THE MARTYRDOM OF CLEMENT - AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

 
 
A general (and probably over-simplistic) summary overview of the corpus of Clementine literature is:
  • 1 Clement – possibly an authentic letter of Clement. The writer does not refer to himself as Clement but in manuscripts it appears under his name.
  • 2 Clement – a homily rather than a letter. Possibly the earliest non-canonical Christian sermon known. Probably not by Clement.
  • Pseudo-Clementine Literature bearing the name of Clement of Rome. The main constituents are the ‘Homilies’ and ‘Recognitions’. They probably date from the fourth century (the Recognitions, surviving mainly in a Latin translation by Rufinus, possibly later). “Running through the Pseudo-Clementines is an entertaining story of Clement’s conversion to Christianity, travels with Peter, and recover of his family, which had been scattered by a series of misfortunes.” (F. Stanley Jones in Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, Second Edition (Garland Publishing, 1998))
  • Two Greek epitomes of the Homilies and Recognitions. They are later and introduce an account of Clement’s Martyrdom. Any further information known about their date and origin would be welcome! Please contact the webmaster through this link.

The passage below (from one of the “epitomes”) describes Clement’s final days and martyrdom. It is not thought to be a text from the Patristic period. It can be found in Migne, PG vol. II, cols. 617 – 632 where it is headed: “Martyrium S. Clementis, Papae Romani. (Cotelerius, Patres apostolici, I, 808, ex Simeone Metaphraste, die 24 Novembris.) The very similar text on which the English translation below is based is from Dressel, Alberti Rud. Max. Clementinorum Epitomae Duae: Altera Edita Correctior, Inedita Altera Nunc Primum Integra Ex Codicibus Romanis Et Excerptis Tischendorfianis (Lipsiae 1873) where it is headed “Clementis Praedicationum, Quas Petrus inter peregrinandum habuit, epitome”. (pages 122 – 233). The canon of Thesaurus Linguae Graecae describes this text as “epitome de gestis Petri praemetaphrastica”.


A very brief summary of what has gone before in this text is:-
Clement has converted Theodora, wife of Sisinnius, a courtier of Nerva, and (after miracles) Sisinnius himself and four hundred and twenty-three other persons of rank. Clement is detained by the Roman authorities who are fearful that he is undermining traditional Roman religion.


A similar account of the martyrdom of Clement was known in the sixth century in the time of Gregory of Tours. In his Miraculorum Libri VIII we find:-
Clemens martyr, ut in passione ejus legitur, anchora collo ejus suspensa in mare praecipitatus est (An. 100, 23 Nov.). Nunc autem in die solemnitatis ejus, recedit mare per tria millia, siccumque ingredientibus iter praebens, usque dum ad sepulcrum martyris pervenitur, ibique vota reddentes et orantes populi, regrediuntur ad littus. (I. 35 – PL vol. LXXI, col. 737)

 

English translation (by the Revd Andrew Maguire) of sections 178 – 185 of the Dressel Greek text. A link to the original Greek text can be found here. A facility for reading the Greek text (and also the Latin translation which is given on facing pages) and English translation alongside each other can be found here.
 

 

178. Then Mamertinus, the prefect, sent a formal report to the emperor Trajan concerning the blessed Clement saying: “The people do not stop asking for this Clement with seditious rants, and a credible proof of the case against him cannot be found”. The emperor Trajan replied that Clement must either show consent by making a sacrifice, or be banished across the sea and Pontus in a deserted town next to Cherson.

179. When the decree of Trajan was ratified Mamertinus considered how Clement might not seek voluntary exile, but rather make offerings to the gods. But the blessed Clement endeavoured to bring even the mind of the judge himself to faith in Christ, and to show that for himself he preferred exile rather than being cowed by fear. The Lord gave such grace to Clement that the prefect Mamertinus lamented and said: “The God to whom you are so single-mindedly devoted will come to your aid in this sentence of exile.” He set aside a ship, put on board all that was needed and sent it on its way. There were actually many pious men from among the people who followed it.

180. When he reached the place of exile he found there more than two thousand Christians working in the marble quarries who had been sentenced much earlier. When they saw the holy and celebrated Clement they all with one accord came to him with sighs and lamentations and said: “Pray for us, high priest, that we might be shown worthy of our profession of Christian faith.” When Clement realised that they had been banished because of their faith in God he said: “It was not without good reason that the Lord sent me here. It was so that I could share in your sufferings and bring an example of consolation and endurance.”

181. He learned from them that they had to carry water from six miles away on their shoulders. So the holy Clement immediately urged them saying: “Let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that he might open up a supply of water for those who profess faith in him. May the one who struck the rock in the desert of Sinai (and abundant waters flowed) supply for us a plentiful stream so that we can rejoice in his generous help.” When he had finished offering this prayer he looked around this way and that and saw a lamb standing there which raised its right foot, as though showing the place to Clement. Then holy Clement, believing that it was the Lord, whom he alone could see and nobody else at all, went to the place and said: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, you must strike in this place.” They all formed a circle and dug with their spades, but it was not the place where the lamb stood. So then holy Clement took a small spade and with a light blow struck the place under the foot of the lamb. There immediately appeared from the spot a stream that was beautiful with bubbling springs. It came forth with such force that it became a river. Then, as they all rejoiced, holy Clement said: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” [Psalm 46:4]

182. When news about this spread the whole province rushed to see and all those who came to hear Clement’s teaching were converted to the Lord. So each day more than five hundred were leaving as baptized Christians. Within a year seventy-five churches were established there by the faithful. All the idols were shattered, all the temples of the surrounding region were destroyed and all the sacred groves within a radius of thirty miles were cut down and brought to the ground.

183. Then a hostile account reached the emperor Trajan of how the Christian population there had increased to a countless number. The military commander Aufidianus was sent by him and he killed most of the Christians with a variety of tortures. When he saw that they all went to martyrdom with joy he gave up with the rest and began trying to force Clement alone to make a sacrifice. When he saw that he was so firm in the Lord and totally unwilling to change his mind he said to his executioners: “take him and transport him to the middle of the sea. Tie an iron anchor firmly to his neck and throw him down to the depths, so that the Christians cannot retrieve his body and worship him instead of God.”

184. When this had been done the full multitude of Christians stood on the sea shore and wept aloud. Faced with this Cornelius and Phoebus his disciples said: “Let us all pray with one accord that the Lord may show us the relics of his martyr.” When the people were praying the sea was drawn back into a unique deep hollow of about three miles in dimension. When the people went across the dry land they found a building made ready by God in the form a marble temple, and there the body of holy Clement was lying and the anchor with which had been thrown overboard was there next to him.

185. It was revealed to his disciples that they should not remove his relics from that place. It was also revealed to them that each year on the day of his martyrdom the sea would draw back for seven days and give dry passage to those who came. The Lord was pleased that this should happen to the glory of his name up to our own day. When this happened all the people in the surrounding area trusted in Christ. There no Gentile, no Jew and certainly no heretic is found. For there very many blessings are experienced. Sight is restored to the blind on his feast day, demons are cast out, the sick are healed. Those suffering with kidney problems and stones are freed from their ailment simply by touching his relics, and by the sprinkling and drinking of the consecrated water. Those who suffer from any kind of sickness experience the benefit of healing by having recourse to the help of the holy martyr. His glory and praise endure for ever through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom glory be to the Father, with his most holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ever and ever. Amen.