4

to attack, and were defeated by the women of the ruler, were beheaded by the sword, no longer enduring the trial of tortures. But Heron, and Ater, and Isidore, and with them Dioscorus, a boy of about fifteen years, having been brought 20.1528 to trial, persevered through various tortures and were handed over to the fire. But Dioscorus, having spoken most wisely and boldly, and having answered the governor’s questions manfully, was released, the ruler marvelling at his answers and taking pity on his age, having become a perfect martyr in his resolve. A certain Egyptian, Nemesion, having undergone an indictment as a robber, and having been acquitted of these charges, and being again accused of being a Christian, was tormented with double the scourgings he would have received if he were a robber, and was burned between two robbers, being honored by the example of Christ. Ammon, and Zenon, Ptolemy and Ingenes, and Theophilus, standing before the tribunal, and encouraging with nods someone already leaning toward denial to make the confession; when they perceived the crowds were angered by this, before they could be arrested by them, they proclaimed themselves Christians, and thus were led away to death. Ischyrion, a steward to one of the rulers, when ordered for pay by his employer to offer sacrifice, because he was not persuaded to do this, received a very large stake thrust into his seat through both his vital organs and his entrails, and gave up the spirit. These things are from the letter of Dionysius of Alexandria.

5. When a persecution was stirred up under Valerian, emperor of the Romans, in Caesarea

of Palestine, three men, Priscus and Malchus and Alexander, dwelling in the country, when they had learned about the persecution, calling themselves negligent and slothful, rushed with one accord into the city, and having shone brightly in the confession of Christ, were adorned with a divine martyrdom, becoming food for wild beasts. Under Gallienus, in the aforementioned city, Marinus, having come forward to receive the rank of centurion, obtained through martyrdom the military service in heaven. For someone came before the tribunal and said that it was not lawful for him to hold Roman rank, being a Christian, and not obeying the emperors. Immediately, therefore, Marinus was questioned, and having boldly confessed himself a Christian, he received from the governor a space of three hours for consideration; and when he was outside the tribunal, Theotecnus, the bishop there, taking him by the hand, led him into the church, and taking up the divine book of the Gospels in his hands, and at the same time showing him the sword that was attached to him, he said, “Choose quickly whichever of these you wish.” And when, without delay, he stretched out his right hand and received the divine Scripture, Theotecnus said to him, “Hold fast, then, to God, and may you obtain what you have chosen, being strengthened by Him, and go in peace.” Returning from there, therefore, and having confessed the same things again, he was led away to death and was perfected. Thus Astyrius, being one of the senators of Rome, beloved by the emperors, and known to all, wrapped his precious remains in a splendid and costly garment, and openly before all, lifting him upon his shoulders, committed him to a fitting burial.

6. Under Diocletian and Maximian, when the against the Christians was posted

edict in Nicomedia, taking it up with both hands, he tears it apart. 20.1529 and having done this, he is immediately seized, and having suffered a great many things, as is likely for one arrested for such a daring act, he departs from this present life through martyrdom. Another at the same time, being one of the imperial servants, named Peter, was shown to be firmer than a rock in his confession. For as

4

ἐπιχειρεῖν, καὶ ὑπὸ γυναικῶν ἡττᾶσθαι τοῦ ἄρχοντος, ξίφει τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀφῃρέθησαν, μηκέτι βασάνων πεῖραν λαβοῦσαι. Ἥρων δὲ, καὶ Ἀτὴρ, καὶ Ἰσίδωρος, καὶ σὺν αὐτοῖς ∆ιόσκορος, παῖς ὢν ὡς ἐτῶν πέντε καὶ δέκα, παρα20.1528 στάντες, οἱ μὲν διαφόροις βασάνοις ἐγκαρτερήσαντες πυρὶ παρεδόθησαν. ∆ιόσκορος δὲ σοφώτατα παῤῥησιασάμενος, καὶ πρὸς τὰς τοῦ ἡγεμόνος πεύσεις ἀνδρείως ἀποκρινάμενος, θαυμάσαντος τὰς ἀποκρίσεις τοῦ ἄρχοντος, καὶ τῆς ἡλικίας οἶκτον λαβόντος, ἀφείθη μάρτυς τέλειος τῇ προαιρέσει γεγενημένος. Νεμεσίων τις Αἰγύπτιος γραφὴν ὡς λῃστὴς ὑπομείνας, καὶ ταῦτα ἀπολυσάμενος, καὶ καταμηνυθεὶς αὖθις ὡς εἴη Χριστιανὸς, διπλαῖς ἢ εἰ λῃστὴς ἦν μάστιξιν ἐτασθεὶς, μεταξὺ δύο λῃστῶν κατεφλέγη, τιμηθεὶς τῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παραδείγματι. Ἀμμὼν, καὶ Ζήνων, Πτολεμαῖός τε καὶ Ἰγγένης, καὶ Θεόφιλος ἑστῶτες πρὸ τοῦ δικαστηρίου, καί τινα πρὸς ἄρνησιν ἤδη ῥέποντα νεύμασι πρὸς τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐπιθαῤῥύνοντες· ἐπεὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀγανακτοῦντας ἐπὶ τούτῳ τοὺς ὄχλους, πρὶν ὑπ' αὐτῶν συλληφθῆναι, Χριστιανοὺς ἑαυτοὺς ἀνεκήρυξαν, καὶ οὕτω τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ ἀπήχθησαν. Ἰσχυρίων ἐπιτροπεύων τινὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων, ἐπὶ μισθῷ τοῦ μισθοδότου κελεύοντος αὐτὸν θῦσαι, ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐπείσθη τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, βακτηρίαν μεγίστην κατὰ τῆς ἕδρας ὠσθεῖσαν διά τε τῶν σπλάγχνων καὶ τῶν ἐντέρων δεξάμενος, τὸ πνεῦμα παρέδωκε. Ταῦτα ἐκ τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ∆ιονυσίου τοῦ Ἀλεξανδρείας.

