Lexical Notes on St Gregory Nazianzen Cummings, John T Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies; Summer 1968; 9, 2; ProQuest pg. 183

Lexical Notes on St Gregory Nazianzen 

John T. Cummings 

THE PRESENT studyl has grown out of a new critical edition of the 
Carmen de vita sua of St Gregory (Carm. 2.1.11; PG 37.1029-1166), 
based on a study of fifteen Greek manuscripts and the readings 

of the scholiast (Cosmas of Jerusalem).2 The words to be discussed all 
occur in this poem; citations are drawn from my revised text, which 
departs from that printed in Migne in some 300 instances. The order 
of discussion will be that of relative importance of the words under 

1 Originally presented as a communication to the 13th International Congress of 
Byzantine Studies at Oxford University, September 1966. I am grateful to Professor 
P. De Lacy for his suggestions for revising the paper for publication. 

S Doctoral Diss. Princeton University 1966; Univ. Microfilms (Ann Arbor) 66-13, 302. 
An earlier study, "A ManUSCript Study of St. Gregory Nazianzen," appeared in Studia 
Patristica 7 (Berlin 1966) 52-59. These are cited hereafter as Cummings, Diss. and Cummings, 
SP. The manuscripts studied are: 

COxon. Clark. 12 s. x (f. 9) 
L Laur. pluto 7, 10 S. XI (f. 135) 
A Paris. Gr. 1277 S. xrn (f. 202) 
B Paris. Gr. 2875 S. xrn (f. 307) 
S Oxon. Barocci. 96 S. XIV (f. 134b) 
T Oxon. Barocci. 96 S. XIV (f. 150) frag. 
o Paris. Gr. Cois. 56 S. XIV/XV (f. 169) 
K Bib!. M6V'TJs KapaK&.>J..ov 74 S. XIV (f. 399) 
o Lavra 170 S. XIV (f. 64) 
G Laur. pluto 7, 2 S. XV (f. 1) 
E Ambros. Z 78 sup. S. XV (f. 99) 
P Pav. 80 (Aldini) S. xv (f. 49) 
N Neapo!. II, A 24 S. xv (f. 212) 
W Vindob. Theo!. Gr. 43 (olim 101) s. XVI (f. 1) 
M Monac. Gr. 582 S. XVI (f. 188) 
R Monac. Gr. 582 s. XVI (f. 188) [a margo recension] 
F Vat. Gr. 480 s. XVI med. (f. 95) 

The manuscripts are divided into two families. LA WR constitute the superior family 'P. 
The other manuscripts form the inferior family Q. Within Q a closely related group l) is 
formed by PMEF. This group Ii is highly mendacious. Unfortunately its readings pre­
dominate in the Benedictine text printed in Migne. A fragmentary Syriac version is pre­
served in Brit. Mus. Add. 18821. I am indebted to Dr Andreas Spira of the U. of Mainz 
for comparison of the Greek and Syriac text for the readings discussed in this article. For 
a fuller discussion of the manuscripts see Cummings, SP and Diss. pp.1-25. The edition of 
the Greek text along with an English translation and notes is to be published shortly 
by Dumbarton Oaks. 

183 



184 LEXICAL NOTES ON ST GREGORY NAZIANZEN 

consideration. If in the course of the discussion I have frequent 
occasion to refer to Lampe's Lexicon,3 it is with no intent of criticising 
that painstaking work of scholarship, which I have found invaluable, 
but only of supplementing or improving it in a small way. 

1. KOVTWSYJ~ 

753 "Ap1'}s, ac/>wJJoJJ 7Tfjp,a, KOJl7'WOES 'rlpas ••• 

The word is a hapax. It does not occur in the printed editions nor 
consequently in the lexica. The reading at this point is certain. It is 
attested by L, the best manuscript of the superior family,4 and by the 
lemma of the scholiast. The evidence of the lemmata of the scholiast 
is particularly important, since the scholia were composed in the first 
half of the eighth century and thus antedate the extant Greek manu­
scripts.s Although preserved in a single manuscript of the twelfth 
century,6 they were transmitted independently of the text and show 
no sign of contamination but rather preserve a genuinely ancient 
tradition. The variant reading K1'}7'WOES given in the margin of Land 
found in all the other manuscripts is definitely a lectio facilior (,whale­
like', <monstrous'). 

