A panegyric on Stephen, the First Martyr of Christ

Composed by Ștefan, son of Preasenin, and by Christ, the beloved Ruler of all Ungrovlahia, Lord Ioan Constantin Basaraba, and humbly dedicated by him to that invincible champion and general of the martyrs.

Printed in Bucharest in 1701 by Antim, the hieromonk of Iviria.

[f. 1]

Leader of the martyrs, unconquered STEPHEN!

I have dared to compose a short eulogy to your great virtue, foremost athlete and general of the martyrs. The composition is not particularly skilful and, for that reason, requires your patronage, lest it become a laughing stock of the world’s defiled slander1. Just as you defeated, with wisdom and the Spirit, the insolent synagogue of the Cyreneans2 and other quarrelsome folk, in the same way, and much more easily, you can silence those who would wish to scorn the words I [f. 2] dedicate to you. If it is not pleasing in its style, I hope you will find it pleasing for its content3, that is, for the exceptional virtue which you have made visible to the world. Oh, if only I might one day gain experience in the art of rhetoric so that I might, at last, recount your marvellous deeds as I wish, in the most fitting manner! Just as you will intercede with God, the Maker of Peace, O most heroic champion of the Church, for the peace and tranquillity of my Most Serene Sovereign and most loving father, who is present with such joy at your solemn celebration, celebrating your glories and honouring your struggles; in the same way, pray [f. 3] (I ask this, kneeling and from the depths of my heart), pray, most noble Stephen, to the Wisdom of the Father Himself, to the Son and the Word of God, and for my progress in knowledge and learning, so that my diligence may be directed towards the honour and glory of Christ the Saviour, Whose faithful and invincible soldier you have shown yourself to be through your deeds!

Unworthy of your name and your humblest supplicant,

Ștefan Brâncoveanu.

Imagine

[f. 4]

Preface

How blessed were those ages when, as the martyrologies of the saints were preached, they stirred the listeners4 to imitate the martyrs. How often did the most resplendent celebration5 of the first martyr bring forth new champions of the Orthodox faith? How often have the blood-soaked stones of the first athlete given rise to martyrs’ crowns? The great warrior was praised by ecclesiastical eloquence as the glory of the holy warriors, the adornment of the venerable deacons, and then, [f. 5] hearing these eulogies, the true soldiers of Christ read carefully6 the accounts of his martyrdom. And one sought [spiritual] sweetness in his pains [arising] from the blood-soaked stones: ‘they sucked honey from the rock’7, [whilst] another strove to extract oil to gain strength in battle: ‘and oil from the hard rock’8. They all desired these as foundations of steadfastness, so that they might not fall when assailed by tyrannical inhumanity: ‘And He set my feet upon the rock’9. But, since the true faith10 is no longer so severely afflicted [by persecution] and martyrs no longer flourish in such great numbers, what is the point of these praises? What is the benefit of celebrating them?

The most valiant athlete and [f. 6] first martyr of Christ, Stephen, was able, by his strength and grace, to comfort those in distress: ‘and they stoned Stephen’11, to instruct the holy teachers: ‘and they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke to them’12, to move the angry and resentful towards love: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’13, God’s servants towards honour: ‘(…) and a great number of priests were coming to believe’14, [and] every person towards patience [and] faith: ‘And Stephen, full of faith and power, performed miracles and signs among the people.’15 Therefore, [all] of you who love the martyrs, pay attention to the story of the undefeated crown-bearer, and let me begin [the eulogy]. [f. 7]

Of course, [all] the martyrs displayed great virtue in the world, but the most courageous pioneer of the martyrological host proved himself so full of grace and power—and perhaps virtue too— as the ancient mythologists imagined it, had it descended from heaven to take flesh, it would not have found a more fitting vessel than the strong and heroic heart of Stephen. It seems that even his enemies foresaw the great power possessed by this young lover of Christ, especially as they had witnessed his miracles: ‘he performed great signs and wonders amongst the people’. For this reason, many gathered against him, hoping perhaps to defeat him more easily. ‘So some men from [f. 8] the synagogue known as that of the Libertines and the Cyrenians, and the Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and began to argue with Stephen’16. Such a great uproar against a single man! A vast crowd set out against a single champion. Men from five cities rushed against a single young man. The whole of the Pentapolis17 rose up against a single man, Stephen. Oh, what a mob wickedness has gathered! Oh, what a crowd envy has brought together: Libertines, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia! The all-cunning ones reckoned that, even through this spectacle, they would strike fear into the heart of the undefeated champion. And yet, Stephen does not cease to expound on theology, resolving issues, clarifying doubts and defeating the Sanhedrin: ‘and [f. 9] they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke to them.”18 The saint boldly rebuked them to shake their futile arrogance: “You are resisting the Holy Spirit”19. What astonishing wisdom on the part of the most holy Levite! How did you expose the brazen libertines, the quarrelsome people of Cyrene, the indolent and pleasure-seeking Alexandrians, the lies of Cilicia and the shameful arrogance of Asia? How is it that you were not daunted by the madness of the high priests [and] did not fear the arrogance of the priests? How is it that the words of the elders did not intimidate you? How is it that the threats of the scribes did not unsettle you? How is it that the lies of the slanderers did not dampen your great zeal? Great is the power [f. 10] of truth, especially when nourished by good deeds. Oh, how many have tongues as sweet as honey yet hearts mingled with poison—men with golden tongues and hearts of iron! How many point out the hours and instruct others like the hands of a clock that turn round, whilst they themselves remain forever ignorant and uneducated!

All the martyrs have displayed great virtue in the world, but the most courageous pioneer of the army of martyrs proved himself so full of grace and strength that even virtue itself, as the ancient mythologists imagined it, had it descended from heaven to take flesh, he would not have found a more fitting vessel than Stephen’s strong and heroic heart.

The words of the first martyr were not empty, for miracles followed in his wake: he restored the ability to walk to the lame, restored health to the paralysed, and gave vigour to those afflicted by all manner of infirmities. ‘He performed signs and wonders’.

