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

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 the public funds of Palestine twenty pounds of gold each. And he himself also gave for expenses one draca each, which amounted to fifty nomismata each. And having blessed him greatly, they departed. And we spent another three days in the city until we received the legacy of forty pounds, and after three days, embarking, we sailed on the twenty-third of Xanthicus according to the Gazans, but on the eighteenth of April according to the Romans. And the most illustrious Cynegius departed after us, using the public post.

55 And we reached Rhodes in five days. And we were eager to go to the holy Procopius the anchorite, and though we pleaded much with the shipmaster to grant us three hours, he would not give in, saying: 'I cannot find such a favorable wind again.' But we said to him: 'The prayers of the holy man are able both to save us and to give us a favorable wind.' But the shipmaster was stubborn and did not accept our request, but having taken on water, we put to sea. And we were greatly grieved at having missed such an encounter. We therefore besought him through prayer to forgive us and to pray for us, so that we might be saved and might complete the work which we had been entrusted with.

56 And having sailed from Rhodes and having had a good voyage for two days in calm weather, suddenly a storm arose, with winds and lightnings and thunders and mighty waves, and the waves crested and became like high mountains, and the ship was lifted up so that we thought we were reaching the clouds. And there were cries and tears and supplications to God. And we also called upon the prayers of the holy Procopius the anchorite. And when evening came and the storm had not abated, we remained sleepless that entire night. But about dawn, from great distress, the most holy bishops fell briefly asleep, and my lord Porphyry saw in his sleep the holy Procopius the anchorite saying to them: 'Catechize the shipmaster and unseal him (for he is of the abominable heresy of Arius) and prepare him to anathematize Arius and his evil belief, and immediately this great tempest will cease. For because he is of the aforementioned heresy, he did not permit you to come to me. Nevertheless, catechize him; for he is ready to receive the right doctrine from you.'

57 Having heard these things, our holy Porphyry was awakened, and calling us to him, he related the things in his sleep. And immediately calling the shipmaster we said to him: 'Do you wish for your ship to be saved, and all of us, and above all your own soul?' And he says: 'On this point there is no need even to ask.' And the bishops said to him: 'Renounce your evil belief and believe in the right and catholic faith, and you will be saved, and the ship, and all of us;' The shipmaster says to them: 'Since I see that you have foreknowledge (for you understood the things in my heart without anyone telling you), behold I say to you: I believe as you believe and I renounce the heresy of Arius and Arius himself. And I ask you at your leisure to enlighten me from the holy scriptures regarding the right faith.' And the holy bishops took and unsealed him, saying a prayer over him; and they also gave him of the divine mysteries. And at this, the tempest also ceased, and towards evening the wind changed, and we sailed favorably, and having spent another four days on the sea, on the fifth at dawn we sailed into the coastal part of Gaza, which they call Maiouma.

58 And when we disembarked, the Christians there, recognizing us, received us with psalmody, and likewise also those from the city, when they heard, met us, having

τέκνου, καὶ πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα ἐστὶν τὰ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν. Εὐθέως δὲ καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκέλευσεν τοῖς ἐπάρχοις ληγατεῦσαι αὐτοῖς ἀπὸ δημοσίων Παλαιστίνης ἀνὰ χρυσοῦ λίτρας εἴκοσι. ∆έδωκεν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς λόγον δαπανημάτων ἀνὰ δράκαν μίαν, ἅπερ εὑρέθησαν ἀνὰ νομισμάτων πεντήκοντα. Πολλὰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν εὐλογήσαντες ἐξῆλθον. Ἐποιήσαμεν δὲ ἐν τῇ πόλει ἄλλας ἡμέρας τρεῖς ἕως οὖ ἐλάβομεν τὴν ληγατιῶνα τῶν τεσσαράκοντα λιτρῶν, καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐμβαλόμενοι, ἐπλεύσαμεν τῇ κατὰ Γαζαίους Ξανθικοῦ τρίτῃ καὶ εἰκάδι, κατὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίους Ἀπριλλίου ὀκτωκαιδεκάτῃ. Ὁ δὲλαμπρότατος Κυνήγιος μεθ' ἡμᾶς ἐξῆλθεν, χρησάμενος τῷ δημοσίῳ δρόμῳ.

55 Ἐφθάσαμεν δὲ τὴν Ῥόδον δι' ἡμερῶν πέντε. Ἐγένετοδὲ ἡμῖν σπουδὴ ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν ἐν ἁγίοις Προκόπιον τὸν ἀναχωρητήν, καὶ πολλὰ παρακαλεσάντων ἡμῶν τὸν ναύκληρον ἐνδοῦναι ἡμῖν ὥρας τρεῖς, οὐκ ἐνδέδωκεν λέγων ὅτι Τοιοῦτον ἄνεμον οὐκ ἔχω εὑρεῖν ἐπιτήδειον. Ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτῷ ἐλέγομεν ὅτι ∆ύνανται αἱ εὐχαὶ τοῦ ἁγίου ἀνδρὸς καὶ σῶσαι ἡμᾶς καὶ ἄνεμον ἐπιτήδειον δοῦναι ἡμῖν. Ὁ δὲ ναύκληρος ἐσκληρύνετο καὶ οὐκ ἐδέχετο ἡμῶν τὴν αἴτησιν, ἀλλ' ὑδρευσάμενοι ἀνήχθημεν. Ἐλυπούμεθα δὲ σφόδρα ἀποτυχόντες τοιαύτης συντυχίας. Ἐδεόμεθα οὖν αὐτοῦ διὰ προσευχῆς συγγνῶναι ἡμῖν καὶ εὔξασθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἵνα σωθῶμεν καὶ τελειώσωμεν τὸ ἔργον ὃ ἐνεχειρίσθημεν.

