130 Chapter 3 As the narrative progresses, Gregory is thus presented to follow a particular progressive track in the monastic ‘career’, in which he staples successively the following identities: first becoming a monk, then a holy man and finally a monastic leader. To go from one stage to the next requires to change place, according to the narrative. This is particularly evident in the earlier stages of the development, but also the more gradual transition to become a holy man and, finally, to become a monastic leader involve mobility.425 Especially in the first part of the narrative, representing the stages from Gregory’s initial desire to become a monk up to a stage of spiritual maturation, the represented travel motivations in the Life thus align with Gregory’s advancement in his monastic career. Travel as a divinely inspired quest The motivation of journey 6 appears to initiate the many journeys that follow after (in the first part of the narrative, until journey 17). For the majority of the journeys following journey 6 up to his longer stay in Thessaloniki (after journey 17) the motivation is not explicitly narrated.426 However, as we will see, the motivation for journey 6 could be interpreted as a general motivation for travelling. The journeys could therefore be interpreted as motivated by this general motivation. The hagiographer gives the following motivation for Gregory to leave the cave in which he was living in order to start his next journeys: Αὖθις οὖν φωνῆς οὐρανόθεν ἐπῄσθετο, ἧς καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πιστότατος κατήκοος γέγονε, καλούσης καὶ λεγούσης «Γρηγόριε, εἰ πρὸς τελειότητα σεαυτὸν βλέπειν ἐρᾷς, ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου καὶ δεῦρο427 εἰς γῆν, ἐν ᾗ σοι θεῷ καλῶς εὐαρεστῆσαι συμβήσεται»· οὐδὲ γὰρ αἴσιον ἔκρινε θεὸς τὸν λύχνον ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον κρύπτεσθαι, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ τὴν κοσμικὴν τεθεῖναι λυχνίαν τὴν τῶν ψυχῶν οἰκίαν ἐπιεικῶς σελαγίζουσαν. Τοῦ σπηλαίου οὖν ἀπαναστὰς ἐπὶ τὴν Ἀσιάτιδα γῆν ἐπορεύετο.428 425 Gregory is presented to move particularly to places that enable a degree of separation but also interaction with society, such as the monastic cell in Rome and the tower in Syracuse, and in the resulting interactions with people in combination with his ascetic lifestyle represents Gregory as a holy man, as was discussed in the previous chapter, section 2.3. Only after he moved to settle in Thessaloniki the narrative presents Gregory in his final stage as monastic leader. It should be noted that unlike for the earlier stages discussed above, the represented travel motivations do not make the connection between mobility and the transition between these stages explicit: the hagiographer does not represent Gregory to want to travel in order to become a holy man or a monastic leader – which would not be very suitable of this status, considering the prevalent monastic ideal of humility – but mobility is necessary to accomplish this. 426 Cf. appendix 4. The motivation for journey 15 and 16 is specified, i.e. mobility inspired by a concern for Gregory’s spiritual integrity. The motivation for journey 17 is not explicitly specified, but could be interpreted from the context as involuntary mobility, although the point of departure (Otranto) probably would have been imagined as a stop in between anyway to go back towards Thessaloniki and fit into a larger plan for reaching a particular destination. 427 As Makris has remarked, δεῦρο (adverb, may be used as interjection to mean: come! Or: go away!) is used instead of an imperative. Makris (1997), p. 83. 428 Life of Gregory of Decapolis 17.
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