The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Miracles of Saint Thekla, 5

Once some bandits, the Hagarenes, sought to attack Seleucia. They were about to assault the city, and found no obstacles in their way, since the inhabitants disbelieved the rumours circulating at that time and were spending their time at spectacles and banquets, not suspecting at all the imminent danger.

Ὅτε οὖν ὁ λόχος ἐξήρτυτο καὶ ἦν ἤδη πλησίον, καὶ προσεῖρπε τοῖς τείχεσι τὸ κακόν, καὶ ἡ νύξ—καιρὸς συνᾴδων τῷ τολμήματι τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως—οὐ πόρρω, καὶ αὕτη δὲ ἀσέληνος καὶ ἀφεγγὴς καὶ γνοφώδης, καὶ ὕπνος βαθὺς κατὰ τῶν δῆθεν φυλαττόντων ἐκέχυτο, καὶ τὰ μηχανήματα τῶν τειχῶν ἤδη που πλησίον ἦν, ὡς καὶ προσπνεῖν τοῖς οἰκοῦσι λοιπὸν τὰ τῆς ἁλώσεως κακά, καὶ τὸ λεῖπον ἦν οὐδὲν τοῦ τὴν πόλιν ἤδη ληΐζεσθαι, ἡ μάρτυς ὑπερφανεῖσα μόνον τῶν τειχῶν καὶ ἐπαστράψασα καὶ μονονουχὶ ἐπαλαλάξασα κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων, ἐκείνους τε τῆς ἐπιχειρήσεως ἀπέστησε καὶ τοὺς οἰκοῦντας πάντας ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπάλξεων ἔστησε·

καὶ πολὺ μὲν τούτοις τὸ θάρσος ἐνέπνευσε, πολὺ δὲ ἐκείνοις τὸ δέος ἐπέσεισεν, ὥστε ἀπροσδοκήτως πάντοθεν τὴν ὑπὸ τοῖς πολεμίοις οὖσαν ἤδη περισωθῆναι πόλιν, ὡς τοὺς πολεμίους αὐτοὺς μεγάλα μὲν ἐλπίσαντας, μεγίστων δὲ ἀποτυχόντας, οὔτε δὲ τῆς ἀποτυχίας τὸν τρόπον καὶ τὸ αἴτιον ἀγνοήσαντας, πολὺ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος ἔχειν παρ’ ἑαυτοῖς ἔτι τὸ θαῦμα τῆς μάρτυρος. Καὶ γὰρ ἐξ ἐκείνης τῆς μιαρᾶς φάλαγγος εἰσὶν ἔτι τινὲς ὑπερυμνοῦντες ἐπὶ τούτοις τὴν μάρτυρα καὶ τὴν οὐδαμόθεν αὐτοῖς ἐλπισθεῖσαν ὁμολογοῦντες ἧτταν.


'When their armed band equipped itself and was already nearby, and calamity was creeping towards the walls, at a time when the night - a time appropriate for such a bold attack - was not far off, being moonless, without light, and dark, and once a deep sleep had fallen over those who were supposedly mounting guard, and the engines were already near the walls, so that the woes of conquest were already breathing hard upon the inhabitants, and there was no option except for the city to be plundered, the martyr Thekla appeared alone atop the walls, in brilliant radiance, all but raising the war cry against the enemies, so that she repelled them from their attack and roused all the inhabitants to the ramparts.

Great was the courage she inspired in them; great was the fear with which she shook the attackers, so that, contrary to every expectation, the city which was already under the control of the enemy was saved, and so that the enemy itself, which had great expectations, was disappointed to an even greater degree. Nor did they understand the manner and the source of their misfortune, but even up to the present the miracle of the martyr still has a reputation among them. For from that abominable troop there are still some alive who glorify the martyr exceedingly for these events and acknowledge the defeat that was for them unexpected in every way.'


Text: Dagron 1978.
Translation: Johnson 2012.
Summary: J. Doroszewska.

Saint as patron - of a community

Miracle after death
Miraculous protection - of communities, towns, armies
Miraculous interventions in war
Punishing miracle

Other lay individuals/ people
The socially marginal (beggars, prostitutes, thieves)
Foreigners (including Barbarians)

Source

Discussion

Bibliography