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The Church History of Eusebius
Chapter II.--The Training of Origen from Childhood. 1
1. Many things might be said in attempting to describe the life of the man while in school; but this subject alone would require a separate treatise. Nevertheless, for the present, abridging most things, we shall state a few facts concerning him as briefly as possible, gathering them from certain letters, and from the statement of persons still living who were acquainted with him.
2. What they report of Origen seems to me worthy of mention, even, so to speak, from his swathing-bands.
It was the tenth year of the reign of Severus, while Laetus 2 was governor of Alexandria and the rest of Egypt, and Demetrius 3 had lately received the episcopate of the parishes there, as successor of Julian. 4
3. As the flame of persecution had been kindled greatly, 5 and multitudes had gained the crown of martyrdom, such desire for martyrdom seized the soul of Origen, although yet a boy, that he went close to danger, springing forward and rushing to the conflict in his eagerness.
4. And truly the termination of his life had been very near had not the divine and heavenly Providence, for the benefit of many, prevented his desire through the agency of his mother.
5. For, at first, entreating him, she begged him to have compassion on her motherly feelings toward him; but finding, that when he had learned that his father had been seized and imprisoned, he was set the more resolutely, and completely carried away with his zeal for martyrdom, she hid all his clothing, and thus compelled him to remain at home.
6. But, as there was nothing else that he could do, and his zeal beyond his age would not suffer him to be quiet, he sent to his father an encouraging letter on martyrdom, 6 in which he exhorted him, saying, "Take heed not to change your mind on our account." This may be recorded as the first evidence of Origen's youthful wisdom and of his genuine love for piety.
7. For even then he had stored up no small resources in the words of the faith, having been trained in the Divine Scriptures from childhood. And he had not studied them with indifference, for his father, besides giving him the usual liberal education, 7 had made them a matter of no secondary importance.
8. First of all, before inducting him into the Greek sciences, he drilled him in sacred studies, requiring him to learn and recite every day.
9. Nor was this irksome to the boy, but he was eager and diligent in these studies. And he was not satisfied with learning what was simple and obvious in the sacred words, but sought for something more, and even at that age busied himself with deeper speculations. So that he puzzled his father with inquiries for the true meaning of the inspired Scriptures.
10. And his father rebuked him seemingly to his face, telling him not to search beyond his age, or further than the manifest meaning. But by himself he rejoiced greatly and thanked God, the author of all good, that he had deemed him worthy to be the father of such a child.
11. And they say that often, standing by the boy when asleep, he uncovered his breast as if the Divine Spirit were enshrined within it, and kissed it reverently; considering himself blessed in his goodly offspring. These and other things like them are related of Origen when a boy.
12. But when his father ended his life in martyrdom, he was left with his mother and six younger brothers when he was not quite seventeen years old. 8
13. And the property of his father being confiscated to the royal treasury, he and his family were in want of the necessaries of life. But he was deemed worthy of Divine care. And he found welcome and rest with a woman of great wealth, and distinguished in her manner of life and in other respects. She was treating with great honor a famous heretic then in Alexandria; 9 who, however, was born in Antioch. He was with her as an adopted son, and she treated him with the greatest kindness.
