Paphnutius (play)
Encyclopedia
Paphnutius or The Conversion of the Harlot Thaïs is a play by Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim (935-1002) about the relationship between Saint Thaïs
and Paphnutius the Ascetic
, the hermit who converted her to Christianity.
Hrotsvitha evidently employed the Vita Thaisis, a several centuries old translation into Latin of the life of Saint Thaïs. The playwright, a Benedictine
Canoness of Saxony
, created a story line and a distinctive character for St. Thaïs appropriate to the medieval Christian worldview.
In the play Thaïs is presented as someone "who was always eager to accumulate wealth". The saint Pafnutius explains to his disciples that "not only frivolous youth dissipate their families' few possessions on her but even respected men waste their costly treasures by lavishing gifts on her... ." A modern writer observes: "Hrotsvit's Thaïs became a prostitute because of her love of money. The root of her immorality is avarice, which in combination with her great beauty, resulted in her choice of prostitution as a career."
After her conversion to Christianity she "destroys" 400 pounds of gold and burns other articles of treasure before her former patrons. Pafnutius exclaims to Thaïs, "O how you have changed from your prior condition when you burned with illicit passions and were inflamed with greed for possessions!"
The depiction of her conversion
, her transition from courtesan to Christian, may appear rather truncated to a modern audience. Afterwards Pafnutius would describe the event to a brother religious: "I visited her, disguised as a lover, secretly, and won over her lascivious mind first with admonitions and flattery, then I frightened her with harsh threats."
Their first meeting is presented in part as follows:
Pafnutius: Isn't there another room where we can converse more privately, one that is hidden away?
Thaïs: There is one so hidden, so secret, that no one besides me knows its inside except for God.
Pafnutius: What God?
Thaïs: The true God.
Pafnutius: Do you believe He knows what we do?
Thaïs: I know that nothing is hidden from His view.
Pafnutius: Do you believe that He overlooks the deeds of the wicked or that He metes out justice
as is due?
Thaïs: I believe that He weighs the merits of each person justly in His scale and that each according to his deserts receives reward or travail from Him."
Pafnutius then bluntly condemns her actions as meriting damnation
. Instead of offering him a snappy comeback, Thaïs acquiesces to the view of Pafnutius; she becomes anxious. Apparently, she had managed to hide from herself her knowledge of her sin. When Pafnutius confronts her, quickly Thaïs realizes her self deception. Then she came to hear the discord within her that had caused her unbalanced life, with its disruptive results. She repents.
After entering a process of spiritual transformation, Thaïs tells Pafnutius that "All angels sing His praise and His kindness, because He never scorns the humility of a contrite soul." Thaïs burns her ill-gotten treasures; she then follows Pafnutius into the desert, to a convent
where she will live under the guidance of the abbess
for several years. There, in solitude, cloistered and penitent, she will review in a new light her former life and seek forgiveness
.
"The philosophical ideas of harmony
throughout creation" presented early in the play oblige us "to interpret the sinfulness of Thaïs not as the triumph of evil but as an imbalance or discord between parts of her created being. Hrotsvit looks at this woman, who acts as a volcano of lust... . What she sees is... the discord of her musica humana of body and soul... . Once Pafnutius has guided Thaïs to actions that bring her body and its behavior into agreement with her knowledge of God" there is "concord between body and soul as the essence of the human being." Hrotsvitha's play is not without subtlety.
Thus as death approaches her, Thaïs prays to God: "Thou who didst create me have mercy on me... ." Pafnutius also prays "that Thaïs be resurrected exactly as she was, a human being, and joining the white lambs may enter eternal joys."
Thaïs (saint)
St. Thaïs of Roman Alexandria and of the Egyptian desert was a repentant courtesan.-Accounts of her Life:St. Thaïs reportedly lived during the fourth century in Roman Egypt. She is included in literature on the lives of the saints in the Greek church...
and Paphnutius the Ascetic
Paphnutius the Ascetic
Saint Paphnutius the Ascetic , also known as Paphnutius the Hermit, was an Egyptian anchorite of the fourth century...