The word is to be interpreted as <pertaining to or connected with 
the KOJl7'OS'. KOJJ7'OS here is clearly being used in its second meaning of 
a <pike', rather than in its primary meaning <boat pole'. The meaning 
is evidenced by Luc. Tox. 55 and Arr. Tact. 43.2, and further supported 
by the compounds KOJl7'Oc/>Opos, KOJl7'poKvVYJylOtoJJ in LS8. See also KOJl7'EVW 

in Lampe. We may further adduce the evidence of the loan word contus 
in Latin, which has the same meaning of <pike' in Tac. Ann. 6.35 and 
Rist. 1.44 and 79, and is the more probable meaning in Verg. Aen. 9.510.7 

Cosmas in his scholion contents himself with interpreting the word 
simply as indicative of the warlike character (7'6 7ToAE/UKOV) of Ares, 
although his attendant citation of II. 5.594, 

"A 1:'" \ ' \ I " " P1'}S 0 EJJ 7Tal\ap,TJO£ 7TEIlWp'OJJ EYXOS EJJWp,a 

3 G. W. H. Lampe, Lexicon of Patristic Greek, fascs. 1-4 (Oxford 1961-65), cited hereafter 
as LAMPE. 

, Manuscripts are cited throughout by their sigla given above in n.2. 
5 On the scholiast see Lefherz, Studien zu Gregor von Nazianz (Bonn 1958) 157-60 and 

Cummings, Diss. 15-17. 
6 Vat. Gr. 1260 s. Xli. 

7 See the Connington-Netdeship commentary in P. Vergi/i Maronis Opera III (London 
1881) p.207. Lewis and Short assign the passage without more ado to the second meaning 
'pike'. 



JOHN T. CUMMINGS 185 

may indicate that he thinks it a spear, a meaning carried by the 
diminutive KOVTapwv and its compounds. 

The phrase KOVTW~If:S T€pas may be translated in context simply as 
'an armed monster'. 

2. U£T6JV 

1267 • ~, \ , '{} , ••• Ot OE I\EVKOt 7TpOS EpOS· 

"\ , l ''''' (J' -I.. '\ al\WS TtV E XEV, TOVS OE 7J(J.wv ns 'fJtI\Os· 
~~'" f ~, I " Ot 0 EKptVOVTO, Ot OE atTWVWV Eaw, 
f ~'1"" ..... I, Ot 0 7Jaav apTOS, T7JS yEwpyLas 7TEpas • • • 

The reading again is certain. It is attested by all the manuscripts 
except the four manuscripts of group 8, which have corrupted it to 
aLTwv, meaningless in context. The word aLTWV is extremely rare. The 
only other recorded instances are Pluto Mor. 524A and Mel. Navarre 
375 (Cyrenaica), where it is defined as a 'wheat field', and Anna 
Comnena, where it means a 'granary'.8 The meaning 'granary' is 
clearly that required in our passage, both in connection with law and 
in terms of the logical progression of the entire metaphor. Conse­
quently 'granary' must now be regarded as at least a good fourth­
century meaning of the word and not restricted to the Byzantine 
period. 

Comparison of the form should also be made with v.27 xapaSpEwv, 

'a place of xapa8pat', and Ep. 4.6 xapa8pEwv and aKav(JEwv, 'torrent­
ridden terrain' and 'bramble-ridden terrain'.9 

3. dVT€1TlaK01To~ 

455 oli8' -ryv aVCI.t(J.wTL yE TOU {}p6vov KpaTELv· 
I \" " I ~, (J.ETat X/-/,LOV yap aVT E7TtaKo7TWV ovo 

~ , 't' 
TOVT 7Jv, .• 

The word aVTE7TLaKo7Tos listed in the lexica10 on the basis of the printed 
texts as a hapax should be deleted. It is supported by only three 
manuscripts (A D E) and the Syriac; the others read aVT' €7TLaK67TWV, 

'facing toward'. Whether aVT' CavTt) is the correct form or /lVT' (/lvTa) 

8 See Stephanus-Dindorf, Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (Paris 1831-65). Cited hereafter as 
STBPHANUS. 

9 For Epistles 1-100 see the new BuM edition, St. Gregoire de Nazianze, Lettres (Paris 1964) 
by P. Gallay. 'Wheatfield' is the preferable meaning in the Plutarch passage. 

