The Paschal Chronicle, in its entry for 628, quotes the victory despatch from the emperor Heraclius attributing his victory over the Persians to the assistance of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033). Written in Greek at Constantinople, c. 630.
E07981
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
Paschal Chronicle, s.a. 628
Διὰ δὲ τῆς ἑτέρας ἡμῶν κελεύσεως τῆς γενομένης παρ᾿ ἡμῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀπλήκτου ἡμῶν τοῦ πλησίον τοῦ Κανξάκων, τῆς περιεχούσης τὴν κίνησιν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ιζ' τοῦ ὀκτωβρίου μηνὸς μέχρι τῆς ιε' τοῦ μαρτίου μηνός, ἐσημάναμεν τὸ πῶς ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἡ δέσποινα ἡμῶν ἡ θεοτόκος συνέπραξεν ἡμῖν τε καὶ τοῖς φιλοχρίστοις ἡμῶν ἐκστρατεύμασιν ὑπὲρ ἔννοιαν ἀνθρωπίνην καὶ τὸ πῶς ἔφυγεν ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν ὁ θεομίσητος καὶ ἀνάσκαφος Χοσρόης ἀπὸ τοῦ Δασταγερχοσὰρ ἐπὶ Κτησιφῶντα καὶ πῶς ἀπώλοντο τὰ παλάτια αὐτοῦ μετὰ πολλῶν ἐπαρχιῶν τῆς Περσικῆς πολιτείας, καὶ ὅτι διὰ τοῦ τρόπου τούτου ἠδυνήθη Σειρόης ποιήσασθαι τὴν κίνησιν κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ.
'In our other missive which came to you from us from our camp near Canzacon, which contained moves from the 17th of the month October until the 15th of the month March, we signified how God and our Lady the Mother of God collaborated with us and our Christ-loving contingents beyond mortal understanding, and how the God-abhorred and execrated Chosroes fled our presence, from Dastagard to Ctesiphon, how his palaces, along with many provinces of the Persian state were destroyed, and that by this means Seiroe was enabled to make the move against him.'
Text: Dindorf 1832, 729-30.
Translation: Whitby and Whitby 1989, 184.
Saint as patron - of a community
Saint as patron - of an individual
MiraclesMiraculous protection - of communities, towns, armies
Miraculous interventions in war
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesMonarchs and their family
Soldiers
Source
The Chronicon Paschale (paschal or Easter chronicle) is a chronicle compiled at Constantinople in the first half of the 7th century. It covers events from the creation of the world up to the anonymous author's own time. The Chronicle probably concluded with the year 630 (see Whitby and Whitby 1989, xi), though the surviving text breaks off slightly earlier, in the entry for 628. The traditional name for the Chronicle originates from its introductory section, which discusses methods for calculating the date of Easter. The Chronicle survives thanks to a single manuscript, Vatican, Gr. 1941 (10th c.), on which all other surviving manuscripts depend. The only critical edition remains that of Ludwig Dindorf (1832).The chronicler uses multiple chronological systems to date events: Olympiads, consular years, indictions, and years from the Ascension, as well as using Roman, Greek, and sometimes Egyptian dates (see Whitby and Whitby 1989, x). Numerous literary sources are utilised for the period before the author's own time, including well-known historical sources such as Eusebius and John Malalas. We have not included entries for material in the Paschal Chronicle which simply reproduces material in earlier sources already entered in our database.
Discussion
The Chronicle records that on 15 May 628, the feast of Pentecost, a letter was read out in Hagia Sophia from the emperor Heraclius, who at the time was still in Persian territory with his army. The letter announced his victory over the Persians and the downfall of the Persian king Chosroes (Khusro II), who had been at war with the Roman empire since 602 and whose armies had occupied most of its territories in the Near East, Egypt, and Asia Minor. The lengthy text is quoted in full by the Chronicle. In the course of the letter Heraclius makes several general references to the patronage of God, Christ, and the Virgin Mary over his army, but the sentence quoted in this entry appears to indicate a more specific role attributed to the Theotokos in the decisive engagements which defeated Chosroes. Full details were presumably given in the 'other missive' mentioned by Heraclius, which does not survive.Seiroe was Chosroes' son, who overthrew him after his succession of defeats and made peace with Heraclius.
Bibliography
Edition:Dindorf, L., Chronicon Paschale (Bonn, 1832).
Translation:
Whitby, M., and Whitby, M., Chronicon Paschale 284-628 AD (Translated Texts for Historians 7; Liverpool, 1989).
David Lambert
03/09/2020
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | ἡ θεοτόκος | Certain |
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David Lambert, Cult of Saints, E07981 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E07981