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might suffer from cowardice and lose his great eagerness through the magnitude of the fear. Therefore He sent him neither an angel as a helper, as he later did for the apostles in the prison, nor any ministering and fellow-servant power, but He Himself appeared to him. 12.8.2 For at that time he became the first-fruit of martyrdom, and it was necessary for the first work to be perfected, so that the martyrs built upon it thereafter might have a strong foundation for their zeal and not become imitators of cowardice, which indeed also happens in ordinary wars. For one champion soldier, having provided the occasion for the deed, if he has conquered and acted bravely, has strengthened all his own men and struck down the enemy; but if he has suffered some weakness, he immediately breaks them and fills the souls of his kinsmen with cowardice and becomes a signal for flight. For this reason God appeared from heaven. 12.9.1 But he, having been deemed worthy of a great vision such as no other, did not keep silent about what he saw, but immediately cried out: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God. For he thought that proclaiming the vision would draw the unbelievers to consent. But they, making what was said an occasion for greater wrath and madness, and stopping their ears to the word as blasphemous, immediately set about the murder. And having dragged the Christ-bearing man outside the city, who was carrying his patience as the Lord carried the cross, they heal evil with evil and defend murder with murder, and they join stones to the cross. 12.9.2 And having stood the thrice-blessed one in a certain level place—that tall and lofty body, the trophy of the martyrs—and the people of blood and wrath having surrounded him in a circle, and having imitated what in wars is called the dragnet, they threw stones at the deacon of the cornerstone, and every Hebrew hand was at work on the murder; and the target of those casting was the martyr, standing in the middle like an archer's mark. 12.9.3 But when his body, broken on all sides and bathed in blood, was no longer able to stand upright, and was shaken and threatened to fall like some tall plane tree worked upon by many carpenters; yet he did not fall unseemly as many do. For he was not stretched out face down, nor did he fall on his side, nor did he recline in a supine position, but placing his knees in the seemly posture of one praying, he departed, hastening for his soul through prayer the separation from the flesh, and crying out to the Lord whom he saw: Lord Jesus Christ, receive my spirit. 12.9.4 For he was hastening as to a migration, as from a foreign land to his fatherland, as to a brilliant city from a desolate and arid land. And he added to his supplication also the prayer for those who were stoning him. For they were unintentionally doing good, and by stoning they were saving, and by killing they were giving life, and by separating him from the clay they were sending him to the kingdom. 12.10.1 Let us consider, therefore, also the word of the prayer, to what sort of purpose the "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" tends. For he does not pray, as some incorrectly reason, for the sin of his enemies to become unpunished and unaccountable. For this would be to openly oppose the ordinance of God and to correct the just judgment and legislation that has allotted to murderers what they deserve. 12.10.2 But what does he say? "Lord, do not hold this sin against them," that is: Give them a fear of compunction, lead them to repentance for what has now been dared, do not allow them to die in the circumcision, draw them through repentance to the knowledge of you, kindle in their hearts the flame of the Spirit. For if they are improved in this way, it is clear that you will not hold the sin against them, but having washed away both your blood and mine in the bath of grace, they will become free of the charges. 12.10.3 These things happened and the drama was completed. And hosts of angels rejoiced, marveling at the contest, and with a great escort they led Stephen up to his own inheritance; but the devil was turned away empty,

