ἐμὴ, τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ κοινοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν, οὓς οὗτος ἐν Χριστῷ διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐγέννησεν, αἰδεῖσθε μὲν καὶ ἡμᾶς· δίκαιον γὰρ, οἳ πάντων ὑμᾶς προετιμήσαμεν· ὑμεῖς μάρτυρες, καὶ οἳ ταύτην ἡμῖν ἐγχειρίσαντες τὴν εἴτε ἡγεμονίαν, εἴτε διακονίαν· καὶ εἰ τῷ πλεῖον ἀγαπή σαντι πλέον ὀφείλεται, πῶς μετρήσω τὴν ἀγάπην, ἧς ὑποχρέους ὑμᾶς διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἔλαβον; αἰδεῖσθε δὲ πλέον ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς, καὶ τὴν πιστευθεῖσαν εἰκόνα, καὶ τὸν πιστεύσαντα, καὶ τὰ Χριστοῦ πάθη, καὶ τὰς ἐκεῖθεν ἐλπίδας, πίστιν μὲν ἔχοντες ἣν παρειλήφατε, καὶ ᾗ συνετράφητε, μεθ' ἧς καὶ σώζεσθε, καὶ σώζειν ἄλλους πιστεύεσθε· οὐ γὰρ πολλῶν, εὖ ἴστε, τὸ ὑμέτερον καύχημα. Τὸ δὲ εὐσεβὲς μὴ ἐν τῷ πολλάκις περὶ Θεοῦ λαλεῖν, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ τὰ πλείω σιγᾷν εἶναι τιθέμενοι· γλῶσσα γὰρ ὄλισθος ἀνθρώποις μὴ λόγῳ κυβερνωμένη· καὶ ἀκινδυνοτέραν ἀκοὴν ἀεὶ λόγου νομίζοντες, ὥστε τι μανθάνειν ἥδιον, ἢ διδάσκειν περὶ Θεοῦ· τὴν μὲν ἀκριβεστέραν τούτων ἐξέτασιν τοῖς οἰκονόμοις τοῦ λόγου παραχωροῦντες·","english":"like those bad arbiters and measurers of divinity, who, by exalting one thing more than is fitting, diminish and insult the whole. 7. But you, if you grant me any favor, my little farm, or my vine, my own vitals—or rather, the vitals of our common Father, whom this man has begotten in Christ through the Gospel—reverence us as well; for it is just, since we have preferred you above all. You are witnesses, and those who entrusted to us this either leadership or service. And if more is owed to the one who has loved more, how shall I measure the love by which I have made you debtors through my own? But reverence yourselves even more, and the image entrusted to you, and the one who entrusted it, and the sufferings of Christ, and the hopes that come from them, having the faith which you received and with which you were reared, with which you are saved and are believed to save others; for it is not of many, as you well know, that your boast consists. And consider piety to consist not in speaking often about God, but in being silent the more; for the tongue is a slippery thing for men not steered by reason. And always deeming hearing safer than speaking, so that it is more pleasant to learn than to teach about God, yielding the more precise examination of these matters to the stewards of the word.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"διαιτηταὶ","severity":"info","text":"Διαιτηταί (arbiters) here carries a negative connotation of those who judge or measure the divine improperly, contrasting with proper theological discernment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"γεώργιον","severity":"info","text":"Γεώργιον (little farm) and ἄμπελος (vine) are agricultural metaphors for the congregation, common in patristic literature to denote spiritual cultivation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"γλῶσσα γὰρ ὄλισθος ἀνθρώποις","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'γλῶσσα γὰρ ὄλισθος ἀνθρώποις' echoes Proverbs 12:23 (LXX) on the danger of unguarded speech, adapted to warn against excessive theological talk.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"οἰκονόμοις τοῦ λόγου","severity":"info","text":"Οἰκονόμοι τοῦ λόγου (stewards of the word) refers to ordained clergy or teachers entrusted with precise theological instruction, a common designation in fourth-century Greek Christianity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ζʹ","severity":"info","text":"The numeral Ζʹ (7) marks a new section in the discourse, likely a thematic or rhetorical division, typical of Gregory's structured orations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"εἴτε ἡγεμονίαν, εἴτε διακονίαν","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'εἴτε ἡγεμονίαν, εἴτε διακονίαν' (either leadership or service) reflects Gregory's ambivalence about his ecclesiastical role; the exact nuance is debated, but the text does not resolve it.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τὸ ἐμὸν γεώργιον, ἢ ἄμπελος ἡ ἐμὴ, τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα' shifts between agricultural and bodily metaphors; the exact referent (the congregation or the addressees) is ambiguous but likely the same group.","The clause 'πῶς μετρήσω τὴν ἀγάπην, ἧς ὑποχρέους ὑμᾶς διὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἔλαβον' is syntactically compressed; the reading taken is that Gregory measures the love by which he has made them debtors through his own love."