, the hermit who converted her to Christianity.
Hrotsvitha evidently employed the Vita Thaisis, a several centuries old translation into Latin of the life of Saint Thaïs. The playwright, a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
Canoness of Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, created a story line and a distinctive character for St. Thaïs appropriate to the medieval Christian worldview.
Plot
Perhaps unexpectedly, the play begins with a somewhat scholarly dialogue between clerics regarding the harmony inherent in the created world. The subject of concord sets the stage for the drama of the disordered life of the courtesan Thaïs. "She shines forth in wondrous beauty" yet she also "threatens men with foul shame."In the play Thaïs is presented as someone "who was always eager to accumulate wealth". The saint Pafnutius explains to his disciples that "not only frivolous youth dissipate their families' few possessions on her but even respected men waste their costly treasures by lavishing gifts on her... ." A modern writer observes: "Hrotsvit's Thaïs became a prostitute because of her love of money. The root of her immorality is avarice, which in combination with her great beauty, resulted in her choice of prostitution as a career."
After her conversion to Christianity she "destroys" 400 pounds of gold and burns other articles of treasure before her former patrons. Pafnutius exclaims to Thaïs, "O how you have changed from your prior condition when you burned with illicit passions and were inflamed with greed for possessions!"
The depiction of her conversion
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
, her transition from courtesan to Christian, may appear rather truncated to a modern audience. Afterwards Pafnutius would describe the event to a brother religious: "I visited her, disguised as a lover, secretly, and won over her lascivious mind first with admonitions and flattery, then I frightened her with harsh threats."
Their first meeting is presented in part as follows:
Pafnutius: Isn't there another room where we can converse more privately, one that is hidden away?
Thaïs: There is one so hidden, so secret, that no one besides me knows its inside except for God.
Pafnutius: What God?
Thaïs: The true God.
Pafnutius: Do you believe He knows what we do?
Thaïs: I know that nothing is hidden from His view.
Pafnutius: Do you believe that He overlooks the deeds of the wicked or that He metes out justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
as is due?
Thaïs: I believe that He weighs the merits of each person justly in His scale and that each according to his deserts receives reward or travail from Him."
Pafnutius then bluntly condemns her actions as meriting damnation
Damnation
Damnation is the concept of everlasting divine punishment and/or disgrace, especially the punishment for sin as threatened by God . A damned being "in damnation" is said to be either in Hell, or living in a state wherein they are divorced from Heaven and/or in a state of disgrace from God's favor...
. Instead of offering him a snappy comeback, Thaïs acquiesces to the view of Pafnutius; she becomes anxious. Apparently, she had managed to hide from herself her knowledge of her sin. When Pafnutius confronts her, quickly Thaïs realizes her self deception. Then she came to hear the discord within her that had caused her unbalanced life, with its disruptive results. She repents.
After entering a process of spiritual transformation, Thaïs tells Pafnutius that "All angels sing His praise and His kindness, because He never scorns the humility of a contrite soul." Thaïs burns her ill-gotten treasures; she then follows Pafnutius into the desert, to a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
where she will live under the guidance of the abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
for several years. There, in solitude, cloistered and penitent, she will review in a new light her former life and seek forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
.
"The philosophical ideas of harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
throughout creation" presented early in the play oblige us "to interpret the sinfulness of Thaïs not as the triumph of evil but as an imbalance or discord between parts of her created being. Hrotsvit looks at this woman, who acts as a volcano of lust... . What she sees is... the discord of her musica humana of body and soul... . Once Pafnutius has guided Thaïs to actions that bring her body and its behavior into agreement with her knowledge of God" there is "concord between body and soul as the essence of the human being." Hrotsvitha's play is not without subtlety.
Thus as death approaches her, Thaïs prays to God: "Thou who didst create me have mercy on me... ." Pafnutius also prays "that Thaïs be resurrected exactly as she was, a human being, and joining the white lambs may enter eternal joys."