182 Chapter 4 I will illustrate the occurrence of these conceptual metaphors in the Life of Gregory by discussing a passage in chapter 67 of the Life. This is not the only passage that could have been taken as an example, but since the passage is particularly clear and rich in metaphorical travel language, it is suitable for illustrating the range of travel metaphors found in the Life. Other examples from the Life expressing the same conceptual metaphors can be found in the appendix. The passage illustrates multiple conceptual metaphors belonging to the overarching life is a journey and politeia is a journey metaphors. After establishing the occurrence of these metaphors, I will discuss what aspects of the source domain are mapped onto the target domain in the example in order to examine what the metaphors reveal about how the target domain is conceived. Chapter 67 of the Life of Gregory serves as a transition in the narrative bridging chapters narrating events in Gregory’s life (mainly interactions with visitors during his stay in Thessaloniki) and subsequent chapters elaborating on the virtues of Gregory. The narrative here transitions from a focus on the life events to a focus on the way of life (politeia). It is therefore particularly apt that the hagiographer expressed the politeia is a journey metaphor in this passage:619 Καὶ διὰ μὲν θείας μελέτης τὴν τῆς ἀσκήσεως ἐξομαλίσας τρίβον ἅπαν πρόσκομμα καὶ σκῶλον ἐξέβαλε τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀγούσης ὁδοῦ, καὶ λείαν ἑαυτῷ ταύτην κατασκευάσας πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἄνω βασιλείας ἀνάκτορον ἔφθασεν.620 And through divine exercise, while making even the path of ascesis, he removed every obstacle and hindrance from the road which leads to virtue, and after having prepared it [the road] even for himself, he reached the royal dwelling-place of the kingdom above. In this passage ascesis is expressed as a path, expressing ascesis is a path. Living a life of ascesis is one possible type of politeia. This passage therefore more generally reflects the politeia is a journey metaphor. Continuing the politeia is a journey metaphor, the metaphorical journey in the passage leads to two destinations, reflecting purposes are destinations. In the first metaphorical expression, the destination/purpose is virtue (‘the road which leads to virtue’, virtue is the destination of a path). The second destination/ purpose is reaching heaven, expressed by ‘he reached the royal dwelling-place of the kingdom above’.621 This expression extends the politeia is a journey metaphor and generally reflects life is a journey. The end of the road of living a good virtuous life is understood to lead to heaven, expressing the metaphorical idea that after the end of 619 See appendix 9 for other instantiations of this metaphor in other parts of the narrative. 620 Life of Gregory of Decapolis 67, lines 3-6. 621 This metaphorical expression moreover reflects the conceptual metaphor divine is up (see appendix 9).
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