His word was a visible voice, and his voice [was] like that which John, the writer of the mysteries, saw in the divine Apocalypse: ‘I turned [f. 11] to see the voice that was speaking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks’20. These were very radiant manifestations of the heavenly voice. Yet, just as Stephen was a lover of truth and boldly testified that he saw the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God21, so his enemies grew all the more furious, their hearts were inflamed and they gnashed their teeth at him.

When Moses, the man of God, came down from Mount Sinai after his forty-day conversation with [God] and brought the Tablets of the Law to the Jews, he was so glorified that, since his soul could not contain within itself that immeasurable light, the radiance poured out onto his face. [f. 12] But the blindness of the Jews veiled Moses’ radiant brow.22 This also happens today with the first martyr: he explains the Law, interprets the Prophets, preaches about Jesus of Nazareth, and his face shines with beauty. ‘They saw his face as the face of an angel’23. The more the ungodly cannot bear the rays [of his beauty], [the more] they resort to stones, for ‘they could not stand against him’24, with their lack of learning which could not be persuaded. ‘They could not stand against him’ [and], therefore, they gnashed their teeth. And [because] this was not enough, the savages rushed to stone him, to kill him: ‘And they all rushed upon him as one. And dragging him out of the city, [f. 13] they stoned him’25. Outside the city! O, what great glory for Stephen! Where they crucified the King, there they stoned [His] soldier. ‘Christ suffered outside the gate’26. In a similar manner, Stephen was stoned outside the city: “And having brought him out of the city, they stoned him”. Come now, lovers of martyrs, rise up—why should we sleep? Let us too follow the athlete into battle. Let us accompany the referee into battle. Let us accompany the new soldier into the arena. Let us follow Stephen out of the city. Can you see him there? Young in years, tender in age—yet with what greatness of soul he endures, with what compassion he bears, with what patience he withstands [f. 14] and, whilst enduring, scorns the fierce rage and fury of the Jews who were waging war [against him]! Behold him standing strong in spirit, vigorous in will, valiant in thought, steadfast in heart. [Behold him] as he fearlessly overthrows those who are uncircumcised in heart, [gathered] against him. They drag him along as a lawbreaker, as an idol-worshipper27, as one guilty of a capital offence, but Stephen laughs. Others insult him as a blasphemer, revile him as a lawbreaker, but Stephen laughs. Some drag him, others push him; all shout with one voice: ‘Let Stephen be stoned!’, but Stephen laughs. ‘Those shouting at the top of their voices cover their ears’ and, like wild wolves, ‘they all rush upon him at once’, whilst Stephen, with [f. 15] his eyes and hands raised to heaven, cries out from the depths of his heart: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’28. The Jews, parched with thirst, sought to quench their thirst with blood, and Stephen – behold his generosity! – thirsting for their salvation, gave them his blood to drink.

The Jews strive to bring about his death, whilst Stephen prays that they may receive forgiveness. The Jews rush to gather stones, whilst Stephen turns to prayer. The Jews cover their ears, whilst Stephen opens his mouth to call upon [God]. The Jews do not cease to throw stones, yet Stephen does not, by any means, remain silent about God because of such a punishment, but, with an [f. 16] unyielding will and a fearless heart, he preaches. O steadfastness! O manliness! O nobility of Stephen! Whilst being stoned, he preaches Christ, receiving the stones as though they were flowers. Truly, the new champion showed great patience here, so as not to become angry [and] not to lose his temper. All of us who live in this world, as experience shows, have our own misfortunes. For everyone, life is unbearable29, and yet some burn like sulphur and give off a foul odour because of their anger and disobedience towards the will of the Almighty. Others, as they fall, burn like laurel, murmuring even amidst the flames of misfortune and tribulation that put them to the test, [f. 17] whilst others, without murmuring or disturbance, give off, like fragrant and aromatic plants, a most pleasant scent. In the same way, Stephen showed himself amongst those who were martyred for Christ: gentle, noble, peaceful. When reviled, he did not respond to the revilement30; when mocked, he endured. He regarded insults as honours, and stones as stars. He viewed the blood flowing from his holy body as an ocean, so that it might flow through it to the Master and Lord. And, seeking to be where Christ is (this is sung most gracefully by the Church), he passed through the blood to where Christ is.31 Or, again, we might say that he regarded the multitude [f. 18] of stones as a mountain which, by climbing, he wished to reach more easily the heavens which he saw open, just as Ezekiel had previously said with a prophetic voice: ‘On the holy mountain of God you were born; amidst burning stones you were born’32. And he was right to say ‘from burning stones’, for they were stones scorched by the wrath [and] fury of the Jews, ‘who seethed in their hearts and gnashed their teeth against him’33.

O steadfastness! O manliness! O nobility of Stephen! Whilst being stoned, he preached Christ, receiving the stones as though they were flowers. Truly, the new champion showed great patience here, so as not to become angry [and] not to lose his temper.

Thus, the most noble champion of Christ endured the fury [and] savagery of the Jews. Moreover, he even loved them as a most zealous imitator of Christ, Who says: ‘Love your enemies’34. This account is a most useful book, [f. 19], in which every Christian must read of his duty. The most ardent of them was stoned by the Jews, and not only did he not dwell on their insults, but he even asked the Most Merciful to forgive his abusers. He did not wait to forgive until their contempt had subsided, but forgave whilst being despised and, at the height of their abuse, [he said]: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’. He desired that those who had brought about his death might receive eternal life from the Saviour and God. When he was persecuted by those who falsely honoured God, he faced the persecution with joy and unwavering resolve; but when he wished to pray for his enemies, he knelt down and breathed life into every drop of his [f. 20] of blood, so that they might assist him like eloquent voices before the Most High Giver of Life. And, having knelt, he cried out in a loud voice: ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!’ Oh, [what] a voice! Or rather, let us say an echo of that cry which went up there on Golgotha from the life-giving mouth of the crucified Emmanuel: ‘Father, forgive them!’35 Stephen offered the ungrateful a most generous reward: in place of slander, a prayer worthy of praise; in place of stoning, a fountain of graces, rivers of precious gold. O most valiant soul of the first martyr! Now that you have laboured, now that you have finished your race36, go to the glory prepared for you: ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’37

When he was assailed by those who blasphemed God, he faced the onslaught with joy and unwavering resolve, but when he wished to pray for his enemies, he knelt and stirred every drop of his blood to life, so that they might assist him as eloquent voices before the Most High Giver of Life.