Εʹ. Ἐπὶ Οὐαλεριανοῦ βασιλέως Ῥωμαίων διωγμοῦ κινηθέντος, ἐν Καισαρείᾳ

τῆς Παλαιστίνης, τρεῖς ἄνδρες, Πρίσκος τε καὶ Μάλλος καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἐν ἀγρῷ οἰκοῦντες, ἐπεὶ περὶ τοῦ διωγμοῦ μεμαθήκεσαν, καλέσαντες ἑαυτοὺς ὡς ἀμελεῖς καὶ ῥᾳθύμους, ὥρμησαν ὁμοθυμαδὸν εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ λαμπρῶς τῇ κατὰ Χριστὸν διαλάμψαντες ὁμολογίᾳ, θείῳ κατεκοσμήθησαν μαρτυρίῳ, θηρίων γενόμενοι βορά. Ἐπὶ Γαλιηνοῦ, ἐν τῇ προειρημένῃ πόλει Μαρῖνος ἑκατοντάρχου ἀξίαν κομίσασθαι προσελθὼν, τῆς ἐν οὐρανοῖς στρατείας διὰ μαρτυρίου ἐπέτυχε. Παρελθὼν γάρ τις πρὸ τοῦ βήματος μὴ ἐξεῖναι αὐτῷ ἔφη τῆς Ῥωμαίων μετέχειν ἀξίας, Χριστιανῷ γε ὄντι, καὶ τοῖς βασιλεῦσι μὴ πειθομένῳ. Αὐτίκα τοίνυν ἐρωτηθεὶς ὁ Μαρῖνος, καὶ Χριστιανὸν ἑαυτὸν παῤῥησίᾳ ὁμολογήσας, τριῶν ὡρῶν εἰς ἐπίσκεψιν ἔλαβε παρὰ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος διάστημα· καὶ τοῦ βήματος ἐκτὸς γεγονότος, Θεότεκνος ὁ τῇδε ἐπίσκοπος λαβόμενος αὐτοῦ τῆς χειρὸς εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν εἰσήγαγε, τὴν θείαν τε τῶν Εὐαγγελίων βίβλον ἀνὰ χεῖρας λαβὼν, καὶ ἅμα τὸ προσηρτημένον αὐτῷ ξίφος ἐπιδεικνύων· Τούτων ὁπότερον βούλει ταχέως, ἔφη, ἑλοῦ. Ὡς δ' ἀμελλητὶ τὴν δεξιὰν προτείνας ἐδέξατο τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν, Ἔχου τοίνυν, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ Θεότεκνος, τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τύχοις ὧν εἵλου, πρὸς αὐτοῦ δυναμούμενος, καὶ βάδιζε μετ' εἰρήνης. Ἐκεῖθεν τοίνυν ἐπανελθὼν, καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ πάλιν ὁμολογήσας, τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ ἀπαχθεὶς τελειοῦται. Οὕτω τίμιον λείψανον Ἀστύριος τῶν ἐπὶ Ῥώμης συγκλητικῶν γεγονὼς, βασιλεῦσί τε προσφιλὴς, καὶ πᾶσι γνώριμος, λαμπρᾷ καὶ πολυτελεῖ περιστείλας ἐσθῆτι, καὶ φανερῶς ἐπὶ πάντων, ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἀράμενος τῇ προσηκούσῃ ταφῇ παραδίδωσι.

ςʹ. Ἐπὶ ∆ιοκλητιανοῦ καὶ Μαξιμιανοῦ προτεθέντος τοῦ κατὰ Χριστιανῶν

προγράμματος ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ, ἀμφοτέραις ἀνελὼν τοῦτο χερσὶ διαῤῥήγνυσι. 20.1529 καὶ τοῦτο πεποιηκὼς, εὐθὺς ἀνάρπαστος γίνεται, πλεῖστά τε παθὼν, οἷα εἰκὸς τὸν ἐπὶ τηλικούτῳ συλληφθέντα τολμήματι, διὰ μαρτυρίου τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς ὑπεξίσταται. Ἕτερος ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν χρόνον, τῶν περὶ τὸν βασιλέα παίδων εἷς ὢν, Πέτρος καλούμενος, πέτρου τῷ ὄντι στεῤῥότερος τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐδείχθη. Ὡς γὰρ