192 Chapter 4 ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ πόδας ἐνήρεισε καὶ τὰ κατὰ θεὸν καὶ διὰ θεὸν αὐτοῦ κατηύθυνε διαβήματα.654 He firmly joined himself together with perseverance, as to not be shaken by the forcibly coming reflux of temptations, but imitating the forefathers fittingly, who travelled with perseverance and imitating Job in his sufferings, and imitating Joseph of the never-witnessed self-control when subjected to the temptations of the Egyptian woman, he planted himself as an extremely unswerving pillar in between the troublesome assaulters. Whence God indeed gave heed to him and listened to his supplication and he lifted him up from the pit of hardship and he firmly fixed the feet of his soul upon a rock of a steadfast way of life and he directed his steps according to God[‘s will] and through God. The passage exalts the virtue of perseverance. Particularly, the hagiographer suggests that Gregory persevered in a virtuous way of life, a life dedicated to and guided by God, while accepting hardship (like Job) and resisting temptations (like Joseph). Linguistic metaphorical expressions related to immobility found in this passage include ‘as to not be shaken by the forcibly coming reflux of temptations’ (withstanding temptations is an immobile body),655 ‘he planted himself’ (people are plants),656 ‘as an extremely unswerving pillar in between troublesome assaulters’ (a persevering person is a pillar, as well as withstanding temptations is being a pillar)657 and ‘a rock of a steadfast way of life’ (behavioural stability is a rock).658 The metaphorical language in the last sentence (e.g., ‘a rock of a steadfast way of life’) is biblical, as the hagiographer references Psalm 39 (and a similar passage in Psalm 118).659 Ignatius apparently thought the metaphorical language of particularly this passage of Psalm 39 was suitable to communicate his message, namely that of Gregory’s perseverance, of Gregory’s devotion to God, and of God’s guidance of Gregory’s life. So although the metaphorical language derives from a text originating centuries before, the ninth-century hagiographer expected that the metaphorical language was still understandable for his audience – who most likely were deeply familiar with the psalms – and applicable to the 654 Life of Gregory of Decapolis 70. 655 ὡς μὴ ταῖς ἐπερχομέναις τῶν πειρασμῶν παλιῤῥοίαις σαλεύεσθαι; Life of Gregory 70, lines 1-2. 656 ἑαυτὸν […] διεῤῥίζωσεν; Life of Gregory 70, lines 5-6. This conceptual metaphor is already identified in previous metaphor research, see e.g., Kovecses (2002), p. 335; Alec (2006). 657 στῦλον […] ἀκλινέστατον ἐν τοῖς προσπίπτουσιν ἀνιαροῖς; Life of Gregory, lines 5-6. 658 πέτραν ἀσφαλοῦς βιοτῆς Life of Gregory 70, lines 7-8. The conceptual metaphor is identified by this author. 659 The sentence references Psalm 39/40. Psalm 39:2-3 in the Septuagint: Ὑπομένων ὑπέμεινα τὸν κύριον, καὶ προσέσχεν μοι καὶ εἰσήκουσεν τῆς δεήσεώς μου καὶ ἀνήγαγέν με ἐκ λάκκου ταλαιπωρίας καὶ ἀπὸ πηλοῦ ἰλύος καὶ ἔστησεν ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας μου καὶ κατηύθυνεν τὰ διαβήματά μου […]. Edition: Rahlfs (1935b).\ (‘I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings’. KJV translation of the same passage). Psalm 118:133 uses similar vocabulary as psalm 39:3 in the Septuagint (κατηύθυνεν τὰ διαβήματά μου in 39:3 and τὰ διαβήματά μου κατεύθυνον in 118:133). Psalm 118:133: τὰ διαβήματά μου κατεύθυνον κατὰ τὸ λόγιόν σου, καὶ μὴ κατακυριευσάτω μου πᾶσα ἀνομία. Edition: Rahlfs (1935). (‘Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me’. KJV translation of the same passage).
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