10 Lampe, Stephanus, Sophocles' Lexicon of BYZantine Greek, and Liddell &: Scott8• 

Patristic words and meanings were excised from LS] in anticipation of the publication of 
Lampe. 



186 LEXICAL NOTES ON ST GREGORY NAZIANZEN 

is a difficult question. cXv-rt is attested as a preposition involving place 
with the genitive by Xen. An. 4.7.6, Hero Mech. Belopoeica 97.5, Leg. 
GOTt. 1.40, Eudoxus Astr. Ars Astron. 18. The construction is, however, 
basically Homeric-epic. Here too opinion was already divided in 
antiquity, with Aristarchus maintaining the correctness of av-r (avO'). 

and Demetrius J YOvV7T€aOS, Herodian Grammaticus and Eustathius 
supporting av-r' (avO'). The consensus of modern Homeric scholarship 
from the time of Spitzner (Excursus xvn) has recognized av-r' (av(}') as 
the correct form.ll Since it is more likely that Gregory here, as in so 
many other instances, has been influenced by an Homeric-epic 
model, I have accordingly emended the text to aVT' , while at the same 
time admitting the very strong possibility that Gregory may have 
approved the reading of Aristarchus and himself written cXv-r' • 

4. luyas 
302 '0 - , '" " Q' pwv yap ovs f-LEV 7TpaKTtKOS T€P7T€L J-'tOS. 

N\' 'N I """ a/\I\OLS f-LEV ov-ras XP'r]atf-Lovs TWV €V f-LEacp. 
, - <1-'" ,- Q I aVTO LS 0 axprpTOVS Kat KaKO LS aTpOJ-'OVf-L€VOVS 

'c'" '\ - 'i'O' I €~ WV TO /\E LOV 'r] OS EKKVf-LaLV€TaL' 
, <1-" ,,, '() - I \ I 

TOVS 0 €KTOS ov-ras €VaTa €LS f-LEV 7TWS 7T/\EOV. 
, 'L'I' Q\' • I .. KaL 7TpOS ~€OV J-'/\E7Tov-raS 'r]avXctJ VOL. 

aVTOLS f-L0VOLS DE xp'r]atf-LOVS c/>tATPctJ aT€vijJ. 

Kat ~wv-ras ;gaMov T€ Kat Tpaxvv {3tOV. 
I , 'i'\O' - , , <1-

f-LEa'rjV TLV 'r]/\ OV EPTJf-LtKWV Kat f-LLyaowv ••• 

The passage must be compared with Or. 43.62 :12 Tou TotvvV ip'r]f-LLKOU 
QI '-'1;.' , " \ \ 1\ • , \ \ ' 'I;.' .. J-'tOV KaL TOV f-LLyaoos f-LaXof-LEVWV 7TpOS a/\/\'r]/\ovs WS Ta 7To/\/\a Kat OLLaTa-

I " 1;." , '" \'" ''/'' _\ ' I " f-LEVWV. KaL OVO€TEPOV 7Tav-rws 'r] TO Ka/\ov 'r] TO ~av/\ov aVE7Ttf-LLKTOV EXOVTOS' 
'\\' - , • I ,,, -\\ '() , , CI -
a/\/\a TOV f-LEV 'r]avxtOV f-LEV ov-rOS f-La/\/\OV Kat Ka Ea7"rJKOTOS Kat ~€ctJ 

, , "'/" 1;." 1;." , -, -'Q' " , avvaYOVTOS. OVK aTV~OV UE ULa TO T'r]S ap€T'r]S aJ-'aaaVLaTOV Kat aaVYKpLTOV' 

TOU DE 7TpaKTtKWT€poV f-LEV f-L&Mov Kat XP'r]aLf-LOT€POV, TO DE (}Opv!3wD€S ov 
,/., , "., '\\ C '\\'\ , , 
~€vyOVTOS. Kat TOVTOVS apLaTa KaT'r]/\/\as €V a/\/\'r]/\OLS Kat avvEKEpaaEV' 
~ ~ , , ~ I " I ~\ ~ .... 