‘Lord Jesus, Thou, the Giver of life38, receive [f. 21] my spirit! Thou, Who breathed life into man, now separate my soul from [my] body. Lord, receive my spirit. You, who rule over souls, take the bodiless one to Yourself, for I have finished my race and kept the faith39. I beseech You, my Lord, receive it as soon as possible40; take my weary soul up there into Your heavenly abodes, amidst the radiance of Your Saints. I have fulfilled my task; I have proclaimed Your name, made Your divinity known, and have not concealed Your glory. I have resisted Your enemies to the best of my strength; I have made the ruler of this world a slave; I have endured insults for Your sake; I have been stoned. I have shown mortals how death is mocked. I have shown mortals that wounds for Your sake are fountains of immortality [f. 22], and that torments for Your sake are delights. The mortification41 [of the passions] for Your sake is rest. Death for Your sake is sleep. Therefore, ‘Lord, receive my spirit’. Make me an heir to Your Kingdom, which I have won with as many stones as the ungrateful enemies of Your Divinity have hurled at me. Grant me, up there in heaven, the crown of righteousness, which my struggles here on earth have woven. ‘Lord, receive my spirit.’” But behold, I see the heavens opened, yes, the heavens opened! And was it not enough for a door to open? Not for Stephen. For, just as the victorious athletes, when they triumphed at the Olympic Games and returned to their homeland, did not pass through the city’s public gate [f. 23], but through that gate, wide and magnificent, whichthe city’s inhabitants opened for them, in the same way, when Stephen emerged triumphant—not from the Olympic Games, as in ancient times, but from the battle against the devil’s army—and was about to enter the mother-city42 of the Heavenly Kingdom; The King of creation had ordained a new entrance to Heaven. And, so that the first martyr might not enter through the common gate which John had seen: ‘And behold, a door was open in Heaven’43 (Revelation [4], 1), the all-wise Architect fashioned for him a wider entrance, so that he might enter into joy and gladness: ‘I see the heavens opened’. And it was far more fitting that Stephen, [f. 24] the first to guide all those who followed him to martyrdom towards the bliss of Heaven, to pass through a new door, for through his word he was to draw other martyrs as well. That is why Heaven was opened to him. ‘You have brought many martyrs to the Lord; therefore, heaven has been opened to you’44, the Church also sings today. However many have since ascended and entered the mystical Jerusalem, they all owe their entry here to Stephen, since [Stephen] calls out to the martyrs of my word, to you, the victorious Georgios, the myrrh-streaming Demetrius, the most valiant Godvelas, the invincible Charalambos, the admirable Vladimirs. Come, too, Thecla, [f. 25] Varvara, Catherine, and all of you from the victorious host of martyrs, who, by the shedding of your blood, have dyed the Church’s robe crimson! Come, I say, quickly! Bear witness to the truth! Was it not Stephen who showed you the way to enter there, above, into eternal rest? It seems to me, even though they are silent, that from there in the heavenly abodes I hear them all bearing witness with one voice: ‘For the bliss we now enjoy, we give thanks to Stephen’. We all honour him as a teacher. All who have run the race of martyrdom, all of them, all of them glorify him as their forerunner. And Paul himself, who was caught up to the third heaven, was caught up through the intercession of the first martyr and [f. 26], even whilst he was still living on this earth, boasted that he was a citizen of Heaven: ‘for our citizenship is in heaven’45 (Philippians, chapter 3). Thanks be to Stephen, to whom the door was opened. O, glory to the first martyr!

Naturalists say that the earth no longer receives into its bowels that serpent which bit someone in a bitter and deadly manner. And this happened quite justly to that venomous serpent, to Cain, the slayer of his brother. That is why the most blessed one cried out in sorrow: ‘I shall be a stranger, and I shall tremble upon the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me’46 (Genesis, chapter 4). Seeing, then, that the first martyr was bitten [f. 27] venomously by the law-breaking Jews—who were the offspring of vipers—as they gnashed their teeth and stoned him, lest they be cast out from the earth by the power of his prayers – “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” – he opens the heavens to them: “I see the heavens opened”47. And because, alongside these stoners, Paul was there as an accomplice: ‘And Saul approved of his killing’48 (Acts of the Apostles, chapter 8), [and] because the earth could no longer bear him, Stephen interceded with God, the Lover of mankind, and He consented to raise him up to Heaven, as Paul himself testifies with his own mouth: ‘I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago—whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know; God knows—[f. 28] that such a one was caught up to the third heaven”49 (2 Corinthians, chapter 12). So, if heaven was opened, [it was opened] not only for Stephen, but also for the whole multitude that followed him. What tongue can recount the honour and glory with which the Heavenly Powers received him? What tongue can describe the applause of the Angels, the praises of the Archangels, the greetings of the prophets, the rejoicing of the blessed, understanding beings? Suffice it to say that the God-loving first martyr saw Jesus standing there, ready to crown him as a most valiant athlete. We too, the faithful, applaud, and together we celebrate the heavenly joy, O beautiful victor, first martyr of Christ. We honour the stones which you set alight with [f. 29] your zeal and which you stained with your blood. We honour your face, which proved to be the face of an angel, [we honour] your heart, which proved to be a heart of love. Show us, most loving saint of the Church, [how] to love our neighbour, [how] to love our enemies, [how] to become your most faithful imitators. Pray to Jesus, Whom you saw seated at the right hand of His Father before the ages began, to preserve safe and sound a living and all-blessed icon of His virtue, the Christ-lover and our most Christian Sovereign and Lord. Pray to the Crucified Nazarene Himself, Whose divinity you preached unto death, that He may preserve the most noble boyars, honourable and worthy members of one so devoted to God.

