Month of April

^A “The end of the commandment is charity,” [*] was worthily called Agape. For by this name the Greeks designate charity. Another, keeping the pure and splendid whiteness of baptism, so that the prophetic saying could be applied to her: [*] “You shall wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow,” [*] received her name from the snow; for she was called Chionia. The third, holding in herself the gift of the Savior and our God, and exercising it towards all, just as the Lord said: [*] “My peace I give to you,” [*] was called Irene by all, receiving her name from peace. ^B When the magistrate saw these three women brought before him and so disposed that they would not offer sacrifices to the gods, he decreed that they be burned with fire, so that through the fire of a short time they might overcome the devil and the whole host of demons—the army of the devil himself, who is under heaven—and obtain the incorruptible crown of glory, and forever praise God himself, from whom grace was bestowed upon them, with the angels. But we shall briefly relate what was done by them.

III

IV

It is evident from the feast that you have wished to preserve, even to this day, so many membranes, books, tablets, journals, and pages of the Scriptures, which belong to the impious Christians who ever were. And when they were brought forth, you acknowledged them, although you denied daily that you possessed such writings, content neither with the punishment of your sisters, nor having the fear of death before your eyes. Wherefore it is necessary that punishment be brought upon you. Yet it does not seem inappropriate that some measure of kindness be granted to you even now, so that if you are willing at least now to acknowledge the gods, you might be free from impunity and from every torment and danger. What, therefore, do you say? Will you do what our emperors and Caesars have ordered? Are you prepared to partake of the sacrifices and to sacrifice to the gods?” “Not at all,” said Irene, “not at all, by that almighty God who created heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them. For the supreme punishment of eternal fire is proposed for those who have denied Jesus, the Word of God.” But Dulcetius said: “Who was your advisor in keeping these membranes and Scriptures until this day?” She said, “Irene: God almighty, who commanded us to love Him even unto death; for which cause we did not dare to betray Him, but preferred either to be burned alive, or to suffer whatever else might happen to us, rather than surrender such writings.”

^B V. Then the magistrate said: “Who, tell me, was aware that these things were in that house where you lived?” Irene answered: “God almighty, who knows all things, saw these; no one else. For we considered our own people to be worse than our enemies, lest by chance they should betray us. Therefore, we showed these things to no one.” “But last year,” the magistrate said, “when that edict and pious command of our lords the emperors and Caesars was first published, where did you hide?” To this Irene replied: “There, where God willed. In the mountains (God knows) we were under the open sky.” The magistrate indeed said: “With whom did you live?” “Under the open sky,” she said, “dwelling in different mountains at different times.” But the magistrate said: “Who were they that provided you with bread?” “God,” said Irene, “who provides food for all.” Then the magistrate said: “Was your father aware of these things?” But Irene said: “Not at all, by the almighty God, he was aware, who does not even know of these things at all.” The magistrate said: “Who then of your neighbors knew of it?” “Ask the neighbors,” said Irene, “and inquire in the places, or [ask] those who know where we were.” The magistrate said: “After you returned from the mountain, as you say, were you reading those writings in the presence of anyone?” “They were at our home,” said Irene, “nor did we dare to bring them out, for which reason we were greatly troubled that we could not give our attention to them by night and by day, since we were accustomed to do so from the beginning up until the previous year, when we hid them also. Dulcetius the magistrate says: “Your sisters have indeed suffered the punishments decreed by our order; as for you, although before you fled, the penalty of death had been decreed for you on account of the fact that you had hidden these writings and membranes, nevertheless I do not command you to depart from life so suddenly in the same way; but I command that you be stationed naked in the brothel by those very guards and Zosimus the public executioner, taking one loaf of bread each day, with the guards themselves not permitting you to depart from there.” ^C VI. When therefore the guards and Zosimus the public minister were ready, the magistrate said: “Let this be known to you, that if it is signaled to me, or if at any moment of the hour she has been moved from that place ^D in which I ordered her to be, then you shall be subject to the supreme penalty. And let the writings themselves be brought forth from the cabinets and chests of Irene.” When, therefore, as they had been ordered by the magistrate, they had led her to the public brothel, and on account of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which protected her and kept her pure and intact for the Lord God of all, not even one dared to approach her or to do or say anything shameful to her, Dulcetius the magistrate recalled that most holy woman, and having ordered her to be brought before the tribunal, he addressed her thus: “Do you still persist in the same temerity?” “No,” said Irene, “it is not temerity, but the piety of God in which I persist.” Dulcetius the magistrate answered her: “And from your previous response, you clearly showed that you were unwilling to obey the command of the emperors with a calm mind, and now too I see you persisting in the same arrogance: wherefore you shall pay the penalty that is deserved.” And when he had requested paper, he wrote this sentence against her: “Since Irene has refused to obey the command of the emperors and to sacrifice to the gods, and furthermore now persists in the order and religion of the Christians: for this cause, as I formerly did to her two sisters, so I order that she too be now burned alive.”

VII. When this sentence had been passed by the magistrate, the soldiers took Irene in custody and led her to a certain high place, where her sisters had also previously suffered martyrdom. And when they had approached the great pyre, they ordered her to climb onto it. Therefore, the holy Irene, singing psalms and celebrating the glory of God, cast herself onto the pyre: and thus she was consumed in the ninth consulship of Diocletian Augustus, and the eighth of Maximian Augustus, on the Kalends of April, with Christ Jesus our Lord reigning for ages, with whom there is glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit for ages of ages. Amen.

(Anno 280, April 5. The Latin Martyrologies possess this account on the 28th of April, and claim that Theodora was executed together with Didymus; but since the Metaphrast holds that Didymus was killed on the Nones of April, and that Theodora escaped, we have placed her on the fifth day of April with the Metaphrast. In Latin, in Surius. It is missing from the Parisian Greek codices.)

LIFE OF THE HOLY VIRGIN THEODORA AND DIDYMUS THE MARTYR

1. In the time of the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, and under Eustrathius, the governor of the city of Alexandria, a certain edict was sent out against the Christians, that they must either sacrifice to the gods or be put to death. When that governor sat before the tribunal in the great city of the Alexandrians, he ordered the cohort to bring before him the virgin Theodora, who had recently been seized and was being kept in prison. When they had brought her, the cohort said: Here is Theodora. The judge therefore said: Of what condition are you, woman? I am a Christian, Theodora said. And he: Are you free or a slave? I have already said, she replied, that I am a Christian: for Christ, coming, freed me from sin. But as regards the vain and empty glory of this world, I was born of distinguished parents. Then the judge ordered the quaestor to be summoned. When the cohort had said that he was present, he said: Tell me, Lucius: do you know the virgin Theodora? To which Lucius replied: By your life and splendor, governor, she is a woman of high nobility, of great reputation, and of the first rank. Why, said the judge, being so noble, did you refuse marriage? Theodora replied: For Christ’s sake I did not wish to marry. For when He walked in the world as a man, born of her who was and is the ever-virgin Mother of God, He removed corruption from us and promised us eternal life. Therefore I am persuaded that by remaining in His faith, I shall be incorrupt and intact to the end.

II. Then the judge said: The emperors have ordered that you who always preserve virginity must either sacrifice to the gods or be treated with outrage. I think, said Theodora, that you are not unaware that one's intention is pleasing, first of all, to God: and He knows my mind and my intent to be chaste. But if you force me to suffer what you say, and to be violated, this will not be unchastity, but force and injury. The judge, however, said: Since I know you to be a free woman, and wish to have regard for you, I advise you not to behave insolently; for you will achieve nothing. For by all the gods, the emperors have passed this sentence. Then Theodora said to him: I already told you before that one’s intention and mind are pleasing to God. For since He knows all things, He knows even our thoughts and sees into the very minds. Wherefore, if I am forced to do what you say, I shall never consider myself to have become unchaste. For whether you wish to cut off my head, or my hands, or my feet, or to tear my whole body apart, you will be able to do no more than by the force and power that you have. Similarly, whether I am handed over to a brothel or not is not in my power to decide, but in your hand, to which it is permitted to inflict violence through imperial authority. But as for my soul's intent, it is certain to preserve to God Himself the profession of my chastity; to Him my virginity is dedicated; He is the sure lord of this matter; He, if He wills, shall keep this virginity of mine, His own possession, safe and intact.

III. The judge however said: Do not, Theodora, expose your life, which you have lived honestly, to total injury and disgrace; for as the city quaestor has testified, you are born of those parents who excel in nobility and reputation above all others. To this Theodora: I must, she said, first of all confess Christ, who is both God and the author of all nobility and honor, who knows how to keep me, His dove, pure and safe to the very end. Then the judge said: Why do you err, O Theodora? Do you believe in that God who was nailed to a cross? Can He, who is such a one, keep you safe and intact, having been cast into a brothel, especially from these men who are accustomed to be mad for the love of women? I have faith, said Theodora, and hope in Christ, who suffered the cross under Pontius Pilate, that He will snatch me from these wicked men and keep me entirely free from stain, since I remain in His faith and never deny Him. The judge however: I still suffer you to talk nonsense, and do not yet order you to be subjected to torture. But if you do not cease to struggle, I will make you behave like some maidservant, prostrating yourself, and I shall do what our lords and emperors have commanded, so that you may become an example to other women. To this Theodora: I am prepared to hand over to you my body, over which you have power: but my soul itself is in the hand and power of God alone. Then the judge: Blind her immediately, and say to her that she must not wish to be mad any longer, but to yield and sacrifice to the gods themselves. By no means, said Theodora, by God Himself do I wish to offer sacrifice or worship to demons, since I have God as my helper. To this the judge: Why do you compel me to do an injury to you, a most noble woman? Listen to me, O foolish one, lest you fall into such a great crowd of those who await the sentence that shall be passed against you. I am not mad, said Theodora, I who confess God and have Him as my helper. For what injury do you think will come to me, when that thing will bring me honor and eternal glory? Then the judge: I shall no longer

delay, but will carry out the emperors' commands; for I have borne with you for a long time, thinking that you could be persuaded. But if I show you mercy, I shall care less about appearing to despise the commands I was given by the emperors. Theodora answered him thus: As you yourself fear the emperors and are eager to do what has been commanded to you by them, so I too am eager not to deny my God, for I am afraid to despise that true Emperor, God. The judge said: You deal contentiously with me, neglecting the commands of the eternal emperors, and you despise me as some weakling. I grant you a period of three days, and by all the gods, if you do not change your mind and sacrifice, I will deliver you to the brothel, so that all the women, seeing you treated in such a way, may be chastened by your disgrace. But Theodora: God is the same now and always, and He will not permit me to abandon Him. I ask, however, that you command that I be kept untouched and pure until you have passed sentence. The judge then said: Guard Theodora in safe custody for three days, in case by chance, having come to her senses, she may persuade herself to desist from such contention. Moreover, I command that you permit no one to enter to see her and be with her, because she was born of a noble and honorable family.

IV. Three days later, when the judge was sitting on the judgment seat: Let Theodora be brought in, he said. The guard replied: My Lord, Theodora is ready here. Then he: If you have come to your senses and have now persuaded yourself, sacrifice now and be free; for I do not think you are wise to persist in the same purpose. Theodora answered: I have told you before, and now I do not refuse to say the same things, that the profession of my chastity was undertaken for the sake of Christ, who was the preacher of an incorrupt life, and that my confession is made by the grace of God himself. May therefore the confession of that Lord and God be proclaimed through me, and may He himself see (for He knows) how He preserves His virgin pure. By the gods themselves, said the judge, fearing the commands of the masters, lest by chance, not obeying them, I run into danger, I will carry out against you what I have been commanded. Since, however, you chose to be delivered to a brothel rather than sacrifice to the gods themselves, let us see whether that Christ of yours will save you, for whom you wished to persist in this contention. When the judge had said this, turning to the guard: Let her be delivered, he said, to the brothel. Then Theodora said: You, God, who examine hidden things, who know all things before they happen, who have been with me to this very day and have kept me untouched in this matter as I promised You, keep me also hereafter, and preserve me safe and whole from the profane and wicked hands of those who are ready to inflict injury upon Your handmaid. When she had said this, she was led to the brothel; upon entering it, she raised her eyes to heaven and said: You, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, help me, that I may be rescued from these dogs. You, who helped Peter in prison and led him free from there away from injury, lead me also from here safe from injury, so that all may see and recognize me to be Your servant. ^A

V. But those crowds, surrounding her like wolves around a lamb, were competing with one another to enter to her, and just as dogs rush at some wild beast and hawks at a dove, so the crowds were hastening to enter, panting for her. But neither did Christ himself cease then, but having prepared one of the Brethren, He sent him to her. For a certain very religious Brother, who had learned perfectly how to conduct the business of God, and knew well how it was fitting for someone to become rich by the will of God, he, since he was always seeking something more from good things and striving to acquire for himself, procured for himself a double crown of martyrdom and in this way seized the kingdom of heaven. For when he had dressed himself in a soldier's attire, he was the first to enter to her, as if he were one of the number of the impudent and intemperate men. When that holy virgin Theodora saw this man's new and strange appearance, she was terrified; for the matter carried with it much injury and disgrace. On account of this, with a wavering and doubtful mind, she wandered around the corners of the prison, thinking to herself whether she had been abandoned by Christ Himself. ^B

VI. But holy Didymus (for so he was called), beginning to address her as a brother would a sister: I am not, he said, what you see. For outwardly I seem a wolf, but inwardly I am a gentle sheep. Do not look at this outward garment, but consider the inward and ready affection of my mind. For I am a brother in a foreign guise, ^C wise against the devil, dressed in the clothing of those who are his ministers, so that entering here I might not be recognized (for there were those who were watching who came here) and I might be able to protect the precious possession of my Lord and God's dove. But come, let us change garments; God Himself grants you victory: but me the holy One crowns, and He who is without stain, that Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Go you, and go to the Lord: I will remain here for the Lord. Let yourself be clothed in this garment of mine, which you feared. Be for me as it is said by the Apostle: "Be as I am, for I also am as you." He indeed was saying these things: but Theodora was gladly obeying him. For she knew from that very God who sent the prophet Habakkuk into the den of lions, to Daniel, who was himself also a prophet, to impart food, and who stopped the mouths of the lions, that this soldier was then sent to her, so that, hidden by his habit and snatched from there, she might be preserved. ^D

VII. That virgin therefore took the soldier's habit, and covered her legs with the greaves which the soldier was accustomed to wear before: and when she had put on the rest of the clothing, she placed a helmet on her head, and having taken his arms, she went out dressed in that very adornment which he who stood by her had directed. She was also admonished not to look at anyone, on account of the impudence and audacity of those wolves, and not to speak to anyone: but to head straight for the gate, and to set before herself Jesus Himself as the leader of the way. And she, having gone out from there,

^A like some dove shaking its wings, and hastening towards heaven while remaining undefiled, escaped from the mouth of the hawk, or like a lamb from the jaws of lions. That brother, meanwhile, sat still, no longer anxious about his sister, and expecting a spiritual meal. And when he had covered himself with a head-covering, he sat in that place. He was crowned, moreover, in such a way as if he had conquered the adversary himself. After an interval of time, one of those madmen, a slave to intemperance, and as impudent as he was, dared to enter there as if to a virgin; but when he found a man instead of a virgin, he was struck in his mind and said to himself: "Does this Jesus of yours turn virgins into men? That soldier, who entered here before me, has gone out. Who then is this, who sits here? Where is that virgin who was enclosed here? I once heard that Jesus himself turned water into wine: now I see something greater—he has changed a virgin into a man. I fear lest he turn me into a woman as well." But that man, when he had opportunely rescued his sister, did not hide his deed, but said with a clear voice: "The Lord has not changed me, but has given a crown both to me and to her. Therefore, what you had, you do not have; and he who was not yours, him you have now. That woman is a virgin, as she was before, but the soldier is now an athlete of Christ Jesus."

