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

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 customary prayers and sitting down, we partook of a meal; I partook of bread and cheese and wine, but the holy man of bread and soaked legumes and water. And sending the girl away to her grandmother, we slept in the room; for it was summertime. We also asked the girl's name, and she said: Salaphtha, which is interpreted in Greek as Irene. We also spent the next day in the room, with the good Irene giving us every answer with great eagerness.

99 When we learned that the disturbance in the city had ceased, we went by night to the holy church, and going up to the bishop's house, we found nothing in it except the God-loving Barochas lying there and in a critical condition from the blows inflicted on him by the godless and impious idolaters. After a few days, the consular (he was called Clarus), learning what had happened in the city, sends a commentariensis with a large force and he arrests those whom the public officials pointed out and brings them to Caesarea, and some he punished, but others he flogged with ox-hide whips and released, and having caused no small fear, he thus quieted the city.

100 After a few days, Porphyry of blessed memory, remembering that good girl who had received us, summoned her through me; and she came running, having with her another woman whom she said was her aunt. And going in to the blessed bishop, they fell at his feet; and he kindly received them as a loving father. And he said to the girl: "Truly, daughter, do you desire to become a Christian?" And she answered and said: "I have already told you, my lord, that I have had this desire for a long time and now I have brought my aunt as a witness, who herself also has the same desire." And becoming overjoyed, he said to her: "Be strong and courageous, child." And calling the steward of the holy church, he instructed him to provide both to her and to her grandmother four silver miliarensia each day, and to her aunt he gave one nomisma, and having signed them with the sign of the cross he sent them away, instructing them to devote themselves to prayers and to the instruction of the catechumens. He also sent to her house the God-fearing Timothy the presbyter and catechist, and instructed him to sign the girl's grandmother; for as I said before, her body was paralyzed. And after the three were catechized for a short time, they were deemed worthy of the precious baptism.

101 And after laying aside the holy garment, the holy man called the aforementioned girl and said to her: "Do you wish that we join you to a man in lawful marriage? For it is time for you to live with a husband; for honorable marriage is not forbidden by our scripture." But the girl, hearing the word of the holy man, began to weep and say: "Good father, after you have joined me to a great man, do you wish to unjoin me from him and give me to a lowly and worthless one? By no means, my lord, may you do this." And the holy man, being carried away, said: "And who is this one to whom I joined you?" And she answered: "Jesus Christ, the savior of our souls, my true bridegroom, from whom I will not be separated for ever." And the holy man, hearing and being moved to compunction, wept, so that from his great compunction he embraced the girl and kissed her head; for he was truly completely dispassionate and from his great compassion had tears near at hand. And we who were with him, seeing the grace of the Holy Spirit that was given to the God-loving girl, glorified God who bestows wisdom and grace on his chosen ones. And he sent the girl away on that day.

102 And it happened in those days that the old woman fell asleep and went to the Lord. Then, calling the girl, he sent for the God-fearing Manaris the deaconess, she who is also interpreted according to the Greek language

μακάριος πάλιν κατανυγεὶς ἐδάκρυσεν, προεωρακὼς ἣν ἤμελλεν ἔχειν πίστιν εἰς τὸν Χριστόν. Καὶ ἀναστάντες καὶ ποιήσαντες τὰς συνήθεις εὐχὰς καὶ καθίσαντες μετελάβομεν· ἐγὼ μὲν ἄρτου καὶ τυροῦ καὶ οἴνου μετέλαβον, ὁ δὲ ὅσιος ἄρτου καὶ βρεκτοῦ ὀσπρίου καὶ ὕδατος. Καὶ ἀπολύσαντες τὴν κόρην πρὸς τὴν αὐτῆς μάμμην, ἡμεῖς ὑπνώσαμεν ἐν τῷ δωματίῳ· ἦν γὰρ καὶ θέρους ὥρα. Ἐπερωτήσαμεν δὲ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς κόρης, εἶπεν δέ· Σαλαφθᾶ, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται ἑλληνιστὶ Εἰρήνη. Ἐποιήσαμεν δὲ καὶ τὴν ἑξῆς ἐν τῷ δωματίῳ, τῆς καλῆς Εἰρήνης ποιούσης ὑμῖν πᾶσαν ἀπόκρισιν μετὰ πολλῆς προθυμίας.

99 Ὡς δὲ ἔγνωμεν ὅτι κατέστη ὁ θόρυβος τῆς πόλεως, ἐπορεύθημεν διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἀνελθόντες εἰς τὸ ἐπισκοπεῖον, οὐδὲν εὕραμεν ἐν αὐτῷ εἰ μὴ τὸν θεοφιλῆ Βαρωχᾶν κείμενον καὶ ἐσχάτως ἔχοντα ἐκ τῶν ἐνεχθεισῶν αὐτῷ πληγῶν παρὰ τῶν ἀθέων καὶ ἀσεβῶν εἰδωλολατρῶν. Μετὰ δὲ ὀλίγας ἡμέρας γνοὺς τὰ γενόμενα ἐν τῇ πόλει ὁ ὑπατικός (Κλάρος δὲ ἐκαλεῖτο), πέμπει κομενταρήσιον μετὰ πολλῆς βοηθείας καὶ ἀσφαλίζεται οὓς ἐνέδειξαν οἱ δημοσιεύοντες καὶ παριστᾷ εἰς Καισάρειαν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐτιμωρήσατο, τοὺς δὲ βουνευρίσας ἀπέλυσεν, καὶ ποιήσας οὐ μικρὸν φόβον οὕτως κατέστησεν τὴν πόλιν.

