E05227: The pilgrim Egeria, in her Itinerary, writes of the sanctuary of *Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092), in Seleucia ad Calycadnum (Isauria, southern Asia Minor), where she prayed and read a passage from the Acts of Thecla. Written in Latin during Egeria's journey to the East, probably in 381-384.
Creators: name: Robert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Egeria, Itinerary 22.2 - 23.6<br><br><br>22.2 Sed quoniam de Tharso tertia mansione, id est in Hisauria, est martyrium sanctae Teclae, gratum fuit satis ut etiam illuc accedere, presertim cum tam in proximo esset. <br>23.1 Nam proficiscens de Tharso perueni ad quandam ciuitatem supra mare adhuc Ciliciae, que appellatur Ponpeiopolim. Et inde iam ingressa fines Hisauriae mansi in ciuitate, quae appellatur corico, ac tertia die perueni ad ciuitatem, quae appellatur Seleucia Hisauriae. Vbi cum peruenissem, fui ad episcopum uere sanctum ex monacho, uidi etiam ibi ecclesiam ualde pulchram in eadem ciuitate. (2) Et quoniam inde ad sanctam Teclam, qui locus est ultra ciuitatem in colle sed plano, habebat de ciuitate forsitan mille quingentos passus, malui ergo perexire illuc, ut statiua, quam factura eram, ibi facerem. Ibi autem ad sanctam ecclesiam nichil aliud est nisi monasteria sine numero uirorum ac mulierum. (3) Nam inueni ibi aliquam amicissimam michi, et cui omnes in oriente testimonium ferebant uitae ipsius, sancta diaconissa nomine Marthana, quam ego aput Ierusolimam noueram, ubi illa gratia orationis ascenderat; haec autem monasteria aputactitum seu uirginum regebat. Quae me cum uidisset, quod gaudium illius uel meum esse potuerit, nunquid uel scribere possum? <br><br>(4) Sed ut redeam ad rem, monasteria ergo plurima sunt ibi per ipsum collem et in medio murus ingens, qui includet ecclesiam, in qua est martyrium, quod martyrium satis pulchrum est. Propterea autem murus missus est ad custodiendam ecclesiam propter Hisauros, quia satis mali sunt et frequenter latrunculantur, ne forte conentur aliquid facere circa monasterium, quod ibi est deputatum. (5) Ibi ergo cum uenissem in nomine Dei, facta oratione ad martyrium nec non etiam et lectione actus sanctae Teclae, gratias Christo deo nostro egi infinitas, qui mihi dignatus est indignae et non merenti in omnibus desideria complere. (6) Ac sic ergo facto ibi biduo, uisis etiam sanctis monachis uel aputactitis, tam uiris quam feminis, qui ibi erant, et facta oratione et communione, reuersa sum Tharso ad iter meum.<br><br><br>'22.2 But in Isauria, only three staging-posts on from Tarsus, is the martyrium of holy Thecla, and, since it was so close, we were very glad to be able to make the extra journey there. <br>23.1 Leaving Tarsus, but still in Cilicia, I reached Pompeiopolis, a city by the sea, and from there crossed into Isauria, and spent the night in a city called Corycus. On the third day I arrived at a city called Seleucia of Isauria, and, when I got there, I called on the bishop, a very godly man who had been a monk, and saw the very beautiful church in the city. (2) Holy Thecla's is on a small hill about a mile and a half from the city, so, as I had to stay somewhere, it was best to go straight on and spend the night there. There at the holy church there is only an innumerable number of monasteries for men and women. (3) And that was where I found one of my dearest friends, a holy deaconess called Marthana, about whose life everybody in the East bore witness. I had come to know her in Jerusalem when she was there on pilgrimage. She was the superior of some cells of apotactites or virgins, and I simply cannot tell you how pleased we were to see each other again. <br><br>(4) But I must get back to the point: there are many monasteries on that hill, and in the middle a great wall round the martyrium itself, which is very beautiful. The wall was built to protect the church from the Isaurians, who are hostile, and always committing robberies, lest they try anything against the monastery established there. (5) In God's name I arrived at the martyrium, and we had a prayer there, and read the Acts of holy Thecla; and I gave heartfelt thanks to God for his mercy in letting me fulfil all my desires so completely, despite all my unworthiness. (6) For two days I stayed there, visting all the holy monks and apotactites, the men as well as the women; then, after praying and receiving communion, I went back to Tarsus to rejoin my route.'<br><br><br>Text: Franceschini and Weber 1965, 65-66. Translation: Wilkinson 1971, 121-122, modified.