Pre-martyrs and greater witness
And furthermore, if one of the pre-martyrs — having more than many martyrs the love of learning in Christ — shall ascend the sooner: to thee, priest Ambrose, looking intently, the Gospel voice shows how either none ever, or very few, shall attain so choice and fuller a blessedness — in which thou too shalt be, if thou swim the contest undoubting (Matthew 19:28).
Greek
ὺς ἐποίησεν ὁ ϑεὸς »πνεῦμα“" xal πυρὸς φλόγα", πολλῷ μείζονα ταμιεύεται καὶ τηρεῖ παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ ὁ ϑεὸς, ἵνα αὐτὰ φανερώσῃ,
ὅταν πᾶσα (ἡ κτίσις“ ἐλευϑερωϑῇ ,ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τοῦ 249000 εἰς τὴν ἐλευϑερίαν τῆς δόξης τῶν τέχνων τοῦ ϑεοῦ".
About this text
Written to imprisoned friends: why martyrdom is the highest prayer, and how not to fear it.
English follows Paul Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS, 1899). The Archive OCR of that same print was checked. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Koetschau, Origenes Werke I (GCS 2, 1899) (Greek · Exhortation to Martyrdom)
- Checked print Archive.org OCR of GCS 2 (Greek · Same print)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.