VIII. Therefore, he who had entered a little before, having gone out, reported what had happened. The judge, hearing this, ordered him to be brought before the tribunal. When he saw him present, questioning him, he said: "What is your name?" "I am called Didymus," he replied. Then the judge: "And who suggested to you that you should do this and despise me?" To which Didymus replied: "God sent me to do this." "Confess," said the judge, "before you are subjected to torments. Where is that girl, Theodora?" He answered him: "By Christ, the Son of God, I do not know where she is. This I know, and am persuaded of, that since she is God's servant, and has sufficiently confessed God Himself, she has remained untouched and preserved by God Himself clean from stain. Therefore, what has been done, I attribute not to myself, but to God Himself; for God did for her according to her faith, as you yourself know, if you are willing to confess it." Then the judge says: "Of what rank of man are you?" "I am a Christian," said Didymus, "made free by Christ." But the judge: "Torture him vehemently in two ways, because of his insolence." "I petition," says Didymus, "that you quickly expedite what you have been ordered to do by your emperors." To whom the judge: "By the gods, double torments are reserved for you, unless you sacrifice to the gods themselves. But if you do this, that former act of yours will be forgiven." "I," says Didymus, "have shown you in very deed that I am an athlete of God; for I undertook to do this for the end reserved for me, that the virgin herself might remain a virgin, and I might manifest the confession of God; for remaining in the faith of God, I shall not feel the torments. Therefore, do quickly what you think fit, for I do not sacrifice to demons. For even if you wish to deliver me into the fire, even from there God can snatch me."

IX. Then the judge said to him: "Because of such audacity, your head will be severed; and since you have despised the command of our lords and emperors, your remains will be consigned to the fire." To these things Didymus said: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has not despised my counsel, but has both preserved Theodora His handmaid whole, and will crown me with two torments." And when he had received the sentence passed by the judge, he was struck with the axe. This being done, his body was cast into the fire. Saint Didymus completed his martyrdom on the Nones of April, our Lord Jesus Christ reigning in the heavens: to whom be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

MARTYRDOM OF ST. THERMES AND PHERBUTA HER SISTER AND HER HANDMAID.

I. In the time of our persecution, the queen suddenly fell into a sickness; and since she was favorable to the Jews, the enemies of the cross, and gladly listened to them, they approached her and said that the sisters of Bishop Simeon, surnamed Jombaphas, had mixed a poison for her to die, in order to avenge the death of their brother. Which, when it had reached the ears of the king, Saint Therme was immediately apprehended with her sister and handmaid. Now this girl was well-versed in sacred matters; indeed, all were most excellently instructed in the faith of Jesus Christ. An examination of them was held in the palace. For Maupta, the prince of the Magi, along with two other princes, had been made judge by the king's mandate. ^D When Saint Therme, with her two companions, was brought to judgment, the judges, having seen her beauty (for her form was very comely), were all vehemently inflamed with wicked love: none, however, indicated the matter to the others. So, therefore, they addressed them thus:

II. "Why have you prepared witchcraft for the queen and mistress of the world? For this crime, you are indeed worthy of the punishment of death." Here Saint Therme, answering, said: "Why, pray, do you call us into a crime that is as far from the truth as possible? Why do you frame calumnies against us? If you thirst for our blood, what is there to prevent you from drinking it? If you have prepared for us the punishment of death, why do you delay?"

^A you desire our blood, behold your hands are daily stained with slaughter; yet we, for the sake of our God, choose rather to die than to deny Him; for He is our life. And just as it is written that we should worship one God and serve Him alone¹, so we act. And when it is written elsewhere: "You shall not suffer sorcerers to live²," how can we be sorcerers, we who judge such a crime to be almost graver than the denial of God? To both crimes, in truth, death is the proposed penalty. The judges heard the virgin speak with pleasure, yet, lost in admiration of her beauty and wisdom, they could not speak. But each one thought to himself: "I will urge the king to free them, and take this one as my wife." But Mauptas said: "You have indeed correctly stated that it is not lawful for you to be sorcerers; but you have committed this because you wished to avenge the death of your brother." To this the holy virgin replied: "What evil has befallen our brother that we should, on his account, sever our life from the living God? For although you killed him out of your own wickedness and envy, yet he lives and rejoices in the heavenly kingdom: which kingdom will indeed overthrow your power and empire." When she said these things, they ordered them to be led to prison and guarded.

III. At daybreak, however, Mauptas sent a messenger to her to say: "If you wish, I will pray to the king that he may free you from death, and you shall be my wife." Hearing these words, the brave virgin, although she could not but be moved, yet replied thus: "Shut your mouth, you unclean dog, enemy of God and of all truth; and do not dare to pour your impure words into my ears again. For no such thought enters my mind. Far be it from me! Once have I pledged myself to Christ the Lord, for whose sake I keep my virginity and strive to defend the faith and the truth; for He alone is without sin, and is able to free me from your unclean hands and impure thoughts. I do not fear death, nor do I shrink from any kind of slaughter. For this path which you prepare for me will lead me to my dearest brother Simeon, that I may receive comfort and consolation for the grief and groans which my soul has endured since his death." The other two princes likewise sent messengers to her, whom she similarly rejected with indignation. Therefore, when they perceived themselves to be overcome by her, and realized that their desire was in vain, they consulted together and brought false and wicked testimony before the king, asserting that they were sorcerers.

IV. Having heard this, the king decreed that unless they sacrificed to the Sun, they should be put to death. When this decree was brought to them, they answered that they worshipped the God of heaven and earth, the Creator; but they refused to render the honor due to God to the Sun, which was created by Him: nor could they be turned away from the charity of the Savior and our Lord Jesus Christ by any threats. When the holy virgins ^B had said these things, they all unanimously and with a loud voice declared that they should be removed from the earth, because the Queen’s magi had prepared poisons by which she might perish. Immediately, therefore, the king delivered this judgment against them: that they should be put to death by whatever form of execution the magi requested. For those impious and impure men denied that it was possible for the queen to recover unless the bodies of the virgins were dissected into two parts in such a way that the queen could walk between them. But Mauptas, again, when they were being led to punishment, sent to the holy one to say that, if she would obey him, he would ensure that neither she nor the remaining maidens would be killed. But the holy virgin, in a clear voice, said: "Unclean dog, why do you speak these things, which I cannot bear to hear? I desire to reach the end of this life, that I may live forever. Far be it from me to prepare for myself this fleeting life, by which I would perish in eternal death."

V. They led them, therefore, outside the city, and for each one of them they drove in two stakes, such that they bound one to their neck and another to their feet; and when they had stretched them out in this way, taking a carpenter's saw, they cut each one into two parts. And they set up three tall timbers on one side of the road, and three on the other, and suspended the bodies of the holy virgins from them. O horrid and miserable spectacle—a spectacle to be followed with tears, lamentation, stupor, and groans. If any one has no tears, let him approach, and fountains of tears will burst from his eyes. Behold, the white and holy bodies have been made a trophy on the road, in which they cultivated gravity and virginity during their whole life. Liberty has turned into ignominy for them, who practiced modesty and equity in their own chamber. Behold, glory has been turned into reproach. How long will divine justice rest and wait? But when it rises to judge, it will no longer spare, nor will it have mercy. How much pride dares! Yet when it falls, it will not rise, nor will it have anywhere to stand. These timbers of the holy ones truly bear the fruits of justice. Truly these are the cruel wolves of Arabia, drinking blood, who have cut and suspended these virgins. The blessed Prophet was thinking of them when he said: "They would surely have swallowed us alive. When their fury was kindled against us, they would have brought us down to the underworld³." Who could take joy in such a horrible crime? Who could behold such a monstrous spectacle without tears? No one, surely. Or if any one could, he is a stranger to human nature, and not descended from the race of Adam.

VI. They carried away, therefore, the unhappy Queen, who passed through that road near the bodies of the holy ones, with a great throng following her. For the king was celebrating that day. Saint Therme was crowned with martyrdom, together with her sister and handmaid, on the Nones of April in Christ Jesus our Lord; to whom be glory with the most holy Father, and His most benignant Spirit, the giver of life, now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

THE LIFE AND MARTYRDOM OF ST. CALLIOPIUS

(Latin version from Surius, April 7. The Greek we have not found in the Paris codex.)

I. Theoclia, a certain pious woman who feared God, along with her whole household, performed many alms-deeds and lived holily. She had married a senator, who was begetting no children by her, because she was barren; yet by the gift of God, she finally conceived. But while she was still carrying him in her womb, her husband died. For this reason, in great affluence, she gave birth to a son and named him Calliopius, who was educated in all the wisdom of divine letters. He was a patrician of Perga in Pamphylia; but since at that time it happened that the error of idolatry was flourishing, and truth was being hidden, and many were sacrificing to idols, the holy Calliopius was constantly occupied with fasts and prayers. When this was reported to the judges, his blessed mother Theoclia advised her son to take gold, garments, and servants, and to sail away to avoid the judgment. He therefore betook himself to Pompeiopolis in Cilicia, where, while the impious prefect Maximus was celebrating Bacchanalia, and games, and dances, and banquets to the idols, the pious youth was wondering what those things were. For he himself was perpetually given to fasts. He therefore asked those who were present what that was. When they replied that it was a celebration of the gods: "Come," they said, "so that you may become a participant of the feast." To which he said: "I am a Christian, and I celebrate Christ with fasts, nor is it permitted for those who worship Christ to let into their mouths things that have been sacrificed to flagitious and impure idols."

II. When these things reached the ears of the prefect, he was filled with anger and ordered him to be brought to trial. When this was done: "What," said Maximus, "is your name?" "I am a Christian," he said, "and I am called Calliopius." "Why," said the prefect Maximus, "while a celebration of the gods is being performed throughout the whole world, do you persist in this error?" "You," said Calliopius, "are the ones who dwell in error and darkness, who, having abandoned the living God, who created the heaven and the earth and all that is in them by His Word, worship and adore stones devoid of sense and rotten wood, which are the works of impious hands." "Adolescence," said the prefect, "renders you insolent, and prepares great tortures for you. Tell me, therefore, of what people and of what family you are." "I am a Pamphilian," said Calliopius, "and a patrician by birth, and what is most noble, a Christian." "Tell me," the prefect said, "do you have parents?" "My mother," replied Calliopius, "is still alive; for my father died long ago." ^A "But to all the gods," the prefect said, "if you wish to be pious and offer sacrifice to the gods, I will give you my daughter, whom I have as my only one, as a wife." "If I had decided to take a wife," said Calliopius, "I would not take your daughter before my mother knew and approved of it. But take this as certain: that I have believed in my Christ, and that this dust, which God molded and made to His own likeness, must stand pure and without spot before the tribunal of Christ. Therefore do what seems best to you: for I am a Christian."

III. "Most wicked one," said the prefect Maximus, "do you think that with words of this kind you will move me to anger, so that I shall hasten to have you put to death by a rapid punishment? You are mistaken. For I will not do that: but I will have your body, broken by every kind of torture, cast into the fire." ^B "The more," said Calliopius, "you torment me with many tortures, the more splendid a crown will be woven for me as I endure them. For no one, as it is written, shall be crowned unless he has contended lawfully. Then Maximus ordered that, while bound, his bones should all be broken with leaded rods. But blessed Calliopius, while he was being scourged: "I give thanks to Thee," he said, "O Christ, because I have been deemed worthy, for Thy name's sake, to endure lashes." "Obey me," said the prefect Maximus, "and sacrifice to the gods, that you may see your country and your mother, and so that you may not be despoiled of your riches and your fortunes. For you feel the bitterness of the torments." "I taste," said Calliopius, "the sweetness of the rest promised by Christ, and I do not feel the torments. ^C Nor do I think that I am in a foreign land, since the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. And here also I see my country and my mother. For my mother is the sacrosanct Church of Christ: and my country is that celestial Jerusalem. For our conversation is in heaven. But if you confront me with a fleshly mother, hear what my God Christ says: 'He who loves father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me.' For as for riches, I disregard them, and I prefer to be afflicted by the cross of Christ than to enjoy the fleeting delights of this foolish world."

IV. The prefect Maximus: "How empty-headed he is," he said. "Strike his belly with raw-hide thongs, saying: 'Do not foolishly answer one thing for another, but respond aptly to the questions.'" "Insane one," said Calliopius, "and more cruel than any wild beast, and alien to the piety of Christ who is in the heavens, I am explaining to you the reason of the truth, which you do not perceive with the eyes of your mind, closing your ears, ^D lest you hear the Lord's...

^A word. But Calliopius, drawn together by blows and the swelling of his body, was hindered from being able to stand up and approach his mother. Yet he spoke thus: "You have come at the right time, mother, so that you might be a witness of the sufferings of Christ." But the mother, looking upon the lacerated body of her son, said to her most holy son Calliopius: "I am blessed, and blessed is the fruit of my womb, since, like Anna, I have dedicated you as a sacred gift to the Lord Jesus Christ; as Sarah, I have offered you to God as a pleasing burnt offering and a sacrifice acceptable to the Lord." She remained, however, the whole of that night in the prison, prostrate at his feet. At the same time, both prayed and praised God. And around midnight, a great light illuminated the prison, and a voice spoke to them thus: "You are the holy confessors of God and Christ, and the destroyers of idols, who have left behind your homeland and your wealth, so that you might suffer with Christ."

And the prefect, hearing these things, exclaimed: "Do you bid me, contrary to the prescriptions of the law, to be beaten like a homicide?" "Set up the wheel," says the prefect, "and kindle a great fire." The young man was bound to the wheel with such force that his whole body was being torn apart. While he was being most bitterly tormented with this torture, he said: "Christ, be present to your servant, so that your name may be praised in me even to the end, although I am your unworthy servant; and all shall know that those who hope in you are not confounded forever." Immediately, therefore, an angel of God approached and extinguished the flame of the coals; and the ministers, when they wanted to turn the wheel, could not. But his delicate limbs covered the entire wheel with blood. For it was surrounded by sharp blades. ^B The prefect ordered him to be unbound and removed from the wheel. The spectators were saying that that judgment was unjust; and they were grieving that such a young man was being tortured so bitterly. But Maximus said: "Did I not tell you, that you are insolent in your youth, and therefore would be affected by more severe torments?" "O most impudent dog," says Calliopius, "do you address me in this way, as if I would refuse or beg off from your most cruel torments?" "Unhappy man," says the prefect, "do you believe that you will succeed with your insults in making me take care to have you killed more quickly? But it will not be so. Offer sacrifice to the gods, therefore, so that you may avoid the torments that remain." "My Christ will not permit," says Calliopius, "that you corrupt my pure faith in God. Torture the body at your own will; you will receive in the day of judgment the just rewards from God. For with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you in return." "Cast him, bound with iron chains," says Maximus, "into the inner prison; let no one take care of him; let none of his impious friends approach him; let him think himself blessed because of those torments, which he has incurred on account of his impiety against the gods." Immediately, therefore, bound, he was cast into the inner prison, where he praised God without intermission.

V. Having heard these things, his mother, having made a will, gave freedom and a gift of money to two hundred and fifty servants: and whatever gold, silver, or clothing she had, she left to the poor; ^C but her possessions she bestowed upon the holy Church. Then she traveled quickly into Cilicia to her most holy son Calliopius: and having entered the prison, she fell before his feet, and wiped away the blood from his wounds.

VI. But when it had become daylight, the prefect said: "Call for Calliopius, the enthusiast of the Christian sect." And Demetrius the centurion said to Calliopius: "At least now, depart from this madness, and obeying the decrees of the emperors, sacrifice to the gods, so that you may live; otherwise, like your Master, you will be fastened to a cross." "I wonder," says Calliopius, "at your impudence, you who, having often heard from me that I am a Christian and that I will die a Christian and will live in Christ, continue so impudently to attack the truth. I am hastening to seek the same death which my Master endured." When he had said these things, the prefect, perceiving from the martyr's answers that he could not be led away from his purpose, passed sentence that on the fifth day of the Sabbath of the Passion he should be put upon a cross. His mother, learning of this, gave five coins to the ministers, so that they might fasten him to the cross in a manner contrary to that in which Christ the Lord was crucified. Therefore, on the fifth day of the Sabbath, he was crucified head downward, and on the day of the Preparation, he gave up his soul. And a voice was heard from heaven, sounding thus: "Come, citizen of Christ, and co-heir of the holy angels."

VII. But the mother of the most holy and most blessed son, embracing his body and praising Christ, gave up her spirit in his embrace. And the brothers approaching, buried their bodies in a sacred place, praising the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory and empire unto the ages of ages. Amen.

MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS MARTYRS OF CHRIST, TERENTIUS, AFRICANUS, MAXIMUS, POMPIUS, AND THEIR COMPANIONS, FORTY IN NUMBER

I. ^A Decius, the Roman emperor, in his zeal for idols, wishing to drag all men into the abyss of perdition (for he had the Devil as his father), sent written edicts into every kingdom subject to him, that all who called upon the name of Christ should be dragged down to the impious worship of idols. And if any should gainsay this, they were to be handed over to the tribunal and, after many tortures and torments, be subjected to the final sentence of death. ^A He sent this wicked and impious decree also to the governor Fortunatianus, who was in Africa; and when the royal edict reached his jurisdiction, the governor received the royal letters. Having read them, and having sat upon the tribunal, he immediately ordered the multitude of the city to be gathered together. And of those who had been seized, he said to them: "Decius the emperor commands that you all offer sacrifice to the gods; if not, you are to die a wicked and bitter death." Having said this, he ordered all the instruments of torture to be brought out. Of those assembled, many of the spectators, at the mere sight of the multitude of the instruments of punishment and fearing the threat from the sight alone, were persuaded by the tyrant and, departing from the faith of Christ, worshipped the idols. But some of them, forty in number, agreed rather to be perfected in the faith of Christ with nobility, and said to one another with courage: "See, brothers, let us not deny our Lord Jesus Christ, so that He may not deny us; know that the Lord has already said, 'Do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; but fear rather Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.'" ^B II. So, as the saints were heartening one another with these words, the governor said to them: "Most excellent men, I see that you are decorated with a fine and perfect age and are seasoned with wisdom, and I wonder how you have given yourselves over to such disbelief,

confessing only one God, Christ, whom, being a man, the children of the Jews crucified as a criminal." Then the holy martyr of Christ, Terentius, becoming the mouthpiece of all, spoke as follows: "If you knew, O governor, the gift of God and the power of the Crucified, you would have abandoned the error of vain idols, and you would offer worship and service to Him alone, the true Son, the Benefactor from the good and beneficent Father, the rich and compassionate and merciful One, who by the nod and will of the Father descended to earth and, clothing His divinity with human nature, endured the cross and death for our salvation." ^A Hearing these things, the governor said to the saints: "Sacrifice readily, or I shall lay hands upon your limbs and utterly destroy you." The holy Terentius said: "Do you think, O tyrant, to entice us with fear? We are not so unmanly as to abandon the Giver of life and bow before alien gods. But act quickly, whatever it is you wish to do to us; for we have firmly fixed our noble resolve on Christ." Then the governor, in a rage, ordered their garments to be removed and for them to be led, even against their will, into the temple of the idols. Now the idols were all gilded and adorned with costly and brilliant finery. And entering, the governor said to them: "Sacrifice to the great god Hercules; all of you see his glory and his power." The holy Terentius said: "You are led astray, O governor, not knowing what is profitable to you; for these that you call gods are stones and wood and bronze and iron; they are adorned with gold and costly clothing so as to lead ignorant men astray, for them to turn away from eternal life and be consigned to fire; for they neither see nor speak nor hear, since they have been sculpted and cast by men and shaped into the form of men, and they lead those who are persuaded by them into the ungodly notion of themselves: 'Those who make them are like them, and all who trust in them' (Ps. CXVII, 8). But tell us, can these gods of yours, whom you speak of, help themselves or avenge themselves against anyone who attacks them? If, therefore, they cannot help themselves, how will they help you?" ^C

III. The Martyrdom of the Others.

to do this and to deal with you otherwise." And immediately he commanded them to be beaten with raw rods and thongs. ^A But the holy martyrs, as they were being beaten, spread out their hands to heaven and said with a loud voice: "Lord God, look upon us thy servants, and help us, and deliver us from the adversary." Having heard this, the governor ordered them to be whipped even more, until a hundred lashes each had been administered. And while they were being beaten for a long time and their flesh was being torn and their blood was flowing to the ground, the thongs and rods were exhausted; and again, the lawless man commanded them to be beaten with rough wooden clubs, so that in the end the very inner constitution of their entrails was laid bare. Yet such were the joyful countenances of the holy martyrs of Christ, that all marveled at their patience and endurance.

IV. After they had been severely beaten, the governor said to them: "Sacrifice, you condemned men, and I will release you immediately." But the saints remained silent. Then the governor, becoming enraged, ordered spikes to be heated and their backs to be burned, and after that, sharp vinegar and salt to be sprinkled upon them, and their backs to be rubbed with a hair cloth; ^B truly this torment was very severe. Wherefore, the holy martyrs of God, looking up to heaven, said: "Lord our God, who didst deliver the three children from the furnace of fire, Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, and didst not suffer them to be harmed; who didst deliver Daniel from the mouth of the lions, and didst save Moses from the hand of Pharaoh, and didst save Thecla from fire, the theater, and wild beasts; who didst bestow many and various benefits upon us thy servants; who createdst the light and didst stretch out the heaven like a curtain; ^C who numberest the multitudes of the stars and callest them all by name; who didst send thy truth into the ends of the world: hearken to us now, thy servants, as we beseech thee, and save us from our straits and tribulations, for our flesh has withered, O Master, and our spirit fails. But thy mercy, O Lord, is unutterable and thy longsuffering is ineffable, and to thee belongs the glory unto the ages of ages. Amen."

When they had finished their prayer, the governor, again seething with rage, ordered them to be hung up and mangled. And ^D as the blessed ones were being mangled for a long time, not even then did they care for the torments; for the man-loving God was with them, upholding them and providing them with strength and courage. Since (for what human flesh would have endured these things?), the governor said to them: "Are these torments enough even now, you wretches, to persuade you to depart from your madness, or do you still persist in your impiety?" But the saints answered nothing. Again the governor said to them: "Do you not answer me even with a word? Sacrifice now to the greatest gods and I will release you each to your own homes in peace." Then the holy martyrs, looking up to heaven, said thus: "Lord God, who didst burn with fire and lay waste the city of the Sodomites because of their lawlessness, even now we beseech thee, O holy King: incline toward the earth, judge

^A their polytheistic, nay rather, atheistic, structure; destroy and bring to nothing the ruler and his gods; and visit us, thy servants, in haste, as thou art good and lovest mankind, for thou alone art glorified unto ages of ages." Having said these things, the holy martyrs, with sighs and tears—and having made the sign of the cross upon their foreheads and over their whole body—breathed upon the unclean idols, and immediately they were winnowed and became as ashes. Then the holy martyrs said to the ruler: "Behold your objects of worship; for where is their vain power? Could they not help themselves?" Not long after, the temple also was finished and crushed. The ruler, being exceedingly angered at the destruction and ruin of his gods, and at the fall of the temple, ordered them to be beheaded immediately. Having received the sentence, the holy martyrs went away rejoicing and glorifying God; and having come to the appointed place, they bent their knees and gave thanks to God, and were immediately beheaded. And some Christians came secretly, took up the remains of the saints, and placed them in a venerable place.

^B V. When these things had been thus accomplished, the lawless ruler again ordered that those around the blessed Terentius and Africanus, and Maximus and Pompeius, be brought to the tribunal, and he said to them: "Sacrifice, even you, to the gods; if not, you are going to perish evilly and bitterly, and no one will be able to rescue you from my hands." The holy martyrs said to him: "Ruler, we have told you often that we are Christians and have our hopes in Christ; but we neither worship demons, nor do we ever serve your gods, nor do we fear your tortures. Therefore, devise for us as many tortures as you wish; for we believe in God, that you will be defeated by us, even as your father, the devil, was defeated by Christ, who strengthens us to overcome your machinations." Having heard these things, the ruler became exceedingly enraged and ordered them again to be cast into prison, saying that iron collars should be put around their necks, and fetters around their feet, and chains upon their hands; and the executioners, having taken them, placed them in the prison, as they had been ordered. ^C The lawless one also ordered that iron caltrops be spread out beneath them and that they be pinned down upon them, and that no one of the Christians be allowed to enter to them, so as not to provide them with food at all.

While such things were happening, and they were praying around midnight, suddenly a great light shone in the prison; for an angel of the Lord stood before them and said to them: "Terentius and Africanus, Maximus and Pompeius, servants of the most high God, arise, give glory to God, and take rest." Then the angel approached and touched the collars that were placed upon their necks and immediately the irons snapped and fell from their whole body; and at the moment this happened, behold, a table was prepared before them, full and teeming with every good thing; and the angel said to them: "Rest, brothers, rest from your many labors and afflictions; and at the same time partake of food, which our Lord Jesus Christ has sent to you." ^D Then the holy martyrs blessed God and partook of the food and reached the appointed place; and having knelt, they were immediately beheaded. And the religious men approached, and having taken up their bodies, they buried them in a holy place.

V.

do not put us, your humble servants, to shame ^A because of your holy name, in your expectation of us." And while the executioners were flaying them for a long time, and Christ was relieving and strengthening them, they felt no pain at all from their tortures, so that even the prisoners, seeing the light, leapt inside and learned what had happened; and having entered, they found them rejoicing and praising God. The executioners reported what they had seen to the governor, and on the third day he ordered them to be brought before the tribunal. When they had been brought to the tribunal, the governor said to them, "Wretches! Did your tortures teach you this much, to be rid of the folly you possess and to approach and sacrifice to the gods?" Saint Terentius said, "Let this folly, O governor, be mine and theirs who love God; for 'The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the wisdom of men is foolishness before God.' I shall be mindless and mad, like you, if I abandon my God and worship demons." The governor, having heard these things and being very angry, ordered them to be hung upon the wood and flayed. The blessed ones, while being flayed for a long time, prayed to the Lord, saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, light of the Christians, the source of life and immortality, the unshakable and indestructible faith, appear and help us, and do not put us, your humble servants, to shame before our expectation, for the sake of your holy name." And while the executioners were flaying them for a long time, and Christ was relieving and strengthening them, they felt no pain at all from their tortures.

^B VI. Therefore, the governor ordered them to be taken back to prison. And having summoned all the enchanters of wild beasts, he commanded them to bring all the fierce and terrible beasts they had—that is to say, vipers, asps, and horned snakes—and to be locked in with them in the prison, in order that they might be destroyed by them. And when these things were done, the beasts were creeping about and sitting at their feet; they harmed them not at all, but the reptiles remained for three days and three nights shut up with them, like tame animals, while the saints unceasingly sang hymns to and praised God. And on the fourth day, the governor sent under cover of night, to see if the saints had been consumed by the beasts. And when those who had been sent approached the door of the prison, they heard them singing and praising God, and desiring to learn more accurately what was happening, they climbed up onto the roof of the prison. Looking down and observing carefully, they saw the saints sitting, and an angel of the Lord standing before the face of those venomous beasts, and not allowing them ^C even to approach them at all. Then they ran and reported to the governor all that they had seen with their own eyes. And the governor, having risen at dawn from his bed and taken his seat at the tribunal, ordered the enchanters to take back the beasts and for the saints to be brought to the tribunal. When the enchanters went and were about to approach the door of the prison, they began to call the beasts with their spells, but they did not obey them. Then the enchanters came and opened the door of the prison, and the beasts rushed out all together upon them and immediately killed both the enchanters and all the men they found there, and then they fled into desert places. After these things, the prison guards arrived, took the saints, and led them to the governor. And seeing them unharmed, the governor became very furious and gave his verdict against them. And the saints went forth ^D rejoicing, and as they went, they said: "You have delivered us, O Lord, from those who afflicted us, and you have put to shame those who hated us." The ministers, having drawn their swords, carried out the orders. And thus the saints, in the confession of Christ, received the palm of martyrdom. Pious men, having properly composed their bodies, buried them in a place which was two thousand paces from the city, to the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Ps. XLII, 8).

Theodorus Lector writes in his Collectanea, Book II, that the relics of these holy martyrs were translated to Constantinople on the tenth of the Kalends of October, during the reign of Theodosius the Younger. See Baronius in his notes to the Roman Martyrology, April.

and singing, they said: "You have saved us, O Lord, from those who afflict us, and You have put to shame those who hate us." And those appointed for this, drawing their swords, did what had been commanded them, and brought to an end the holy martyrs by the sword; and thus, with righteous zeal, they were perfected in the confession of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the month of April. ^A And pious and Christ-loving men, having taken the precious bodies of the holy and triumphant martyrs Terentius, Africanus, Maximus, and Pompeius, and having buried them very decorously and fittingly, laid them in the earth, about two miles from the city of Africa, to the glory and honor of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.

MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS MARTYRS OF CHRIST, CARPUS AND PAPYLUS, AND THOSE WITH THEM

^B I. To remember those who suffered for Christ is, if anything is, useful and beneficial; for the mere memory of the martyrs is sufficient to stir the soul toward the love of God, and to become as a kind of wing toward virtue, and to prepare one to endure in thought the same struggles as the martyrs, for the sake of enjoying the rewards that are there. ^C Among those, therefore, who have finished these struggles of martyrdom are those sturdy pillars and foundations of the Church, Carpus and Papylus, who were of a distinguished country, the city of Pergamum, and being born of very virtuous parents, they exhibited a manner of life appropriate to them, like a noble sprout from a noble root; so that the tree becomes manifest from its fruit, and the fountain is praised because of its stream. For they made their body to be content with only the necessities, pushing aside everything varied and curious, and they used the necessities so sparingly that, while in body they remained far from the angels, by their outstanding abstinence they appeared almost incorporeal. ^D Hence, having been raised to a height of virtue, they were judged worthy to have the leadership of the people entrusted to their faith. And Carpus, having attained to the priesthood, proclaimed the mysteries of piety to those in Thyatira; while Papylus, having been honored with the degree of the diaconate, answering to his ministry, applied his zeal to equal labors.

II. Since, therefore, the word about them was spread everywhere, as it is the nature of virtue not to be able to remain hidden, but always to proclaim itself, a great

^A multitude was flowing together on this account, and enjoying their teaching, they gladly drew near to piety. But it was absolutely impossible for him who had been the adversary of good things from the beginning to remain quiet while these things were happening in such a way. He did not remain quiet, therefore, but having found excellent ministers of his own malice, he persuaded them to accuse the holy ones before Decius, claiming that they were impious toward the gods and that they were championing the new opinion of the Christians. He, being extremely offended by this, sent off to Asia a certain assessor of his, Valerius, with whom he shared all his affairs (he was a man who loved demons and was a savage man), signifying to him what had been reported to him concerning the holy ones, and entrusting to him authority over them. Immediately, therefore, Valerius completed his journey with all speed; and after he had arrived at the place where they were staying, he at once desired to offer the customary sacrifices to the vain gods; and his command soon pervaded all the borders of the region of Thyatira, so that whoever was in it—without any hesitation—should come to the place where the sacrifice was being made, so that they too might render sacrifices of thanksgiving to his gods, just as if he did not want only to be sick, but also wanted others to share in the same disease. This, he thought, would be a sufficient test of the resolution of the martyrs. For he said to himself that if he were to see them also coming together with the multitude and offering the sacrifices in common, what those others had said about them to Decius would seem entirely false; but if not, no greater proof need be expected.

^B III. When, therefore, all had gathered together in order to perform the sacrifices, only the admirable pair of martyrs was left behind (for they stood apart, offering to God prayers, namely, the true sacrifice). Having ordered them to be brought before him, he asked them with a more arrogant and haughty manner the reason for their absence: then he even added: "Provided that at least before my eyes the fault may be beautifully corrected, so that the envy might turn back upon the heads of the accusers, and a glory brighter than before might shine forth for you." To these words the holy ones, being above all fear and all human splendor, replied: "It would be a disgrace, O judge, I say, an open disgrace, to have the ox and the ass (to speak with the great Isaiah) as proof of great ingratitude against us, if indeed those animals ^C knew their owner and him who fed them; whereas we, because we are fed by Him, would seem to be ignorant, if, having abandoned the true Master, we were to worship those who are falsely called gods." These things they said, and at the same time God assented to what had been said. For a great earthquake, rushing in, turned into dust the images which were worshipped by the foolish. And the inanimate objects were thus dealt with, and were thus destroyed.