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"αὐτοὶ δὲ λόγῳ μὲν εὐσεβοῦντες ὀλίγα, ἔργῳ δὲ πλείονα, καὶ τῇ τηρήσει τῶν νόμων μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ θαυμάζειν τὸν νομοθέτην τὸ περὶ αὐτὸν φίλτρον ἐπιδεικνύ μενοι, φεύγοντες κακίαν, διώκοντες ἀρετὴν, πνεύ ματι ζῶντες, πνεύματι στοιχοῦντες, τούτῳ τὴν γνῶσιν ἕλκοντες, ἐποικοδομοῦντες τῷ θεμελίῳ τῆς πίστεως, μὴ ξύλον, μηδὲ χόρτον, μηδὲ καλάμην, ὕλην ἀσθενῆ καὶ ῥᾳδίως δαπανωμένην, ἡνίκα ἂν πυρὶ κρίνηται τὰ ἡμέτερα, ἢ καθαί ρηται· ἀλλὰ χρυσὸν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, τὰ μένοντα καὶ ἱστάμενα. Ηʹ. Ταῦτα πράσσοιτε, καὶ τούτοις ἡμᾶς δοξά ζοιτε εἴτε παρόντες εἴτε ἀπόντες, εἴτε μεταποιούμενοι τῶν ἡμετέρων λόγων, εἴτε ἄλλο τι προτιμότερον ἄγοντες· καὶ γίνοισθε τέκνα Θεοῦ καθαρὰ καὶ ἀμώμητα, ἐν μέσῳ γενεᾶς σκολιᾶς καὶ διεστραμμένης· καὶ μὴ περιπλέκοιτο ὑμῖν τὰ τῶν κύκλῳ περιπατούντων ἀσεβῶν σχοινία, μηδὲ σειραῖς τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτιῶν περισφίγγοισθε, μηδὲ ταῖς βιωτικαῖς μερίμναις συμπνίγοιτο ὑμῖν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ἄκαρποι γίνοισθε· ἀλλ' ὁδῷ πορεύοισθε βασιλικῇ, μὴ ἐκκλίνοντες εἰς δεξιὰ, μηδὲ εἰς ἀριστερὰ, καὶ διὰ τῆς στενῆς ὡς πλατείας ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος ὁδηγούμενοι· καὶ τὸ ἡμέτερον εὖ ἕξει νῦν τε καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐξέτασιν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.","english":"They themselves, while professing piety in word but little, in deed more, and by the observance of the laws rather than by admiring the lawgiver, display their affection for him, fleeing vice, pursuing virtue, living by the Spirit, walking by the Spirit, drawing knowledge by it, building upon the foundation of faith, not wood, nor grass, nor straw, weak and easily consumed material, whenever our affairs are judged or purified by fire, but gold, silver, precious stones, things that endure and stand firm. 8. Do these things, and honor us by them, whether present or absent, whether claiming our words or holding something else more honorable; and become pure and blameless children of God, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; and let not the ropes of the impious who walk in circles entangle you, nor be constricted by the chains of your own sins, nor let your reason be stifled by the cares of life, and you become fruitless; but travel the royal road, turning neither to the right nor to the left, and being led by the Spirit through the narrow as though it were broad; and our condition will be well both now and at the examination from that place, in Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom is glory for the ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πνεύματι ζῶντες, πνεύματι στοιχοῦντες","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'living by the Spirit, walking by the Spirit' echoes Pauline language (e.g., Gal 5:25, Rom 8:4-6) and emphasizes the Spirit as both the source of life and the guide for conduct.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"μὴ ξύλον, μηδὲ χόρτον, μηδὲ καλάμην","severity":"info","text":"The contrast of weak materials (wood, grass, straw) with enduring ones (gold, silver, precious stones) alludes to 1 Cor 3:12-13, where Paul uses building imagery for the foundation of faith.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τῇ τηρήσει τῶν νόμων μᾶλλον ἢ τῷ θαυμάζειν τὸν νομοθέτην","severity":"info","text":"Gregory contrasts observance of laws with admiration for the lawgiver, reflecting a common patristic emphasis on practical piety over mere verbal reverence, possibly directed at contemporary ascetic or monastic debates.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ηʹ","severity":"info","text":"The Greek numeral Ηʹ (8) marks a new section, likely a new paragraph or rhetorical unit, as Gregory shifts from describing the audience's virtues to exhorting them directly.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"ὁδῷ πορεύοισθε βασιλικῇ","severity":"info","text":"The 'royal road' metaphor, common in early Christian literature (e.g., Didache 1:2, Barnabas 18:1), signifies the middle way between extremes, here elaborated as avoiding right and left deviations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.","severity":"info","text":"The doxological conclusion is typical of Gregory's homilies and letters, and the phrase 'glory for the ages' became a standard liturgical formula in Byzantine Christianity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τὰ μένοντα καὶ ἱστάμενα' could be read as either neuter plural referring to the precious materials or as a general statement about enduring things; the translation takes it as the former.","The reference to 'the examination from that place' (τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐξέτασιν) is ambiguous: it may refer to eschatological judgment or to a post-mortem scrutiny of one's life."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}