212 Table 4: Travel motivation as discursive strategy in the Lives of Gregory, Euthymius and Elias Life of Gregory of Decapolis Life of Euthymius the Younger Life of Elias the Younger 1. Narrative strategies to give prominence to travel motivations a. Omission x b. Distribution x c. Narrative framing x 2. Travel motivations emphasised a. Divine revelation x x b. Desire for spiritual progress x x c. Advance in a monastic career x (x) (x) 3. Aspects of identity portrayed a. As ascetics x x (x) b. As monastic leaders x x x c. As holy men x x x i. Direct connection to the divine x x ii. Course of life as God’s plan x x iii. Prophetic powers x iv. Concern for own spiritual progress x x In each Life a different narrative strategy is used to give prominence to particular travel motivations: omission, distribution and narrative framing. The hagiographer of Gregory gives prominence to particular motivations by omitting the motivation of many other journeys. The narrative consequently reveals two main clusters of journeys: journeys that are motivated by the desire to progress in a monastic career and journeys that are motivated by one single divine revelation that frames the many journeys to come in the narrative. The remaining journeys that are preceded by a travel motivation are mostly motivated by a desire for spiritual progress. In the Life of Euthymius the number and distribution in the narrative of mobility motivated by the desire for spiritual progress emphasise this motivation over others. The hagiographer of Elias in turn uses a strategy of narrative framing to draw attention to journeys motivated by divine revelations. The emphasised motivations portray the protagonists, in varying degrees, as ascetics, as monastic leaders and as holy men. The communicated aspects of identity particularly display differences in the portrayal of the monks as holy men. In the Lives of Gregory and Elias, but not in the Life of Euthymius, particular journeys are inspired by divine revelations. Their special status as holy men is communicated by presenting them as having a direct
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