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Sozomen, The Ecclesiastical History. — Prefatory Remarks, by Valesius
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Prefatory Remarks, by Valesius,
Chapter IX.— Constantine enacts a Law in favor of Celibates and of the Clergy .
Chapter X.— Concerning the Great Confessors who survived .
Chapter XI.— Account of St. Spyridon: His Modesty and Steadfastness .
Chapter XII.— On the Organization of the Monks: its Origin and Founders .
Chapter XIII.— About Antony the Great and St. Paul the Simple .
Chapter XIV.— Account of St. Ammon and Eutychius of Olympus .
Chapter XVII.— Of the Council convened at Nicæa on Account of Arius .
Chapter XIX.— When the Council was assembled, the Emperor delivered a Public Address.
Chapter IV.— What Constantine the Great effected about the Oak in Mamre he also built a Temple .
Chapter VII.— How the Iberians received the Faith of Christ .
Chapter VIII.— How the Armenians and Persians embraced Christianity .
Chapter X.— Christians slain by Sapor in Persia .
Chapter XI.— Pusices, Superintendent of the Artisans of Sapor .
Chapter XII.— Tarbula, the Sister of Symeon, and her Martyrdom .
Chapter XIII.— Martyrdom of St. Acepsimas and of his Companions .
Chapter XV.— Constantine writes to Sapor to stay the Persecution of the Christians .
Chapter XX.— Concerning Maximus, who succeeded Macarius in the See of Jerusalem .
Chapter XXII.— The Vain Machinations of the Arians and Melitians against St. Athanasius .
Chapter XXIII.— Calumny respecting St. Athanasius and the Hand of Arsenius .
Chapter XXV.— Council of Tyre Illegal Deposition of St. Athanasius .
Chapter XXX.— Account given by the Great Athanasius of the Death of Arius .
Chapter XXXIII.— Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra his Heresy and Deposition .
Chapter III.— Paul, Bishop of Constantinople, and Macedonius, the Pneumatomachian .
Chapter IV.— A Sedition was excited on the Ordination of Paul .
Chapter XV.— Didymus the Blind, and Aëtius the Heretic .
Chapter XVI.— Concerning St. Ephraim .
Chapter XXI.— Letter of Constantius to the Egyptians in behalf of Athanasius. Synod of Jerusalem .
Chapter XXII.— Epistle written by the Synod of Jerusalem in Favor of Athanasius .
Chapter III.— Martyrdom of the Holy Notaries .
Chapter IX.— Council of Milan. Flight of Athanasius .
Chapter XIV.— Letter of the Emperor Constantius against Eudoxius and his Partisans .
Chapter XVII.— Proceedings of the Council of Ariminum .
Chapter XVIII.— Letter from the Council at Ariminum to the Emperor Constantius .
Chapter XXII.— Council of Seleucia .
Chapter II.— The Life, Education, and Training of Julian, and his Accession to the Empire .
Chapter IX.— Martyrdom of the Saints Eusebius, Nestabus, and Zeno in the City of Gaza .
Chapter XIV.— The Partisans of Macedonius disputed with the Arians concerning Acacius .
Chapter III.— The Reign of Jovian he introduced Many Laws which he carried out in his Government .
Chapter VIII.— Election of Nectarius to the See of Constantinople his Birthplace and Education .
Chapter IX.— Decrees of the Second General Council. Maximus, the Cynical Philosopher .
Chapter XXI.— Discovery of the Honored Head of the Forerunner of our Lord, and the Events about it .
Chapter XXIV.— Victory of Theodosius the Emperor over Eugenius .
Chapter XXVI.— St. Donatus, Bishop of Eurœa, and Theotimus, High-Priest of Scythia .
Chapter XXVII.— St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, and a Particular Account of his Acts .
Chapter IV.— Enterprise of Gaïnas, the Gothic Barbarian. Evils which he perpetrated .
Chapter II.— Discovery of the Relics of Forty Holy Martyrs .
Chapter III.— The Virtues of Pulcheria Her Sisters .
Chapter IV.— Truce with Persia. Honorius and Stilicho. Transactions in Rome and Dalmatia .
Chapter VI.— Alaric the Goth. He assaulted Rome, and straitened it by War .
Chapter X.— A Roman Lady who manifested a Deed of Modesty .
Chapter XVII.— Discovery of the Relics of Zechariah the Prophet, and of Stephen the Proto-Martyr .
Chapter XI.— Pusices, Superintendent of the Artisans of Sapor .
Pusices, the superintendent of the king’s artisans, was present at the execution; perceiving that Anannias trembled as the
necessary preparations for his death were being made, he said to him, “O old man, close your eyes for a little while and be
of good courage, for you will soon behold the light of Christ.” No sooner had he uttered these words than he was arrested
and conducted before the king; and as he frankly avowed himself a Christian, and spoke with great freedom to the king concerning
his opinion and the martyrs, he was condemned to an extraordinary and most cruel death, because it was not lawful to address
the king with such boldness. The executioners pierced the muscles of his neck in such a manner as to extract his tongue. On
the charge of some persons, his daughter, who had devoted herself to a life of holy virginity, was arraigned and executed
at the same time. The following year, on the day on which the passion of Christ was commemorated, and when preparations were
being made for the celebration of the festival commemorative of his resurrection from the dead, Sapor issued a most cruel
edict throughout Persia, condemning to death all those who should confess themselves to be Christians. It is said that a greater
number of Christians suffered by the sword; for the Magi sought diligently in the cities and villages for those who had concealed
themselves; and many voluntarily surrendered themselves, lest they should appear, by their silence, to deny Christ. Of the
Christians who were thus unsparingly sacrificed, many who were attached to the palace were slain, and amongst these was Azades,
23
Assemanus, Bibl. Orient. t. i. 189, speaks of Azades as the eunuch of Artascirus,
ruler of Adiabene, who was a cousin of Sapor.
a eunuch, who was especially beloved by the king. On hearing of his death, Sapor was overwhelmed with grief, and put a stop
to the general slaughter of the Christians; and he directed that the teachers of religion should alone be slain.