14. But although Origen was under the necessity of associating with him, he nevertheless gave from this time on strong evidences of his orthodoxy in the faith. For when on account of the apparent skill in argument 10 of Paul,--for this was the man's name,--a great multitude came to him, not only of heretics but also of our people, Origen could never be induced to join with him in prayer; 11 for he held, although a boy, the rule of the Church, 12 and abominated, as he somewhere expresses it, heretical teachings. 13 Having been instructed in the sciences of the Greeks by his father, he devoted him after his death more assiduously and exclusively to the study of literature, so that he obtained considerable preparation in philology 14 and was able not long after the death of his father, by devoting himself to that subject, to earn a compensation amply sufficient for his needs at his age. 15
This sixth book of Eusebius' History is our chief source for a knowledge of Origen's life. His own writings give us little information of a personal nature; but Eusebius was in a position to learn a great deal about him. He had the advantage of personal converse with surviving friends of Origen, as he tells us in this connection; he had also a large collection of Origen's epistles (he had himself made a collection of more than one hundred of them, as he tells us in chap. 36); and he had access besides to official documents, and to works of Origen's contemporaries which contained references to him (see chap. 33). As a result, he was in a position to write a full and accurate account of his life, and in fact, in connection with Pamphilus, he did write a Defense of Origen in six books, which contained both an exposition of his theology with a refutation of charges brought against him, and a full account of his life. Of this work only the first book is extant, and that in the translation of Rufinus. It deals solely with theological matters. It is greatly to be regretted that the remaining books are lost, for they must have contained much of the greatest interest in connection with Origen's life, especially that period of it about which we are most poorly informed, his residence in Caesarea after his retirement from Alexandria (see chap. 23). In the present book Eusebius gives numerous details of Origen's life, frequently referring to the Defense for fuller particulars. His account is very desultory, being interspersed with numerous notices of other men and events, introduced apparently without any method, though undoubtedly the design was to preserve in general the chronological order. There is no part of Eusebius' work which reveals more clearly the viciousness of the purely chronological method breaking up as it does the account of a single person or movement into numerous detached pieces, and thus utterly destroying all historical continuity. It may be well, therefore, to sum up in brief outline the chief events of Origen's life, most of which are scattered through the following pages. This summary will be found below, on p. 391 sq. In addition to the notices contained in this book, we have a few additional details from the Defense, which have been preserved by Jerome, Rufinus, and Photius, none of whom seems to have had much, if any, independent knowledge of Origen's life. Epiphanius (Haer. LXIII, and LXIV.) relates some anecdotes of doubtful credibility. The Panegyric of Gregory Thaumaturgus is valuable as a description of Origen's method of teaching, and of the wonderful influence which he possessed over his pupils. (For outline of Origen's life, see below, p. 391 sq.) ↩
This Laetus is to be distinguished from Q. Æmilius Laetus, praetorian prefect under Commodus, who was put to death by the Emperor Didius Julianus, in 193; and from Julius Laetus, minister of Severus, who was executed in 199 (see Dion Cassius, Bk. LXXIII. chap. 16, and LXXV. chap. 10; cf. Tillemont, Hist. des emp. III. p. 21, 55, and 58). The dates of Laetus' rule in Egypt are unknown to us. ↩
On the dates of Demetrius' episcopacy, see Bk. V. chap. 22, note 4. ↩
On Julian, see Bk. V. chap. 9, note 2. ↩
On the persecution, see more particularly chap. 1, note 1. ↩
This epistle which was apparently extant in the time of Eusebius, and may have been contained in the collection made by him (see chap. 36), is now lost, and we possess only this sentence from it. ↩
