by tortures, having shamed the adversary by their endurance, while others, being shut up half-dead in the prison, were perfected after not many days, being overcome by their pains, and the rest, having obtained recovery from medical treatment, became more courageous with time and their stay in the prison. 10 Thus, then, when it was commanded that a choice be set before them, either to partake of the abominable sacrifice and be untroubled, having obtained the accursed freedom from them, or, by not sacrificing, to await the sentence of death, without any hesitation they went gladly to their death. For they knew the things foreordained for us by the holy scriptures. For he who sacrifices, it says, to other gods shall be utterly destroyed, and that you shall have no other gods besides me. 11 Such were the words of the truly philosopher and God-loving martyr, which, before the final sentence, while still being in the condition of a prisoner, he had sent to the brethren in his own parish, at once setting forth the circumstances in which he was, and at the same time urging them to hold fast to the piety in Christ even after he, who was very soon to be perfected, was gone.

βασάνοις, τῇ καρτερίᾳ καταισχύναντες τὸν ἀντίπαλον, οἱ δὲ ἡμιθνῆτες ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ συγκλειόμενοι μετ' οὐ πολλὰς ἡμέρας ταῖς ἀλγηδόσι συνεχόμενοι ἐτελειοῦντο, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῆς θεραπείας ἀνακτήσεως τυχόντες τῷ χρόνῳ καὶ τῇ τῆς φυλακῆς διατριβῇ θαρσαλεώτεροι ἐγίνοντο. 10 οὕτω γοῦν ἡνίκα προστέτακτο αἱρέσεως κειμένης ἢ ἐφαψάμενον τῆς ἐναγοῦς θυσίας ἀνενόχλητον εἶναι, τῆς ἐπαράτου ἐλευθερίας παρ' αὐτῶν τυχόντα, ἢ μὴ θύοντα τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ δίκην ἐκδέχεσθαι, οὐδὲν μελλήσαντες ἀσμένως ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον ἐχώρουν. ᾔδεσαν γὰρ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν ἡμῖν προορισθέντα. ὁ γὰρ θυσιάζων, φησί, θεοῖς ἑτέροις ἐξολοθρευθήσεται, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ. 11 Τοιαῦται τοῦ ὡς ἀληθῶς φιλοσόφου τε ὁμοῦ καὶ φιλοθέου μάρτυρος αἱ φωναὶ ἃς πρὸ τῆς τελευταίας ἀποφάσεως ὑπὸ τὴν δεσμωτικὴν ἔθ' ὑπάρχων τάξιν τοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ παροικίαν ἀδελφοῖς ἐπεστάλκει, ἅμα μὲν τὰ ἐν οἷς ἦν ἀνατιθέμενος, ἅμα δὲ καὶ παρορμῶν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ ἀπρὶξ ἔχεσθαι καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ὅσον οὔπω τελειωθησόμενον τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ θεοσεβείας.