Three times blessed [f. 30] is this present time, in which the orator may boldly preach and extol gentleness and brotherly love. O, how joyful your most virtuous soul becomes at the preaching and praise of such virtues, O Prince, guarded and protected by God! A sure sign that you take delight in hearing the preaching and praise of goodwill and the love of wisdom is that you take part in the preaching [and in this] eulogy, for, as the wise have formulated as a maxim, in those things in which each person finds pleasure, therein they also find joy when they are honoured. With such a most worthy and virtuous guardian, with such a virtuous leader, it seems unseemly that all his members should not be in harmony with his joy. Can one who hates his brother or takes pleasure in evil be counted amongst the Saviour’s people, chosen by God? May the clouds that separate man from the supreme good finally be dispelled. Flee from futility, from error, from the love of pleasure! There is no longer any room for you in our hearts! We wish to imitate the first martyr, to learn from his example the path to salvation. Amen.

End. And thanks be to God.

*This translation is the completed and revised version, from Katharevousa Greek, of the panegyric: Saint Stephen Brâncoveanu, Λόγος πανηγυρικὸς εἰς τὸν Προτομάρτυρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ Στέφανον, by Anthimos the Hieromonk from Iberia (Antim Ivireanul), in Boukourestiō (Bucharest), 1701, 1st and 2nd editions, (ἐν Βουκουρεστίῳ: Ἐτυπώθη παρὰ Ἀνθίμῳ Ἱερομονάχῳ τῳ ἐξ Ἰβηρίας, 1701 and 1702), published in digital form, on pp. 208–222 (see: https://rei.gov.ro/teze-doctorat), in our doctoral thesis, defended in 2021, entitled: [Hieromonk Dr Hariton] Andrei Ion Popescu, The Greek Panegyrics of Saints Stephen and Radu Brâncoveanu. Text, translation and theological commentary, Sibiu, 2021. The original of this translation was consulted in digital form on the Romanian Academy Library’s platform, and is also available on the Dacoromanica online platform (see: http://digitool.dc.bmms.ro:8881/R?RN=847209032).

Nor have I overlooked the first translation of this panegyric, produced by Academician Constantin Erbiceanu and published in part (only the introduction) in 1891: Constantin Erbiceanu, ‘Panegyric Address to Stephen, the First Martyr of Christ”, in: Revista Biserica Ortodoxă Română (B.O.R.), XV (1891), pp. 305–306, which I also consulted for the present translation. Furthermore, also dating from the late 19th century, we have a complete translation published by the same author mentioned above: Constantin Erbiceanu, Greek Chroniclers Who Wrote About the Romanians During the Phanariot Era: the Greek text and the Romanian translation, Church Books Printing House, Bucharest, 1888, pp. 174–181. However, for linguistic reasons, I have retranslated the original Greek text in full, as this year – 2026 – marks the 135th anniversary of the first translation into Romanian, and so we are dealing with a clear evolution of the Romanian language over more than a century; for this reason, I considered it essential for contemporary readers to update the 19th-century language used in Erbiceanu’s translation (translator’s note).

• 1

  In his translation published in 1891, Constantin Erbiceanu uses the term ‘ocară’ [‘λοιδορία, ἡ’]. See C. Erbiceanu, ‘Panegyric Oration on Stephen, the First Martyr of Christ’, pp. 305–306 (translator’s note).

• 2

  The Cyreneans were inhabitants of the city ‘Κυρήνη, Κυρηνης, ἡ’, Cyrene, a large and very prosperous city in Cyrenaica or the Pentapolis, situated approximately 11 Roman miles from the sea. Among its inhabitants were a large number of Jews, whom Ptolemy I had brought there and granted the rights of citizenship. Cf. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon in Byzantine NT, BibleWorks, n.p., n.d. (translator’s note).

• 3

  The subject under discussion (translator’s note).

• 4

  The noun ‘ἀκροατής -οῦ, ὁ’ of the first masculine declension is translated as ‘listener’, hence also ‘learner’, ‘disciple’ or ‘apprentice’. See Montanari, The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. ‘ἀκροατής’, Brill, n.p., 2015. Thus, it can be said that Saint Ștefan Brâncoveanu emphasises that there were moments in the history of Christianity when those who heard the eulogies delivered in honour of the saints and their spiritual deeds also became disciples– followers of the saints – from mere ‘spectators’ (translator’s note).

• 5

  G.W.H. Lampe (ed.), A Patristic Greek Lexicon, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1961, p. 1002. (translator’s note)

• 6

  In addition to this translation of the verb ‘μελετάω, contr.’, two further possible translations can be identified: ‘to study’ and ‘to revise’ (this translation also appears in the works of Saint John Chrysostom - John Chrysostom, Father of the Church, IVCE, Ἰωάννης ὁ χρυσόστομος: ed. B. de Montfaucon, Paris 1834–392; F. Field, Cambridge 1983 (Homilies on Matthew); Oxford 1845–62 (1–7, Interpretation of Paul’s Epistles); PG 47–64 (= Montfaucon).) Cf. Franco Montanari, The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. “μελετάω”, Brill, s.l., 2015 (n. trans.)

• 7

  See Deuteronomy 32:13 (translator’s note).

• 8

  There is a marginal note in the second edition of 1702: ‘αὐτόθι’[ibid.], which is absent from the first edition of 1701, and refers to the same text mentioned above, from Deuteronomy XXXII, 13 (translator’s note).

• 9

  Psalm XXXIX, [2–3].

• 10

  Orthodoxy or reverence (translator’s note).