IV. But for Valerius the malice was firm and steadfast; for whereas he ought to have admired the ineffable power of God and to have laughed at the great weakness of his own gods (which ^D a prudent and intelligent man would indeed have done), he showed himself rather all the more bold, and his

madness stood naked. But since he stood in awe of the nobility and modest bearing of the men, he refrained for the time being from a more severe punishment; he ordered them to be led around naked through the midst of the marketplace, with iron collars placed about their necks. The athletes were therefore led about naked, burdened by the collar-yoke, and those who were truly honorable went through the marketplace amidst infamy, an object of mockery and laughter, they who were worthy of countless praises. ^B The judge, therefore, thinking that this dishonorable procession would inflict shame upon the saints and thus make them more pliant regarding their resolve, decided to approach them with softer words and by this means to steal away the nobility of their purpose, and he said: "If indeed I saw that you did not bear clear signs of a noble spirit, I would by no means offer you counsel. For it is permitted, if I should so desire, to overcome you with tortures, and to convert the unwilling and reluctant to our religion. But since both your appearance and the composure of your character signify the freedom of your soul, I have decided to act as a good counselor toward you. For I do not think it escapes your notice that from a long time past, the glory and honor which is shown to the immortal gods remains even unto this day, not only among us who know the Greek language, but even among the Barbarians themselves. Through this religion, therefore, it is possible for us to see cities ^C led by good laws, the brow of enemies brought low, and peace flourishing. From whence, moreover, did kings and potentates—many indeed even before, but now those of the Romans—come to such glory as to overthrow nations, to overthrow cities, and to bring into submission every adversary? If, therefore, you have been led by the words of the unlearned to this irrational and newly-appearing opinion of the Christians, I do not greatly reproach you—for I declare this to be a matter of simplicity. But do you, having recovered yourselves, change to the better, so that the gods may be propitious to you, and you may enjoy more of the good things which are among us, and gain for yourselves the munificence of the emperor in bestowing benefits. But if you persist in your former ways until the end, the contrary of these things will befall you, but we will also entirely of necessity have to test you with more severe measures (which I pray may not happen)." ^D V. When the martyrs heard these things, lifting their eyes to heaven and marking themselves entirely with the sign of the cross, "You seem," they said, "like some of the more simple-minded, to think that you can convert us not slowly, but easily, to the learning of your impiety. But know that you have not encountered men of small and abject spirit; do not, through this, [judge] the struggle that is undertaken for Christ, and our training in piety from our youth. For I would not call your religion worthy of honor on account of the antiquity of time. For not even if anything is ancient is it also worthy of honor; for even vice is indeed altogether old, but it is not on account of time worthy of being honored. It is not, therefore, to be considered whether your religion is ancient, but this very thing, whether it is fitting to accept it, which we would advise [others] to decline as much as possible and to do away with, since it treasures up so horrible a gehenna of fire for those who love it.

^A You acknowledge that the gods honored among you are nothing other than the handiwork of men, soulless and deaf, able to offer no help at all, not only to others but not even to themselves. If, therefore, man is the work of God, while the idols you worship are works of human hands, how could anyone, unless they were utterly devoid of perception and truly an ox or an ass, render honor to things fashioned by himself? Rather, those things ought to honor their own creators, if they possessed any sense at all. Since, therefore, you have confessed that we are intelligent, and you know that a man of sound mind would never prefer the false to the true, turn your attention and learn from truthful lips the things concerning the God who is truly the Creator of all things.

VI. God by His very nature cannot be circumscribed

^C

VII.

ferocity. He gave the property of the saints to be plundered by those who had accused them—a thing that was greatly despised by them, though held in very high esteem by those who thought it a great matter—while he commanded that they themselves be bound to certain wild horses and driven to Sardis as quickly as possible. The horses, having begun to run from Thyatira, hardly ceased their course at Sardis when evening had already fallen. But as for the martyrs, although they had spent the entire day in this bitter torment, yet the night did not remain empty of good deeds, but the greater part of it was spent in divine hymns. And if they did enjoy a little sleep, angels stood over them to revive them in their exhaustion and to make them more eager for the tortures yet to come. On the following day, the saints recounted this divine visitation both to one another ^B and to those who were present, and they awaited the arrival of Valerius to re-examine them, just like some valiant soldiers eager for combat, looking toward a death with glory with a bold and noble gaze.

When he reached Sardis, he thought that then, if not before, he would find the martyrs more compliant and easier to handle; for he knew only of tortures, but how could that earthly soul, alien to divine apparition and goodness, know of consolation? But when he saw them looking more cheerful than before, more constant in spirit, and not at all dejected in mind, he despaired of being able to conquer them with tortures. Turning again to flattery and promises of greater gifts, he attempted to soften the constancy of those brave men. But when he had tested them further and noticed an even greater firmness of strength, he proceeded once more to harshness, ^C attempting, through the continuous change and variety of his discourse, to hunt down the simplicity of the saints that was founded in Christ, [like] a devious schemer.

VIII. But since he was being defeated even in this way, and saw that the martyrs were not yielding in the least—but rather, he appeared like some fox fighting against lions, being completely at a loss—he resorted to another artifice. He sent away the brave Carpus and Papylus, ordering them to be kept safely. But the admirable Agathodorus, who ministered to the martyrs and performed the duties of a servant (being himself—even then—a perfect martyr, and through his love for them a sharer in their same punishments), this man he ordered to be stretched out and beaten mercilessly with ox-sinews, wishing at once to grieve the ^D saints through the torment of one who was of the same faith, and to terrify them. Both parties, therefore, contended with one another: the judge who was punishing and the martyr. The judge, indeed, [strove] to overcome the man by the multitude of the blows; but the martyr, receiving the blows so gladly that it was evident he made it his prayer that the punishment would endure and that the tormentors would not grow weary of striking. Therefore, when that martyr's body had been beaten with whips for a long time, streams of blood were emitted as if from a certain fountain, and his internal organs were stripped of their natural covering, the sinews of his joints were torn apart, and the pain...

was truly great and acute invading the brave man. He, however, as if he were suffering no distress, was thus disposed in his hardships, bearing in silence the thick showers of lashes and finding, in the fact of suffering for Christ, quite sufficient consolation for his pains.

^B IX. But when Valerius was already exhausted, and the executioners were weary from striking, while the torments only served to bring greater joy to him, Christ called him into the heavens to crown the athlete as he deserved. He immediately committed his spirit into the hands of Him who had called him, and surrendered his dead body to those who were tormenting him; and this, as Valerius had ordered, was cast out unburied, so that it might be devoured by wild beasts and birds. But when evening came, some of those who lived nearby hid it in a neighboring cave, doing a work of a benevolent and merciful soul, or perhaps it was thus ordained by divine Providence.

What happened after this? Valerius the governor, that truly cunning and deceitful fox, approached the saints again with gentler words, fearing perhaps that he might lose them too, as he had already lost Agathodorus. For he said: "He indeed found a death worthy of such arrogance and madness, by not being persuaded to sacrifice to the immortal gods. But you, since you are wise, why do you not look to what is advantageous for you, instead of wishing to be like a man truly wretched, who, instead of living and enjoying himself, foolishly chose a violent death?" ^C This, then, was Valerius. But when he heard the saints accusing him of great folly because of this irrational counsel, and [saying that they] would then be seen as enviable and blessed if they imitated the violent death of Agathodorus which he saw as [a failure], he abandoned his feigned kindness and returned to his accustomed and familiar ferocity, doing those things that befitted it. For, as he was about to set out on a long journey from the city of Sardis to Pergamum, he ordered the saints to follow him, and compelled them to run on foot at an equal pace with swift horses, so that, exhausted by the labor of the journey—what else?—they might perhaps against their will change their minds and be persuaded to worship idols. But the saints, because the journey was not longer, considered this a diminution of their pleasure; thus, everything brought upon them for Christ’s sake caused them not distress, but rather great joy, since it was a great demonstration of their desire for Christ.

X. When therefore they had spent the day in the labor of such a journey, and, as I may say with the divine David*, this misery was added to the pain of their wounds—with custody following in turn—and night had already come, an angelic and more divine power appeared to them, healed their wounds, and instilled in them greater alacrity for undertaking the contests. When Valerius therefore had risen at dawn, he ordered them to set out for the toil and the hardship.

He looked upon the affliction of the previous day, and thinking that they could scarcely complete the journey even when carried; but when he saw them thus stout and robust, and their faces blooming, even more so than those who constantly indulge in baths, leisure, and soft living, this man truly full of demons called the affair a fantasy. On this account he even added to their labors, and to soothe his own rage, while their limbs were burdened on every side with iron, he ordered them to journey again. When he and they had arrived at the appointed place, Valerius, having sacrificed to the demons, sat upon the judicial bench. And having had the blessed Carpus brought forward, ^A he put on the persona of some faithful friend who had a warm concern for him, and said: "It was fitting, indeed, for you, revering our great leniency, to come of your own accord to that which is good and honorable, and to sacrifice to the greatest gods. But now, even though invited to this and, as I see, benefited, you render them not even the slightest favor, but neglect what is advantageous to you. For behold, these men, pitying your old age, saw to it that you performed the journey without affliction; yet you yourself, I know not how, are shown to be ungrateful toward your benefactors, and, making nothing of us, you despise their worship. Be willing, therefore, now at least to acquiesce and believe me, who am advising what is useful. For I revere your gray hairs and am afflicted with great grief, and I weep for your calamity as if it were not another's, but my own. But what am I to do? For you know that I, holding myself in such great contempt, will not endure it—if not for my own sake, certainly for the affront to the gods."

^B XI. To these words the divine Carpus replied: "Counsel," he said, "which leads from light to darkness and from life to death, no one who is of sound mind would call counsel; rather, he would call it what it truly is: treachery. And if you revere my gray hairs, what prevents you from believing me more, who advise you like a father? But since you take paining from me, I pity your destruction all the more, and — let friendly truth be known — I openly grieve at your calamity, because you worship such gods and have placed your hope in lies, as I might say with the divine Scripture¹. For how could those things justly be considered gods if they are of inanimate matter and have their production into being from human hands?" ^C Valerius, therefore, not bearing that his own gods—even though the statement was true—should be insulted by Carpus, rendered a wicked return for good words. For he hated him who rebuked him at the gates (according to the divine Amos²) and abominated the holy word; and he ordered immediately, and his fury was boundless, and the hands of the executioners held the saint. Thorny rods mercilessly struck him, and his flesh, being torn, was continuously scattered into the air. ^D Nor was his rage satisfied by these things, but again other executioners, partly applying torches to his sides, partly inhumanly sprinkling salt onto his gashes. From this, indeed, rivers of blood were carried across the ground; and the fibers, which were being torn away, mar-

¹ Isa. xxviii, 15. ² Amos v, 10.

^Avelously induced a sense of acute pain within the martyr. One would have grown weary of these things even had some inanimate object been so tortured; yet you yourselves, surely, felt pain at the mere hearing of it. But the martyr, by as much as the multitude of his tortures increased, by so much was he himself all the more captivated by his love for God; and, as if deriving some most sweet pleasure, he luxuriated in his pains, until Valerius, worn out by the man’s nobility, sent him off to prison.

XII. Then, having caused the divine Papylus to be brought before him, as if he were seeing him for the first time, he asked who his parents were, what his country was, and what, in truth, the martyr’s profession was. The saint replied: "You have already learned that I am the son of free-born parents; I was born in Thyatira, and I practice medicine—not such as might come from herbs growing out of the earth, but such as is bestowed upon one by God. For we do not limit its utility merely to bodies, but we also effect the correction of the diseases of the soul." Then the judge said: "These things could not be without the training of those whose writings are preserved by Galen and Hippocrates, who received the pinnacle of that science from the gods." Papylus replied: "Galen indeed, and Hippocrates, and those who practice their art, would cure someone only when my Christ also grants the favor of His own benevolence. Otherwise, their study is in vain, attaining no profit from their exercise in their art. But as for those whom you call gods, since they cannot even benefit themselves, how could they possibly care for the healing of others? ^B If you wish to understand the matter in deed, let them make the man sitting near you, who is blind in one eye as you see, recover his sight, and I have nothing further to say." Valerius said: "Would there be someone, then, who could heal him?" "Not of this alone," the saint said, "but he would easily cure all other diseases and incurable afflictions, whosoever invokes Christ, who heals every disease and every infirmity." Then Valerius said: "Let us see in the present instance what you say." "I will not start first," said Papylus, "for I fear that, by adulterating all things yourself, you might ascribe the miracle to demons. But let your own people first invoke whichever of your gods they wish, and then I, in turn, will demonstrate the power of my Christ."

XIII. Then, when Valerius had brought forward certain worshippers of the gods and sacrificers, he ordered them to invoke their own gods, omitting neither craft, nor ingenuity, nor any other method of procedure ^C for this purpose. They, approaching one after another, invoked—this one Apollo, that one Asclepius, another yet another of the false gods—calling upon, as far as human power could reach, impossible beings for an impossible task. And the affair was utterly ridiculous and full of shame. For "what," says the great Isaiah, "shall they inquire of the dead concerning the living?" Thus the whole day passed; and they kept begging, beseeching, and sacrificing, occupied with those useless things. ^D

But the deaf remained deaf, and for him who was partially blind there was no help from those who were totally sightless. What then did the servant of Christ do? Lifting up his eyes, together with those of his flesh, to heaven, he invoked his Master for mercy. Then what? He made the sign of the cross upon his eyes, touched them with his hand, and at his touch light followed; and the eye that had been extinguished opened more easily than if it had been closed in sleep. And what is greater, the blindness of his soul was also taken away, and he became a believer, and beheld the true light ^A which illuminates every man coming into the world; and at the same time a great multitude of people was led by the miracle to the recognition of the truth. Whom would these things not have changed, and who is he who, having such power, would not have been prepared to inquire and learn? But if they moved everyone else, they by no means moved Valerius; rather, they made him much more savage than he was, as one who delighted in the ruin caused by error and would in no way endure for the truth to be uncovered. Hence, having raised the martyr of this truth upon a wooden stake, he scourged him most bitterly, rendering him such rewards for the benefit he had bestowed upon his assessor.

XIV. ^B And so, that beautiful body was shredded by the lashes. But this did not grieve Papylus; rather, he was distressed that harsher torments were not applied—he felt it grievously. Just as, on the other hand, Valerius, seeing his own torments overcome by the great-souled nature of the martyr, was pained and endured it bitterly. He added, therefore, even other things; he kindled a fire at his sides and ordered him to be pelted with stones. But the blessed one did not act cowardly even against the fire, and the stones, as if reverencing the body that was being tortured thus for Christ, were thrown elsewhere but were by no means carried toward him. When therefore Valerius was already exhausted and had nothing else that he could bring upon the saints for punishment, he gave time to the welts, ^C calculating perhaps that if the martyrs were left alone for even a little while, the now-inflamed welts would involve them in more severe pains and thus render them more yielding for the tortures to come. But they, having the Physician near them for whose sake they gladly accepted the stripes, were freed not only from the pains but even from the wounds and the very scars themselves, not carrying a single trace of them upon themselves; so that Valerius was unknowingly striking himself, not the martyrs. For by as much as they were relieved of their toils from that source, by that much was his heart shredded, and anger burned him like fire.