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πάθῃ δειλὸν καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἐκλύσῃ προθυμίαν τῷ μεγέθει τοῦ φόβου. ∆ιὸ οὔτε ἄγγελον αὐτῷ ἔπεμψε βοηθὸν ὡς τοῖς ἀποστόλους ὕστερον ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, οὔτε τινὰ δύναμιν λειτουργικὴν καὶ ὁμοδοῦλον, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐνεφάνισεν. 12.8.2 Ἀπαρχὴ γὰρ ἐγένετο τότε τοῦ μαρτυρίου καὶ ἔδει τὸ πρῶτον ἔργον τελειωθῆναι, ἵνα οἱ ἑξῆς ἐποικοδομούμενοι μάρτυρες ἰσχυρὰν λάβωσι τοῦ ζήλου τὴν ὑποβάθραν καὶ μὴ δειλίας γένωνται μιμηταί, ὅπερ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κοινῶν γίνεται πολέμων. Εἷς γὰρ στρατιώτης πρόμαχος, ὁ τοῦ ἔργου παρασχὼν τὸ ἐνδόσιμον, νικήσας μὲν καὶ ἀνδρισάμενος πάντας τοὺς ἰδίους ἐπέρρωσε καὶ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους κατέ πληξεν, ἀσθενὲς δέ τι παθὼν εὐθὺς κατακλᾷ καὶ δειλίας πληροῖ τὰς τῶν ὁμοφύλων ψυχὰς καὶ φυγῆς γίνεται σύνθημα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μὲν ὁ Θεὸς οὐρανόθεν ἐφάνη. 12.9.1 Ὁ δὲ τῆς μεγάλης ὀπτασίας ἀξιωθεὶς οἵας οὐκ ἄλλος, οὐ κατέσχε σιωπῇ ἅπερ εἶδεν, ἀλλ' εὐθὺς ἐξεβόησεν· Ἰδοὺ θεωρῶ τοὺς οὐρα νοὺς ἀνεῳγμένους καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ δεξιῶν ἑστῶτα τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐνόμισε γὰρ τὸ ἐξαγορεῦσαι τὴν ὁπτασίαν τοὺς ἀπίστους ἑλκύσειν εἰς συγκατάθεσιν. Οἱ δὲ τὸ λεχθὲν πλείονος ὀργῆς καὶ μανίας ἀφορμὴν ποιησάμενοι ἐπιφραξάμενοί τε τὰς ἀκοὰς πρὸς τὸν λόγον ὡς βλάσφημον εἴχοντο παραχρῆμα τοῦ φόνου. Ἑλκύσαντες δὲ ἔξω τῆς πόλεως τὸν χριστοφόρον ἄνθρωπον, βαστάζοντα τὴν ὑπομονὴν ὡς ὁ Κύριος τὸν σταυρόν, κακῷ τὸ κακὸν ἰῶνται καὶ φόνῳ ὑπὲρ τοῦ φόνου ἀπολογοῦνται καὶ τῷ σταυρῷ τοὺς λίθους συνάπτουσι. 12.9.2 Στήσαντες δὲ τὸν τρισμακάριον ἐπί τινος ἰσοπέδου χωρίου, τὸ μακρὸν ἐκεῖνο σῶμα καὶ ὑψηλὸν τῶν μαρτύρων τρόπαιον, καὶ κύκλῳ περισχόντες αὐτὸν ὁ τῶν αἱμάτων καὶ τῆς ὀργῆς δῆμος, καὶ τὴν καλουμένην ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις μιμησάμενοι σαγηνείαν ἔβαλλον λίθοις τὸν τοῦ ἀκρογωνιαίου λίθου διάκονον καὶ πᾶσα χεὶρ Ἑβραϊκὴ τὸν φόνον ἐνήργει· σκοπὸς δὲ ἦν τῶν ἀφιέντων ὁ μάρτυς ἑστὼς κατὰ μέσον ὡς σημεῖον τοξότου. 12.9.3 Ὡς δὲ πάντοθεν τὸ σῶμα περιθραυσθὲν καὶ λελουμένον τῷ αἵματι ὤκλαζε λοιπὸν πρὸς τὴν ὄρθιον στάσιν, κατεσείετο δὲ καὶ ἠπείλει τὴν πτῶσιν ὥσπερ τις ὑψηλὴ πλάτανος παρὰ πολλῶν κατεργασθεῖσα τεκτό νων· οὐ δὲ τὴν πτῶσιν ἔπαθε κατὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀπρεπῶς. Οὐ γὰρ πρηνὴς ἐξετάθη οὐδὲ ἐπὶ πλάγιον κατηνέχθη οὐδὲ εἰς τὸ ὕπτιον ἀνεκλίθη σχῆμα, ἀλλὰ θεὶς τὰ γόνατα ἐν τῷ εὐπρεπεῖ σχήματι τοῦ εὐχομένου κατέλυσεν ἐπιταχύνων τῇ ψυχῇ διὰ τῆς προσευχῆς τὸν τῆς σαρκὸς χωρισμὸν καὶ κράζων πρὸς τὸν ὁρώμενον Κύριον· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, δέξαι τὸ πνεῦμα μου. 12.9.4 Ἔσπευδε γὰρ ὡς ἐπί τινα μετοικίαν, ὡς ἐξ ἀλλοδαπῆς ἐπὶ πατρίδα, ὡς εἰς πόλιν λαμπρὰν ἀπὸ γῆς ἐρήμου καὶ αὐχμηρᾶς. Προσετίθει δὲ τῇ δεήσει καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν λιθαζόντων εὐχήν. Εὐεργέτουν γὰρ ἄκοντες καὶ λιθάζοντες ἔσωζον καὶ φονεύοντες ἐζωοποίουν καὶ τοῦ πηλοῦ χωρίζοντες τῇ βασιλείᾳ παρέ πεμπον. 12.10.1 Θεωρήσωμεν οὖν καὶ τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς προσευχῆς, πρὸς οἷον φέρει σκόπον τὸ Κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Οὐ γάρ, ὡς οἴονταί τινες κακῶς λογιζόμενοι, ἀτιμώρητον καὶ ἀνεύθυνον εὔχεται γενέσθαι τῶν ἐχθρῶν τὸ ἁμάρτημα. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν φανερῶς τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ διατυπώσει ἀνθίστασθαι καὶ τὴν τοῦ δικαίου κρίσιν καὶ νομοθεσίαν ἐπανορθοῦν τὴν τοῖς ἀνδροφόνοις τὰ πρὸς ἀξίαν ἀποκληρώσασαν. 12.10.2 Ἀλλὰ τί φησι; Κύριε, μὴ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, τουτέστι· ∆ὸς φόβον κατανύξεως, ἄγαγε πρὸς μεταμέλειαν τῶν νῦν τετολμημένων, μὴ συγχωρήσῃς ἐναποθανεῖν τῇ περιτομῇ, ἕλκυσον διὰ μετανοίας πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἐπίγνωσιν, ἄναψον ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις τὴν φλόγα τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἂν γὰρ οὕτως βελτιωθῶσι, πρόδηλον ὡς οὐ στήσῃς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ λουτρῷ τῆς χάριτος καὶ τὸ σὸν καὶ τὸ ἐμὸν αἷμα νιψάμενοι ἐλεύθεροι τῶν ἐγκλημάτων γενήσονται. 12.10.3 Ταῦτα ἐγένετο καὶ ἐτελέσθη τὸ δρᾶμα. Καὶ στρατιαὶ μὲν τῶν ἀγγέλων εὐφραίνοντο τὸν ἀγῶνα θαυ μάζουσαι καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς δορυφορίας τὸν Στέφανον εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀνάγουσαι κλῆρον· ὁ δὲ διάβολος ἀπεστράφη κενός,