te ton enkuklion paidei& 139;. According to Liddell and Scott, enk. paideia in later Greek meant "the circle of those arts and sciences which every free-born youth in Greece was obliged to go through before applying to any professional studies; school learning, as opposed to the business of life." So Valesius says that the Greeks understood by enk. mathemata the branches in which the youth were instructed; i.e. mathematics, grammar, and rhetoric philosophy not being included (see Valesius' note in loco). ↩
On the date of Origen's birth, see note 1. ↩
Of this Antiochene heretic Paul we know only what Eusebius tells us here. His patroness seems to have been a Christian, and in good standing in the Alexandrian church, or Origen would hardly have made his home with her. ↩
dia to dokoun hikanon en logo. ↩
Redepenning (p. 189) refers to Origen's In Matt. Comment. Series, sec. 89, where it is said, melius est cum nullo orare, quam cum malis orare. ↩
phul?tton exeti paidos kanona [two mss. kanonas] ekklesias. Compare the words of the Apostolic Constitutions, VIII. 34: "Let not one of the faithful pray with a catechumen, no, not in the house; for it is not reasonable that he who is admitted should be polluted with one not admitted. Let not one of the godly pray with an heretic, no, not in the house. For what fellowship hath light with darkness?'" Compare also the Apostolic Canons, 11, 12, and 45. The last reads: "Let a bishop, or presbyter, or deacon, who only prays with heretics, be suspended; but if he also permit them to perform any part of the office of a clergyman, let him be deprived." Hefele (Conciliengesch. I. p. 815) considers this canon only a "consistent application of apostolic principles to particular cases,--an application which was made from the first century on, and therefore very old." ↩
Redepenning (p. 190) refers to the remarks of Origen upon the nature and destructiveness of heresy collected by Pamphilus (Fragm. Apol. Pamph. Opp. Origen, IV. 694 [ed. Delarue]). ↩
epi ta grammatik? ↩
See below, p. 392. ↩
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Histoire ecclésiastique
CHAPITRE II : LA FORMATION D'ORIGÈNE DEPUIS L'ENFANCE
[1] Il aurait beaucoup à dire, celui qui tenterait de donner à loisir et par écrit la vie du héros, et un pareil 153 sujet demanderait un ouvrage spécial. Toutefois, pour le moment, nous résumerons la plupart des faits aussi brièvement que possible, et le peu que nous raconterons de lui, nous l'exposerons d'après diverses lettres, et le récit de ses amis qui ont vécu jusqu'à nous.1
[2] Ein ce qui concerne Origène, même les langes de son berceau, pour ainsi dire, me paraissent dignes de mémoire. Sévère était donc à la dixième année de son règne, Laetus gouvernait Alexandrie et le reste de l'Égypte ; d'autre part, Démétrius avait tout récemment alors reçu, après Julien, l'administration des églises de ce pays.2 [3] Le feu de la persécution allait grandissant, et des milliers de chrétiens avaient ceint la couronne du martyre. Un tel désir du martyre s'empara de l'âme d'Origène encore tout jeune enfant, qu'aller à la rencontre des dangers, bondir et s'élancer au combat lui était une joie. [4] Alors, pour lui tout au moins, le terme de la vie fut proche ; mais la divine et céleste Providence, en vue du bien d'un grand nombre, se servit de sa mère pour dresser un obstacle à son empressement. [5] Celle-ci commença donc par le conjurer par ses paroles ; elle l'exhortait à prendre pitié de l'amour maternel qu'elle lui portait ; mais le voyant plus fortement se raidir, lorsque, après avoir appris que son père était 155 arrêté et en prison, il se donnait tout entier à son élan vers le martyre, elle lui cacha tous ses habits et lui imposa ainsi de rester forcément à la maison. [6] Mais lui, n'ayant plus la possibilité de faire autre chose, et son ardeur croissant au-dessus de son âge, il ne put demeurer inactif ; il envoya à son père une lettre très fort exhortant au martyre, dans laquelle il l'encourage et lui dit expressément : « Fais attention de ne pas prendre un autre parti à cause de nous. » Voilà ce qui est à consigner comme la première preuve de la vivacité d'intelligence d'Origène enfant, et de ses dispositions très franches à l'égard de la religion.