• 11

  This fragment of biblical text is a quotation and adaptation from Acts 7:58: ‘καὶ ἐκβαλόντες ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, ἐλιθοβόλουν· καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες ἀπέθεντο τὰ ἱμάτια παρὰ τοὺς πόδας νεανίου καλουμένου Σαύλου.’ (Acts 7:58 BYZ) cf. the Byzantine New Testament, BibleWorks and the Latin text from the Itala: “And they drove him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of the young man whose name was Saul” cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 55, Buchanan, 1907, p. 114; Romanian trans. : ‘And having driven him out of the city, they stoned him to death, and the witnesses laid his clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul’ in The Bible, that is, the Divine Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, Church Books Printing House, Bucharest, 1914, p. 1480 (translator’s note).

• 12

  See Acts of the Apostles VI, 10: ‘Καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυον ἀντιστῆναι τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι ᾧ ἐλάλει.’ (Acts VI, 10 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks and the Latin text: ‘nec poterant resistere sapientiae et spiritui sancto, qui loquebatur.’ Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 51, Belsheim, 1879, p. 12; Romanian translation in The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1478: ‘And they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.’ (Acts of the Apostles VI, 10), (translator’s note).

• 13

  Although an error crept into the first edition of the panegyric from 1701 regarding the biblical reference – chapter 6 (Πράξ. στ΄), nevertheless, in the second edition of 1702 this error was corrected by a marginal note: ‘αὐτοθι, κεφ. ζ΄’ = ‘Ibid. chapter 7’. More precisely, the biblical verse is as follows: “Θεὶς δὲ τὰ γόνατα, ἔκραξεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, Κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη. (Acts of the Apostles VII, 60 BYZ). Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; in Latin: “Positisque genibus clamauit uoce magna dicens: Domine ne statuas illis hoc peccatum! Et hoc dicto dormiuit.” Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 51, p. 16; Romanian translation in The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1480 (translator’s note).

• 14

  In the second edition of 1702, which is more substantial in terms of content, there is a marginal note referring to the same chapter as that mentioned above: “κεφ. στ΄.αὐτόθι” [chap. 6, ibid. (i.e. the Acts of the Apostles)]. See Saint Ștefan Brâncoveanu, Λόγος πανηγυρικὸς εἰς τὸν Προτομάρτυρα τοῦ Χριστοῦ Στέφανον, Bucharest, 1702, p. 12. The exact biblical passage is found here: “Καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ηὔξανεν καὶ ἐπληθύνετο ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ σφόδρα, πολύς τε ὄχλος τῶν ἱερέων ὑπήκουον τῇ πίστει.” (Acts of the Apostles VI, 7 BGT). Cf. Barbara and Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger and Alfred Rahlfs, BibleWorks: BNT Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece – LXX Septuagint (LXT). 28th Revised Edition/LXT (Old Greek Jewish Scriptures), Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft and the Württembergische Bibelanstalt / Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft (German Bible Society), Stuttgart, 1935; 2012; Latin translation: “Verbum autem Dei crescebat, et multiplicabatur numerus discipulorum, in Jerusalem uehementer; and a great multitude of priests were also coming to believe.” Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 51, p. 12; Romanian translation: ‘And the word of God grew, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, and a great multitude of priests submitted to the faith’ (Acts of the Apostles VI, 7). Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1478 (translator’s note).

• 15

  On this occasion, the biblical reference is missing from both editions. Nevertheless, it is clear that Saint Ștefan Brâncoveanu quotes almost the entire biblical text from Acts VI, 8: “Στέφανος δὲ πλήρης πίστεως καὶ δυνάμεως ἐποίει τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα μεγάλα ἐν τῷ λαῷ.” (Acts VI, 8 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks, omitting the adjective ‘great’ [μεγάλα] attached to the noun ‘signs’ [σημεῖα] as it appears in the original Greek; Latin translation: “Stephanus autem plenus gratia et uirtute faciebat signa et prodigia magna in populo in nomine domini Ihesu Christi”. Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 51, p. 12 (untranslated).

• 16

  Whilst in the first edition of 1701 the pages are numbered such that the biblical text used here appears on pages ζ΄ and η΄ (7 and 8), in the second edition (1702), there is a marginal note on the right-hand side, where the biblical reference ‘κεφ. στ΄’ is recorded, which in fact refers to the text in Acts VI, 9: ‘Ἀνέστησαν δέ τινες τῶν ἐκ τῆς συναγωγῆς τῆς λεγομένης Λιβερτίνων, καὶ Κυρηναίων, καὶ Ἀλεξανδρέων, καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Ἀσίας, συζητοῦντες τῷ Στεφάνῳ’. (Acts VI, 9 BYZ) Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Latin translation: ‘Exsurrexerunt autem quidam de synagoga eorum, qui dicuntur libertini et de cyrenium et de alexandrinorum et eorum qui a cilicia (sic) et ab asia erant conquirentes cum stephano.’ Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 51 (no translation).

• 17

  A confederation comprising five cities. See Franco Montanari, The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. ‘Πεντάπολις’, Brill, n.p., 2015 (translator’s note).

• 18

  This text is taken from Acts VI, 10: “Καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυον ἀντιστῆναι τῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι ᾧ ἐλάλει.” (Acts VI, 10 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Latin translation: “nec poterant resistere sapientiae et spiritui sancto, qui loquebatur.” (Acts 6:10) cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 51, p. 12 (untranslated).

• 19

  The biblical passage used here is found in chapter 7 of the Acts of the Apostles: “ηροτράχηλοι καὶ ἀπερίτμητοι τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ὠσίν, ὑμεῖς ἀεὶ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ ἀντιπίπτετεὡς οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ ὑμεῖς.” (Acts of the Apostles VII, 51 BYZ). Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Latin translation: “With stiff necks, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did and as you do. ” cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 50, Belsheim, 1893, p. 21; Romanian trans.: “You who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit; just as your fathers did, so do you. (Acts of the Apostles VII, 51) cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1480 (translator’s note).

