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being even more astonished, he was enraged at the Christians, as accomplishing such things by sorcery. But out of regard for the old man, appearing at one moment gentle, at another harsh, he tried with all his strength to persuade him. And when he accomplished nothing, since Ustazanes insisted that he would never be so foolish as to worship the things created by God instead of the creator of all things, then indeed, moved to anger, he ordered his head to be cut off with a sword. And as he was being led to this by the executioners, he asked them to wait a little, as if to declare something to the king. And having summoned one of the most trusted eunuchs, he commanded him to say these things to Sapor: "The goodwill which I have had from my youth until now, O king, toward your house, serving both your father and you with fitting zeal, does not seem to me to need witnesses before you who know these things well. But in return for all the things by which I have ever been pleasing to you, grant me this reward, that I may not seem to those who do not know to be undergoing punishment as one unfaithful to the kingdom or otherwise convicted as an evildoer. And so that this may be made clear, let a herald, crying out, make known to all that Ustazanes is being beheaded, not at all having appeared wicked in any matter in the palace, but being a Christian and not obeying the king to deny his own God." And the eunuch reported these things. And Sapor, according to the request of Ustazanes, ordered a herald to cry out. For he thought that the others would readily cease being Christians, if they should take it to heart that he would spare no Christian, having put to death an old man who was his tutor and a loyal kinsman. But Ustazanes was eager for the cause of his punishment to be proclaimed, reasoning that, when out of fear he had worshipped the sun, he had caused many Christians to be in fear, but now if they should learn that he was put to death for his religion, he would make many imitators of his own courage. Thus indeed Ustazanes most gloriously left this life; but Symeon, having learned of it in prison, offered prayers of thanksgiving to God concerning him. On the next day (it happened to be the sixth day of the week, on which, before the festival of the resurrection, the annual commemoration of the Savior's passion is celebrated) the king decreed that Symeon also be put to death by the sword. For having been brought again from the prison to the palace, he conversed most nobly with Sapor concerning the doctrine and he refused to worship either him or the sun. And on the same day, a hundred others who were in prison were ordered to be put to death in like manner, and that Symeon be slain last among them, after he had witnessed the death of all. And of these, some were bishops, and others presbyters, and others of other clerical orders. And as they were all being led to their death, the great archimagus came and asked them if they wished to live and to worship in a manner similar to the king and to revere the sun. But since no one chose life on these terms, when they were brought to the place where they were about to be killed, the executioners set to their work and labored at the slaughter of the martyrs, but Symeon, standing by as they were being put to death, exhorted them to be of good courage, and discoursed concerning death and resurrection and piety; and proving it from the sacred scriptures, he showed that to die here is truly life, but to betray God through cowardice is admittedly death. For after a short time, even if no one kills them, they will die of themselves; for this is the inescapable end for everyone who is born. But the things after this, being eternal, will not meet all people in the same way, but as from a kind of measuring line they will give an exact account of their life here. and for the good things which each has done he will receive immortal rewards, and he will undergo the penalties for the opposite. And the greatest of all good things and most blessed is to choose to die for God. As Symeon was saying such things, like a trainer exhorting in the contests in what way one must proceed, each one, hearing, eagerly went to the slaughter. And when the