XV. ^D A short time passed, and again he sat upon the high tribunal, looking with a murderous and mad gaze; and through the mirror of the soul, his eyes, he revealed his inner bitterness, offering no opportunity for most people to approach him. Around him stood all those who served his arrogance. The noble men were introduced—or rather, they entered with a ready and eager spirit. You would have said they were being called to a banquet, not to a contest. And he, intending to terrify them even before the

^A threats, seemed to rely on his mere appearance; he would interrogate them, putting the martyrs to the test of their resolve and imagining a change of mind in them. But they were so far from suffering any such thing that they even reproached him for his slowness in passing sentence, and they were annoyed that they were not dying as quickly as they might. "Why," they said, "provide trouble for both yourself and your servants by bringing us in so often, yet sparing us the final verdict, hoping perhaps to make us change and persuade us to defect from Christ and the truth? That is something you would observe at the time when you see us—like your own gods—endowed with no sense and deaf." As soon as they had said these things, iron spikes were strewn upon the ground; the noble men were thrown naked upon them, and were ^B dragged supine over them in a cruel manner—a thing most bitter for torture, even when only subjected to the eyes. But not even in this did God neglect His own servants; but immediately (for it is necessary, again, to quote the words of holy Scripture) He "breathed upon their face," and delivered them from affliction. At once the spikes vanished, and they themselves were kept unharmed by the evils. This truly inflamed the judge to fury, and razors again gashed the sides of the saints, so savagely that both parties went beyond natural limits: the executioners in punishing without mercy, and the saints in enduring the hardships with a brave spirit. ^C XVI. After this, he again gathers the most cruel beasts, sets up a spectacle for the saints, and sits as a spectator himself. Having brought the martyrs into the middle, he releases a bear upon them; and having thought that, as soon as they were thrown in, it would tear apart the bodies of these noble men, he saw instead the nature of animals lacking reason, in a wonderful way, teaching intelligence to those who are endowed with reason. For the bear, as if reverencing their beautiful feet, which were truly announcing peace, not only did nothing harmful, wild, or—to say it in one word—bestial, but even fell upon them and greeted them in a friendly manner. Nor did this suffice to bring understanding to the unwise man; but a lion is also immediately released, and it, ^D likewise, like the bear, was obedient to divine nods, having no desire at all to do anything evil to those who were suffering hardships for the common Lord. Valerius, therefore, as if trying to surpass his own self in wickedness, orders the saints to be cast into a pit filled with new lime, recently slaked—or rather, one should say, recently ignited—and to pass three whole days in it, the impious man contriving in this way to defeat the invincible. But he labored in vain, fighting against the true God. For a certain divine grace and power of Christ was present with the martyrs who were in the pit for His sake, dulling the action of the lime and keeping the athletes unharmed from evil. XVII. Valerius, however, by how much more he saw grace appearing in the saints, by so much more his anger

grew, the fool, struggling as he was to appear stronger even than God. He ordered iron buskins, fitted with long spikes, to be bound upon those feet of the martyrs, and ordered the martyrs so shod to run, so that they might at least be seen to be defeated in this struggle. But again he labored to no purpose. For the more novel the tortures he devised, the more the divine power overshadowed the saints, rendering them superior to what was being inflicted upon them and making them all the more robust against the hardships. He still tried to sway them from their conviction, though the divine grace was so manifestly helping them; and he demanded that they offer sacrifice to those abominable [gods]—to such an extent was the impious man possessed by madness. Since he had nothing left to employ, being by now put to shame and openly defeated, he kindled a furnace, fed by a great deal of fuel, and cast the martyrs into the middle of it. But it was immediately extinguished, ^B and it cooled the saints. At that time, the most venerable Agathonica, who was truly the sister of the martyr—of the divine Papylus, I mean—also entered the flame with them, and became a partaker of their struggles, as indeed she did of their crowns. They returned, therefore, to the guard, and once again they occupied themselves with hymns to God and with prayer.

XVIII. When the judge was at his wits' end regarding the whole affair, only then did he finally pass the sentence of death by the sword upon them. The martyrs were thus led to the place of consummation, full of joy, for the noble Agathonica could not bear to be apart from them. Then, lifting their holy hands to God, they did not pray only for themselves, but prayed also that their own executioners might be delivered from their error ^C and converted to piety. Such were the requitals with which the disciples of the Good One repaid their enemies; they prayed for the forgiveness of the crime that their executioners were about to commit—indeed, they were even deeply grateful to them, because through them they were departing unto Him whom they longed for. After they had prayed for what was beneficial for all, they were beheaded on the thirteenth day of the month of October. The precious relics of these, which were lying so ignominiously and neglected, hands of Christians gathered up, and with torches together with hymns, they placed them magnificently in a prominent spot, an inviolable treasure for Christians, a terrifying scourge to evil spirits, and a dew and infallible cure for all who are sick, ^D to the glory of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belongs honor and power together with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

THE CONTEST OF THE HOLY AND GLORIOUS MARTYR ELEUTHERIUS, BISHOP

^A I. When Ælius Hadrian was reigning over the Romans, and was diligently serving demons and idols, the admirable Eleutherius was also known at that time, like some star illuminating the day. His fatherland was the famous and great Rome; his parents, however, were of the most noble lineage, most wealthy, and also most illustrious in glory; for history writes that his father had been three times consul. But although they were so distinguished, they were not lacking in that nobility which arises from piety and religion. For his mother, Evanthia, having accurately learned the faith through the apostolic admonitions of the divine Paul, was greatly enriched along with her virtue and the worship of God. Having brought forth this holy child, she named him Eleutherius, and she raised him so liberally and well that his circumstances corresponded to his name. Thus educated, when he arrived at manhood, she gave him to God and to the Archbishop of the Roman Church, Anicetus [Anacletus], as a gift worthy of him. For he was then presiding over the Roman Church. Seeing the moderation of his character and his other virtues, he ordained him, first as deacon, then as presbyter, and finally as bishop of Illyricum.

II. And so, the lamp—to speak according to the Gospel—having been set upon a lampstand, and illuminating the thoughts of many with the light of both life and the Word, and trampling underfoot the false doctrine of lies, with the flowing speech of his teaching, while converting many to the knowledge of the one God and leading them to piety, the Evil One could not bear these things with equanimity; but he was agitated by rage against him, and breathed heavily ^B against piety. Entering into Hadrian entirely, he armed himself with him against the truth, and against all others he strove to reap Eleutherius, as if he were one of those standing out like the stalks of grain.

^A And immediately a certain Felix, one of the army commanders, was sent with a terrible commission, ordered to bring Eleutherius by force and set him before the imperial tribunal. When he arrived at the fold of Christ, he surrounded the church externally with a multitude of soldiers; and having intercepted Eleutherius within, he sought to seize the lamb of Christ like some prey. Then, entering the temple, and with cruel eyes and a spirit even more cruel—manifesting the savagery of him who had sent him through his very countenance—he showed himself to those who were watching. But after he saw Eleutherius pouring forth the sweetest stream of doctrine and announcing piety with great decorum to those who were with him, he marveled in a wonderful manner at the power of Christ. And, having immediately changed his savagery (for he appeared to have a soul apt for receiving the seeds of piety), he became a sheep instead of a wolf, and a disciple instead of a persecutor; and as if forgetting his former deeds, he was no longer a brigand and a persecutor, but a friend and disciple of Christ, whom he had formerly persecuted. He indeed despised the emperor himself; he proceeded to the feet of the saint, and from that time onward he gladly remained with his master, illuminated by his words and confirmed in piety. But Felix did this, and by no means cared to return to the one who had sent him. ^B This, however, was not what seemed to be the case to Eleutherius; for he was hastening toward his confession, and was of a ready and eager mind to profess piety freely. He certainly set out upon his journey at once, having Felix, the commander of the army, following him. When, while on their way, they encountered water, this Felix became another Candace, and was baptized by the divine Philip—that is to say, by Eleutherius—and he was stripped of the darkness of idolatry as if it were some rotting garment.

III.

I say, how could I sustain serving such gods, or assent to another enduring them? And how should I not rather counsel you to abandon them? And if you do not comply, I lament your madness, in that, while fashioned by God to be honored, you have become viler than wood and stone, to the point that you deem these to be gods—and not only to be, but to be blessed—and this while abandoning the true God, who by His reason established the universe? For heaven and earth are the work of His hands. As for us, we are of those things which He created, a most beautiful and precious work; even if, as in a nocturnal battle, we do not know what is friendly and what is hostile, and fight against our own Lord, while we think—O, the madness!—that those who are truly our enemies and adversaries, the demons, I say, are our masters, and we exalt them with honors and sacrifices. I, therefore, cling to my Lord, and shall always cling, and shall serve my Christ, deeming your insults and honors, and these childish masks of punishments, to be the mere scourging of infants. For to me, as my teacher Paul said, the whole world is crucified, and I to the world; and to die for Christ is for me a delight and an exultation. ^A IV. Full of rage at these words, the emperor commands an iron bed to be brought and much fire to be placed beneath it; then, he orders the athlete to be stripped and stretched out upon it, so that he might be consumed until he utterly perished. But once this was swiftly done, the martyr leaped onto the bed and lay stretched out over its whole extent. The city, however, bearing ill what had been done (for almost all had gathered for the spectacle), reproached the emperor for his cruelty, saying, "Why does a man so illustrious, and distinguished by his birth and wisdom, perish miserably as if he were someone infamous?" But God alleviated the pain from above; and as if refreshed by some dew ^B and lying on soft grass, the martyr felt pleasure. The emperor, however, after his soul’s rage had been sufficiently quieted by the torment, believing him now dead, orders his body to be removed from there. But the martyr, having risen from that iron bed, not only unharmed but joyful and alert, sang with joy: *I will exalt Thee, my God, O my King; and I will bless Thy name forever. I will praise God, who gladdens my youth. For generation to generation shall praise Thy works, and shall declare Thy power, and shall tell of Thy miracles.* After God had thus been glorified, he stood even more boldly before the tyrant and said, "Look at me, O emperor, whom you thought would be consumed by the fire, and understand Him who is preached by me. Acknowledge, moreover, the weakness of your own gods."

^D V. The emperor, considering this boldness and freedom of speech to be an insult to himself, and believing ^C himself to be defeated because he was held in contempt, devises a punishment greater and more violent than this. Again, therefore, a gridiron is brought forward in the middle, kindled by fire from beneath, but sprinkled with oil from above, and burning with a fierce flame. But not even then did Grace neglect the martyr; for as soon as he was laid upon the gridiron, the fire was immediately extinguished, and the coals withered away. The gridiron, too, as if not oil but water had been poured over it, was itself cold, keeping the saint unharmed. What then? Was the anger of the emperor extinguished by these things? By no means; for, once stung by rage, and in other matters minded no better than a blind man, he looked only toward this: to gratify his gods by punishing the saint—gods who are, in truth, altogether dæmo-

dæmon-^Aic and murderous. He commands again that a frying-pan be brought, and that pitch and fat be cast into it, and that a great fire be kindled beneath; and thus the martyr was again stretched out upon it. After this had been done as commanded, and the pan was glowing hot, the martyr also stood ready to undergo the punishment: "Do not delay, Eleutherius," said the emperor, "for you stand midway between life and death; look to what is expedient for your future. For I, indeed, bearing great concern for you, lest you perish miserably, am affected toward you as toward a brother's son. I would not wish—by the gods—for a man born of such noble station, and who is himself so good, so eloquent, and of such handsome appearance, to cast himself inconsiderately into danger, and that for no other reason than a vain and useless stubbornness." But after the martyr stood firm against these things, struggling generously, and aptly rewarding his flatteries with reproaches—calling him an "Arabian wolf," as one who lies in wait for the sheep of Christ—he at length added this also: "Whatever you may do, you will not persuade me to desist from this pious and blessed constancy."

^B VI. Here, Adrianus, being pained in spirit, turned from words to deeds, and commanded that he be extended upon the pan. When this was done, the same things followed as before: the fire was changed into dew, and a most pleasant breeze refreshed the brave and generous man. But Adrianus, not knowing what he should do, since all things were being turned against him, sat doubtful in his mind, having an "ox upon his tongue," as the saying is, and with his tongue bound by deep grief. ^C When he who was then prefect of the city, Corebo by name, saw him thus affected—a man skilled at finding innovative tortures, and at doing something that might be sharp and effective against necessity (for he was not entirely ignorant of the Christian dogma, but had heard by report of the things which had happened to the army commander Felix, and had received as it were certain seeds and initiations of the Christian faith into his heart; though he still followed the ways of the Gentiles, holding it of the highest importance to honor and observe the emperor)—he, therefore, seeing Adrianus hesitating and not knowing how to conduct himself toward the holy man, ^D stepped forward: "I, O emperor," he said, "will free you from these troubles, and I will teach this young man, who resists your commands, never to attempt such a thing again. Rather, let a bronze oven be brought in, and let sharp obelisks be fixed on either side of it, and soon you shall know whether Eleutherius has obeyed or perished miserably." Saying these things, he did not perceive that he was trying to frighten a lion with the blows of a reed. Nevertheless, these things pleased the emperor; and when the machine was quickly finished, the martyr, lifting his eyes—both those which are seen and those which do not fall under our view—and fixing his whole mind upon heaven, and being as if entirely God-inspired with joy, said: "I give thanks to you, Lord Jesus Christ and God, that you have deemed me worthy of such and so many good things; that you have girded me with strength by your mighty hand; that you have been pleased that I should suffer such things for your name. And now, look down from heaven, and see what things those who hate you are contriving against me; and save me from their arrow, and from the men of blood, for you are good; that all may know that you are the only God, glorious in all the world." Then also, for those who were tormenting him—just as another Stephen prayed for those who were pelting him with stones—he said: "Touch their heart, O Lord, you who are of great mercy, and your holy...

^A will, so that they may know you as the only true God, and may desist from the pernicious worship of idols; for you are blessed unto the ages. Amen."

VII. When Corebus had attended to the martyr praying in this way, he was, as it were, kindled by the coal of piety that had been stored up within him; he was suddenly transformed by a most beautiful change, and, as if he were not the same man who had only a little while before been devising tortures against the martyr, he approached the emperor. "For what wrongdoing," he said, "or for what crime is Eleutherius afflicted with these penalties? Or for what cause is he sentenced to so bitter a death?" The emperor, thoroughly moved by this unexpected hearing, looked fiercely at Corebus and said, "Are you the man whom I know, Corebus? And what has come over you, or what has been done to you? Has gold received from his mother taken hold of you, and so suddenly changed you? How many things, indeed, given to you by many others, could ever be compared to my gifts, you whom I have rendered blessed in Rome with my own wealth and glory, and with my own intimacy and company? But if you desire more, you may enjoy ours to the full; all my treasuries are open to you. Scoop from them with both hands, and do not betray yourself in this way, taken by theft from a woman and bought with a little gold." ^B But Corebus, now completely filled with the good Spirit, and having his mind illuminated by the martyr's prayers, cried out that admirable and praiseworthy thing, saying, "May your price go with you into perdition! As for your money, let it be a source of the fire that awaits you. Why do you voluntarily go blind, and why do you attempt to move things that are immovable? And this, even though you have learned by experience that not one of your gods is able to save anyone from among those here who are cast into the fire. But the One whom Eleutherius worships renders him more powerful than the fire and than any other torture."

VIII. It is impossible to say with what anger and madness of words the tyrant was filled. For strong friendships are indeed accustomed to produce equally strong enmities. Therefore, he even orders the prefect to be punished in the same furnace in which he himself had advised that Eleutherius should be punished. When he approached the torment, Corebus cried to the martyr, "Pray for me, and arm me with those arms, namely the sign of Christ, with which you armed the army commander, Felix." Thus, armed by the martyr and immediately cast into the furnace, Corebus ^C himself also remained similarly unvanquished by the fire. Hadrian, however, weary of these tortures, condemns him to be beheaded. And so, for Corebus, the end of martyrdom thus succeeds; and he who is desired by many from the ages, here in a short time snatched the treasure. But what happened after this with Eleutherius? First, he was cast into the furnace; then, he was pierced, as it seemed, by obelisks. But immediately the furnace was extinguished, as before; and the points of the obelisks were turned away, honoring the martyr's flesh in a certain way and refuting the blindness of the soul of him who was punishing; furthermore, they drew many of those who were standing by to the knowledge of the God who was performing these miracles, who also cried out, "Great is the God of the Christians, who is preached to us ^D through Eleutherius."