• 20

  In the first edition of 1701, the text contains the following biblical reference: ‘κεφ. ά’, referring to ‘chapter 1’ of the Book of Revelation, without specifying the book or the verse. The full text is as follows: “2 Καὶ ἐκεῖ ἐπέστρεψα βλέπειν τὴν φωνὴν ἥτις ἐλάλει μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ. Καὶ ἐπιστρέψας εἶδον ἑπτὰ λυχνίας χρυσᾶς” (Revelation I, 12 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks (Revelation I, 12); Latin translation: “Et conuersus sum ut uiderem uocem loquebatur mecum: et conuersus uidi septem candelabra aurea”. Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 51, p. 64; Romanian trans.: “And I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks’ (Revelation 1:12); cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1628 (translator’s note).

• 21

  See Acts of the Apostles 7:56 (translator’s note)

• 22

  In the first edition of 1701, there is an intratextual note ‘Ἐξόδου κεφ. λδ’’, referring specifically to the episode of Moses’s face shining in Exodus XXXIV, 29–35: “ὡς δὲ κατέβαινεν Μωυσῆς ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους καὶ αἱ δύο πλάκες ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν Μωυσῆ καταβαίνοντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους Μωυσῆς οὐκᾔδει ὅτι δεδόξασται ἡ ὄψις τοῦ χρώματος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ30 ἐν τῷ λαλεῖν αὐτὸν αὐτῷκαὶ εἶδεν Ααρων καὶ πάντες οἱ πρεσβύτεροι Ισραηλ τὸν Μωυσῆν καὶ ἦν δεδοξασμένη ἡ ὄψις τοῦ χρώματος τοῦ προσώπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν ἐγγίσαι 35 αὐτοῦ (…) καὶ εἶδον οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ τὸ πρόσωπον Μωυσῆ ὅτιδεδόξασται καὶ περιέθηκεν Μωυσῆς κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπονἑαυτοῦ ἕως ἂν εἰσέλθῃ συλλαλεῖν αὐτῷ(Exodus XXXIV, 29–35 BGT) cf. Barbara and Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger and Alfred Rahlfs, BibleWorks: BNT Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece – LXX Septuagint (LXT); Romanian translation: ‘And when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Law in his hands, he did not realise that his face was radiant from the time God had spoken to him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, and that his face was radiant, they were afraid to approach him. (…) And the Israelites saw that Moses’ face was radiant, and Moses would cover his face until he went in to speak with Him.”(Exodus XXXIV, 29–35) cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 117 (translator’s note).

• 23

  In the second edition of this panegyric, dating from 1702, this passage is quoted without any reference being given; for this reason, we bring it to the fore here: “Καὶ ἀτενίσαντες εἰς αὐτὸν ἅπαντες οἱ καθεζόμενοι ἐν τῷ συνεδρίῳ, εἶδον τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶπρόσωπον ἀγγέλου.” (Acts VI, 15 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Romanian trans.: “And when all those sitting in the assembly looked at him, they saw his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts of the Apostles VI, 15) Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1478 (translator’s note).

• 24

  The text is quoted from the second edition (1702), taken from The Acts of the Ten Apostles VI, 10: “Καὶ οὐκ ἴσχυον ἀντιστῆναιτῇ σοφίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι ᾧ ἐλάλει”. (Acts of the Apostles VI, 10 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Romanian translation: ‘And they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.’ Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1478 (translator’s note).

• 25

  The translation of this biblical passage follows the 1914 edition of the Bible: that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments; and the full Greek text is as follows: “Κράξαντες δὲ φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, συνέσχον τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν, καὶ ὥρμησαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν. 58 καὶ ἐκβαλόντες ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, ἐλιθοβόλουνκαὶ οἱ μάρτυρες ἀπέθεντο τὰ ἱμάτια παρὰ τοὺς πόδας νεανίου καλουμένου Σαύλου.” (Acts of the Apostles VII, 57–58 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks (translator’s note).

• 26

  Although, in the first edition of 1701, there is no biblical reference for these scriptural words, nevertheless, in a marginal note in the second edition, the following clarification is given: ‘Παῦλ. πρὸς ἑβρ. κεφ. ιγ’’. Consequently, their scriptural source is: “Διὸ καὶ Ἰησοῦς, ἵνα ἁγιάσῃ διὰ τοῦ ἰδίου αἵματος τὸν λαόν, ἔξωτῆς πύλης ἔπαθεν.” (Hebrews XIII, 12 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Romanian translation: ‘For this reason, Jesus, in order to sanctify the people with his blood, suffered outside the gate.’(Hebrews 13:12) cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1605 (translator’s note).

• 27

  This part of the text – ‘ὡς ἀσεβῆ’ – is missing from the first edition (1701) and appears only in the later edition of 1702 (translator’s note).

• 28

  These scriptural words are found here: “60 Θεὶς δὲ τὰ γόνατα, ἔκραξεν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, Κύριε, μὴστήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταύτην. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἐκοιμήθη.” (Acts of the Apostles VII, 60–VIII, 1 BYZ). Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Latin trans.: “ponens autem genua clamavit voce magna Domine, ne statuas illis peccatum hoc. And having said this, he fell asleep.” Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 50, p. 21; Romanian trans.: “And kneeling down, he cried out with a loud voice: ‘Lord, do not impute this sin to them. And having said this, he fell asleep.” Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1480 (translator’s note).

• 29

  In the second edition of the panegyric from 1702, there is a marginal note ‘παροιμ.’ (translator’s note) next to this short passage.

• 30

  See 1 Peter 2:23 (translator’s note).

• 31

  The intratextual note in the first edition – 1701 – states: ‘Εἰς τὸν κανόνα ὠδὴ, ά. τροπάρι. γ΄’; Romanian translation: ‘In the canon [of the holy martyr], Ode I, Troparion III’ (translator’s note).

