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The executioner went through a hundred; last he killed Symeon himself, and Abdechalaas, and Anninas. Both were aged presbyters of the church under him, and had been arrested with him and were in bonds. 2.11.1 At that time Pusices, who was the chief of all the king's artisans, was standing there, and seeing Anninas trembling as he was prepared for the slaughter, said, "For a moment, O old man, close your eyes and be brave; for you will immediately see the light of Christ." As soon as he said this he was arrested and brought to the king. 2.11.2 And having confessed that he was a Christian, because he spoke freely to the king on behalf of the doctrine and the martyrs, the king ordered him to die in a strange and most cruel way, as one who had spoken out of turn. For the executioners pierced his neck around the tendon and pulled out his tongue through it; and through the slander of some people, his daughter, a consecrated virgin, was also arrested at that time and was put to death. 2.11.3 In the following year, on the day on which the memorial of the Passion of Christ was celebrated and the festival of the resurrection from the dead was expected, a most cruel edict of Sabor went forth throughout all the land of the Persians, condemning to death those who confessed themselves to be Christians; at which time indeed it is said that a multitude of Christians beyond number fell by the sword. 2.11.4 For the magi diligently hunted for those who were in hiding throughout cities and villages, while others, even when no one brought them, denounced themselves of their own accord, so as not to seem by their silence to deny Christ. And as all Christians were being killed without mercy, very many were put to death even in the palace, including Azades 2.11.5 the eunuch, who was especially favored by the king. When Sabor learned that he had died, he became exceedingly grieved, and he stopped this popular slaughter, and ordered that only the leaders of the religion should be put to death. 2.12.1 At that time, when the queen had fallen ill, the sister of Symeon the bishop was arrested, Tarbula by name, a consecrated virgin, with a servant who pursued the same life, and a sister who after her husband's death had renounced marriage and was living in the same way. Their arrest came about through the slander of the Jews, who accused them of plotting against the queen with drugs, 2.12.2 being angry on account of Symeon's death. But the queen (for somehow sickness is apt to lend an ear to dreadful things) supposed the slander to be true, especially since it came from Jews, for she held their opinions and lived as a Jew and considered them truthful and loyal to her. And the magi, taking Tarbula and the others, condemn them to death; and cutting them in two with a saw, they impaled them, and as an aversion for the disease, 2.12.3 they made the queen pass between the stakes. It is said that this Tarbula was comely and very beautiful in appearance, and that some of the magi fell in love with her and secretly sent proposals for intercourse, promising as a reward, if she would be persuaded, safety for her and her companions; but she, not enduring to hear of licentiousness, insulted them and reproached them for their intemperance, and most readily chose to die rather than betray her virginity. 2.12.4 But as the edict of Sabor prevailed, as has been said before, to leave the others alone, and to arrest only the priests and the teachers of the doctrine, magi and archmagi, going about the land of the Persians, diligently did evil to the bishops and presbyters, and especially in the country of the Adiabeni; for this region of Persia was for the most part Christian. 2.13.1 About this time they also arrested Acepsimas the bishop and many of the clergy under him. but reckoning that they were satisfied with the capture of the leader, they let the others go, after taking away their property. 2.13.2 But a certain presbyter, Jacob, voluntarily followed Acepsimas, and having begged the magi, he was placed under the same bond; and as to an old man readily