56 Πλεύσαντες δὲ ἐκ τῆς Ῥόδου καὶ εὐπλοήσαντες ἐπὶ ἡμέρας δύο εὐδίας οὔσης, ἄφνω κινεῖται χειμών, ἄνεμοί τε καὶ ἀστραπαὶ καὶ βρονταὶ καὶ τρικυμίαι, καὶ ἐκορυφοῦτο τὰ κύματα καὶ ἐγίνετο ὡς ὄρη ὑψηλά, καὶ ὑψοῦτο τὸ πλοῖον ὡς ἡμᾶς νομίζειν φθάνειν τὰ νέφη. Ἦσαν δὲ κραυγαὶ καὶ δάκρυα καὶ δεήσεις πρὸς τὸν θεόν. Ἐπεκαλούμεθα δὲ καὶ τὰς εὐχὰς τοῦ ὁσίου Προκοπίου τοῦ ἀναχωρητοῦ. Καὶ γενομένης ἑσπέρας καὶ τοῦ χειμῶνος μὴ κοπάσαντος, ἄγρυπνοι διεμείναμεν πᾶσαν τὴν νύκταν ἐκείνην. Περὶ δὲ τὸν ὄρθρον ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς θλίψεως, μικρὸν ὕπνωσαν οἱ ὁσιώτατοι ἐπίσκοποι, καὶ ὁρᾷ κατὰ τοὺς ὕπνους ὁ ἐμὸς κύριος Πορφύριος τὸν ἐν ἁγίοις Προκόπιον τὸν ἀναχωρητὴν λέγοντα αὐτοῖς· Τὸν ναύκληρον κατηχήσατε καὶ ἀνασφραγίσατε (ἔστιν γὰρ τῆς Ἀρείου μυσαρᾶς αἱρέσεως) καὶ παρασκευάσατε αὐτὸν ἀναθεματίσαι Ἄρειον καὶ τὴν κακοπιστίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὐθέως παύεται ὁ τοσοῦτος κλύδων. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν τῆς εἰρημένης αἱρέσεως οὐ συνεχώρησεν ὑμῖν παραγενέσθαι πρός με. Ὅμως γε κατηχήσατε αὐτόν· δέξασθαι γὰρ ἔχει παρ' ὑμῶν τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον.

57 Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ ἡμέτερος ὅσιος Πορφύριος διυπνίσθη, καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἡμᾶς διηγήσατο τὰ ἐν τῷ ὕπνῳ. Εὐθέως δὲ καλέσαντες τὸν ναύκληρον εἴπαμεν αὐτῷ· Θέλεις σωθῆναί σου τὸ πλοῖον καὶ πάντας ἡμᾶς καὶ πρό γε πάντων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν; Ὃ δέ φησιν· Εἰς τοῦτο οὔ τε ἔστιν ἐρωτῆσαι. Εἶπαν δὲ αὐτῷ οἱ ἐπίσκοποι· Ἄρνησαι τὴν κακοπιστίαν σου καὶ πίστευσον εἰς τὴν ὀρθὴν καὶ καθολικὴν πίστιν, καὶ σῴζῃ σὺ καὶ τὸ πλοῖον καὶ πάντες ἡμεῖς· Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ ναύκληρος· Ἐπειδὴ ὁρῶ ὑμᾶς ἔχοντας πρόγνωσιν (κατελάβετε γὰρ τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου τινὸς μὴ ἀπαγγείλαντος ὑμῖν), ἰδοὺ λέγω ὑμῖν· πιστεύω ὡς πιστεύετε καὶ ἀρνοῦμαι τὴν αἵρεσιν Ἀρείου καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Ἄρειον. Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς κατὰ σχολὴν φωταγωγῆσαί με ἐκ τῶν ἁγίων γραφῶν εἰς τὴν ὀρθὴν πίστιν. Οἱ δὲ ὅσιοι ἐπίσκοποι λαβόντες ἀνεσφράγισαν αὐτόν, ποιήσαντες ἐπ' αὐτῷ εὐχήν· μετέδωκαν δὲ αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων. Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ καὶ ὁ κλύδων ἐπαύσατο, καὶ πρὸς ἑσπέραν ἐτράπη ὁ ἄνεμος, καὶ ἐπλέομεν ἐπιτηδείως, καὶ ποιήσαντες ἐν τῷ πελάγει ἄλλας ἡμέρας τέσσαρας, τῇ πέμπτῃ ὄρθρου κατεπλεύσαμεν εἰς τὸ παράλιον μέρος τῆς Γαζαίων, ὃ καλοῦσιν Μαϊουμᾶν.

58 Ὡς δὲ ἀπέβημεν, γνόντες οἱ ἐκεῖσε Χριστιανοί, ἐδέξαντο ἡμᾶς μετὰ ψαλμῳδίας, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως, ὡς ἤκουσαν, ὑπήντησαν ἡμῖν, ἔχοντες