• 32

  In the first edition, there is a brief reference to this biblical text within the body of the text – “κεφ. κή.” [chapter 28], whilst in the second edition of the panegyric, the biblical reference appears in the margin and is supplemented with the verse number “κεφ. κή. ἑδ. Ιδ”. ”[chap. 28, verse 14], both referring to the Book of Ezekiel. In the present translation, we have retained the meaning from the 1914 Romanian Bible, although we have not overlooked the Latin text of the Weing Codex (Italy): “ἀφ᾽ ἧς ἡμέρας ἐκτίσθης σύ 14 μετὰ τοῦ χερουβ ἔθηκά σε ἐν ὄρει ἁγίῳ θεοῦ15 ἐγενήθης ἐν μέσῳ λίθων πυρίνων ἐγενήθης” (Ezekiel XXVIII, 13–15 BGT) cf. Barbara and Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger and Alfred Rahlfs, BibleWorks: BNT Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece – LXX Septuagint (LXT); Latin translation: ‘ex qua die creatus es tu, cum cherubi posui te in monte sacto dei; factus es in medio lapidum igneorum.’ Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. Weing., Ranke, 1868, p. 104; Romanian translation: “From the day you were created, I set you as a cherub, and I placed you on the holy mountain of God; you were in the midst of the fiery stones.” (Ezekiel XXVIII, 14) cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. Weing., p. 1002 (untranslated).

• 33

  In the 1702 edition, this text is quoted without any biblical reference being given; for this reason, we reproduce here the biblical text used by the author: “Ἀκούοντες δὲ ταῦτα, διεπρίοντο ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔβρυχοντοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν.” (Acts of the Apostles VII, 54 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks and the Latin version in Codex 50 Belsheim (Itala): “Audintes autem hec fremebant cordibus suis et fremebant, dentibus suis super eum.” Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 50, p. 21; Romanian trans.: “And when they heard these things, they were filled with indignation in their hearts and gnashed their teeth at him.” (Acts of the Apostles VII, 54). Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1480 (translator’s note).

• 34

  The current text, marked with the appropriate quotation marks in the second edition (1702), refers to two biblical passages found in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27. We reproduce the latter here: “Ἀλλ᾽ ὑμῖν λέγω τοῖς ἀκούουσιν, Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺςὑμῶν, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς” (Luke 6:27 BYZ). Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; the Latin version of Codex a., Belsheim (Itala): “Sed vobis dico audientibus: Diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite eis, qui oderunt vos.” (Luke 6:27) Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. a, Belsheim, 1894, p. 80; Romanian translation: ‘But I say to you who are listening: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you’ (Luke 6:27). Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1411 (translator’s note).

• 35

  See Luke 23:34 (translator’s note).

• 36

  For further details regarding this theological connotation, see G. Lampe, A Patristic Greek Lexicon, p. 1250 (translator’s note).

• 37

  Acts of the Apostles VII, 59 (translator’s note).

• 38

  I have kept this translation consistent with that used by Saint Cyril of Alexandria in his Commentary on the Book ofIsaiah 2.409C (see Cyrillus of Alexandria, Father of the Church, 4th–5th centuries CE, Κύριλλος: ed. J. Aubert, Cyrilli Opera, Paris 1638 (6 vols.); P. E. Pusey, Oxford (in XII proph. min., I–II (1868); in the Gospel of John, I–III (1872); epistolae, 1875; de recta fide etc., 1877); in PG 68–77 (= Aubert). Cf. Franco Montanari, The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. “1. Χορηγός”, Brill, n.p., 2015 (unpublished).

• 39

  See 2 Timothy 4:7. (translator’s note)

• 40

  This grammatical construction with the relative pronoun is also found in PPSI 444.11 [Greek and Latin Papyri, Pubblicazioni della Società Italiana…, Florence 1912] (3rd century BCE) = ‘ὅσον τάχος’ = very soon. Cf. Franco Montanari, The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. “τᾰχος,” Brill, n.p., 2015 (translator’s note).

• 41

  C. Erbiceanu also uses the term ‘mortification’ (translator’s note) for the same noun ‘νέκρωσις -εως, ἡ’.

• 42

  The noun ‘μητρόπολις -εως, ἡ’ may refer to the ‘mother city’ or ‘metropolis’, but when used in the theological context presented here, it refers to the ‘motherland’ as the ‘heavenly homeland’, cf. Franco Montanari, The Brill Dictionary of Ancient Greek. “μητρόπολις”, Brill, n.p., 2015. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, in one of his funeral orations (Oratory 43), dedicated to Saint Basil the Great, drawing on the connotation of Jerusalem as a capital city, ascribes to it a figurative meaning, that of the ‘city above’: ‘Οὐ μὴν ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὄντως μητροπολίτης’ [In any case, the saint of God, the true archbishop of Jerusalem above]. See G. Lampe, A Patristic Greek Lexicon, p. 870 and F. Boulenger (ed.), ‘Gregory of Nazianzus. Funeral Orations in Honour of his Brother Caesarius and Basil of Caesarea’, Picard, Paris, 1908, chap. 59. See also A. Puech, ‘Funeral Orations in Honour of his Brother Caesarius and Basil of Caesarea by Gregory of Nazianzus, F. Boulenger’, in: Revue des Études Grecques, 21 (1908) 93/94, pp. 402–404 (translator’s note).

• 43

  This excerpt is taken from here: “Μετὰ ταῦτα εἶδον, καὶ ἰδού, θύρα ἀνεῳγμένη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ἡ πρώτη ἣν ἤκουσα ὡς σάλπιγγος λαλούσης μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ, λέγων, Ἀνάβα ὧδε, καὶ δείξω σοι ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα. (Revelation 4:1 BYZ) cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Romanian translation: ‘After this I looked, and behold, a door was open in heaven; and the first voice which I had heard, like a trumpet, spoke to me, saying: “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”’ Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1631, and in Latin: “et vidi: et ecce ostium apertum in celo. Et vox prima quam audivi tanquam tube luquentis mecum dicens. Ascende huc: et ostendam tibique oportet fieri post hec.” Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Missale Moz., Brill, s.l., 1850, 599B (n. trans.).

