Classical Echoes in Gregory of Nyssa’s Εἰς Πoυλχερίαν: Literary Parallels and Rhetorical Strategies

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the reception and rephrasing of illustrious Classical literary quotes and five references in Gregory of Nyssa’s παραµυθητικὸς λóγoς for the Princess Pulcheria (Pulch. 461.3–472.18). Composed specifically for the firstborn daughter of the Roman Emperor Theodosius the Great, this speech represents a significant case study, as it offers the opportunity to investigate how the Cappadocian bishop, in the rhetorical construction of this oratio consolatoria, incorporated nine passages from Classical literature to enhance both his theological content and political message. Since this is the first study of this kind on Gregory’s Εἰς Πoυλχερίαν, it will go through a philological analysis and a careful examination of intertextual references, casting light upon literary allusions and rhetorical strategies within the text, which reveal Gregory’s familiarity with Classical authors, both Latin (e.g., Catullus, Ovid, Seneca) and Greek (e.g., Herodotus, Thucydides).