{"slug":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-sanctum-stephanum-ii","id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-sanctum-stephanum-ii","title":"In sanctum Stephanum ii","title_source":"In sanctum Stephanum ii","author":"John Chrysostom","genre":"homily","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":"2026-11-15T06:28:17Z","cost_usd":0.001714},"source":{"registry_id":"greek:khazarzar:khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-sanctum-stephanum-ii","work_id":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-sanctum-stephanum-ii","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/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20sanctum%20Stephanum%20ii.pdf"},"stats":{"passages":2,"english_words":455,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":1967,"commentary_units":12,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":3,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":6},"summary":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-sanctum-stephanum-ii","abstract":"This homily by John Chrysostom is a panegyric for the protomartyr Stephen, delivered in a festal setting during Chrysostom's Antiochene period (c. 386–397). It employs rhetorical praise and typological exegesis, linking Stephen's witness to Christ's passion. The Greek text survives in multiple manuscripts, with variants in title and doxology indicating scribal adaptation for liturgical use. The khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus, hindering verification of textual decisions and identification of later interpolations, such as possible expansions of the Trinitarian passage. The homily was read in Byzantine feasts of Stephen and influenced later hagiographical topoi, especially the motif of Stephen's vision of the Trinity at his martyrdom.","historical_context":"The homily was likely composed in Antioch during Chrysostom's presbyterate (c. 386–397), a period of intense homiletic activity. Its precise date is uncertain, but it probably follows the 386 discovery of Stephen's relics, a major event that sparked veneration of the protomartyr. The community was Greek-speaking and liturgically engaged, with feasts for Stephen celebrated on December 26/27 and August 3. The homily survives in multiple manuscripts, but the khazarzar edition does not specify its manuscript base, leaving textual variants—especially in the doxology—unresolved. These variants suggest scribal adaptation for different liturgical contexts. The homily belongs to the genre of festal orations, common in late antique Christianity, and reflects Antiochene exegetical traditions, typologically linking Stephen's martyrdom to Christ's passion.","significance":"This homily is significant for understanding Chrysostom's rhetorical strategies and the development of Stephen's cult in the late fourth century. It established Stephen as the 'leader of the martyrs,' a title that became standard in Byzantine hagiography. The homily's influence on later hagiographical topoi, especially the Trinitarian vision, underscores its role in shaping the protomartyr's iconography and theological interpretation.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 386–397","event":"Composition of the homily during Chrysostom's Antiochene period."},{"date":"386","event":"Discovery of Stephen's relics, likely influencing the homily's composition."},{"date":"4th–5th c.","event":"Transmission of the Greek text in multiple manuscripts with scribal adaptations."},{"date":"Byzantine period","event":"Use of the homily in Byzantine feasts of Stephen (Dec. 26/27, Aug. 3)."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Influence on hagiographical topoi, especially Stephen's vision of the Trinity."},{"date":"Modern","event":"Publication in the khazarzar edition without critical apparatus."}],"relations":[{"work":"Acts of the Apostles","relation":"Primary biblical source for Stephen's story, alluded to in the homily.","key":"wikipedia:Acts of the Apostles","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"In sanctum Stephanum i","relation":"Another homily by Chrysostom on Stephen, possibly part of a series.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Panegyric on Stephen by Gregory of Nyssa","relation":"Contemporary or slightly earlier homily on Stephen, showing shared rhetorical and exegetical traditions.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Byzantine liturgical texts for Stephen","relation":"The homily was adapted for liturgical use, influencing later feast-day readings.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Martyrium of Stephen (5th c.)","relation":"Later hagiographical text that may have drawn on Chrysostom's Trinitarian motif.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The precise date of the homily is uncertain; it is placed within Chrysostom's Antiochene period (c. 386–397) but cannot be more precisely dated.","The khazarzar edition does not specify its manuscript base, so textual variants and potential interpolations cannot be verified.","The homily's title and doxology show scribal adaptation, indicating possible later additions or modifications for liturgical use."