LIFE OF S. ELEUTHERIUS

^A IX. Once again, doubt and great sorrow overtake the tyrant. At that time, he hands the martyr over into custody; but afterward, having consulted with those who obeyed him throughout the whole day as to where and in what manner Eleutherius should undergo his punishment, he decided upon the place to be the prison and the method to be the most miserable one: namely, through hunger. And after these things were determined, he struggled with hunger in the prison for many days. But He who once provided food for Daniel [*] and for Elijah [*] through a bird, also fed this man through a dove, and filled his soul with good things. And he indeed gave thanks to God that he had been considered worthy of the same things as these great men. But the tyrant raged, and because his scheme had been proven to be weak, he was exasperated; and therefore he orders wild horses, not in the least bit tame, to be bound under a yoke, and Eleutherius to be bound with them, so that since the horses were untrained to ^B the yoke and wild, and were greatly disturbed by the noise of the chariot and running erratically, the martyr, being dashed against stones and other things, might have his flesh torn apart, and being cut limb from limb, might yield up his soul. But just as he did not tire of working toward corruption, so neither did Christ fail in managing things toward salvation. For an angel, descending from heaven, suddenly made those wild horses tame and, having released Eleutherius, placed him in the chariot, and, directing the horses toward the mountain adjacent to the city, caused the martyr to ascend gently and smoothly. Another miraculous thing also befell him in this. For when the martyr had reached the mountain and was praising God as was his habit, bears and lions, and whatever other wild beasts there were, ^C approached, circled the servant of God, and fawned upon him; and as if understanding his voice, they strove both to join in the praise and to worship, and they signified this by bowing to the ground, and by lifting their feet into the air, and by the general posture of their bodies.

X. And the beasts did indeed fill out the chorus in this way, just as if the martyr were the leader and conductor of the choir; and when he began to sing, they too, filling out the dance, leapt around and as it were answered him, following their master as much as they were able to do so, in an admirable way. But Adrianus did not respect the intelligence not only of the martyr, but not even of the beasts themselves. But when he had come to hear them, this same Adrianus was more unintelligent and savage than many beasts and asses alike. For many who were employed in the hunt, when they had seen these things with their own eyes, reported them to the emperor, but he was, as the proverb says, an ass listening to a lyre. He not only became no better from the miracle, but he also sent forth armed soldiers, who were soon to seize Eleutherius. But the beasts did not maintain the same respect for them; rather, as those who accurately knew how to distinguish the friends and enemies of their master, the moment they saw them, they rushed upon them most swiftly.

^A Thus speaking, he followed them willingly; and many times along the way, while discoursing with them and kindly exhorting and teaching them, he caused the light of truth to shine upon many of them.

XI. The Martyrdom of Saint Eleutherius

When he reached Rome, the emperor convened a vast assembly, wishing to have many witnesses of the martyr’s destruction. But the outcome was contrary to what the emperor expected; for those who were present were witnesses not of the martyr's execution, but rather, and clearly beyond any dispute, witnesses of the power of Christ that was in him. For a lioness, a very fierce one, was let loose upon him; she rushed toward the saint with great violence like a missile, yet not in order to tear Eleutherius apart or to harm him with even a slight bite, but rather to embrace his feet with great affection. ^B This she did by running up to him; for she bowed her neck to his feet and licked his footprints with her tongue, and she seemed to be grieved that she did not also possess a human voice with which to join the martyr in praising piety. Not even these things, however, persuaded the emperor, who was hard-hearted like Pharaoh, to learn piety from them; but as though judging the beast for weakness because it was female, he ordered that a male also be set upon the martyr. ^C But he, as if vying with the female and wishing to appear no less kindly toward the champion, pushes her aside, and he himself, rushing up, clings to the martyr's feet, fastens himself to them, licks them, leaps about, and by his gestures, looks, and movements declares his affection. Of those who watched these things, those who saw with the eyes of their souls cried out immediately that the God of Eleutherius is great; but those who were blinded by impiety called the saint a deceiver and a sorcerer. But it was absolutely necessary that the deceitful lips be stopped, as the divine David said, which spoke iniquity against the righteous in pride and contempt; ^D and so they were indeed stopped, and they fell into the final silence; for, struck invisibly while they were yet speaking, they immediately found death as the wages of their blasphemy.

XII. The Martyrdom of Anthia, Mother of Saint Eleutherius

The iniquitous emperor, however, brought to total bewilderment when he saw everything yielding to the intention and grace of the athlete, condemned him to death by the sword. And so those who were the ministers of this act immediately slew him with the sword. Then, his mother, who was clinging to his neck and who adhered to him more by heart than by voice—speaking nothing womanish or maternal, nor anything unworthy of such a son, but rather being even more radiant at his struggles—the impious ones, having seized her from her child

nor was she unworthy of such a son, but she rejoiced and gloried in his struggles: the impious ones mercilessly put to death her who was clinging to her son. What indeed was more fitting? That they should have acted as they did, being wicked, or that she should have suffered as she did, being pious toward God and loving toward her son? Or that, with her son dying in this way, she should have died also, and that the mother, who had so beautifully reared him, should not be absent from the rewards of her son; but that together they should be presented before the common Lord, and remain with Him—as the holy Scripture says, "The mother rejoicing over her children"? ^B XIII. But the pious ones present from Illyricum, having gathered their relics with all speed, made this known to the faithful who were in Rome and who were anxiously concerned about them; and they shared [the intelligence]. And so, having anointed and wrapped both of them, and having honored them as is fitting, they buried them piously—a possession for Christians that cannot be taken away, a ready remedy for driving away diseases and evil spirits, to the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, of the one simple and uncreated Godhead, to whom is due glory, power, honor, and worship, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.

* Psal. CXVII, 9.

MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY, GLORIOUS, GREAT MARTYR AND TROPHY-BEARER GEORGE

^C I. At the time when the cloud of idolatry was shrouding the inhabited world, and nearly all men were setting out with accelerated pace toward impiety—those who were then guiding the imperial rule, Diocletian and Maximian, were among the most superstitious and audacious of all the pagans of every age. These men, considering it a great and most important achievement to greatly increase the godlessness, summoned all those in authority and deliberated with them in common regarding this matter; and, since they saw that they were ^D walking the same path as themselves and

^A making haste to confirm their resolutions by deed, letters and proclamations were sent out with great speed across the entire inhabited world: requiring that everyone honor the so-called gods—that is, the hand-made idols and abominations—with every sacrifice (for it seemed to those senseless men that, through them, both power was distributed to kings and salvation to all men); and that all who confessed themselves to be Christians, upon being brought to the tribunal and not renouncing this confession, should be subjected to frequent tortures, and thereafter receive the death sentence as the recompense for their piety.

II. Then, indeed, there shone the admirable soldier of Christ, the great George—truly the "husbandman" of Christ—who, representing a kind of radiant star, appeared in the darkness of godlessness. His fatherland was Cappadocia, his parents were among the illustrious, and he was nurtured in Palestine; embracing the piety of his ancestors, most pious and noble from his forebears, he was young in years but old in wisdom, simple in heart, and burning with zeal against the impious. Having therefore been well trained in military matters, he was appointed commander of the Invincible cohort; and when the emperor was waging war against the Persians, ^B George, yielding to the occasion, became renowned in that brief war for his mighty hand. At the time when it was necessary for the emperor to undertake the war against the Persians, the opportunity itself summoned him, whereby he engaged in feats no small in measure, and became known for having a marvelous boldness in wars.

III. But when he was desirous of attaining a higher dignity, he found not that which he was seeking, but that of which he was worthy, in such a way had divine providence ordained it. For having taken the inheritance devolved upon him from his fathers, and having arrived before those reigning at the time, he experienced something similar to the lot of Saul. For the one, while seeking donkeys, obtained a kingdom; the other, while desiring worldly glory, obtained the kingdom of heaven. And how is the explanation clear? For upon arriving, as has been said, and seeing God dishonored and demons honored, he was inflamed in his soul with the zeal of godliness; and bringing to mind the words of David, when he says that he was consumed at the sight of the senseless, because he was suffering similar things due to the negligence of his enemies concerning the divine words; and then, remembering the words of the Master at the right time—which clearly promise that to those who confess Him before men, He will generously return the confession before the Father—he hastened as quickly as possible to seize the promise and to secure for himself the Master’s debt. ^C

IV. But since he also wished to enter through the narrow gate, seeing the obstacle of wealth—which, however, he wished to use as an auxiliary for good works—he distributed it to the hands of the poor. Furthermore, he put on the heavy armor with which Paul arms the faithful in the Spirit; and girt his loins with truth, and clothed himself with the breastplate of righteousness, ^D and placed the helmet of salvation upon his head, and covered his feet to announce the Gospel of peace; then the shield of faith, and

taking up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and having fenced himself ^A safely as far as was possible in every way, he proceeded to the war against impiety.

V. Having found that those who held the name and title of ruling and commanding were themselves more powerfully ruled by impiety, and that crowds of torture instruments were set out, not against those who lived wickedly (as was right) and did injustice, but rather against those who lived piously; and that they themselves were not pronouncing anything god-fearing or just, but only what spurred on toward impiety and the worship of demons (for what else is the adoration of falsely-named gods?), and furthermore that they were threatening with death, without any mercy, anyone who so much as mentioned the name of Christ ^B to those before them; filled with zeal in his soul, and considering the threatened tortures for Christ’s sake to be delights rather than blows, showing a bold and leonine impulse, he cut through the crowd, and coming into the midst, he proclaimed himself a Christian and a servant of Christ.

VI. This boldness of speech, and this courage and daring of the martyr, the crowd of the impetuous not only saw, but they were also powerfully struck with amazement. Yet the noble man, even more boldly, confessed Christ as the one true God, while the idols honored by them, and those who were gods in name only, he both spat upon and mocked, and made them the object of violent laughter for the many. Even so, the tyrants who heard these things were of varied mind; for at one time they wondered at the man of such boldness, at another they threatened, and at another they approached him with flatteries, ^C so that according to the divine David, their words seemed on the one hand to be like arrows, and on the other to be smoother than oil. For they judged his youth and beauty worthy of all mercy and sparing; they clearly set forth a preferred life, promised honors, and reminded him of wealth and luxury. But when they found him not at all inclining toward these humane and soft things, they changed and threatened tortures, as well as forms of terror, and furthermore the end of life in bitter death.

VII. But when they saw him firm and unshaken in all things, imitating the house of the wise man, which is not shaken by winds, nor swept away by rivers, nor flooded by rains—and this—according to the saying, like a lion ^D before razors, or like a mountain being proclaimed—they brought a trial upon him, and attempted to disturb and terrify the dauntless one; they ordered that, having been hung upon a tree, his stomach be pierced with a spear. And while they were engaging in the task, he, as if rejoicing in the blows, leaving aside those who were striking him, directed his words all the more to God, and was manifest in offering thanks to Him for the punishment. "I give thanks," he said, "to Thee, Master and God, that Thou art preparing me to be worthy of Thy benefits"

Thus he spoke, and the spear immediately bent like lead, yielding itself easily to the non-consenting transgressors, and becoming, as it were, obedient, but in no way useful to those ^A wishing to harm the Saint.

VIII. But the enemies, having been inflamed to greater anger—for they clearly judged it to be a defeat not to be able to punish him—looked toward more severe torments. Accordingly, he was led off to prison until they could devise a new instrument of torture. And not wishing to give his soul and body rest even in this, they bound his feet with shackles ^B and placed a great stone upon his chest. Yet even so, he gave thanks to God again, and he prayed that the stone placed upon him for punishment might become a support for his heart, and that it might confirm his confession to be firm and immovable.

IX. Then, on the following day, Diocletian the cruel contemplated an even more severe form of torture. It was an instrument of torment worthy of his own dark and demonic soul, most frightful to behold and altogether most painful to endure. A wheel of immense size was fashioned, embedded with very sharp blades, which, by a certain ingenious method, was made to move and spin, instantly rendering the one condemned to be tied to it bloodless and mangled by the blades. The Saint was stretched out upon it, entirely naked and bound; but ^C having strengthened his heart with prayer and faith in Christ, and being full of hope that he would surely receive greater rewards for greater torments—if Paul is worthy of belief when he says that each will receive his own reward according to his own labor—he remained noble and steadfast. As he was spun and whirled around, and dreadfully mangled by the blades, he became an object of mockery and derision to those standing around, who, looking only to the present, said, "Where now is the God of George, and why does He not come to rescue him from our hands?" ^D As even these things harmonize with the words of David, who says, "While my bones were being crushed, my enemies reproached me, while they said to me every day, 'Where is your God?'" Those foolish ones were not able to understand, as the wise Solomon predicts to those who suffer hardship for the fear of the Lord, saying, "Then there shall be healing for your body and care for your bones." And in very truth, healing and an admirable remedy came to him; and how, listen.

X. The torturers, having fastened the holy man to the wheel in such a manner, withdrew, as hunger called them to their customary liturgy—those, I mean, who, through the eating of bread, devour the people of Christ—but the Saint, as had been ordered, remained bound to the wheel, and not unwillingly. After a short time, a voice sent from heaven and divinely revealed, which called the athlete by name, was heard. A little later, an angel of God with easy effort loosened his bonds and completely healed his wounds, and furthermore, his friend and fellow-countryman from the inner

^A spirit calls [him]. And in this place indeed the saying of divine David is fulfilled: «The angel of the Lord shall encamp round about them that fear him, and shall deliver them.»

XI. George, having thereafter rejoiced over all these things, glorified the Lord, saying: «I will exalt thee, O God, my King, and I will praise thy name for ever. I will ever glorify my God, the God who gladdened my youth.» Then the saint, setting himself before the king and the others who were offering sacred rites to inanimate gods, said with a clear voice: «Consider, I say, who I am, whom you had devoted to destruction, and who is He that delivered me from your dire torments. Recognize Him, and believe that He is the true God, ceasing to attend to gods who are unable to bring aid not only to others, but even to themselves.» The king heard these things, and having cast his eyes upon the martyr, he inquired who he might be, and regarding the sight, he began to be in doubt. For how was it reasonable to believe that he, having broken his bonds and being healed of his incurable wounds, showed no trace of punishment on his body?

^B XII. Afterwards, appearing publicly to those who were not entirely blinded in their eyes and minds, ^C he announced himself to be George, and was believed to be a witness of the truth, having become the author of salvation for many and a true harbinger of faith in Christ; and first of all to the others, to those who were the first to behold his manifestation, I mean the generals Anatolius and Protoleon. They, having openly proclaimed one true God to be that of the Christians, were condemned to be beheaded in desert places along with the others who had believed with them, and this they had as the reward of their piety, to suffer what it was far more worthy for those who had passed the judgment to suffer. But being led away to the place of consummation, all with one voice and intent, cried out: «Lord Jesus Christ, receive our souls in peace; and if for this acknowledgement of the faith in Thee we are put to death, ^D account it unto justice and for the remission of our sins, and establish us under Thy kingdom which has no succession.» Having spoken thus, they awaited the end of their martyrdom. The Empress Alexandra was also found to have imitated the good soil, and having received the seeds and the beginnings from the divine George, she cultivated the faith in Christ into a rich harvest; she, having for the present gained a little boldness for piety, and having confessed herself a Christian, remained thus, nourishing within herself pious thoughts.

XIII. However, the anger of the king, provoked against the martyr, was most hot, and again compelled him to deliver him to torment. Thus he ordered him to be covered in asbestos, which it is customary to call unquenchable—or, to speak more truly, newly ignited—and he ordered guards to be stationed all around, so that no act of kindness might be performed for him, nor any harm whatsoever [be done] to him by his own [kinsmen]. The order stood thus; and three days having passed, the king, as for

^A one who judged by the facts, thought he was dead and had undergone complete decay; for this reason, he ordered soldiers to go and take up the bones with haste and make them disappear, openly envying the Christians for the great grace that came from them—for he knew how much these things were valued by those who chose to honor piety. When, therefore, they removed the asbestos laid upon him, he—O, wonder most strange!—was found not only alive, but completely unharmed, as if he had not dealt with any of those who caused him pain, but had rather been covered by roses or the softest of flowers.

XIV. This great miracle—and I say it is not far to be thought incredible among the infinite miracles of Christ—those who were present and happened to see (for many had gathered to watch the martyr) cried out, "Great is the God of the Christians!" This induced Queen Alexandra to speak openly and utter the same cry; this also caused the soldiers who had been sent to collect the bones to believe. ^B And when he was brought to the king, astonishment seized him, and he was struck with fear; indeed, he even asked him as he stood there, "Who is the cause of your life, speak!" And he said, "If you hear it and do not believe, what need is there of empty words? But let it be clear to you, O king, that Christ, the Son of God, shields both me and all who have believed in Him with invisible wings, and rescues us from every harmful thing."

