The Life of *Melania the Younger (aristocratic ascetic in Jerusalem, ob. 439, S01134), by Gerontius, a monk at her monastery, recounts how in Alexandria she met abba *Nestoros (Egyptian monk, early 5th c., S01136) who had powers of prophecy and healing. Written in Greek or Latin, probably in Jerusalem, c. 450.
E01998
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives of saint
Gerontius, Life of Melania the Younger 34
Sailing from Africa to the Holy Land, Melania, together with her husband, Pinianus, and her mother, Albina, stopped off in Alexandria.
Ἐν δὲ τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ συνέβη τὸν ἅγιον ἀββᾶν Νεσθορόου, ἄνδρα προφητικὸν χάρισμα κεκτημένον, ἐν τῇ πόλει παρεῖναι· καὶ γὰρ εἰώθει ὁ ἅγιος οὗτος ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυυοῦ παραγενέσθαι ἐν τῇ πόλει χάριν θεραπείας τῶν ἀσθενούτων· ἐκέκτητο γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τοῦτο τὸ χάρισμα, ὥστε ἀπαλλάσσειν τοὺς προσιόντας ἀπὸ διαφόρων νόσμων, ἔλαιον εὐλογημένον παρέχων. Ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ οἱ μακάριοι, φιλάγιοι ὄντες σφόδρα, ὤρμησαν εὐθέως ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχωφελῆ αὐτοῦ συντυχίαν.
'At that time, it just happened that the holy abba Nestoros, a man who possessed prophetic gifts, was in the city. This holy man was accustomed to come once a year to the city for the purpose of curing the sick. He also possessed this gift from the Lord, that he could deliver from diverse diseases those who came to him, using oil that had been blessed. As soon as the saintly ones, who were great friends of the holy men, heard about him, they immediately set out to receive spiritual profit.'
Melania, Pinianus and Albina are individually greeted by Nestoros, and hold an edifying conversation with the holy man.
The Latin and Greek texts do not differ significantly.
Text: Gorce 1962, pp. 190, 192
Translation: Clark 1984, p. 50.
Visiting/veneration of living saint
MiraclesMiracle during lifetime
Healing diseases and disabilities
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Source
The Life of Melania the Younger was composed in the middle of the 5th century, shortly after Melania’s death (439 AD). It is extant in Latin and Greek versions. There are some small differences between these texts, but, in relation to the cult of saints, nothing of great significance. Both texts contain 70 chapters. Scholars discuss the question of the Life’s original language. It is currently thought that neither of the preserved versions is original, but that the Greek Life is closer to the archetype.The author of the Life of Melania was Gerontius, a monk and a superior in her monastery on the Mount of Olives after her death. Gerontius presents his protagonist as an extraordinarily generous benefactor of the church, as a perfect (but not excessive) ascetic, and as a humane founder and superior of monasteries, while in no way playing down the high status of his subject and the contacts that this gave her. Although Melania effects a few cures (in chapters 59-61), and is described as being received into heaven at her death, the miraculous plays very little part in the text and there is no account of posthumous miracles at her grave.
Discussion
This Nestoros, a monk with notable holy powers, is otherwise unknown. Melania's meeting with him in Alexandria occurred in late 417.Bibliography
Edition, French translations and commentary:Vie de Sainte Mélanie, ed. and trans. D. Gorce, Sources Chrétiennes 90, Paris 1962. (Greek text)
La vie latine de Sainte Mélanie, ed. and trans. P. Laurence, Jerusalem 2002.
English translations:
The Life of Melania the Younger, trans. E. Clark, New York 1984. With commentary.
Lives of Roman Christian Women, trans. C. White, Penguin Classics 2010, pp. 182-230.
Katarzyna Wojtalik
11/11/2016
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S01134 | Melania the Younger, aristocratic ascetic in Jerusalem, ob. 439 | Certain | S01136 | Nestoros, Egyptian monk, early 5th c. | Νεσθορόος | Certain |
|---|
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Katarzyna Wojtalik, Cult of Saints, E01998 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01998