140 Chapter 3 From this discussion on the ways and functions of the representation of Gregory’s motives for mobility, can we also observe any positions on monastic mobility by the author/commissioners or the intended audiences? In the Life of Gregory we saw that various categories of mobility were represented, such as educational mobility, mobility for spiritual development and mobility due to interpersonal connections; and for many journeys no motivation is provided at all. The hagiographer therefore did not present only one particular type of motivation as acceptable (in contrast to others). These various types of mobility, particularly the journeys construed as a divine quest and mobility for spiritual and monastic development, reflect positively on the portrayed identity of Gregory. From this positive representation, we may hypothesise that the hagiographer (and/or commissioners) therefore would have thought that these types of monastic mobility were acceptable and even beneficial for the monk in question as well as for society at large. Many journeys in the Life, however, are not necessarily presented as something positive or negative (e.g., mobility motivated by interpersonal connections and the many journeys without a represented motivation) for Gregory or for society. It is difficult to conclude from this discussion whether the hagiographer had any value judgements on these particular journeys and on frequent monastic travelling in general. As for the intended audiences, most likely an urban monastic (and possibly including a non-monastic) audience in Constantinople and/or Thessaloniki, could we deduce value judgements to which the hagiographer responded? Because Ignatius omits explicit representations of Gregory’s motives for mobility, he leaves more room for interpretation by the audience. To be sure, the construction of the string of journeys after journey 6 as a divinely inspired quest to obey and please God is in service of Ignatius’ discursive aim to construct Gregory’s sainthood, and at two points in the narrative he reminds the audience of this travel motivation. However, he does not do so consistently. The audience may thus also form their own ideas on why Gregory made the specific journeys. This leads me to hypothesise that the commissioners and the author of the Life did not expect the audiences to find fault with the travels of Gregory, although uncommonly frequent in middle-Byzantine saints’ Lives, for otherwise I would expect the hagiographer to put more effort in unambiguously steering the interpretation of Gregory’s mobility. 3.4 Representations of travel motivation in the Life of Euthymius the Younger 3.4.1 The creation of the Life Half a decade after Gregory, another monk was also travelling across the Eastern Roman Empire. Based on the chronology and events described in his Life, it can be deduced that Euthymius, born under the name Nicetas, lived from 820 (or 823/4) until 898.454 Euthymius 454 Greenfield and Talbot (2016), p. x; Lilie et al. (2013b) (=PmBZ 21912).
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