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to be, he takes off the belt of Caesar; and for the rest of the time he sits at home with the two soldiers, who with him also became fellow heirs of the blessed contest, having become preachers of what they had seen and heard. And leaving Jerusalem he returned with them and becomes a preacher in the land of the Cappadocians, just as Thomas to the Indians, Peter to the Romans, John to the Asians, Paul "from Jerusalem and as far as Illyricum," and another to others, preaching Christ and the mysteries performed by him and upon him.

5 But the Jews, burning with zeal and spurred by anger, could not endure the testimony of Longinus, which had already spread through the land in many ways. Then they persuade Pilate to write falsely against the blessed Longinus to Caesar, that he is hostile to the Roman empire and, having neglected his arms, preaches Christ as king to the nations; and he has already filled his own fatherland and country with words about this. Along with these letters they send money and purchase the death of Longinus, having stolen away the ears of Caesar. And imperial letters are brought to Pilate in Judea against Longinus and those with him; who, as those who neglected their arms, are ordered to be beheaded by the sword. And with great haste Pilate hands the letters of Caesar to the ministers of executions. They, quickly crossing the land of the Cappadocians, arrive and, learning that Longinus is living as a philosopher in his ancestral field and practicing stillness, having freed himself from all political affairs, they immediately seize the field quietly, wishing to carry out the order of Pilate and Caesar, so that Longinus would not turn to flight. Therefore they came upon the man suddenly, as if passing by for some other reason, and revealed nothing of their intentions to anyone carrying on their tasks. Then, entering and meeting Longinus, not knowing that he was the one sought by them and by Pilate, they begin to ask where Longinus might be.

6 But he, the divine Spirit having revealed the drama to him beforehand; "Follow," he says, "and I will show him to you." Then to himself the blessed one, as was likely, rejoicing and hastening the sacrifice of martyrdom, said: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach peace, of those who preach good things. Now I will see the heavens opened, now I will behold the glory of the Father, now I will see the inexpressible lightning flash of the Spirit. Now I will say, 'Lord, Jesus Christ, receive my spirit,' just as Stephen the first of the martyrs, whose most brilliant voice I have heard him utter. Now Jerusalem, the highest golden-towered city, the very fatherland of the angels, and the metropolis of the whole choir of saints, I will mount with applause, victory songs and royal trophies. Now I take off the clay tunic and I lay aside the much-groaning bonds of the flesh and am freed from corruption; for I am drawn toward incorruption, I will have for myself a life freed from winter, going out from this temporary life, of which the waves are many and the shipwrecks difficult. That life is the only immortal harbor, where the saints dwell. Rejoice, O soul, going to your creator, show a cheerful face when the time calls, and let us joyfully entertain with kindness those who are the agents for you of so many good things, and let us set a sumptuous table for those calling us to the royal banquet."

7 Longinus, having said these things to himself, took those who had come against him into his own house and, having entertained them splendidly and having eaten with them with a cheerful and exceedingly joyful face at the table which he had set, he begins after dinner to ask what they want of Longinus. But they, demanding oaths from him that he would not

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γενέσθαι, ἀποδύεται τὴν ζώνην τοῦ Καίσαρος· καὶ λοιπὸν ἐν οἴκῳ κάθηται μετὰ τῶν δύο στρατιωτῶν, οἵτινες σὺν αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς μακαρίας ἐγένοντο ἀθλήσεως συγκληρονόμοι, κήρυκες γενό μενοι ὧν εἶδόν τε καὶ ἀκηκόασιν. Καὶ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καταλι πὼν ἀνέστρεψεν σὺν αὐτοῖς καὶ γίνεται τῇ Καππαδοκῶν χώρᾳ κῆρυξ, ὥσπερ Θωμᾶς τοῖς Ἰνδοῖς, Ῥωμαίοις δὲ Πέτρος, Ἀσιανοῖς δὲ Ἰωάννης, Παῦλος «ἀπὸ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ μέχριτοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ», καὶ ἄλλος ἄλλοις, εὐαγγελιζόμενος τὸν Χρι στὸν καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεπραγμένα μυστήρια.

