Proclus of Constantinople, Homily 17: ‘Encomium on the Holy Stephen, First of the Martyrs’. Translation and Analysis

Abstract

Stephen was commemorated on December 26 as the first martyr (πρωτομάρτνς) of the Christian community, and as such became famous throughout the Christian Church. In 415 his relics were found (on 26 December) and transferred to Jerusalem, where in c.438/9 a shrine was built and dedicated to him. Stephen also became a popular subject with patristic and Byzantine homilists. Proclus, in his characterization of Stephen as witness to and martyr of Christ, portrays the characters, who are involved in the stoning of Stephen according to Acts 6-7, from a fourfold perspective: he firstly presents his audience with a portrait of Stephen, secondly moves on to the dispute between Stephen and the Jews, and his arrest, thirdly the preacher employs invective against the Jews regarding their true attitude towards Moses, and finally crowns his encomium on Stephen by portraying Christ as judge who hands over the prize of victory to Stephen. This article firstly presents a translation of the homily, for which there is at present no English translation available, and then secondly proceeds towards an analysis of the homily, focussing on the fourfold perspective defined above.