aaK'r]T'r]pta Kat f-LovaaT'r]pLa O€Lf-Laf-L€VOS f-LEV, OV 7TOppW O€ TWV KOLVWVLKWV 
, 'I;.' '1;."" '" - I;.".Q ' ", Kat f-LLyauwv J OVOE Wa7T€p T€LXLctJ TtVL f-LEactJ TaVTa OLa/\aJ-'WV Kat a7T 

, \ \ ' l ' , , \ ' " '.1. ' I;.' Y , e ., , , a/\/\Y}I\,j);I xwpLaas, a/\/\a 7T/\'r]atOV avva~as KaL OLa",€Vs as' Lva f-L'r]T€ TO 

,/.,\I,/., , , 'i' " ",/.,\I,/.," 1;."­
~L/\oao~ov aKOLVWV'rjTOV Tl f-L'r]T€ TO 7TpaKTtKOV a'f'L/\oao'f'Ov' Wa7T€P O€ y'r] 

'()'\ ". - '\\'\ '<1-1;." " I;.'Ie CI-KaL a/\aaaa Ta 7Tap EaVTWV a/\/\'r]/\OLS aVTtotOov-r€S, €LS f-LLav OOs av ~€OV 
I 

aVVTp€XWaL. 

11 In Homeri Ilias I.m (Gotha & Erfurt 1835) pp. lxi-lxvi. 
12 Cited from the edition by F. Boulenger, Les Orations Fun}bres (Paris 1908). 



JOHN T. CUMMINGS 187 

Lampe defines fLty&s as 'mixed', hence 'in the world'; then, citing 
the above passage from Or. 43, 'opposite to monastic'. Yet the true 
gist of both passages is not' opposite to monastic' but rather' opposite 
to eremitical' and the opposite to 'eremetical' here is (cenobitic'. Thus 
EPTJfLtlw{ are hermits and fLtyaSES are cenobites. Or more precisely 
they are pre-Basilian cenobites, for Or. 43.62 makes clear that the pre­
cise aim of the Rule of St Basil was to reconcile the best features of 
both, thereby producing a new type of monasticism. 

The meaning 'cenobitic' is attested by DuCange's Glossarium:13 

, b' '''- b' '\ 'Q \ , fLtyas, coeno La; fLtyao€s, coeno ltae; fLtyas, 'TO KOtvO/-,LOV, 'TO fLovaU'TTJptOv' 
\ '''- < , Q' 'r~" \' ,).~ '''-Kat fLtyaoES, Ot EV KOtVO/-,LOtS fLEfLtYfL€VOt ."WV'TES, TJ'TOt 'TO €K 7TOIV\WV aoLO-

plu'TWS aOpotUfLa. The Etymologicum Magnum14. reads: 'Tb EK 7ToAAwv 

aOpotUfLa. X. Htirth in his study, "De Gregorii Nazianzeni orationibus 
funebribus," writes:15 "opponuntur enim fLtyao€s et fLoVau'Toi. Sunt 
fLtyao€s ii, qui in coenobiis vitam degunt." 

Confusion over the word seems principally due to F. Boulenger, 
who in his edition and French translation of Or. 43 failed to see that 
aUKTJ'T~pta is synonymous withfLovau'T~pta, andfLtyaowv withKotvwvtKWV 

(in the pleonastic fashion characteristic of Gregory's style). Boulenger 
therefore posits three groups: hermits, cenobites and "les migades." 
He then defines the last as "auKTJ'Tal vivant dans Ie monde pour donner 
au monde l' exemple de la vertu."16 

The very passage which Boulenger cites in support of his view (Or. 
21.19) actually militates against it: oi, fL~v 'TbV 7Tav'TT} fLoVaOtKOV 'T€ Ka~ 

afLtK'TOV OtaOAovv'T€S f3lov, €av'Tots fLOVOtS 7TpoUAaAovv'T€S Kat 'Tep €3hep, Ka~ 
..... I , ,~ I rJ , .....,' 'Y ( ~, I 