XV. The profane ear could not bear words so free and full of malice; therefore, he repaid his truth with evil once more. He ordered him to be driven ^C in iron shoes, with sharp nails protruding, which had been heated by fire. But he, being unable to run, as if instilling courage into himself and being urged to run beyond human limits, said, "Run, George, run the course of the contest with eagerness!" Then, having asked for help from Christ with tears, and for perseverance until the end—saying, "Lest the enemy say, 'I have prevailed over him'"—he immediately received quick comfort. And as the Divine Scripture says, "The seasonable light shone forth for him," and remedies were suddenly at hand: for, having heard a voice sounding from above, he was filled with eagerness and became entirely whole. But since he needed more crowns for the steadfastness of his thoughts and the greatness of his soul, and the generous right hand of Christ was preparing to provide greater rewards, the prison received him again.

XVI. Then, on the following day, when he underwent a new examination, the king said, "How long will you resist our commands, and that through pride, having used sorceries and enchantments by which you did not hesitate to deceive the people themselves?" To these things the martyr, looking upon the king and those present with eyes full of noble generosity, said, "I, whom you have handed over to death, and a death so cruel and inescapable, I myself now stand in your midst—an irrefutable witness to the power of my Christ. I have esteemed the torments I have suffered as nothing; and whatsoever other thing you may bring upon me, I will bear without fear. But what do you hope for, who worship vain idols? Are you not ashamed to be the cause of destruction for others also? Nay, you call men who are drunkards, dissolute in morals, murderers, and who by this sole con-

concern have lived this short life, though now they are punished by eternal fire for evermore—a fate that awaits all who worship them.

[Z] XVII. The tyrant was once more seized with rage at these words; and again the noble George was scourged and mercilessly beaten with ox-hide thongs. The holy man endured this punishment with such great patience that the word of the divine David was fulfilled in him: "The scourges were gathered together against me, and I knew not" (Ps. LXVIII, 15). Since he was scourged for a long time in such a manner, and bore the stripes so very bravely that those beating him grew more exhausted than he, and because he gave no sign, even by a glance, of yielding or softness, the tyrant himself grew weary and, showing that he was overcome by the martyr’s endurance, said: "How long, tell me, will you continue this vain display of pride, depriving yourself of many good things and becoming the cause of many evils, while refusing to be persuaded by us?" Having heard these things, the divine George said, "Would that you, O king, were rather persuaded by me and worshipped with us the one God, who is in very truth Life itself and is able to grant life. For why should He [God] and those who are alive, as you wrongly call those whom you honor, be compared to the dead?"

^C XVIII. Then Magnentius, who held the second rank of honor after Diocletian, approached the king and, having conferred with him, requested that the martyr be spared further stripes and brought close to him. "But surely, George," he said, "if you wish us to believe in your God, you must show some work as a pledge of faith, such as raising one of the dead now lying in the neighboring tomb; for if this were done, we would not hesitate to change over to your religion." Such things did Magnentius put forward, imagining that he was setting a trial for the martyr that was laborious and difficult, or rather entirely impossible, so that from this he might not unreasonably mock those of our faith (for the word of the cross, as the divine Paul says, is to them that perish foolishness). But to George, this was as easy as if one were to command an eagle to fly, a dolphin to swim, or, if you will, were to order a sleeping man to wake up. For he knew that for Him who by His will alone brought the universe from nothing into being, nothing would stand in the way of breathing life into dead bones.

^D XIX. Therefore, having knelt down and offered his pious adoration to God, and then having arisen, he lifted his eyes—I mean not only his physical eyes but the eyes of his mind—on high. Having prayed to Him whom he had glorified with his own limbs, and whose truthful promise he knew—that He would himself in a God-befitting manner glorify those who glorify Him—he immediately raised one of the dead who were lying there. As a result, many of the bystanders, both of the common folk and the soldiers, believed. The emperor himself, however, though struck with wonder, openly called the holy man a sorcerer and labeled the deed an act of sorcery. Wherefore he ordered a certain Athanasius to be summoned—a man famous for the magic art—who might render the truth a mockery.

But he was none the less easily confuted by the martyr, just as those were who formerly were thought to perform counter-miracles against Moses. For this reason, many of the Greeks, and indeed this very Athanasius—he who was greatly practiced in sorcery—having most readily condemned the error of the idols, ran warmly to the light of piety; and these, though ordered by the tyrant to suffer thus, received death by the sword together with him who had been raised from the dead, having first received the seal in Christ from the hand of the Saint.

^B XX. The idolaters, however, remained unmoved, persisting in their ways and practicing evil arts. For although the miracle had taken place, they were far from embracing piety or wishing to know who the doer of these things might be. Instead, they in no way hastened to know the truth; rather, they repaid the worshiper of the Truth with evil, and the God-haters shut him up in prison again. Yet they did not shut up along with him the grace bestowed upon the holy man. For the multitude of believers gathered there, and by offering money to the guards, they managed to look upon the face of the Saint and truly became partakers ^C of manifold graces. For as many as were laboring under diseases were led by their relatives to the prison doors, where they obtained the desired health. Among them was a certain Glycerius, a poor rustic, whose ox had just perished while he was plowing. He came forward to the martyr and, shedding many tears, moved George. But though not rich in substance, he was not poor in piety, inasmuch as he possessed a fertile soul, fit to receive the seed of piety (for he kept saying that Christ could do these things, as the only true God). The holy man said to him therefore: "If you believe, you shall go and find your ox alive."

XXI. Since he went and found it so, having despised the Jewish rite, he becomes a Samaritan ^D of this sort, and returns to the healer, his feet moving on the journey while his lips were occupied with thanksgiving and the proclamation of the healthy faith. For this reason, then, he is not left to have poverty as his companion as before, but a great and inalienable wealth is given to him; for he was no longer lord of a few acres of land, but inherited the whole of paradise. And how, hear now. As he was returning from the prison and the martyr, the impious ministers of wickedness met him; and having learned how he championed the cause of the Christians and proclaimed it openly, they seized him and brought him before the emperor. The emperor, not having deigned to grant him the customary interrogation, nor even having inquired into the cause of his change, was ready and harsh regarding the cutting off of those who heard [him]; for he ordered him to be cut down immediately by the sword. And thus he was made perfect—a man who, while poor, was worthy of no zeal, but whose end was worthy of all emulation—having become a martyr suddenly and having been baptized in his own blood.

^A XXII. When the emperor heard that a great multitude was gathering to the martyr in prison and being added to the faith, he could not bear it. Having summoned the saint, he approached him—still angrily and austerely, to be sure, but not entirely so; for, as if the lion’s skin would not suffice, he added to it the fox’s, and, covering his bitter and harsh nature under the pretense of kindness, he once again spoke to him gently and mildly: "By the gods," he said, "if you listen to me, George, and come and offer sacrifice, you will find good things from the good, you will be master of great riches, and you will have no one after me who holds higher honor than you. For I care for you and your noble appearance, and I have great pity for your youth, and I prefer that you live rather than be destroyed by a bitter death." Thus spoke the emperor, persuaded by his friend Magnentius, who had told him that this final conversation with the saint would be as therapeutic as possible. ^B But the martyr, finding this to be a fair-minded defense, as it were, replied: "If you had said these things first, they might have had their place; but now, after so many tortures, if indeed we were to be persuaded, what could you possibly do to measure up to the suffering I have endured?" The emperor, snatching at this as a godsend with such delight—inasmuch as it showed a certain hope that he might be persuaded—said, "As a father loves his child, grant me this: come and offer sacrifice to the gods, for thus you will have them propitious and will secure for yourself the very best." And the martyr said, "If this is your resolve, O Emperor, it is time to go to the gods."

^C XXIII. When Diocletian heard this, he immediately sent out edicts everywhere for everyone to gather with him at the temple—all who were in positions of authority, those of the citizenry, and those of the army—commanding the herald to proclaim brightly that George, the man well-regarded among the Galileans, was coming to offer sacrifice to Apollo. Immediately, therefore, all the Greeks, exulting with applause and hymns, praised the emperor and his god Apollo as the victor. And when they were inside the temple and silence had fallen, the saint gave close attention to the statue which was of Apollo and, looking at it, said: "Are you a god, and are men required to worship you?" ^D The evil spirit indwelling it immediately, as though becoming submissive through fear of the saint—and, though it was a lover of lies, it was compelled against its will to proclaim the truth—said, "I am not a god, nor are those who dwell in the temple with me; rather, Christ is the one true God." Then the martyr said, "And if you are not gods, then why, when you are suffering, do you deceive men into regarding you as gods? And how have you even dared to endure [it] at all, while I, the servant of Christ, am present here?" When the martyr had said these things, and as if he had brandished the sign of the Cross against them like an invincible weapon, immediate turmoil arose, and a cry and wailing went up from the temple as the demons fled; the idols themselves, as if taken by some powerful hand, fell one upon another and were carried away, and were ground into dust.

XXIV. What then? Great despondency seized the emperor and those around him, but ineffable joy seized the faithful, and they were the more confirmed in the truth—and before all others, Empress Alexandra, who, having been filled from this with greater boldness,

^A rejoiced greatly in the derision of the idols. The emperor, therefore, having been seized with anger—and also because he saw the multitudes of the faithful being all the more strengthened toward godliness—cast off that feigned kindness and openly displayed that true Diocletian. Looking upon the martyr with a fierce and mad gaze, he said: "Is it with such sacrifices, O you who are perishing miserably, that you promised to honor the savior gods? With such offerings to greet them? But verily you shall not rejoice for long, nor shall you mock the invincible gods; you will not prevail with such sorceries." To which the martyr, with much decorum and prudence, replied: "I, O emperor, am not caught in having spoken any falsehood; but what was my purpose from the beginning, this I have been eager to keep to this day: namely, to serve my God alone, and to offer to Him a living, holy, and pleasing sacrifice, as the divine Paul says. And why? Do not the things themselves cry out that what is worshipped by you is error and falsehood, and merely names devoid of reality?"

XXV. ^B The tyrant, seeing that all his efforts were in vain, and considering it superfluous and foolish to devise further torments on top of the many and harsh ones already used—for he risked appearing ridiculous himself and accomplishing nothing by the tortures taking place, while the martyr appeared all the more glorious—gave the sentence against him, saying: "Georgius, that obstinate pursuer of the empty glory of the Christians, and despiser of the savior gods, who is not persuaded to change his mind either by the threat of terrors or by the promise of rewards, and who, moreover, has led astray the Empress Alexandra, let him suffer death by the sword along with her." Such a verdict having been given, those tasked with carrying it out took them up and proceeded outside the city to the place of execution. ^C But Empress Alexandra, keeping to the road and calling God to mind in due season, was entirely absorbed in prayer—as the movement of her lips and the lifting of her eyes to heaven sufficiently indicated—and before arriving at the place, she ^D released her holy soul to the judgment of Him whose judgments are an unfathomable abyss.

XXVI. And George, the martyr of Christ, having already arrived at the place, asked the executioners to release him for a little while, having requested this final favor from his enemies; and having obtained it, he stretched himself out in prayer, and lifting his eye toward heaven, he cried out from the depths of his heart: "My Lord God, upon whom I was cast from the womb, in whom I have hoped, and in whom I have trusted to prepare myself for this contest, O sweet hope, true promise, sinless love of holy souls, to whose kindness our hearts confide, who satisfies the desires of the mind before they are even uttered; strengthen me to endure this contest unto the end ^D which I have undertaken for the sake of your confession, and receive my soul, and having kept it safe from the wicked and aerial spirits, number it with those who have pleased You from the ages. Forgive this people, O Master, for all they have committed against me in ignorance, and make them worthy of the knowledge of Your true self, for You are blessed unto the ages."

^A XXVII. Then, after his prayer, having knelt and stretched out his neck, he received both the sword and the crown at the same time: the former from those who hate the truth, the latter from Him who crowns the athletes of piety, to whom he also entrusted his holy soul on the twenty-third day of the month of April. Having finished the race, having kept the faith, having shown himself a truly noble warrior, he raised up a trophy that shone more brightly against error than against his enemies. For this reason, he also obtained a crown, not some corruptible one offered by a corruptible hand, but an incorruptible one from the Incorruptible One, whom he had already proved to be not only his crown but also his ally and companion in his struggles. For to Christ belongs the power and the glory, with the Father who is without beginning and with the life-creating Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST MARK OF ALEXANDRIA

^A I. At that time, when the apostles were dispersed throughout the whole world, it came to pass by the divine will that the most holy Mark should go into the region of Egypt. The canons of the holy and apostolic Church have proclaimed him to be the Evangelist, because he was the first to preach, in the whole region of Egypt, Libya, Marmarica, Ammonica, and Pentapolis, the Gospel of the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which he himself had written. For that entire land was filled with people who, being uncircumcised in heart and most hardened, served idols and were full of every impurity, and worshipers of unclean spirits. For in every city and province, they set up temples and groves. Even the movements of the stars, and magic arts, and every power of the demons were exercised among them; all of which our Lord Jesus, when He had come into that region, ^B revealed would be dissolved and overturned.

II. When, therefore, the divine evangelist Mark had arrived at the city of Cyrene in Pentapolis, and had spoken the word of the beginning of Christ to them, and had performed great miracles among them (for he healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, and cast out fierce spirits by the word of grace), many believed in our Lord Jesus Christ through him, and caused their idols to be cast to the ground; and they were illuminated, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. There, then, it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit to go up to Pharitic Alexandria and to sow the good seed of God. The blessed evangelist Mark, like a noble and brave athlete, proceeded toward the arena with a ready mind. And when he had greeted the brethren, he said, "My Lord has spoken to me that I should go to the city of the Alexandrians." The brethren accompanied him until he had entered the ship; and when they had tasted a morsel of bread, ^C praying well for him and escorting him, they said: "May the Lord Jesus Christ make your journey prosperous."

^A III. The blessed Mark arrived in Alexandria on the second day; and having disembarked from the ship, he went to a certain place called Mendion. As he entered through the gate of the city, his sandal immediately broke. The blessed apostle, realizing this, said: "Truly, the road is loose." Seeing a cobbler, he handed him the sandal; the cobbler, while using his awl, struck his own left hand and cried out: "God is One!" The blessed Mark, hearing "God is One," smiled to himself and said: "The Lord has made my way prosperous." And having spat on the ground, he made clay from the spittle and smeared it on the man's hand, saying: "In the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, which is to the ages, be whole." And immediately the man's hand was healed. The cobbler, having observed the power of the man, and the efficacy of his word, and his ascetic appearance, said to him: "I beseech you, man of God, come and lodge today at the house of your servant, and let us eat a morsel of bread together, since you have shown me mercy this day." ^B The blessed Mark, becoming overjoyed, said: "May the Lord grant you the bread of heavenly life." The man insistently urged the apostle, and joyfully brought him into his house.

IV. Having entered, the blessed Mark said: "Let the blessing of the Lord be here; let us grow, brethren." And they prayed together, and after the prayer they reclined. When they had been kindly received, the man said: "Father, I beseech you, who are you, and whence comes this word so powerful within you?" Saint Mark said: "I am a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God." The man said: "I desired to see Him." The holy martyr of Christ, Mark, said: "I will show Him to you yourself." And saint Mark began to make a beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of Abraham, and to show him the things concerning His prophets. ^C The man said: "I beseech you, sir, I have never heard the scriptures of which you speak, but the Iliad and the Odyssey, and all that the sons of the Egyptians are taught." Then saint Mark began to preach Christ to him, and to show him that the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. ^D The man believed in God because of the signs and wonders spoken by Mark, and he himself was enlightened, and his whole house, and a great multitude of that place. And the name of that man was Anianus.

V. But as the number of those who believed in the Lord grew, the nobles of the city heard that a certain Galilean had arrived there, who was overturning the sacrifices of the gods and hindering their worship. For this reason they sought to kill him and laid many snares for him. When the holy Mark became aware of the plots

^A of those people, having ordained Ananias as bishop and three presbyters, Malchus, Sabinus, and Cerdo, and seven deacons, and eleven others for the ecclesiastical ministry, he fled and departed again to the Pentapolis. And having spent two years there, and having strengthened the brothers there, and having ordained bishops and clergy throughout that region, he returned to Alexandria and found the brothers there increased in grace and in the knowledge of God. They had built a church for themselves in the places called Bucolu, by the sea, beneath some cliffs; and the righteous man rejoiced greatly, and falling upon his knees, he glorified God.

