Opening address to Ambrose and Protoctetus
"Those weaned from milk, drawn from the breast: affliction upon affliction expect; hope upon hope expect; yet a little, yet a little — through contempt of lips, through another tongue." (Isaiah 28:9–11) And you, then — after Isaiah — as no longer carnal nor babes 'in Christ,' advanced 'in' your intelligible 'stature,' most godly Ambrose and most pious Protoctetus, no longer 'having need of milk' but of 'solid food' — hear, as 'weaned from milk' and 'drawn from the breast,' in what way, as for weaned athletes, no simple affliction but an 'affliction upon affliction' is prophesied. He who does not push away the affliction 'upon affliction,' but as a noble athlete 'expects' it, straightway expects 'hope upon hope' too — which, after a little of the affliction 'upon affliction,' he shall enjoy. For such is the 'yet a little, yet a little.' (1 Corinthians 3:1) (Hebrews 5:12) (Luke 2:52)
Greek
1. „Oi ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοε ἀπὸ γάλακτος, οἱ ἀπεσπασμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ, ϑλῖψιν ἐπὶ ϑλίψει προσδέχου, προσδέχου ἐλπίδα ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι, ἔτι μικρὸν ἔτι μικρὸν, διὰ φαυλισμὸν χειλέων, διὰ γλώσσης ἑτέρας."
καὶ ὑμεῖς τοίνυν κατὰ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν ὡς οὐχέτε σάρχινοι οὐδὲ (ἐν Χριστῷ" νήπιοι προχόψαντες „ev τῇ“ νοητῇ ὑμῶν ,ἡλικίᾳ", ᾿Αμβρόσιε ϑεοσεβέστατε καὶ Πρωτόχτητε εὐσεβέστατε, καὶ μηκέτε (χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος" ἀλλὰ" ,στερεᾶς τροφῆς", ἀκούετε ὡς ,ἀπογεγαλακτισμένοι ἀπὸ γάλακτος" καὶ ,ἀπεσπασμένοι ἀπὸ μαστοῦ", τίνα τρόπον ὡς ἀϑληταῖς τοῖς ἀπογεγαλαχτισμένοις οὐχ ἁπλῆ ϑλῖψις ἀλλά τις »ϑλῖψις ἐπὶ Hiper“ προφητεύεται. ὁ δὲ μὴ ἀπωϑούμενος τὴν (ἐπὶ ϑλίψει:" ϑλῖψιν͵ ἀλλ᾽ ὡς γενναῖος ἀϑλητὴς αὐτὴν “προσδεχόμενος εὐϑέως προσ- δέχεται καὶ ,ἐλπίδα ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι", ἧς μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ τῆς »ἐπὶ ϑλίψει" ϑλίψεως ἀπολαύσει' τοιοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ,͵ἔτε μικρὸν ἔτε μικρόν."
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). The Archive OCR of that same print was checked. 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.