'TOV'TO fLOVOV KOUfLOV €WO'T€S, OUOV €V 'Tn €PTJfLtCf- YVWpt."OVUtv· Ot O€ VOfLOV 

aya7TTJS 'Tfj KotvwvlCf- U'TEPYOV'T€S, EPTJfLLKOl 'T€ ofLov Kat fLLyaS€s, 'TOtS fLEV 
"\ \ e' , e ' \' ')')' '\ ..- \ , al\l\ots 'T€ VTjKO'T€S av PW'TT'OLS Kat 'TT'paYfLauLV ••• al\l\TJI\OLS o€ KoufLoS 
" ,~ {j' " \ {j' rp' < \' t, 
OV'T€S, Kat 'Tn 'TT'apaU€U€L 'TTJv ap€'TTJv uTJYOV'T€S. .1 OV'TOLS ofLLI\TJuas 0 fL€yas 
'A{j' " ~"" <, , \..-, , '1' \ UavauLOs, WU'TT'EP 'TWV al\l\wv a'TT'av'TWV fL€Ut'TTJS KaL otal\l\aK'TTJS TJv, 'TOV 

, , ..... ~ ,~...... , rl \, 

HpTJVO'TT'OtTJuav'Ta 'TC{J aLfLan 'Ta oL€U'TW'Ta fLLfLovfLEVOS' OV'TW Kat 'TOV 
, \ Q' ~ ~ \\' 

€PTJfLLKOV I"wv 'TlfJ KOLVWVLKlfJ Ka'Tal\l\a'T'T€t. 

We are not dealing here with three categories but two: ol fLEV ••• 

oi. SE: 'Tbv EP'YJfLtKbV f3lov 'Tep KOLVWVLKep, and the cenobites are described in 
an oxymoron as "at one and the same time living apart and living 

13 vol. II, Addenda p.132 (Lyon 1688). 
14 Cited from the Teubner text by A. Adler (Lex. Graee. I, pt. I-V). The entry is missing 

from the edition by Gaisford. 
15 Dissertationes Argentoratenses selectae t. XII (Strassburg 1907) 140. 
16 op.cit. (supra n.12) p. cvi. 



188 LEXICAL NOTES ON ST GREGORY NAZIANZEN 

together," i.e. apart from the world and with each other. So too in 
§ 10 of the same oration we have or. 1-'0VaO'Ko~ Ka~ I-"Y&O€S balanced by 

• ~" • ~, l:' C I 0 43 81' \ ~ o£ TYJS €PYJI-'Las ••• OL TYJS E1TtI-"sLas. ompare a so r. . . TOVS TYJS 
, t,' \ """ , 

eml-"':, LaS, TOVS TYJS EpYJI-'Las. 

Finally we may adduce the evidence of I-'LyaoLKos defined in Lampe as 
<cenobitic'. Hence I-'LY&S in Gregory means 'mixed', i.e. living together, 
<cenobitic'; (as subs.) 'cenobite'. 

5. trrrEpTE£X€W (-ow) for tnTEpTot,X€W (-ow) 
138 IIt..fjp€s o· VTT'€PTELXOVIITOS tiDaTos UK&cfJOS ••• 

The manuscript evidence is not as strong as could be desired. The 
reading is supported by only Band O. (The Syriac would support 
VTTEPTOtxoVIITOS.) Both manuscripts belong to the inferior family, but 
o is one of its better representatives. The reading was already known 
to the seventeenth-century French Dominican scholar of patristics 
Combesis, as is reported by the Benedictines, who used his hand­
annotated text of Billius' edition in preparing their own: HCombes. 
legit VTTEPT€'XOV/lTOS, et vertit: Aqua altiore muro obcingente navim 
et obvolvente." 

The reading would also be more consonant with Gregory's practice 
of coining a new word by simply adding a suffix to an already existing 
word (e.g. VTT'EP'VYEW 401, VTT€PKTVTTEW 168, 01-'0aT€Yos 477,I-'0vO(}pOIIOS 

1586). A verb TOLXEW (-ow) is nowhere attested, although TOLxoOl-'aL is 
found. The form TELXEW is, however, found in Herodotus for Attic 
TELX"W. Definition: 'to build a rampart above'. 

6. 7TaVT€govata 
1881 T?" ..,. .,. B \ ~ ,~ , 

.n.ayw Ttv , EL7T'OV, W aUtl\EV, aLTW xaptv 
\, \ '" \,. 'l: ' TYJv uYJv I-'Eyal\oowpov Ta 7T'aVT €sOVULav. 

Not listed in Lampe, this form should be deleted from the other 
lexicaP All of the manuscripts except D support the reading given 
above. To Td: 7T'&/IT' E~ovu{av supply DOVllaL: <your munificent ability to 

bestow all things', or understand as an accusative of respect. 