• 44

  Although in the first edition the bibliographical reference for this liturgical text appears at the end of the immediately following sentence, in the second edition this note is a marginal note on the left-hand side: “εἰς τοὺς αἴνους τῆς ἑορτῆς τροπ γ’.” [at the Lauds of the feast, third stichera]. The text of this stichera is as follows: “Πρῶτος ἐν Διακόνοις, πρῶτος καὶ ἐν Μάρτυσιν ἐδείχθεις, πανάγιε Στεφάνε· ὁδός γὰρ ἐγένου τοῖς Ἁγίοις, καὶ πολλοὺς τῷ Κυρίῳ προσήγαγες Μάρτυρας· διὸ οὐρανός σοι ἠνοίγη, καὶ Θεός σοι ἐφάνη. Αὐτὸν ἰκέτευε, σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἠμῶν.” Cf. Κουτλουμουσιανός, Βαρθολομαίος,ο Ίμβριος, Μηναίον τουΔεκεμβρίου, περιέχον άπασαν την ανήκουσαν αυτώ Ακολουθίαν, εκ της ελληνικής τυπογραφείας του Φοίνικος, εν Βενετία, 1852, p. 222; Romanian translation: “First among deacons, first also among martyrs, you have shown yourself to be most holy, Stephen, for you have become a path for the saints, and you have brought many martyrs to the Lord. For this reason, Heaven was opened to you, and God revealed Himself to you. Pray to Him that He may save our souls.” Cf. The Menaion for the Month of December, Printing House of the Holy Monastery of Cernica, n.p., 1927, p. 480 (translator’s note).

• 45

  Neither in the first edition of the panegyric (1701) nor in the second (1702) do we have a complete indication regarding the biblical reference, in the sense that the verse number “Πρὸς Φιλιπ. Κεφ. γ’” is missing.[Philippians chapter 3]: “Ἡμῶν γὰρ τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα, κύριον Ἰησοῦν χριστόν·” (Philippians III, 20 BYZ). Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Romanian translation: ‘For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also await the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ;’ (Philippians 3:20). Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1568 (translator’s note).

• 46

  In the first edition of 1701, the text contains the following biblical reference: “Γενέσε, κεφ. δ’.” [Genesis, chapter 4], a reference which is supplemented in the 1702 edition with the verse numbers: “Γεν., κεφ. δ’. ιδ’, ιγ’.” [Genesis, chapter IV, 13–14]. As the biblical text used in the panegyric does not reproduce these two verses in full, we set them out here: “καὶ εἶπεν Καιν πρὸς τὸν κύριον μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με 14 εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι καὶ ἔσομαιστένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῖ με(Genesis IV, 13–14 BGT). Cf. Barbara and Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger and Alfred Rahlfs, BibleWorks: BNT Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece – LXX Septuagint (LXT); Romanian translation: ‘Genesis 4:13: And Cain said to the Lord: “My guilt is too great to be forgiven. Genesis 4:14: ‘If you drive me out this day from the face of the earth, I shall be hidden from your presence; and I shall be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.’ Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, p. 5; and in Latin we have: ‘Responditque Cain ad Dominum, Major est iniquitas mea quam ut veniam merear. Behold, thou castest me out this day from thy presence, and I shall hide myself from thy presence, as one who is in hiding; and I shall groan upon the earth; and whoever finds me will slay me.” Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: PS EUCH (Migne 50.), s.l., 1865, 917B (n. trans.). 56

• 47

  The scriptural words are taken from here: καὶ εἶπεν, Ἰδού, θεωρῶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεῳγμένους, καὶ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν ἑστῶτα τοῦ θεοῦ. (Acts of the Apostles VII, 56 BYZ). Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks and in Latin: ‘et dixit Ecce video caelos apertos et filium hominis stantem ad dexteram Dei’ cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 50, p. 21; Romanian translation: “Acts of the Apostles VII, 56 And he said: ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’” Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1480 (translator’s note).

• 48

  The first verse of chapter eight of the Acts of the Apostles begins with these words, which are also used here in Brâncoveanu’s panegyric: “BYZ Acts of the Apostles VIII, 1 Σαῦλος δὲ ἦν συνευδοκῶν τῇ ἀναιρέσει αὐτοῦ. Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ διωγμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις· πάντες δὲ διεσπάρησαν κατὰ τὰς χώρας τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ Σαμαρείας, πλὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων.” (Acts of the Apostles VIII, 1 BYZ) cf. the Byzantine New Testament, BibleWorks and the Latin text: “Saulus autem erat consentiens neci eius. In fact, on that very day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria (Acts VII, 60; VIII, 1). Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 50, p. 22; Romanian trans.: ‘And Saul was in favour of his killing. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem; and all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.’ Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1480 (translator’s note).

• 49

  Both the first and second editions of the panegyric contain a biblical reference: “πρός κοριν. β΄. κεφ. ιβ΄.” [1 Corinthians, chapter 12], which refers to the following biblical verse: “2 Οἶδα ἄνθρωπον ἐν χριστῷ πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων - εἴτε ἐν σώματι οὐκ οἶδα· εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος οὐκ οἶδα ὁ θεὸς οἶδενἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ.” (2 Corinthians 12:2 BYZ). Cf. Byzantine NT, BibleWorks; Latin translation: “Scio hominem in Christo ante annos quattuordecim, sive in corpore nescio, sive extra corpore nescio, Deus scit, raptum eius modi usque ad tertium caelum.” Cf. Itala, Vetus Latina Database: Cod. 76, Belsheim, n.p., 1885, p. 42; Romanian translation: “I know a man in Christ some fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I do not know; or out of the body, I do not know; God knows); that a man like this was caught up to the third heaven.” Cf. The Bible, that is, the Divine Scripture of the Old and New Testaments, p. 1551 (translator’s note).