5 Ἰουδαῖοι δέ, καιόμενοι τῷ ζήλῳ καὶ τῷ θυμῷ κεντούμενοι, τὴν τοῦ Λογγίνου μαρτυρίαν, πολυμερῶς ἤδη τῆς γῆς διαδρα μοῦσαν, καρτερεῖν οὐκ ἠδύναντο. Τότε τὸν Πιλᾶτον πείθουσι ψευδῆ κατὰ Λογγίνου γράψαι τοῦ μακαρίου τῷ Καίσαρι, ὅτι τῆς Ῥωμαίων βασιλείας ἀλλότρια φρονεῖ καί, τῶν ὅπλων ἀμε λήσας, τὸν Χριστὸν κηρύττει βασιλέα τοῖς ἔθνεσιν· ἤδη δὲ τῶν περὶ τούτου λόγων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδα καὶ χώραν ἐπλήρωσεν. Πρὸς τούτοις τοῖς γράμμασι συναποστέλλουσι χρήματα καὶ τὸν Λογγίνου θάνατον ἐξωνοῦνται, τὰς ἀκοὰς Καίσαρος ὑφαρπάσαν τες. Βασιλικὰ δὲ γράμματα εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν τῷ Πιλάτῳ κο μίζεται κατὰ Λογγίνου καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ· οἵτινες ὡς τὰ τῶν ὅπλων ἀμελήσαντες ξίφει τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποθέσθαι προστάττον ται. Σπουδῇ δὲ πολλῇ τοῖς τῶν φόνων ὑπηρέταις ὁ Πιλᾶτος ἐγχει ρίζει τὰ γράμματα τοῦ Καίσαρος. Οἱ δὲ τάχος διαβάντες τὴν τῶν Καππαδοκῶν γῆν φθάνουσιν καί, μαθόντες ἐν ἀγρῷ πατρῴῳ τὸν Λογγῖνον φιλοσοφεῖν καὶ τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἀσκεῖσθαι πάντων τῶν πολιτικῶν πραγμάτων ἑαυτὸν ἀπαλλάξαντα, τὸν ἀγρὸν αὐ τίκα καταλαμβάνουσιν ἡσυχῆ, τὸ ἐπίταγμα Πιλάτου καὶ Καί σαρος ἐπιτελέσαι βουλόμενοι, ὥστε μὴ εἰς φυγὴν τὸν Λογγῖ νον τραπῆναι. Ὅθεν ἀθρόον ἐπέστησαν τῷ ἀνδρί, ὡς ἐπ' ἄλ λῳ τινὶ διαβάντες, καὶ οὐδὲν οὐδενὶ τῶν μετὰ χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπι φερομένων ἐθάρρησαν. Εἶτα εἰσελθόντες καὶ τῷ Λογγίνῳ περι τυχόντες, οὐκ εἰδότες αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν αὐτοῖς τε καὶ Πιλάτῳ ζητούμενον, ἄρχονται ἐρωτᾶν ποῦ ὁ Λογγῖνος εἴη.

6 Ὁ δέ, τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος αὐτῷ τὸ δρᾶμα προδηλώσαντος· «Ἀκολουθεῖτε», φησίν, «καὶ τοῦτον ὑποδείκνυμι ὑμῖν.» Τότε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ὁ μακάριος, ὡς εἰκός, εὐφραινόμενος καὶ τοῦ μαρ τυρίου τὴν θυσίαν ἐπισπουδάζων ἔλεγεν· «Ὡς ὡραῖοι οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων εἰρήνην, τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων τὰ ἀγα θά. Νῦν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνεῳγμένους ὄψομαι, νῦν ἱστορήσω τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Πατρός, νῦν τὴν ἀνέκφραστον ἀστραπὴν θεωρή σω τοῦ Πνεύματος. Νῦν ἐρῶ «Κύριε, Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου», καθάπερ Στέφανος ὁ πρῶτος τῶν μαρτύρων, οὗ λαμπροτάτην φωνὴν ἀφιέντος ἀκήκοα. Νῦν Ἰερουσαλήμ, τὴν ἀνωτάτην χρυσόπυργον, τὴν αὐτὴν μὲν πατρίδα τῶν ἀγγέ λων, ὅλου δὲ τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων χοροῦ μητρόπολιν, μετὰ κρότων, ἐπινικίων καὶ βασιλικῶν τροπαίων ἐπιβήσομαι. Νῦν ἀποδύο μαι τὸν πήλινον χιτῶνα καὶ τοὺς πολυστενάκτους δεσμοὺς τῆς σαρκὸς ἀποτίθημι καὶ ἀπαλλάττομαι φθορᾶς· πρὸς ἀφθαρ σίαν γὰρ ἕλκομαι, ἕξω μοι βίον χειμῶνος ἀπηλλαγμένον ἐξιὼν ἐκ τοῦ προσκαίρου βίου, οὗ πολλὰ τὰ κύματα καὶ χαλεπὰ τὰ ναυάγια. Λιμὴν μόνος ἀθάνατος ἐκείνη ἡ ζωή, ἔνθα κατοικοῦ σιν οἱ ἅγιοι. Εὐφραίνου, ψυχή, πρὸς τὸν σὸν ποιητὴν ἀπερχο μένη, δεῖξον φαιδρὸν καιροῦ καλοῦντος τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ τοὺς προξένους σοι τῶν τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν φιλοφρόνως ξενίσωμεν χαίροντες, καὶ πολυτελῆ παραθήσωμεν τράπεζαν τοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ δεῖπνον ἡμᾶς καλοῦσι τὸ βασιλικόν.»

7 Ταῦτα πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ὁ Λογγῖνος εἰπὼν τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἐλθόν τας εἰς τὸν ἴδιον οἶκον παρέλαβεν καί, ξενίσας λαμπρῶς καὶ προσώπῳ φαιδρῷ καὶ σφόδρα περιχαρεῖ συμφαγὼν σὺν αὐτοῖς εἰς ἣν παρέθηκεν τράπεζαν, ἐρωτᾶν μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνον ἄρχεται τοῦ Λογγίνου τί χρῄζουσιν. Οἱ δέ, ὅρκους παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀπαι τήσαντες ὅτιπερ αὐτῶν οὐ