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000548,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:28:16Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Patrologia Graeca text (khazarzar mirror)","url":"http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/In%20sanctum%20Stephanum%20ii.pdf"}],"checks":{"work":"khazarzar-john-chrysostom-in-sanctum-stephanum-ii","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":2,"translated":2,"commentary_passages":2,"commentary_units":12,"english_words":455,"source_letters":1966,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The homily is a panegyric for the protomartyr Stephen, delivered in a festal setting. Chrysostom employs rhetorical praise and typological exegesis, linking Stephen’s witness to Christ’s passion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily belongs to Chrysostom’s Antiochene period (c. 386–397). Its precise date is uncertain, but it likely follows the 386 discovery of Stephen’s relics, a major event in the region.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The Greek text survives in multiple manuscripts, but the khazarzar edition does not specify its manuscript base. Variants in the homily’s title and doxology suggest scribal adaptation for liturgical use.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This homily was read in Byzantine feasts of Stephen (Dec. 26/27, Aug. 3). It influenced later hagiographical topoi, especially the motif of Stephen’s vision of the Trinity at his martyrdom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The khazarzar edition lacks critical apparatus and does not collate manuscripts. Readers cannot verify textual decisions or identify later interpolations, such as possible expansions of the Trinitarian passage.","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: homily in ancient Greek; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 2 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":2},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Στέφανον, βʹ.\n\nΟἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν στεφάνους πλέκειν ἀνδράσι βουλόμενοι, ῥόδα καὶ κρίνα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῆς γῆς ἄνθη συνάγειν σπουδάζουσιν· οὕτω γὰρ τῶν ἐπιγείων στεφανοπλόκων ὁ νόμος. Ἡμεῖς δὲ στέφανον κατασκευάζοντες τῷ μακαρίῳ Στεφάνῳ, ἐξ αὐτοῦ Στεφάνου τὰ πνευματικὰ ἄνθη τρυγήσωμεν, ἵνα στέφανον χαρίτων τῇ κεφαλῇ Στεφάνου πλέξωμεν.\n\nΛειμὼν γάρ ἐστιν ὁ μακάριος Στέφανος, πάσης εὐωδίας πεπληρωμένος, τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀρδευόμενος, τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ καταμυριζόμενος, καὶ εὐωδιάζων τὰ σύμπαντα. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ Στεφάνου μνήμη, καὶ τὰ πάντα ἁγιασμοῦ πεπλήρωται· ὁ οὐρανὸς τὸ πνεῦμα δεξάμενος, ἡ γῆ τὸ σῶμα ὑποδεξαμένη, ὁ ἀὴρ ὁμοῦ καὶ τὰ πάντα τοῦ μύρου τῆς εὐωδίας πεπλήρωται. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἔχομεν αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πρεσβεύοντα, τὸν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας κόσμον, τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀθλητὴν, τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ μαθητὴν, τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλεγχον, τὸν τῶν μαρτύρων ἔξαρχον, τὸν τῶν χηρῶν προστάτην, τὸν τῶν πεινώντων τροφέα, τὸν τῶν καταπονουμένων ἀντιλήπτορα, τὸν φρουρὸν τῆς ἁγίας Χριστοῦ πόλεως, τὸν τῶν καλῶν διακόνων στέφανον, τὸν στῦλον τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, τὸ τῶν μαρτύρων ἀγλάϊσμα, τὸ τῆς οἰκουμένης καύχημα, τὸ ἑδραίωμα τῆς πίστεως· ὁ φύλαξ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν, ὁ ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων εὐχόμενος, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν λιθαζόντων ὑπεραπολογούμενος, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀγγελικῇ χάριτι τὸ πρόσωπον δοξαζόμενος. Πάντες γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ καθεζόμενοι ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ὡσεὶ πρόσωπον ἀγγέλου. Στεφανώσωμεν ἀθλητὴν νῦν τὸν Στέφανον, τὸν πρωτοαθλητὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ τοῖς τῶν λόγων ἄνθεσι παύσωμεν.","english":"On Saint Stephen, II.\n\nThose from outside who wish to weave crowns for men gather roses and lilies and the remaining flowers of the earth; such is the law of earthly crown-weavers. But we, fashioning a crown for the blessed Stephen, let us gather the spiritual flowers from Stephen himself, so that we may weave a crown of graces for Stephen's head.\n\nFor the blessed Stephen is a meadow, filled with every fragrance, watered by the blood of Christ, anointed by the Holy Spirit, and perfuming all things. Behold, the memory of Stephen, and all things are filled with sanctification: heaven having received his spirit, earth having received his body, the air and all things together are filled with the ointment of fragrance. And we have him interceding for us, the ornament of the Church, the athlete of piety, the disciple of Christ, the refutation of the Jews, the leader of the martyrs, the protector of widows, the feeder of the hungry, the helper of the oppressed, the guardian of the holy city of Christ, the crown of good deacons, the pillar of the Church, the glory of the martyrs, the boast of the world, the foundation of faith; the guardian of our souls, the one who prays for his persecutors, and who pleads on behalf of those who stone him, and for this reason his face is glorified with angelic grace. For all, it says, who were sitting in the council saw his face as the face of an angel. Let us now crown the athlete Stephen, the first athlete of Christ, and let us cease with the flowers of words.