E06555: Aldhelm, in his prose On Virginity, names *Gregory (bishop of Nazianzos, ob. 390, S00837) as an exemplary virgin. Written in Latin in southern Britain, for the nuns at the monastery at Barking (south-east Britain), c. 675/686.
Creators: name: Bsavill
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Aldhelm, prose On Virginity, 27<br><br>Gregorius, Nazanzenae ecclesiae gubernator, apud Athenas, qua per idem tempus rumigerula grammaticorum gloria et clandistinum academicae disputationis sofisma pollebant, litteris incomparabiliter eruditus, Basilii in filosoficis dogmatibus condiscipulus , sicut undecimus ecclesiasticae liber historiae manifestat, cum a rudis infantiae teneritudine corporalis illecebrae contemptor et zelotipus castitatis amator existeret, pulchrae visionis oromate somno sopitus clementer solatur. Cui propter virginale pudoris propositum et gimnicum filosofiae studium in gemino feminini sexus simulacro Castitas et Sapientia per soporem apparuisse describuntur, hoc modo sanctum ad integritatis coronam cohortantes alloquuntur: Altera enim ex nobis Sapientia , altera Castitas dicitur et missae sumus a domino tecum habitare, quia iocundum nobis et satis mundum in corde tuo habitaculum praeparasti. Cuius somni coniectura colligi et his argumentis animadverti fas est, eundem huiuscemodi meritorum munificentia praeditum illaesae puritatis coronam usque ad metam sortis supremae indefessis viribus usquequaque custodisse, praesertim cum de illo cautum sit: Huius neque vita aliquid pvobabilius et sanctius neque eloquentia clarius et illustrius neque fide purius et rectius neque scientia plenius et perfectius inveniri potest quod Rufinus mira verborum urbanitate praeditus in prologo apologitici plenius exposuit. <br><br>'GREGORY, the governor of the church of Nazianzus, was incomparably educated in letters at Athens, where at the same time the renowned glory of the grammarians and the recondite sophistry of academic disputation flourished, (and was) a fellow student of Basil in philosophical doctrine, as the eleventh book of (Eusebius') Ecclesiastical History attests: since from the tenderness of early infancy he was a despiser of bodily allurement and passionate lover of chastity, he was benignly consoled, when (once) he was lulled to sleep, with a vision of beauteous appearance. Because of the virginal resolve of his purity and his strenuous pursuit of philosophy, Chastity and Wisdom are described as having appeared to him in his sleep in two figures of the female sex; they spoke in this way, urging the saint on to the crown of integrity: "One of us is called Wisdom, the other Chastity; and we are sent from the Lord to dwell within you, since you have prepared a pleasing and fully pure dwelling for us in your heart." From these statements it is fitting to observe, and from the interpretation of this dream it is fitting to conclude, that this saint, endowed with munificence of merits of this sort, had safeguarded the crown of undefiled purity with tireless energy in every way (possible) up to the limit of his last end, especially since concerning him it is stated in admonition: "Nothing more commendable or holy than his life, nothing ore distinguished or illustrious than his eloquence, nothing more pure or righteous than his faith, nothing more full or perfect than his learning is to be found (anywhere)" – which Rufinus, endowed with an amazing verbal elegance, has more amply elaborated in the prologue of his Liber Apologeticus.'<br><br>Text: Ehwald 1919, 262-3. Translation: Lapidge and Herren 1979, 85-6, lightly modified.