71

being defiled may receive cleansing through another fire. These things and whatever was similar said by them enraged the spirit of the sinner. And first he ordered that their heads be cut off. And when they were led outside the city, the multitude of the city followed, admiring them for their courage and marveling at their boldness on behalf of piety. And when they reached that place where they were accustomed to punish criminals, the eldest of the others begged the executioner to first cut off the head of the youngest of them all, lest watching the slaughter of the others he should admit cowardice. But when one knelt upon the ground, and the other drew his sword, someone came announcing a pardon and with a shout from afar forbade the execution. Then the youngest, vexed at his deliverance from the slaughter, said: "Romanus, then, was not worthy to be called a martyr of Christ." For this was his name. But that evil contriver forbade the slaughter, being stricken with envy and begrudging the athletes their glory, yet he did not 197 allow them to live in the cities, but sent them away to the remotest parts of the Roman empire. And Artemius too (for he had been general of the soldiers in Egypt), since he had shattered very many idols, having obtained that office in the times of Constantius, he not only stripped him of his possessions but also deprived the rest of his body of its head. These and such as these things were done by the one named by the impious as most gentle and most continent of wrath. But I will also add to my history the praiseworthy narrative of a most excellent woman; for women too, armed with divine zeal, despised his rage. There was a certain Publia, at that time most renowned and celebrated for her achievements in virtue. She, having accepted the yoke of marriage for a short time, offered a most admirable fruit to God. For John, who for a very long time led the presbyters in Antioch and, though often receiving the votes for the apostolic see, always fled from this leadership, sprang from that wonderful soil. She, having a choir of virgins who had professed lifelong virginity, always hymned God their creator and savior, and when the emperor passed by they sang together more loudly, deeming the wretch contemptible and ridiculous. They especially sang those songs which mock the weakness of idols, and with David they said: "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands." And after the account of their senselessness they would say: 198 "May those who make them become like them, and all who trust in them." Hearing these things, he was greatly annoyed and ordered them to be silent during the time of his passing. But she, caring little for his laws, filled the choir with greater enthusiasm, and again when he passed by she commanded them to sing: "Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered." And he, being angered, ordered the teacher of the choir to be brought forth. And seeing an old age most worthy of respect, he neither pitied the gray hairs of her body nor honored the virtue of her soul, but ordered some of his bodyguards to strike her on each temple and to redden her cheeks with their hands. But she, receiving the dishonor as the highest honor, returned to her room, and as was her custom assailed him with spiritual melodies, just as the writer and teacher of that melody used to calm that evil spirit that troubled Saul. For he too, having taken in avenging demons, was continually in a frenzy and raged against piety. For on account of this, he also armed the Jews against those who had believed in Christ. And first gathering them together he asked why, when the law commanded them to sacrifice, they did not make use of sacrifices; but when they said that their worship was circumscribed to one place, the God-hater immediately ordered the destroyed temple to be rebuilt, the vain man supposing the Lord's 199 prophecy

71

μιανθέντες διὰ πυρὸς ἑτέρου τὴν κάθαρσιν δέξωνται. ταῦτα καὶ ὅσα τούτοις προσόμοια παρ' ἐκείνων λεγόμενα ἐξέμηνε τὸν τοῦ ἀλιτηρίου θυμόν. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν αὐτῶν τὰς κεφαλὰς ἀποτμηθῆναι προσέταξεν. ἀπαγομένων δὲ αὐτῶν ἔξω τοῦ ἄστεως, ἠκολούθει τὸ τῆς πόλεως πλῆθος, ἀγάμενον αὐτοὺς τῆς εὐψυχίας καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας παρρησίαν θαυμάζον. ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο κατέλαβον ἔνθα τοὺς κακούργους κολάζειν εἰώθασιν, ἐλιπάρησε τὸν δήμιον ὁ τῶν ἄλλων πρεσβύτερος, τοῦ πάντων αὐτῶν νεωτάτου πρῶτον τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐκτεμεῖν, ἵνα μὴ τῶν ἄλλων θεασάμενος τὴν σφαγὴν τὴν δειλίαν εἰσδέξηται. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὁ μὲν ἐπέθηκε τῷ δαπέδῳ τὰ γόνατα, ