Vita Porphyrii episcopi Gazensis

 I was a witness to the man's virtue, having lived with him and sailed with him and suffered hardships with him until the last day of his life here. An

 Thessaloniki, and after showing the written instruction, I divided the property with his brothers. And I sold to them the estates allotted to me for t

 he distributed, so that he himself was in need of daily food. Therefore he gave himself to the shoemaker's craft, washing and stitching hides, in all

 a letter to the aforementioned holy Praulius, the bishop of Jerusalem, to send the blessed Porphyry to him for the sake of a certain question of scrip

 16 And on that night, the blessed John sends for the Gazans and says to them: Be ready for the departure for today you receive your priest, a man who

 of the orthodox faith, whose life and works are written in the paradise of delight. So, having come to the aforementioned church, we made so many pray

 23 But when the idol-worshippers saw him being carried, and thinking he was dead, they were turned to madness because they thought it was an abominati

 of the ordinations of the deacons, both I and the God-loving Barochas, I being very unworthy, but he worthily and justly having received this gift.

 29 And she had a faithful nurse, who, being in great distress, made prayers in the houses of prayer on her behalf. Therefore, on one day as she was pr

 33 And the most holy Porphyry answered and said to him: I adjure you before the invisible God and our hope Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation, and

 the Lord has revealed to my humble self. When you go up to Byzantium, first meet with the most holy bishop John and together with him make prayers to

 39 On the next day, the Cubicularius Amantius sent for us by two deans to go to the palace, and rising up in haste we went. We found him waiting for u

 her face was red and beauty was added to her appearance beyond what she had for the visible things make manifest the invisible things.

 Having gone away, we made the supplication, arranging many things on the charter, not only that the temples of the idols be destroyed, but also that p

 Next I will send for the quaestor and in your sight I will command him that in accordance with the power of your petition a divine letter be made in t

 my child, and many and great are the things that have been granted to us. And immediately the emperor ordered the prefects to bequeath to them from th

 the sign of the precious cross, and they themselves chanting. And the people of the two places mingled, and became no small crowd for those from the

 63 But after the tenth day, the wonderful Cynegius arrived, having with him the consular and the duke and a great military and civil force. But many o

 leave the outer one with the enclosure. And after it is burned, having cleansed the place, build a holy church there. And he also said this: I adjure

 inner doors, and having made a prayer they set the fire, and immediately the whole temple caught and was burned. As many of the soldiers and the forei

 that if they are not found worthy of the faith, having already become settled in evil, those born of them are able to be saved by associating with the

 the former Marneion, and he himself followed carrying the holy gospel and having the devout clergy around him, truly imitating Christ with the discipl

 the Lord, for the three children are alive. And when the holy bishop among the saints and the people heard, they rejoiced, and sending a large basket,

 they speak of astrology, so that they may sin without fear, as if the power to sin is not in us, but from the necessity of fate.

 being glorified, will strike your tongue and muzzle your mouth, so that it may not speak blasphemies.

 of those in need of his gifts. And in the days of the fasts of the holy Pascha he supplied to each poor person 10 obols for forty days. Having command

 the blessed one again, being moved to compunction, wept, having foreseen the faith she was about to have in Christ. And rising and saying the customar

 a tongue, Photine to her he entrusted Salaphtha, giving her the monastic habit, and committing them to God he sent them away in peace. And she undert

33 And the most holy Porphyry answered and said to him: I adjure you before the invisible God and our hope Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation, and the adorable and life-giving Holy Spirit, not to overlook my request, so that the loss of innumerable souls not be required of us. But I ask you, father, to sail with me to the queen of cities, so that we may entreat the emperors, with the Heavenly King's approval, to destroy the temples of the idols. And the blessed John answered and said to him: Child, the request is just, but the time is not suitable; for the winter solstice is now approaching. And the blessed Porphyry answered: If God wishes us to be and to convert the multitudes of Gaza, he is able to save us even in winter. But you, father. trusting in his mercy, be willing, and we shall have success. The blessed John says to him: Let the will of Christ be done.

34 When the blessed Porphyry had taken his leave, he wrote to me to come to Caesarea with all speed and to bring with me three books and forty-three coins, which happened to be left over from the revenue of the holy church. And I, having received the letters and taken the books and the coins, immediately went out, and having reached Caesarea, I found the most holy bishops preparing for the voyage, and after two days we set sail and voyaged on the twenty-eighth day of Gorpiaios, which is the twenty-third of September according to the Romans, and having a good voyage through the mercy of Christ, after ten days we landed at the island of Rhodes. There was at that time on the island, in a secluded part of it, a certain monk named Procopius, who is now numbered with the angels; for he fell asleep five years ago, having lived a blameless life in fasting and vigils and in extreme poverty, and he also had the gift of prophecy and the casting out of demons. When we landed at Rhodes, as has been said, and heard of the holy man's way of life, we thought it necessary not to pass by, but to enjoy his angelic company, and having asked where he stayed, we went to him, sailing alongside in a small boat, and having arrived, we knocked at the door. And immediately coming out himself, he opened to us, although he had another disciple with him.

35 And when he saw the most holy bishops, he fell on his face and worshipped them, then rising up he also kissed me and the God-fearing deacon Eusebius, whom the holy archbishop John had brought with him, and having led us into the oratory, he withdrew to the back, giving the foremost place to the most blessed bishops, saying: It is fitting for you, the priests, to have the foremost place, but for me, the humble one who is not even worthy of ordination, the one behind. Then we knew that the most holy Procopius was clairvoyant; for having never seen us nor heard about us, he knew through the spirit that the blessed John and Porphyry were bishops. Therefore he also gave them the precedence in the prayer. Then after the prayer we sat down, and having spoken many things profitable for the soul to us, he asked the reason for our trouble. And the blessed Porphyry related to him all things concerning the Gazans, how they are mad about idols and what terrible things the Christians suffer from them, and that for this reason they are going to entreat the emperors for the destruction of the temples of the idols.

36 And when Procopius the hermit, one of the saints, heard this, he wept and said: Lord Jesus Christ, turn your servants from the diabolical deceit to your enlightened faith. Then he says to the most holy bishops: Do not be discouraged, fathers; for God, who knows the zeal of your faith, will grant you success and give you all your heart's desires. Come, then, let me advise you what the

33 Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ ὁσιώτατος Πορφύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Μαρτύρομαί σε ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀοράτου θεοῦ καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου πάσης κτίσεως καὶ τοῦ προσκυνητοῦ καὶ ζωοποιοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος μὴ παριδεῖν τὴν αἴτησίν μου, ἵνα μὴ ἐκζητηθῇ παρ' ἡμῶν ἀπώλεια ψυχῶν ἀναριθμήτων. Ἀλλ' αἰτῶ σε, πάτερ, συμπλεῦσαί μοι ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλίδα πόλιν, ἵνα δεηθῶμεν τῶν βασιλέων τοῦ οὐρανίου βασιλέως ἐπινεύοντος καταστρέψαι τοὺς ναοὺς τῶν εἰδώλων. Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τέκνον, ἡ μὲν αἴτησις δικαία, ὁ δὲ καιρὸς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιτήδειος· ἡ γὰρ χειμέριος τροπὴ λοιπὸν ἐπιλαμβάνεται. Ἀπεκρίθη δὲ ὁ μακάριος Πορφύριος· Ἐὰν θέλῃ ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς εἶναι καὶ τὰ πλήθη Γάζης ἐπιστρέψαι, καὶ ἐν χειμῶνι δυνατός ἐστι σῷσαι. Σὺ δέ, πάτερ. θαρρῶν τῇ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ αὐτοῦ θέλησον, καὶ ἔχομεν εὐοδωθῆναι. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης· Τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενηθήτω.

34 Ὡς δὲ ἔλαβεν συνταγὰς ὁ μακάριος Πορφύριος, γράφει μοι τὴν ταχίστην καταλαβεῖν τὴν Καισάρειαν καὶ ἀγαγεῖν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τρεῖς βίβλους καὶ τεσσαράκοντα τρία νομίσματα, ἅπερ ἔτυχεν περισσεῦσαι ἐκ τῆς προσόδου τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας. Ἐγὼ δὲ δεξάμενος τὰς ἐπιστολὰς καὶ λαβὼν τάς τε βίβλους καὶ τὰ νομίσματα, εὐθέως ἐξῆλθον, καὶ καταλαβὼν τὴν Καισάρειαν, εὗρον τοὺς ὁσιωτάτους ἐπισκόπους εὐτρεπιζομένους ἐπὶ τὸν πλοῦν, καὶ μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας ἀναχθέντες ἐπλεύσαμεν ἡμέρᾳ ὀγδόῃ καὶ εἰκάδι Γορπιαίου, κατὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίους Σεπτεμβρίῳ εἰκάδι τρίτῃ, καὶ τῇ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ εὐπλοήσαντες, δι' ἡμερῶν δέκα κατήχθημεν εἰς Ῥόδον τὴν νῆσον. Ἦν δὲ τότε ἐν τῇ νήσῳ εἰς τὰ ἀπόστροφα αὐτῆς μονάζων τις ὀνόματι Προκόπιος, ὃς νῦν μετ' ἀγγέλων ἐστι συναρίθμιος· ἐκοιμήθη γὰρ ἀπὸ ἐτῶν πέντε, ζήσας βίον ἄμεμπτον ἔν τε νηστείαις καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις καὶ τῇ ἄκρᾳ ἀκτημοσύνῃ, ἔσχεν δὲ καὶ προφητικὸν χάρισμα καὶ τὴν κατὰ δαιμόνων ἀπέλασιν. Καταχθέντες δὲ ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ Ῥόδῳ, ὡς εἴρηται, καὶ ἀκούσαντες περὶ τῆς πολιτείας τοῦ ἁγίου ἀνδρός, ἀναγκαῖον ἐνομίσαμεν μὴ παρόδῳ χρήσασθαι, ἀλλ' ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς ἀγγελικῆς αὐτοῦ συνουσίας, καὶ ἐρωτήσαντες ποῦ τὴν καταμονὴν εἶχεν, ἐπορεύθημεν πρὸς αὐτὸν παραπλεύσαντες ἐν ἀκατίῳ, καὶ φθάσαντες ἐκρούσαμεν τὴν θύραν. Εὐθέως δὲ ἐξελθὼν δι' ἐαυτοῦ ἤνοιξεν ἡμῖν, καίτοι ἔχων ἄλλον παρ' αὑτῷ μαθητήν.

35 Ὡς δὲ ἐθεάσατο τοὺς ὁσιωτάτους ἐπισκόπους, πεσὼν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον προσεκύνησεν αὐτούς, εἶτα ἀναστὰς κἀμὲ κατεφίλησεν καὶ τὸν θεοσεβῆ Εὐσέβιον τὸν διάκονον, ὃν μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἤγαγεν ὁ ὅσιος Ἰωάννης ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος, καὶ εἰσαγαγὼν ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ εὐκτήριον ὑπεχώρησεν εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, δοὺς τὸν ἔμπροσθεν τόπον τοῖς μακαριωτάτοις ἐπισκόποις εἰπών· Ὑμῖν πρέπει τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν τὸν ἔμπροσθεν τόπον ἔχειν, ἐμοὶ δὲ τῷ ταπεινῷ καὶ μηδὲ ἠξιωμένῳ χειροτονίας τὸν ὀπίσω. Τότε ἔγνωμεν ὅτι διορατικὸς ὑπῆρχεν ὁ ὁσιώτατος Προκόπιος· μηδέποτε γὰρ θεασάμενος ἡμᾶς μήτε ἀκούσας περὶ ἡμῶν, ἔγνω διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὅτι ἐπίσκοποι ἐτύγχανον οἱ περὶ τοὺς μακαριωτάτους Ἰωάννην καὶ Πορφύριον. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὴν προτίμησιν τῆς εὐχῆς ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς. Εἶτα μετὰ τὴν εὐχὴν ἐκαθίσαμεν, καὶ ὁμιλήσας ἡμῖν πολλὰ ψυχωφελῆ ἠρώτα τὴν αἰτίαν τοῦ σκυλμοῦ. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Πορφύριος ἅπαντα αὐτῷ διηγήσατο τὰ κατὰ τοὺς Γαζαίους, πῶς ἐμμανῶς ἔχουσι περὶ τὰ εἴδωλα καὶ ὁπόσα δεινὰ οἱ Χριστιανοὶ πάσχουσιν παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ ὅτι χάριν τούτου ἀπέρχονται δεηθῆναι τῶν βασιλέων καταστραφῆναι τὰ ἱερὰ τῶν εἰδώλων.

36 Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἐν ἁγίοις Προκόπιος ὁ ἀναχωρητὴς καὶ δακρύσας εἶπεν· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ἐπίστρεψον τοὺς δούλους σου ἀπὸ τῆς διαβολικῆς ἀπάτης ἐπὶ τὴν πεφωτισμένην σου πίστιν. Εἶτα λέγει πρὸς τοὺς ὁσιωτάτους ἐπισκόπους· Μὴ ἀθυμήσητε, πατέρες· ὁ γὰρ θεὸς ὁ γινώσκων τὸν ζῆλον τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν ἔχει εὐοδῶσαι ὑμῖν καὶ δοῦναι πάντα τὰ καταθύμια ὑμῖν. ∆εῦτε οὖν παραινέσω ὑμῖν ἃ ὁ