^B VI. When a considerable time had passed, and the Christians were increasing, and were mocking the idols and deriding the Greeks, the Greeks learned that the holy evangelist Mark had arrived there, and they were filled with zeal because they heard of the miracles that he performed; for he healed the sick, cleansed lepers, brought glad tidings to the deaf, and granted sight to many blind. And they sought to seize him, but they could not find him; and they gnashed their teeth against him, and in the celebrations of their idols they cried out against him, saying, "Many are the violences of this magician."

^C VII. It came to pass that our blessed festival of Easter fell on the holy Sunday, the 26th of Pharmuthi, the 8th before the Kalends of May, which is the 24th of April, on which day there was also their Serapian celebration. Having found such an opportunity, they sent hired men, who found him celebrating the prayers of the divine oblation. And having seized him, they cast a rope about his neck and thus dragged him, saying, "We are dragging this buffalo to the stalls of Bucolu." But the holy Mark, as he was being dragged, gave thanks to the Savior Christ, saying, "I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that I have been counted worthy to suffer these things for your name." And his flesh was falling to the earth, and the stones were stained with his blood.

^D VIII. When evening came, they cast him into prison, intending to decide among themselves by what death they should take him away. In the middle of the night, with the doors shut and the guards lying before the doors, behold, a great earthquake occurred; for an angel of the Lord, having descended from heaven, touched him, saying, "Mark, servant of God, chief of the saints who are in the land of Egypt, behold, your name is written in the book of eternal life and you are numbered with the holy apostles; behold, your memorial shall not be forgotten into eternity. You shall be a fellow-chorister of the powers above in the heavens; the archangels shall receive your spirit and your remains to the earth shall not

^A perish." Having seen this vision, the blessed Mark stretched out his hands and said: "I thank you, my Lord Jesus Christ, that you have not abandoned me, but have numbered me among your saints. I pray you, Lord Jesus Christ, receive my soul in peace and do not reject me from your grace." And when he had said this, the Lord Jesus came to him in the form in which He was with His disciples, and in the appearance He had before He suffered the cross and was buried, and He says to him: "Peace be with you, my Mark, my evangelist." And the blessed Mark said: "Peace be with you, my Lord Jesus Christ."

^B IX. But when morning had come, the multitude of the city came again and, having brought him out of the prison, they cast a rope again about his neck and dragged him, saying: "Let us drag the buffalo to the cowherd’s stable." But the blessed Mark was offering even greater thanks to the Almighty Lord Jesus Christ, saying: "Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit." And having said this, he yielded up his spirit. But the multitude of the impious Greeks, having kindled a fire in the place called the Angels, burned the relics of the just man. Then, by the providence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a whirlwind descended, and a great storm of wind arose, and the sun withheld its rays, and there was a great sound of thunder and very much rain mixed with hail until evening, ^C so that many buildings fell and not a few men died. Struck with fear at this event, they abandoned the relics of the saint and fled. But others, mocking, said that their thrice-blessed Serapis had brought about this visitation upon the man because of his own birthday.

X. Then religious men and just men came and gathered the relics of the just man from the ashes and brought them where he used to perform his prayers and psalms, and they buried him as was the custom of the city. They deposited the relics in an illustrious place hewn from stone, honoring his memory with sobriety and prayers, as they possessed nothing more precious in the city of Alexandria, and they placed them facing the East. ^D The blessed Mark, the evangelist and first martyr of our Lord Jesus Christ, fell asleep in Alexandria in Egypt on the thirtieth day of the month of Pharmuthi by the Egyptian calendar, which for the Romans is the seventh day before the Kalends of May, and for the Hebrews the seventeenth of Nisan, during the reign of Gaius Tiberius Caesar; but for us Christians, under the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and majesty for ever and ever. Amen.

[Manuscript note: A manuscript codex also adds these things: The form of the most blessed Mark was of this sort: long-nosed, with raised eyebrows, beautiful eyes, balding, with a long beard, swift, in excellent physical condition, medium height, sprinkled with gray, a man of continence and affection, full of the grace of God.]

MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY HIEROMARTYR ANTHIMUS, BISHOP OF NICOMEDIA

^A 1. Who does not know how beautifully Nicomedia is situated, and how great is its size, and how great its splendor, and how great its beauty, and that it is the citadel of all the cities of Bithynia? But although it is thus circumstanced, and has advanced to such elegance, it glories more in its own offspring than in all these things. For from it, as a noble branch, was brought forth Anthimus, and he flourished and bore beautiful fruits. For he had just passed beyond the age of childhood, and the grace of upright character bloomed in him; he had already become a youth and had been fashioned with great prudence. And when he was enrolled among men, he harvested the goods that are in men: he conquered his belly, and mastered his anger and his flesh, and spurned this worldly show, and all his time was given over to prayer and to the contemplation of divine things. Moreover, he studiously practiced love, the mother of virtues, and ^B the state of being undistracted, focused upon throughout the whole of his life with the greatest intensity, was perfected in him; and he was so adorned from every side with humility that it was sufficient, even by his mere appearance, to prick the souls of those who were studious of virtue and to lead them to an increase of virtue.

2. Since, therefore, one who lived his life in such a way, and possessed his own virtue as a most vocal herald, could neither be hidden nor escape notice, he is raised to the high seat of the priesthood, and he praises the Lord from the chair of the presbyters; though he had not arrived there suddenly, nor made the priesthood the beginning of his life, but rather, having first distinguished himself in many other degrees and having exercised the virtue appropriate to them, and all these things having borne witness that he was worthy of higher things, thus does he ascend to the great dignity of the priesthood, not pursuing the honor, nor seizing it, but rather being seized by it, even if he himself removed himself far away due to his ^C supreme humility. Then the one who was at that time bishop of the Nicomedians departs from among men; and the Church was widowed of its shepherd and was pitifully mourning its desolation

^A The leaders of the Nicomedians, therefore, and especially those who were the alumni of the Church, bearing very heavily that they were deserted, all decided by common suffrage among themselves that the bishopric should be entrusted to Anthimus. When therefore they had come to the church, they called God to be witness of their election, and prayed earnestly that it might be revealed to them whether their judgment was acceptable to God, and whether they might have divine suffrage supporting and concurring with them in the matter. And behold, a great and marvelous light shone, and a certain divine voice bore witness to Anthimus, and confirmed their suffrage, and exhorted them to bring it to pass. And thus he ^B is set upon the helm of the Church, and the throne receives a worthy man, and the Church receives its own ornament, and lays aside its sadness, having obtained such (according to Paul) an irreproachable and so wise and great a leader.

III.

IV.

finally announced himself to be Anthimus. Hearing this, they were nearly paralyzed, not even daring to look upon his hoary head, as they considered the table, the meal, and the hospitality; yet reflecting again upon the reason and the purpose for which they were to take him before Maximian—namely, to certain and ultimate ruin—this brought greater pain to their souls and made them blush in the presence of Anthimus. ^B For this reason, since they had his own truthful mouth as witness against him, and learned from his own tongue that he was indeed Anthimus, they nevertheless willingly let him go and urged him to depart, for they knew that nothing good would come to him from his arrival at Maximian’s. “It is sufficient for our defense,” they said, “that we have searched extensively throughout all Nicomedia for Anthimus, but could not find him.” But Anthimus, who was always meditating on the commandments of God, the holy man of God, urging and teaching all to speak the truth in their heart and not enduring that they should lie with their lips alone on his account, and furthermore thirsting for death for Christ’s sake, set out with them from there and held to the road.

Having exhorted them much concerning piety and discoursed with them of the things to come, and having smoothed out and leveled whatever was hard or rough in them because of their impiety, and having made clean the field of their souls, ^C ready to receive the seed of piety, he first poured out divine prayers. Then, coming upon a river on the way, he baptized them and resumed his journey, until he arrived at the city and entered the tyrant’s tribunal, his hands bound behind him; for thus, because of his piety, it was fitting that he should appear to the emperor as a criminal, while he extended his mind to the heavens, from whence he hoped help would come to him.

V. The emperor, therefore, wishing to show Anthimus by his very appearance how grave and bitter the danger was that he was about to face, in order that he might find him more pliant at the very beginning, first brought the public instruments prepared for torture into view, and having summoned him, said: “Are you, then, that Anthimus who wanders after the one called Christ, and who leads the many simple and easy-going people into that same error, and who heap countless insults upon our gods?” ^D But he, smiling equally at both the instruments laid out and the words of the tyrant, said: “Know, O emperor, that I would not even have answered you concerning these things, had not the holy and divine teacher Paul persuaded me, teaching us to be ready to give an account to everyone who asks; for God promised us wisdom of speech, ‘to which all our adversaries were not able to resist.’ For as I formerly condemned the crassness of your error concerning idols and the gods of whom you speak, so now, seeing them more clearly and widely,

^A I see your greater and open ignorance, that you hoped to steal me away entirely and turn me from the Creator of all, who honored even you, an ungrateful creature, with His own image. For why have you produced me in bonds before your tribunal and set the instruments of torture before my eyes? Is it clear that you did this to stun me, and either to persuade me entirely or to force me? It is necessary to propose these things to others, who are of too small and abject a mind, and for whom this present life is a pleasure, and who count it the greatest punishment to be deprived of it. For this body of clay confines me more heavily than any prison, as it does not allow my soul to pass on to the Beloved. But threats, punishments, and torments—to what delights are they not more pleasant to me, having death as their immediate consequence, which, when it has freed me from the bonds of the flesh, will send me to the things I desire?

VI. When the great Anthimus, greater still in his struggle, had finished speaking, the emperor said: "These are long-winded trifles; but you shall see." Having muttered to himself, he ordered that his neck be struck with stones. He, however, as if already receiving the first fruits of his struggles for Christ and the foundation of his crowns, accepted the present blows calmly and sought to receive more severe ones, desiring to obtain more glorious rewards. And partly by mocking and, as it were, deriding the tyrant, and partly by ^B truly igniting his soul with the flame of madness and, as it were, inciting him to much more severe and greater punishments, he said: "May the gods who did not make heaven and earth perish." This, having pierced Maximian to the heart, transfixed the martyr’s ankles with red-hot iron skewers. But the torture was a great pleasure to him, as one who attained what he desired for Christ, and he practically gave thanks to Maximian for the punishments: to such a degree did Anthimus desire to gratify Christ. Maximian, therefore, who freely exercised his power in tortures and strove to overcome the martyr’s noble spirit with the bitterness of the punishments, ordered potsherds to be spread on the ground; then, having placed the naked athlete upon them, he ordered him to be beaten more vehemently with rods, so that a double pain might flow into his soul, both from above by the blows of the rods, and from below by the hardness of the potsherds. ^C He, however, not even then despairing of victory, sang these words: "I give thanks to you, O Lord and King of the ages, that you have girded me with power from on high, and have given me the backs of my enemies, and destroyed those who hated me, and laid low all those who rose up against me beneath me."

VII. But Maximian moved on to other things and ordered red-hot bronze greaves to be bound upon the martyr. When this had been done as he had ordered, and those blessed feet—which is most vehement and, as a matter of pain, most intolerable—had the ignited greaves applied to them, a certain divine grace flew upon that noble man from above and ^D

^A he heard a voice thence, strengthening him all the more, both promising victory and bestowing awards, and even reaching out as it were a hand to place the crown; and the voice transformed his soul toward a more joyful state and made the brightness of his face more radiant, and a charming smile settled upon his lips, signifying the inner tranquility of his heart. Maximian, seeing this, was indeed astonished, as was to be expected (for why should he not be?); yet he disparaged the matter and called it sorcery and incantation, and inquired the cause. The righteous man said, “These present things, O Emperor, are to me pledges and a truthful promise of things to come; for I shall shortly convict you of being vainly puffed up, and I shall show that the gods you name are far weaker than human power, and I shall prove them so, that you will repent of the trial you have made of me, and you will judge it no small loss that you did not withdraw from us more quickly.”

^B VIII. Provoked by these things, Maximian ordered the martyr to be bound to a wheel, to be turned continually upon the wheel, and his flesh to be consumed and melted away by torches of fire. Maximian's order was immediately carried out; and the executioners, holding torches in their hands, approached the martyr who was stretched upon the wheel, breathing fire, seeing fire, carrying fire, their souls burning more fiercely against him than the fire they had in their hands, thinking literally to make the athlete all flame. But when they had come near the wheel (O your wonderful power, O Christ, concerning this man!), it immediately ceased its motion; and they fell to the ground, and the torches flowed from their hands, and their hands were neglectful of them and were left void, as if some sleep were causing them to grow sluggish. ^C Because of these things, anger seized the emperor, and he spoke ill of the executioners and blamed them for carelessness regarding his commands and for neglect of the tasks in their hands, saying: “How have you come to this degree of boldness, that sloth has taken hold of you and you have held this to be more important than our command, so that you have left the ordered tasks incomplete and have reclined upon the ground, that you might gratify yourselves and rest from the labor?” He saw how they could not even raise themselves nor use their hands for what was required; but the fool was unaware that divine power, not sloth, had extinguished their strength. They answered, “These things, O Emperor, are not because we are slow in executing your commands, nor have our hands grown weary from much labor; but a certain terrible vision so affected us, casting us to the ground, that our right hands are relaxed and we are now loosed and have become altogether weak; for three men, white in appearance, white in their attire, terrible in form, appeared to us, ^D and looked upon us with a bitter and wild gaze, and the fire which was in our hands immediately breathed against us from the torches; then, ordering us to desist from Anthimus (for they called this man a servant of God), they cast us down and thus, as you see, they have left us.” Those men, therefore, were saying these things to one another.

[IX.] IX. Meanwhile, while the wheel rested from its rotation and was not moving at all, the martyr offered a more fervent thanksgiving to God, and obtained from Him even greater kindness. Maximian, therefore, wanting to show that this had happened because of the simplicity of the lictors and not because of the martyr’s confidence in God, took him down from the wheel and threatened him with death by the sword if he would not sacrifice. But the martyr took the threat as an occasion for even greater thanksgiving, and prayed with all his heart to God that he might join the choir of the twenty thousand martyrs, so that he might also be permitted to say: “Behold, I and the children whom God has given me.” And he, since he saw that this end was what the martyr most desired, said: “I know, O you Christians, how thirsty for glory and how ambitious you are, and how, in your reckless audacity, wishing to attain some name or other, you choose the worst of all evils, a violent death. But you shall not rejoice in this for that reason, for I will first subject you to many tortures and then deprive you of this present light, so that you may be unworthy of the pleasure of such a thing.” The martyr said: “In no other way, he said, will you provide me with much more brilliant rewards.”

[X.] X. What follows after this? He is bound with iron chains and led away to the prison of criminals. But his tongue sang to God the things it was accustomed to, and at the same time it dissolved both the chains and the bonds, nor did it leave the lictors themselves who were leading him exempt from the miracle. For they, too, lay prostrate on the ground, struck with amazement at the wonderful spectacle. For a certain divine grace, hovering around the martyr from above, cast upon him a most brilliant light and suddenly threw to the ground the lictors who had seized him, along with the iron chains with which he was girded, so that they could not even endure to close their eyes. When the martyr had made them rise, he urged them to continue the journey they had begun. When they reached the prison, he entered it joyfully, as if going to a banquet, and having set before those who were there the bread of the faith, and having embraced them kindly and tenderly, and having offered them piety and the true religion, he joined and reconciled them entirely to Christ, and through baptism made them his adopted sons. But Maximian, when he learned of this from those who were his subordinates, and feared that he might lose many others, ordered the martyr to be brought back to him, and again urged him to sacrifice to his gods. At that time he even promised him the priesthood as a reward for this action.

[XI.] XI. But he said freely: “But I, before your words, am a priest of the first and great and noble Shepherd and High Priest, Christ, who not only is a partaker of my flesh and came down to me for my sake, and that too, being God, immaterial and