E01278: The Long Rules of the Asketikon, ascribed to Basil of Caesarea, express disapproval for commercial fairs taking place at shrines and festivals of martyrs. Written in Greek in Asia Minor, in the 4th c.
Creators: name: Bryan
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2016
Subjects: History

description: Basil of Caesarea, Asketikon: Long Rules (CPG 2875)<br><br>ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Μʹ.<br>Περὶ τῶν ἐν συνόδοις πραγματειῶν.<br><br>ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. <br>Ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ τὰς ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίοις γινομένας ἀγορασίας οἰκείας ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος δείκνυσιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλου τινὸς ἕνεκεν ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίοις ἢ ἐν τοῖς περὶ αὐτὰ τόποις φαίνεσθαι ἐπιβάλλει Χριστιανοῖς, ἢ προσευχῆς ἕνεκεν καὶ τοῦ εἰς ὑπόμνησιν ἐλθόντας τῆς τῶν ἁγίων ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας μέχρι θανάτου ἐνστάσεως πρὸς τὸν ζῆλον τὸν ὅμοιον προτραπῆναι· μεμνημένους τῆς φοβερωτάτης ὀργῆς τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅτι, καίπερ πάντοτε καὶ πανταχοῦ πραῢς ὢν, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καθὼς γέγραπται, μόνοις τοῖς περὶ τὸ ἱερὸν πωλοῦσι καὶ ἀγοράζουσι τὴν μάστιγα ἐπανετείνατο, ὡς τῆς ἐμπορίας τὸν οἶκον τῆς προσευχῆς μεταποιούσης εἰς σπήλαιον λῃστῶν. Οὐ μὴν, ἐπειδὴ ἕτεροι προλαβόντες παρέφθειραν τὴν κεκρατηκυῖαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων συνήθειαν, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ προσεύχεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἀλλήλων, καὶ μετὰ πλειόνων προσκυνεῖν καὶ προσκλαίειν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐξιλάσκεσθαι μὲν αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, εὐχαριστεῖν δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν, οἰκοδομεῖν δὲ διὰ τοῦ λόγου τῆς παρακλήσεως, ὅπερ ἔτι καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας μνήμης τηρούμενον ἔγνωμεν, ἀντὶ τούτων ἀγορὰν, καὶ πανήγυριν, καὶ κοινὸν ἐμπόριον τόν τε καιρὸν καὶ τὸν τόπον ποιοῦνται, ἤδη καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτοῖς προσῆκε, καὶ βεβαιοῦν τὰ ἄτοπα τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τοῦ πράγματος· ἀλλὰ μιμεῖσθαι τὰς ἐπὶ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ἱστορουμένας συνόδους, καὶ πληροῦν τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ὡς συντελοῦντα τῷ τοιούτῳ τύπῳ διατεταγμένα. Γράφει δὲ οὕτως· Ὅταν συνέρχησθε, ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ψαλμὸν ἔχει, διδαχὴν ἔχει, ἀποκάλυψιν ἔχει, γλῶσσαν ἔχει, ἑρμηνείαν ἔχει· πάντα πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν γινέσθω.<br><br>‘Question 40. Concerning commercial transactions at ecclesiastical festivals.<br><br>But the Word also shows us that the commercial transactions conducted at the shrines of martyrs (martyria) are not a seemly practice for us either. Because for no other reason does it require Christians to appear at the shrines of martyrs or their surroundings, except for prayer or in order to be animated towards the same zeal, by being reminded of the struggle of the saints to death on behalf of piety. We should remember the most dread wrath of the Lord: that, even though He was always and everywhere meek and humble of heart, as it is written (Matt. 11.29), He brandished the scourge against those alone, who were selling and buying at the Temple, since their trafficking turned the house of prayer into a den of thieves (Mt. 21:13). So, if others before us have debased the established customs associated with the saints and, instead of praying for one another, of venerating and imploring God in the company of many, of obtaining his forgiveness for our sins, of giving thanks for His benefactions, and of edifying the people by words of exhortation – these things indeed used to be kept in our own memory – indeed if, instead of these, they make of the place and occasion a market and fair and common trade, is it, then, proper for us to follow their example and sanction this unacceptable situation by our participation? Of course, not. We should rather imitate those assemblies under our Lord Jesus Christ, which are described in the Gospels, and we should fulfil the things the Apostle has prescribed as appropriate for such an occasion: When you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation; let all things be done to edification (1 Cor. 14.26).’<br><br>Text: Migne, Jacques-Paul, ed. Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Graeca. vol. 31 Paris: Imprimerie Catholique, 1857, 1020-21.<br>Translation : E. Rizos.