7. Outrages of George.

And having seized upon forty men, he beat them after a new fashion. Cutting some sticks fresh from the palm tree, with the thorns still upon them28    Hist. Arian. §72., he scourged them on the back so severely, that some of them were for a long time under surgical treatment on account of the thorns which had broken off in their flesh, and others unable to bear up under their sufferings died. All those whom they had taken, and the virgin, they sent away together into banishment to the great Oasis. And the bodies of those who had perished they would not at first suffer to be given up to their friends, but concealed them in any way they pleased, and cast them out without burial29    Ibid. §72 fin. Apol. Const. 27., in order that they might not appear to have any knowledge of these cruel proceedings. But herein their deluded minds greatly misled them. For the relatives of the dead, both rejoicing at the confession, and grieving for the bodies of their friends, published abroad so much the more this proof of their impiety and cruelty. Moreover they immediately banished out of Egypt and Libya the following Bishops30    Ibid. and see Hist. Ar. §72., Ammonius, Muïus31    Hieron. V. Hilar. §30. [Rather see Letter 49. 7, notes 3 (a and b), and Vit. Pachom. 72, where the same names occur together.], Gaïus, Philo32    Hieron. V. Hilar. §30. [Rather see Letter 49. 7, notes 3 (a and b), and Vit. Pachom. 72, where the same names occur together.], Hermes, Plenius, Psenosiris, Nilammon, Agathus, Anagamphus, Marcus, Ammonius, another Marcus, Dracontius33    Letter 49., Adelphius34    Letter 60., Athenodorus, and the Presbyters, Hierax35    Letter 49. 10., and Dioscorus; whom they drove forth under such cruel treatment, that some of them died on the way, and others in the place of their banishment. They caused also more than thirty Bishops to take to flight; for their desire was, after the example of Ahab, if it were possible, utterly to root out the truth. Such are the enormities of which these impious men have been guilty.

7 Ἄνδρας δὲ κρατήσας τεσσαράκοντα, καινοτέρῳ τρόπῳ κατέκοψε· ῥάβδους γὰρ τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν φοινίκων εὐθὺς τεμών, ἐν αὐταῖς ἐχούσας ἔτι τοὺς σκόλοπας τὰ νῶτα τούτων οὕτως ἐξέδειρεν, ὡς τινὰς μὲν πολλάκις χειρουργηθῆναι διὰ τοὺς ἐναποπαγέντας ἐν αὐτοῖς σκόλοπας, τινὰς δὲ καὶ μὴ φέροντας ἀποθανεῖν. Πάντας μὲν οὖν τοὺς περιληφθέντας ἀθρόως καὶ τὰς παρθένους ἐξώρισαν εἰς τὴν μεγάλην Ὄασιν, τὰ δὲ σώματα τῶν τετελευτηκότων οὐδὲ τοῖς ἰδίοις κατὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀποδοθῆναι πεποιήκασιν, ἀλλ' ἔκρυψαν ὡς ἠθέλησαν ἄταφα βαλόντες ὑπὲρ τοῦ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς λανθάνειν τὴν τοσαύτην ὠμότητα. Πράττουσι δὲ τοῦτο πεπλανημένῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ οἱ παράφρονες. Τῶν γὰρ οἰκείων τῶν τετελευτηκότων χαιρόντων μὲν διὰ τὴν ὁμολογίαν, θρηνούντων δὲ διὰ τὰ σώματα, μείζων ἐξηχεῖτο κατ' αὐτῶν ὁ τῆς ἀσεβείας καὶ ὠμότητος ἔλεγχος. Καὶ γὰρ εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ τῶν Λιβύων ἐξώρισαν μὲν ἐπισκόπους Ἀμμώνιον, Μούιον, Γάιον, Φίλωνα, Ἑρμῆν, Πλήνιον, Ψενόσιριν, Νειλάμμωνα, Ἀγαθόν, Ἀνάγαμφον, Μάρκον, Ἀμμώνιον, ἕτερον Μάρκον, ∆ρακόντιον, Ἀδέλφιον,Ἀθηνόδωρον· καὶ πρεσβυτέρους Ἱέρακα καὶ ∆ιόσκορον. Καὶ οὕτω πικρῶς ἤλασαν αὐτούς, ὡς τινὰς μὲν αὐτῶν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς, τινὰς δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἐξορισμῷ ἀποθανεῖν. Ἐφυγάδευσαν δὲ ἐπισκόπους πλείους τριάκοντα· σπουδὴ γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὸν Ἀχαάβ, εἰ δυνατόν, ἐξᾶραι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἰδοὺ ταῦτα τῶν ἀσεβῶν τὰ τολμήματα.