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τεθηπὼς ἔτι μᾶλλον ἐχαλέπαινε τοῖς Χριστιανοῖς ὡς γοητείαις τὰ τοιαῦτα κατορθοῦσι. φειδοῖ δὲ τῇ περὶ τὸν πρεσβύτην πῇ μὲν πρᾶος, πῇ δὲ ἀπηνὴς φαινόμενος παντὶ σθένει μεταπείθειν αὐτὸν ἐπει2..10 ρᾶτο. ὡς δὲ οὐδὲν ἤνυεν, ἰσχυριζομένου Οὐσθαζάδου μήποτε τοσοῦτον εὐήθη ἔσεσθαι, ὡς ἀντὶ τοῦ πάντων δημιουργοῦ θεοῦ τὰ πρὸς αὐτοῦ δεδημιουργημένα σέβειν, τότε δὴ πρὸς ὀργὴν κινηθεὶς προσέταξεν αὐτοῦ ξίφει τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτμηθῆναι. ἐπὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἀγόμενος παρὰ τῶν δημίων, ἐπι2..11 σχεῖν μικρὸν αὐτῶν ἐδεήθη, ὡς περί του βασιλεῖ δηλώσων. καὶ προσκαλεσάμενός τινα τῶν πιστοτάτων εὐνούχων ἐκέλευσε τάδε εἰπεῖν Σαβώρῃ· «ἣν μὲν ἐκ νέου μέχρι τοῦ νῦν εὔνοιαν ἔσχον, ὦ βασιλεῦ, περὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον οἶκον, πατρί τε σῷ καὶ σοὶ σπουδῇ τῇ προσηκούσῃ διακονούμενος, οὔ μοι δοκεῖ μαρτύρων παρὰ σοὶ εὖ ταῦτα ἐπισταμένῳ δεῖσθαι. ἀντὶ πάντων δὲ ὧν πώποτε κεχαρισμένος ὑμῖν ἐγενόμην, ἀπόδος μοι ταύτην τὴν ἀμοιβήν, τὸ μὴ δόξαι τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσι τιμωρίαν ὑπέχειν ὡς ἄπιστον περὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἢ 2..12 ἄλλως κακοῦργον ἁλόντα. καὶ ὥστε δῆλον τοῦτο γενέσθαι, κῆρυξ βοῶν σημανεῖ πᾶσιν ὅτι Οὐσθαζάδης τὴν κεφαλὴν ἀποτέμνεται μοχθηρὸς μὲν οὐδαμῶς ἔν τινι ἐν τοῖς βασιλείοις φανείς, Χριστιανὸς δὲ ὢν καὶ τὸν ἴδιον 2..13 θεὸν ἀπαρνεῖσθαι τῷ βασιλεῖ μὴ πειθόμενος.» καὶ ὁ μὲν εὐνοῦχος ἤγγειλε ταῦτα. Σαβώρης δὲ κατὰ τὴν αἴτησιν Οὐσθαζάδου κήρυκα βοῆσαι προσέταξεν. ᾤετο γὰρ τοὺς ἄλλους ἑτοίμως παύεσθαι χριστιανίζειν, εἰ κατὰ νοῦν λάβοιεν ὡς οὐδενὸς Χριστιανοῦ φείσεται πρεσβύτην τροφέα καὶ οἰκεῖον εὔνουν ἀνελών. Οὐσθαζάδης δὲ ἐσπούδαζεν ἀνακηρυχθῆναι τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς αὐτοῦ τιμωρίας, λογισάμενος ὡς, ἡνίκα εὐλαβηθεὶς προσεκύνησε τὸν ἥλιον, πολλοὺς Χριστιανῶν εἰς δέος κατέστησε, νυνὶ δὲ εἰ μάθοιεν αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς θρησκείας ἀναιρεθέντα, μιμητὰς πολλοὺς ποιήσει τῆς οἰκείας ἀνδρείας. 2.10.1 ῟Ωδε μὲν Οὐσθαζάδης ἐνδοξότατα τὴν ἐνθάδε βιοτὴν κατέλιπε· Συμεώνης δὲ μαθὼν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ εὐχαριστήρια περὶ αὐτοῦ τῷ θεῷ ηὔξατο. τῇ δὲ ἑξῆς ἡμέρᾳ (ἔτυχε δὲ ἕκτην τῆς ἑβδομάδος εἶναι, καθ' ἣν πρὸ τῆς ἀναστασίμου πανηγύρεως ἡ ἐτήσιος τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους ἀνάμνησις ἐπιτελεῖται) καὶ τὸν Συμεώνην ἐψηφίσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς ξίφει ἀναιρεθῆναι. προαχθεὶς γὰρ αὖθις ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου εἰς τὰ βασίλεια γενναίως μάλα προσδιελέχθη Σαβώρῃ περὶ τοῦ δόγματος καὶ οὔτε αὐτὸν οὔτε τὸν ἥλιον προσκυ2.10.2 νῆσαι ἠνέσχετο. κατὰ δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμέραν ὁμοίως ἀναιρεθῆναι προσετάχθησαν καὶ ἄλλοι ἑκατὸν ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ ὄντες, τελευταῖον δὲ αὐτοῖς ἐπισφαγῆναι Συμεώνην τὸν πάντων θάνατον θεασάμενον. ἦσαν δὲ τούτων οἱ μὲν ἐπίσκοποι, οἱ δὲ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ ἄλλοι ἄλλων κληρικῶν ταγμάτων. 2.10.3 ὡς δὲ πάντες τὴν ἐπὶ θάνατον ἤγοντο, παραγενόμενος ὁ μέγας ἀρχίμαγος ἤρετο αὐτούς, εἰ βούλοιντο ζῆν καὶ βασιλεῖ παραπλησίως θρησκεύειν καὶ τὸν ἥλιον σέβειν. οὐδενὸς δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις ζωὴν ἑλομένου, ὡς εἰς τὸν τόπον ἤχθησαν οὗ κτείνεσθαι ἔμελλον, οἱ μὲν δήμιοι ἔργου εἴχοντο καὶ περὶ 2.10.4 τὴν σφαγὴν τῶν μαρτύρων ἐπόνουν, Συμεώνης δὲ παρεστὼς αὐτοῖς ἀναιρουμένοις παρεκελεύετο θαρρεῖν, καὶ περὶ θανάτου καὶ περὶ ἀναστάσεως καὶ περὶ εὐσεβείας διελέγετο· καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν πιστούμενος ἐδείκνυ ζωὴν μὲν ἀληθῶς εἶναι τὸ ὧδε ἀποθανεῖν, τὸ δὲ διὰ δειλίαν προδοῦναι θεὸν ὁμολογουμένως θάνατον· μετ' οὐ πολὺ γὰρ καὶ μηδενὸς ἀποκτέννοντος αὐτομάτως τεθνήξονται· τοῦτο γὰρ ἄφυκτον παντὶ τικτομένῳ τέλος. τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ διηνεκῆ ὄντα οὐ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ὁμοίως ἀπαντήσει, ἀλλ' ὡς ἀπὸ στάθμης τινὸς ἀκριβῆ λόγον δώσουσι τῆς ἐνθάδε βιοτῆς. καὶ ἀθανάτους ὧν ἕκαστος εὖ ἐποίησε τὰς ἀμοιβὰς λήψεται καὶ τὰς εὐθύνας τῶν ἐναντίων ὑφέξει. μεῖζον δὲ πάντων ἐν ἀγαθοῖς καὶ μακαριώτατον ὑπὲρ θεοῦ ἑλέσθαι 2.10.5 ἀποθανεῖν. τοιαῦτα Συμεώνου διεξιόντος, οἷα παιδοτρίβου παρακελευομένου ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ὃν χρὴ τρόπον ἐλθεῖν, ἕκαστος ἐπαΐων προθύμως ἐπὶ τὴν σφαγὴν ἐχώρει. ἐπεὶ δὲ τοὺς