7. ap,cpt8ogos 
1708 TeOlI &jLcfJLDo~wv &(}/..{ws (}Ot..OVjLEVYJV, 

" ~ "- l:'r 1" , OL TaVTa uosa!:>oVUtv, OLS XaLpEL KpaTos, 

17 Also from the list of honorary tides given in Hauser-Meury, Prosopographie zu den 
Schriften Gregors von Nazianz (Bonn 1960). 



JOHN T. CUMMINGS 189 

, \" , \ ~., , , 
/LEaOL /LEV OVTES, aa/LEVLUTOV ° EL /LEUOL, 

" \:' 1\ \ , , , 
KaL /L1] 7TP001]I\WS KI\1]UEWS Evavnas, ••• 

Not found in Lampe; the L58 definition 'of doubtful or dubious 
opinions' will not suffice here. As 1710-11 make clear, Gregory is here 
referring to a compromise party at the Council of 381 ;18 the word is 
being employed with irony and should be rendered 'adherents of 
both beliefs or opinions', i.e. 'fence-straddlers'. 

8. 7T€fL7T'T~PtoS' 
1794 Sos TfjS 7TVOfjS TO AOL7TOV ~/LLV Kat, 6JE/fJ. 

Naos YEVEU8w uov {3tov 7TE/L7TT17ptOs. 

The passage in question is not listed in Lampe and the definition there 
found, 'in dismissal, hence as parting gift', will not suffice here. Un­
satisfactory also is the rendering 'conductor' offered in L58 • The 
passage is listed in Soph. Lex., where it is defined as 'pertaining to 
sending away or parting'. I would render the sentence "Let this 
church be the site of your dismissal from this life." The formation of 
the word has undoubtedly been influenced by the liturgy for the dead 
and dying. So too in the Roman rite today runs the prayer "Pro­
ficiscere Anima Christiana" for the commendation of a departing 
soul. 

9 I d' , • KYJpvYfLu an v7ToaXEats 

521 'E 8 ' >, ,. ,\:' , Q \ ' Q vov ET7]U E/.LaVTOV, ws OVOEV fJl\afJos, 

EWS Ka8Eopas, 7TaTpos EK7TAfjuaL 7To80v. 

0 " 8 'e ~'''''/'' " I V yap Ka ESEL TOVT , E-r7]V, aKOVTa /LE, 

(\ " , ., "8' r , .... OV OVTE K7]pVY/L , OV V7TOUXEULS KpaTEL. 

The words are used here in their usual sense of 'proclamation' and 
'solemn pledge'. Their particular interest lies in their technical sense, 
a sense clear from the passage, namely that these are prerequisites for 
a canonical occupation of a see. The same position is set forth in 
Ep. 87.5: El SE T~V 'EKKA1]u{av KaTaAL7TELV E7TtK{VSVVOV, ens yp&cf>ELS, 

, " ,., " ../.. ' '8~ \' '\:'" \:" 7TOLav; EL /LEV T1]V 1]/LETEpall, Kayw -r1]/LL KaL op WS I\EYETaL· EL OE T1]V /L1]0EV 

7TpOU~KOVUall /L7]3' E7TtK1]pvX8ELuav ~/LLV, allEv8vvOL. 

The contemporary canons extant make no reference to either prac­
tice. 

18 Intent here on reconciling the Nicaeans and the adherents of the Macedonian Heresy. 
See Adolf-Martin Ritter, Das Konzil von Konstantinopel (Gottingen 1965) 253-70 and 
Cummings. Diss. 157-62. 



190 LEXICAL NOTES ON ST GREGORY NAZIANZEN 

10. gEVO~ 
1475 \ \:>. • , , IJ '\ , 

TO (J EK TOUOVTWV XPT]fLaTWV PVI\OVfLEVWV 

1479 ' <;"" , \ \' ~ , 
ovo OVTLV 1\0YLufLoV EV TOLS ypafLfLauLv 
., ~ \ ~'E" EvpovTa TWV 7TpLV 7TpouTaTwv KKI\T]UUlS, 
"" I I 't' , I 

OVT EV TafLtaLS VEOLS, EV OLS -ra 7TpaYfLa-ra, 

uTEpgaL, gEVOV T€ fLT]S6AwS Aaf3ELv TLva, 
fI I \ 'e' o fLOt 7TaPTJVOVV Kat 7Tapw<" VVOV TLV€S J 

, '\ \. "P. ' TOVTWV 1\0yw-rT]V €LS VtJptV fLVUTTJpLOV· •.• 

Billius19 comments on the line: "Negat enim Gregorius se animum 
inducere potuisse, ut externum aliquem, qui exigendis huiusmodi 
rationibus operam daret, adhiberet." The Benedictines observe: 
"Possis intelligere de saecularibus judicibus ad quorum tribunal reos 
de rationibus reddendis traducere noluit Gregorius, ut quid am 
suadebant." 

