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MariaDzielska
scendence,totalremotenessfromanythingelse,nothisownstrictloyaltytoritual
practices,asitissometimesbelieved19.
TatfeelingcanbeseeninacollectionoftextsentitledTeSacredTales,written
byPubliusAeliusAristides(circa117-180),aneminentoratorandteacherinGreek
citiesduringthereignofAntoninusPiusandMarcusAurelius.Curinghisnumerous
ailments,AristidescompletelytrustedhimselftogodAsclepius.Attheageof26,he
begantovisitAsclepios)sanctuaryinPergamum(andalsothegod)sothertemene),
whereinhispietyhepositionedhimselfastheAsclepios)servantformanyyears.De-
spitethefactthatothergods,i.e.,IsisandSerapis,evincedinterestinhishealthduring
hisillness,whenAsclepiosappearednexttotheminaswevenandorderedAristides
towalkbarefootandpraisethegodwithmegashoAsklepios(MagnificientAsclepios),
theorator)shealthsignificantlyimproved.Inthefourthtale,AristidescallsAsclepi-
osCtheSavior)(Soter),anddetails,asinothertales,thebenignworkingsofthegod20.
Duringtherapeuticsleep,anincubationintheadyton,abuildinglocatedinthevi-
cinityofAsclepios)temple,God-theSaviour,oferedAristidessomemedicaladvice
andprescribedtreatmentsthatheshouldundergoaferleavingtheholyshrine.Aris-
tidesbelievedthatAsclepioswasrightand,sickwithheavycold,stomachproblems,
earinflammationandtoothache,hewalkedbarefootandran,bathedincoldwater,
usedbloodletting,stomachcleaning,vomiting,diferentdietsatgiventimesatGod)s
command.Aristides)relationshipwithAsclepioswasfoundeduponfaith,hopeand
theactionofGod.GodwasalwayspresentinAristide)sconsciousness,notonlyof-
feringhimadvicethatwasbeneficialtohisbody,butalsoinspiringhiseloquence
andreassuringthesickofhisskilfulnessasanorator.Aristidesaddressedthegodin
hymns21,oferedhimsacrificesandgifs.Itisnowbelievedthatthereisnoreasonto
doubttheauthenticityoftheorator)srelationshipwithgodandAristidesisreferred
toasCalmostaholyman)22.TeSacredtalesisthetangibleevidenceoftheorator)sre-
ligiosity,hisphiliawithgodtheSaviourandthepietyofAristides)stimes,oncecalled
theCepochofanxiety)becauseoftheturnofreligioussensestowardsthesearchfor
thelivingrealityofthegods,theclosenessofthedivinityitselfandthedeepeningof
mysterycults23.TatperiodissaidtolastuntilConstantineI.
19EtykaEudemejskaVII,1244b.Cf.E.R.Dodds,Grecyiirracjonalność,Bydgoszcz2002,pp39-40.
Originaledition:GreeksandtheIrrational,Berkeley1953.
20M.Szarmach,CMowyŚwięte)EliuszaArystydesa,wtym<Czwartamowaświęta),translatedfromthe
Greek,“StudiaGraeco-Latina”2(1991),pp135,152(CSaviour));heisalsocalledCaruler)(pp138,143)and
theonlyone)(p139).
21Ibid.,p135.
22TisviewwasexpressedbyG.Andersonin:Sage,SaintandSophist.HolyMenandtheirAssociates
intheEarlyRomanEmpire,London-NewYork199),p38,andinamorerecentstudydevotedtoAelius
Aristides:I.Israelowich,Society,MedicineandReligionintheSacredTalesofAeliusAristides,Leiden-Bos-
ton2012,passim.MnemosyneSupplements.MonographsonGreekandLatinLanguageandLiterature,341.
23
E.R.Doddsintroducedthistermin:PagansandChristiansinanAgeofAnxiety,Cambridge1965,Polish
edition:Pogaństwoichrześcijaństwowepoceniepokoju,Kraków2004,p16.DoddsalsobelievedthatAristides)
feelingofunitywiththedivinepatronwassomethingspecial(pp47-51).TecriticismoftheconceptofCmys-