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Οἱ μὲν ἔξωθεν ... Ἡμεῖς δὲ","severity":"info","text":"The homily opens with a contrast between earthly crown-weavers (μὲν) and the preacher's spiritual weaving (δὲ), a standard rhetorical device in Chrysostom's festal orations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"Στέφανος","severity":"info","text":"The name Stephen means 'crown' in Greek, enabling the extended metaphor of weaving a crown from Stephen's own spiritual flowers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, ὡσεὶ πρόσωπον ἀγγέλου","severity":"info","text":"This alludes to Acts 6:15, where Stephen's face is described as that of an angel before the Sanhedrin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔλεγχον","severity":"info","text":"Stephen's role as a refuter of Jews reflects his trial and speech in Acts 7, where he accused his accusers of resisting the Holy Spirit.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"τὸν τῶν μαρτύρων ἔξαρχον","severity":"info","text":"Stephen is called the 'leader of the martyrs,' a title that became standard in Byzantine hagiography, emphasizing his protomartyr status.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀρδευόμενος","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'watered by the blood of Christ' is ambiguous: it may refer to Stephen's own martyrdom as imitating Christ's passion, or to the Eucharist as spiritual irrigation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀρδευόμενος' could be read as Stephen's blood (like Christ's) or as the Eucharist; the text does not disambiguate."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Ἦν μὲν οὖν τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ καλλώπισμα, καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐγκατελέγετο· ἡμερότητι ἐκράτει πάντων ἀνθρώπων, καὶ φιλάνθρωπον εἶχεν ἐξαίρετον, καὶ οὐδ' οὕτω τοῖς αὑτοῦ πόνοις, ὡς τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις ἐνύττετο, καὶ τὴν τοῦ πλησίον ἔνδειαν ἰδίαν ἐνόμιζε, καὶ τὸ προσὸν πάθος ἑτέρῳ ὡς αὐτῷ προσὸν ἐθεράπευεν. Ἐν δὲ τοῖς πρώτοις τοῦ λόγου κηρύγμασι, δαψιλῶς ἀνθούσης τῆς πίστεως, καὶ παραχρῆμα οἱ μὲν πλουτοῦντες ἀπετίθεντο τῶν χρημάτων τὸν φόρτον, οἱ δὲ ἐνδεεῖς τὸ λεῖπον ἐλάμβανον.\n\nΤῆς οὕτω καλῆς ἁρμονίας καὶ τάξεως οἰκονόμος ὑπῆρχεν ὁ Στέφανος, καὶ τοῦτον εἶχεν ἡ πενία προστάτην καὶ σύμμαχον, ὁ δὲ πλοῦτος ἡνίοχον. Ἐπανεπαύετο μὲν ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος δύναμις, καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἴδιον οἶκον εἶχεν ἡ χάρις. Ἀνυμνήσωμεν οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀγαπητοὶ, σὺν τῷ πρωτομάρτυρι Στεφάνῳ τὸν τοὺς στεφάνους δωρούμενον, τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ ὁμοούσιον Τρίαδα, ὅτι αὐτῇ πρέπει ἡ δόξα, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.","english":"He was the adornment of the choir of the apostles and was numbered among the disciples of piety. He prevailed over all men by his gentleness, and he possessed an exceptional philanthropy; and he was not so much stung by his own labors as by those of others, and he considered the need of his neighbor as his own, and he treated the affliction present in another as if it were present in himself. In the first proclamations of the word, when faith was abundantly flourishing, immediately the wealthy laid down the burden of their riches, and the needy received what was lacking.\n\nStephen was the steward of such beautiful harmony and order; poverty had him as a protector and ally, while wealth had him as a charioteer. The power of the Spirit rested upon him, and grace had the man as its own dwelling. Therefore, let us also, beloved, together with the protomartyr Stephen, hymn the one who bestows the crowns, the holy and consubstantial Trinity, for to it belongs the glory, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἦν μὲν οὖν τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ καλλώπισμα","severity":"info","text":"Stephen is described as the 'adornment' (καλλώπισμα) of the apostolic choir, a term emphasizing his exemplary role among the apostles, not merely a member.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"πρωτομάρτυρι","severity":"info","text":"The term 'πρωτομάρτυρι' (protomartyr) is applied to Stephen, a standard title in Greek Christianity for the first Christian martyr, as recorded in Acts 7.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ ὁμοούσιον Τρίαδα","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'holy and consubstantial Trinity' echoes the Nicene Creed (325 CE), using 'ὁμοούσιον' to affirm the Trinity's unity of substance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"οἰκονόμος","severity":"info","text":"Stephen is called 'οἰκονόμος' (steward) of harmony, a role in early Christian communities managing alms and order, reflecting Acts 6 where Stephen is chosen to serve widows.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀνυμνήσωμεν οὖν","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from narrative praise of Stephen to a hortatory conclusion, inviting the congregation to hymn the Trinity, a typical homiletic move in Chrysostom.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Ἀμήν","severity":"info","text":"The closing 'Ἀμήν' is a liturgical marker, indicating the homily was delivered in a worship setting, likely concluding a eucharistic or festal assembly.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'τοῖς μαθηταῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας' could be read as 'the disciples of piety' (a general group) or 'the disciples of the faith' (a specific circle); the translation takes the former.","The identity of 'the one who bestows the crowns' (τὸν τοὺς στεφάνους δωρούμενον) is ambiguous: it may refer to Christ or the Trinity collectively; the text resolves to the Trinity."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}