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ἑκατὸν διῆλθεν ὁ δήμιος, τελευταῖον καὶ αὐτὸν Συμεώνην ἔκτεινε καὶ ᾿Αβεδεχαλάαν καὶ ᾿Αννίναν. ἀμφότεροι δὲ γηραλέοι πρεσβύτεροι τῆς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἐκκλησίας ἅμα αὐτῷ συνελήφθησαν καὶ ἐν δεσμοῖς ἦσαν. 2.11.1 Τηνικαῦτα δὲ Πουσίκης, ὃς πάντων ἦρχε τῶν τοῦ βασιλέως τεχνιτῶν, αὐτόθι ἑστώς, ἰδὼν ᾿Αννίναν τρέμοντα ὡς ηὐτρεπίζετο ἐπὶ τὴν σφαγήν, «πρὸς βραχύ», ἔφη, «ὦ γέρον, μῦσον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ θάρρει· αὐτίκα γὰρ ὄψει τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸ φῶς.» ἅμα δὲ τοῦτο εἰπὼν συνελήφθη καὶ ὡς βασιλέα 2.11.2 ἤχθη. καὶ Χριστιανὸς εἶναι ὁμολογήσας, καθότι ἐλευθεροστομῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δόγματος καὶ τῶν μαρτύρων προσδιελέχθη τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὡς οὐ δέον παρρησιασάμενον παραξένῳ καὶ ὠμοτάτῳ τρόπῳ ἀποθανεῖν προσέταξεν. περὶ γὰρ τὸν τένοντα διορύξαντες αὐτοῦ τὸν αὐχένα οἱ δήμιοι τῇδε αὐτοῦ τὴν γλῶτταν ἐξείλκυσαν· ἐκ διαβολῆς δέ τινων καὶ θυγάτηρ αὐτοῦ παρθένος ἱερὰ συλληφθεῖσα τότε ἀνῃρέθη. 2.11.3 Τοῦ δὲ ἐπιγενομένου ἔτους κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν, ᾗ τοῦ μὲν πάθους τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ ἀνάμνησις ἐπετελεῖτο, τῆς δὲ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως ἡ πανήγυρις προσεδοκᾶτο, ὠμοτάτη Σαβώρου πρόσταξις ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν Περσῶν γῆν ἐφοίτα καταδικάζουσα θάνατον τῶν ἑαυτοὺς Χριστιανοὺς εἶναι ὁμολογούντων· ἡνίκα δὴ λέγεται ἀριθμοῦ κρείττονα πληθὺν Χριστιανῶν ὑπὸ ξίφους πε2.11.4 σεῖν. οἵ τε γὰρ μάγοι κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κώμας ἐπιμελῶς ἐθήρων τοὺς λανθάνοντας, οἱ δὲ καὶ αὐτόματοι μηδενὸς ἄγοντος ἑαυτοὺς κατεμήνυον, ὥστε μὴ τῇ σιγῇ δόξαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἀπαρνεῖσθαι. ἀφειδῶς δὲ πάντων Χριστιανῶν κτιννυμένων πλεῖστοι καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τοῖς βασιλείοις ἀνῃρέθησαν καὶ ᾿Αζάδης 2.11.5 ὁ εὐνοῦχος, τὰ μάλιστα βασιλεῖ κεχαρισμένος ὤν. ὃν ἐπείπερ ἀποθανεῖν ὁ Σαβώρης ἐπύθετο, περίλυπος εἰσάγαν ἐγένετο, καὶ τὴν δημώδη ταύτην σφαγὴν ἔστησε, μόνους δὲ τοὺς καθηγητὰς τῆς θρησκείας ἀναιρεῖσθαι προσέταξε. 2.12.1 Κατ' ἐκεῖνο δὲ καιροῦ νόσῳ περιπεσούσης τῆς βασιλίδος συλλαμβάνεται ἡ Συμεώνου τοῦ ἐπισκόπου ἀδελφή, Ταρβούλα τοὔνομα, ἱερὰ παρθένος, σὺν θεραπαίνῃ τὸν αὐτὸν μετιούσῃ βίον καὶ ἀδελφῇ μετὰ θάνατον ἀνδρὸς γάμῳ ἀπαγορευσάσῃ καὶ ὁμοίως ἀγομένῃ. ἐγένετο δὲ αὐτῶν ἡ σύλληψις ἐκ διαβολῆς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων, ἐπαιτιωμένων ὡς φαρμάκοις τῇ κρατούσῃ ἐπεβού2.12.2 λευσαν διὰ τὸν Συμεώνου θάνατον μηνιῶσαι. ἡ δὲ βασιλίς (φιλεῖ γάρ πως τὸ νοσοῦν τοῖς ἀπευκταίοις παρέχειν τὴν ἀκοήν) ὑπέλαβεν ἀληθῆ εἶναι τὴν διαβολὴν καὶ μάλιστα παρὰ ᾿Ιουδαίων γεγενημένην, ἐπεὶ τὰ αὐτῶν ἐφρόνει καὶ ᾿Ιουδαϊκῶς ἐβίω καὶ ἀψευδεῖς αὐτοὺς ἡγεῖτο καὶ εὔνους αὐτῇ. παραλαβόντες δὲ οἱ μάγοι Ταρβούλαν καὶ τὰς ἄλλας καταδικάζουσιν αὐτῶν θάνατον· καὶ πρίονι διχῇ τεμόντες ἀνεσκολόπισαν, καὶ ὡς ἀποτρόπαιον νόσου 2.12.3 διὰ μέσου τῶν σκολόπων τὴν βασιλίδα παρελθεῖν ἐποίησαν. λέγεται δὲ Ταρβούλαν ταύτην εὐπρεπῆ καὶ μάλα καλὴν τὸ εἶδος γενέσθαι, ἐρασθῆναί τε αὐτῆς τινας τῶν μάγων καὶ περὶ συνουσίας λάθρα προσπέμψασθαι μισθὸν ἐπαγγειλαμένους, εἰ πεισθείη, σωτηρίαν αὐτῇ καὶ ταῖς συνούσαις· τὴν δὲ μήτε ἀσελγοῦς ἀκοῆς ἀνασχομένην ἐνυβρίσαι μὲν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀκολασίαν ὀνειδίσαι, προθυμότατα δὲ μᾶλλον ἑλέσθαι ἀποθανεῖν ἢ τὴν παρθενίαν προδοῦναι. 2.12.4 Κρατήσαντος δὲ κατὰ τὴν Σαβώρου πρόσταξιν, ὡς ἐν τοῖς πρόσθεν εἴρηται, τοὺς ἄλλους ἐᾶν, μόνους δὲ συλλαμβάνεσθαι τοὺς ἱερέας καὶ τοὺς ὑφηγητὰς τοῦ δόγματος, περιιόντες μάγοι τε καὶ ἀρχίμαγοι ἀνὰ τὴν Περσῶν γῆν ἐπιμελῶς ἐκακούργουν τοὺς ἐπισκόπους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους, καὶ μάλιστα κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αδιαβηνῶν χώραν· κλίμα δὲ τοῦτο Περσικὸν ὡς ἐπίπαν χριστιανίζον. 2.13.1 ῾Υπὸ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον καὶ ᾿Ακεψιμᾶν τὸν ἐπίσκοπον συνελάβοντο καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ὑπ' αὐτὸν κληρικῶν. ἐπιλογισάμενοι δὲ τῇ ἄγρᾳ τοῦ ἡγουμένου ἠρκέσθησαν, τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ἀφῆκαν τὰς οὐσίας αὐτῶν ἀφελόμενοι. 2.13.2 ᾿Ιάκωβος δέ τις πρεσβύτερος ἑκοντὴς εἵπετο τῷ ᾿Ακεψιμᾷ, καὶ δεηθεὶς τῶν μάγων ὑπὸ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐγένετο δεσμόν· καὶ οἷα γηραλέῳ προθύμως