Take thought for the sons of the slain
'Take thought for the sons of the slain' (Psalm 79:11 (LXX 78)) — for your seed, Ambrose, shall be reckoned though slain with you: 'for not the children of the flesh are children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed.' (Romans 9:8) If you love son or daughter more than Christ, you are not worthy; but loving Christ more, you gain them too — for 'he who loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he who taketh not his cross and followeth me is not worthy of me. He that findeth his soul shall lose it; and he that loseth his soul for my sake shall find it.' (Matthew 10:37–39) (Psalm 79:11)
Greek
αροῦν τοῦτο τὸ πῦρ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἐξαφανίζον πάντα γήϊνον καὶ φιλοσώμα- τον λογισμὸν ὑμῶν" καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα, περὶ οὗ ὃ Ἰησοῦς συνείχετο, ἕως :10 τελεσϑῇ", μετὰ πάσης προϑυμίας βαπτίσασϑε νῦν. καὶ σὺ μὲν ὁ ἔχων »γυναῖχα καὶ τέχνα καὶ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἀδελφὰς“ μέμνησο τοῦ", εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρός με xal οὐ μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα καὶ τὴν γυναῖχα καὶ τὰ τέχνα καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰς ἀδελφὰς, οὐ δύναταί μου μαϑητὴς εἶναι, ἀμφότεροι δὲ τοῦ" „el τις ἔρχεται πρός με καὶ 115 οὐ μισεῖ πρὸς τοῖς προτέροις ,ἔτε καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, οὐ δύ- ναταί μου μαϑητὴς εἶναι“. ἀλλ᾽ οὕτω μισήσατε τὴν ἑαυτῶν ψυχὴν, ὡς διὰ τοῦ μισεῖν εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον φυλάσσειν αὐτήν" ,,Ἅ8 γὰρ μισῶν“, φησὶ, „ınv ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον φυ- λάσσει αὐτήν.“ οὐχοῦν τὴν ψυχὴν διὰ τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴ» μισήσατε 1:20 πειϑόμενοι ὅτι καλὸν καὶ ὠφέλιμον μῖσος διδάσκει μισεῖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. ὥσπερ δὲ εὐπὲρ τοῦ “φυλαχϑῆναι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον τὴν ψυχὴν μιση- τέον ἡμῖν ἔσται αὐτὴν, οὕτως »γυναῖχα᾽ χαὶ τέχνα καὶ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἀδελφὰς“ μίσησον 6 ἔχων ταῦτα, ἵν᾿ ὠφελήσῃς τοὺς μισουμένους di αὐτοῦ τοῦ μεμισηχέναι παῤῥησίαν ἀναλαμβάνων πρὸς τὸ εὐεργετεῖν 25 αὐτοὺς φίλος γενόμενος ϑεῷ.
᾿ XXXVIIL Ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὑπομιμνήσκου τοῦ. εὐξαμένου ἐν πνεύματι περὶ τέκνων μαρτύρων διὰ τὴν πρὸς ϑεὸν ἀγάπην αὐτῶν καταλελειμ- μένων καὶ φήσαντος" ,περιποίησαι τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν τεϑανατωμένων“. μόνον δὲ ἴσϑε ὅτε „od τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρχὸς ταῦτα τέχνα τοῦ ϑεοῦ“ 880 xal ὅτι, ὥσπερ λέγεται τοῖς ἐκ σπέρματος ᾿Αβραὰμ τέ τε", οἶδα ὅτι
, > , 2 LG > ΄ - > x > DI σπέρμα Αβρααμ Eore“ χαὶ To’ „ei τέκνα τοῦ Aßpaau ἥτε, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ᾿Αβραὰμ ἐποιεῖτε“, οὕτως καὶ τοῖς τέχνοις σου λεχϑήσεται" οἶδα ὅτι σπέρμα ᾿Αμβροσίου ἐστὲ xal TO’ εἰ τέχνα τοῦ ᾿Αμβροσίου ἐστὲ, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ᾿Αμβροσίου ποιεῖτε. καὶ τάχα ποιήσουσι, πλείω ὠφελοῦν-
5 τός σου αὐτὰ μετὰ τὴν τοιαύτην ἔξοδον ἢ εἰ παρέμενες αὐτοῖς. τότε γὰρ καὶ ἐπιστημονικώτερον αὐτὰ ἀγαπήσεις καὶ συνετώτερον “περὶ αὐτῶν εὔξῃ, ἐὰν nass. ὅτι τέχνα σου ἐστὶ καὶ οὐ σπέρμα μόνον. ἀνὰ στόμα νῦν ἔχε τό: „6 «φιλῶν υἱὸν ἢ ϑυγατέρα ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ οὐχ ἔστι μου ἄξιος“ καὶ TO‘ ,ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν, καὶ
About this text
Written to imprisoned friends: why martyrdom is the highest prayer, and how not to fear it.
English follows Paul Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS, 1899). This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS 2, 1899) (Greek · Exhortation to Martyrdom)
- Checked print Archive.org OCR of GCS 2 (Greek · Same print)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.