100 Μεθ' ἡμέρας δὲ ὀλίγας ἀναμνησθεὶς ὁ ἐν ἁγίοις Πορφύριος τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐκείνης κόρης τῆς ὑποδεξαμένης ἡμᾶς, μετεπέμψατο αὐτὴν δι' ἐμοῦ· ἣ δὲ δρομαία παρεγένετο, ἔχουσα καὶ ἄλλην γυναῖκα ἣν ἔλεγεν θείαν εἶναι. Εἰσελθοῦσαι δὲ πρὸς τὸν μακάριον ἐπίσκοπον, προσέπεσαν τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ· ὃ δὲ εὐμενῶς ταύτας ἐδέξατο ὡς πατὴρ φιλόστοργος. Εἶπεν δὲ τῇ κόρῃ· Ἀληθῶς, θύγατερ, ἐπιθυμεῖς γενέσθαι Χριστιανή; Ἣ δὲ ἀποκριθεῖσα εἶπεν· Καὶ ἤδη εἶπόν σοι, κύριέ μου, ὅτι ἐκ πολλοῦ ἔχω τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ταύτην καὶ νῦν παρήγαγον μάρτυρα τὴν ἐμὴν θείαν, ἥτις καὶ αὐτὴ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐστιν ἐπιθυμίας. Ὃ δὲ περιχαρὴς γενόμενος εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Ἀνδρίζου καὶ ἴσχυε, τέκνον. Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἁγίας ἐκκλησίας, ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτῷ παρέχειν αὐτῇ τε καὶ τῇ αὐτῆς μάμμῃ ἀργυρίου μιλιαρήσια τέσσαρα καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, τῇ δὲ αὐτῆς θείᾳ ἔδωκεν νόμισμα ἕν, καὶ σφραγίσας αὐτὰς τῷ σημείῳ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἀπέλυσεν, παραγγείλας αὐταῖς σχολάζειν ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ τῇ κατηχήσει τῶν κατηχουμένων. Ἔπεμψεν δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸν αὐτῆς οἶκον τὸν θεοσεβῆ Τιμόθεον τὸν πρεσβύτερον καὶ κατηχητήν, καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτῷ σφραγίσαι τὴν μάμμην τῆς κόρης· ὡς γὰρ προεῖπον τὸ σῶμα εἶχεν συμπεπαρμένον. Καὶ κατηχηθεῖσαι αἱ τρεῖς ὀλίγον χρόνον, ἠξιώθησαν τοῦ τιμίου βαπτίσματος.

101 Μετὰ δὲ τὸ ἀποθέσθαι τὸ ἅγιον σχῆμα, προσκαλεσάμενος ὁ ὅσιος τὴν εἰρημένην κόρην εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Θέλεις ζεύξωμέν σε ἀνδρὶ πρὸς γάμον ἔννομον; Καὶ γὰρ ἔστι σοι καιρὸς τοῦ συμβιῶσαι· οὔτε γὰρ ἀπηγόρευται τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ γραφῇ ὁ σεμνὸς γάμος. Ἡ δὲ κόρη ἀκούσασα τὸν λόγον τοῦ ὁσίου, ἤρξατο δακρύειν καὶ λέγειν· Πάτερ ἀγαθέ, μεθ' ὅ με ἔζευξας ἀνδρὶ μεγάλῳ, ἀποζεῦξαί με θέλεις ἐκείνου καὶ ἐκδοῦναι ταπεινῷ καὶ μηδαμινῷ; μηδαμῶς, κύριέ μου, τοῦτο ποιήσῃς. Ὁ δὲ ἐν ἁγίοις συναρπαγεὶς εἶπεν· Καὶ τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὃν ἔζευξά σοι; Ἣ δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο· Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, ὁ σωτὴρ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν, ὁ ἀληθινός μου νυμφίος, οὗ οὐκ ἀποζεύγνυμαι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ ἐν ἀγίοις καὶ κατανυγεὶς ἐδάκρυσεν, ὥστε ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς κατανύξεως περιλαβεῖν τὴν κόρην καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς καταφιλῆσαι· ὄντως γὰρ ἦν τελείως ἀπαθὴς καὶ ἀπὸ πολλῆς εὐσπλαγχνίας ἐγγὺς ἔχων τὸ δάκρυον. Καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν θεασάμενοι τὴν χάριν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος τὴν δοθεῖσαν τῇ θεοφιλεῖ κόρῃ ἐδοξάσαμεν τὸν θεὸν τὸν δωρούμενον σοφίαν καὶ χάριν τοῖς ἐκλεκτοῖς αὐτοῦ. Ἀπέλυσεν δὲ τὴν κόρην ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ.

102 Συνέβη δὲ ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς ἡμέραις τὴν γραῦν ἀναπαῆναι καὶ ἀπελθεῖν πρὸς κύριον. Τότε προσκαλεσάμενος τὴν κόρην, μετεπέμψατο τὴν θεοσεβῆ Μαναρίδα τὴν διάκονον, τὴν διερμηνευομένην καὶ αὐτὴν κατὰ τὴν ἑλληνίδα