[7] Il avait déjà, en effet, jeté des bases sérieuses pour les sciences de la foi en s'exerçant aux saintes Écritures dès ses premières années ; ce qui est sûr, c'est qu'il s'y appliquait sans réserve ; son père, en outre du cycle de l'enseignement des enfants, s'en préoccupait pour lui autrement que d'un accessoire.[^3] [8] Par-dessus tout, avant de donner son soin aux enseignements païens, il l'amenait à s'exercer aux connaissances sacrées et il exigeait chaque jour de lui des récitations et des comptes rendus. [9] L'enfant n'y avait aucune répugnance, il s'y appliquait même avec un zèle excessif, si bien qu'il ne se contentait pas, pour les saintes Écritures, du sens obvie et qui est à la portée de la main, mais il cherchait plus loin, et déjà dès ce temps il s'occupait avec soin de théories plus profondes. Il suscitait même, de la sorte, des difficultés à son père, quand il lui demandait ce que voulait exprimer le sens des mots de l'Ecriture inspirée de Dieu. [10] Léonide, en apparence et devant lui, le réprimandait, 157 l'exhortant à ne rien chercher qui fût au-dessus de son âge, ni qui dépassât le sens qui apparaissait. Mais à part lui, il se réjouissait grandement, il rendait les plus profondes actions de grâces à Dieu source de tous biens, parce qu'il l'avait jugé digne d'être le père d'un pareil enfant. [11] On dit qu'alors il allait souvent près de lui pendant son sommeil, lui découvrait la poitrine, et comme si l'Esprit divin en avait consacré l'intérieur, la baisait avec respect et s'estimait heureux de son bonheur de père. Voilà, avec d'autres traits analogues à ceux-ci, ce qu'on raconte d'Origène enfant.3
[12] Lorsque son père mourut martyr, il resta seul avec sa mère et six frères plus petits, n'ayant pas plus de dix-sept ans.4 [13] Le bien de son père fut confisqué par les agents du lise impérial, et lui-même, avec ses parents, se trouva dans le besoin des choses nécessaires à la vie. Il fut jugé digne d'être l'objet de la providence de Dieu. Il fut reçu et mis hors de soucis par une femme très riche selon le siècle et du reste très remarquable. Elle traitait, il est vrai, avec égard un homme fort connu parmi les hérétiques d'Alexandrie ; celui-ci était d'Antioche par sa naissance, et celle personne l'avait avec elle comme son fils adoptif et le comblait absolument de soins.5 [14] Mais Origène, qui était nécessairement en rapport avec lui, donna, à partir de ce moment, des preuves éclatantes de l'orthodoxie concernant la foi : tandis qu'une foule immense, non seulement d'hérétiques mais même des nôtres, s'assemblait auprès de cet homme, parce que Paul (c'était son nom) paraissait capable dans la science, jamais Origène ne consentit à s'unir à lui dans la prière. Il garda ainsi 159 dès l'enfance la règle de l'Église; il éprouvait du dégoût, comme il le dit lui-même en propre terme, aux enseignements des hérésies.
[15] Son père l'avait avancé dans les études des Grecs et ce fut avec plus d'ardeur encore qu'après sa mort, il s'adonna tout à fait à l'exercice des belles lettres. Aussi bien, peu après la fin de Léonide, il posséda dans les arts grammaticaux une préparation suffisante, et en s'y consacrant, il pourvut, pour cet âge, abondamment au nécessaire de la vie.
[^3] τῇ τῶν ἐγκυκλίων παιδείᾳ : les arts libéraux, principalement la grammaire et la rhétorique, qui étaient la base de l'enseignement. Diogène Laërce, VI, 104, appelle ἐγκύκλια μαθήματα les arts libéraux et les connaissances humaines que rejettent les cyniques (voy. WACHSMUT. Corpusculum poësis epicae graecae ludibundae, II, p. 66 et la n.). Cf. plus loin, xviii, 4. Ce cycle est appelé au § suivant, et § 15, τὰ Ἑλληνικὰ μαθήματα de même, xix, 11.
ὁ λεγόμενος Ὠριγένους πατήρ : tour singulier, dû peut-être à ce que Léonidès tire sa principale illustration de son fils, à peu près comme nous disons : « le mari de Mme de Staël». -- τοῦ ἀνδρός, Origène «le héros», expression de panégyriste; cf. GREG. DE NAZIANZE, Eloge de Basile, ii, 6; xiv, 3; xvi, 6; li, 1 (après ὁ γεννάδας, xlviii, 2 et 3) BOULENGER - Sur Origène, voy. DUCHESNE, Hist., t. I, p. 340 suiv.; HARNACK, Die Chronologie, t. II, p. 26; BARDENHEWER, Gesch. der Altkirchlichen Ltleratur, t. II, p. 08. ↩
Ὠριγένους: sur les méprises des mss., voy. SCHWARTZ, p. LXXVI. - δέκατον : 201-202. La date de la préfecture de Laetus en Egypte résulte de ce passage. Ce personnage n'est ni Q. Aemilius Laetus, préfet du prétoire sous Commode et mis à mort par Didius Julianus en 193, ni Julius Laetus, ministre de Sévère et mis à mort en 199. ↩
εὐτεκνίας : cf. GREC, DE NAZIANZE, Eloge de Basile, ix, 2 BOULENGER et la n. et ib., p. xvi. ↩
ἑπτακαιδέκατον : celle indication fixe la date de naissance d'Origène à 185-186. - 14, Paul d'Antioche n'est pas autrement connu. ↩
τοῖς Ἑλλήνων μαθήμασιν: cf. § 7; ici paraphrasé ensuite par τὰ γραμματικά.- μετρίαν BDMT lat., arm., οὐ μετρίαν ABR; voy. SCHWARTZ, p. lxxiii-lxxiv. ↩