We are dealing here with what is essentially a financial matter. 
Yet Gregory mentions as the responsible persons only himself (the 
bishop) and the -rafLlaL. It may therefore be inferred that the office of 
oeconomus did not at this time exist at Constantinople. I would further 
suggest that the proposal in question was the establishment of such 
an office with a layman is its incumbent. That laymen did frequently 
hold the position can be seen from Canon IX Hispalense :20 Indecorum 
est enim laicum vicarium esse episcopi et saeculares in ecclesia judicare. 

The word should then be defined here as: <extern', i.e. <laic'. 

11. 8~(h (813) 

The point at issue here is the form. It is the reading of L and is to be 
preferred for metrical reasons (avoidance of two longs in the fourth 
foot). The form itself was at one time excised from LS on the basis of 
Elmsley's emendation of Eur. Electra 268, but has been restored in 
LSJ, where it is supported by the Euripides passage and a conjecture 
in Eupolis. We may now add the evidence from Gregory in its favor. 

12. TjAUJcppWV 
1803 TOLs 8' aVT€17'11€L 817l-'-oS ~ALOc/>p6vwv ••• 

Dindorf conjectured ~A€oc/>p6vwv and proceeded to substitute it for 

19 S. Gregorii Nazianzeni Opera Omnia II (Paris 1611) col. 1336 n.l08. 
10 Bruns, Canones Apostolorum et Conciliorum saee. IV-VII, II (Berlin 1839) p.72. On the 

oeeonomus see A. H. M. Jones, The Later Roman Empire II (Norman 1964) 902 and 1376 n.74. 



JOHN T. CUMMINGS 191 

~At6cpPW1I, which he brackets in his revision of Stephanus. The Mss are 
unanimous in reading ~Awcpp611w1I. 21 

13. aA€KT(JpLOV 

1926 KOKKV(ET' aAEKTopWV, W~ VLK'f}¢OPOL ••• 

Diminutive of &MKTWp. 

14. XpLUTtfJ-L1TOpO~ 
1756 \ A.. \ c;> \ \ \ \ X ' T01l GVP'f'€oT01l O€o TOil 7T01\V1I ptGT€ofL7TOpW1I ••• 

'Christ-monger'.22 The word is rare. The only other instance I know 
of is in the Didache § 12. 

15. A6YWV Kpdros 
256 • c;> \ \' c;> , , ,I. 'A.. ' 

W~ oTJ l\oyw1I OWG01lT€O~ €oK 'f'TJ'f'0V KpaTO~ • • • 

The phrase is equivalent to A6yW1I f3aGtA€o")~ (Emperor of Letters).23 
See entry L S.V. f3aGtA€v~ in Lampe; cf further L. Robert, Hellenica IV 
(1956) 95-96. See also Ep. 24. 

16. 7TP6€8pos 

Presiding official or position. Used at 30, 1510, 1546, 1586 of bishops; 
at 1514 of the president of the Council of 381 (Meletius); at 571 of the 
See of Rome (7Tp6€o8po~ TW1I oAw1I). 

17. uvurTJJ-La 
28 " \, '" \ e A \' TJfLWIl TO GVGTTJfL €oK7TI\VTOV, PTJ1IW1I I\€oyw ••• 

'Collegium nostrum', not C ordo noster' as rendered by Billius and the 
Benedictines. It is a reference to episcopal collegiality. 

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 

March, 1968 

21 The Scholiast reads 'IALOCPPOVWV, which he manfully attempts to interpret. 
22 Compare Xp£ClTOrp6J1T1'}s at V.1545. 
23 The phrase is not dead. Andre Gide has termed Henry de Montherlant a "seigneur 

des lettres."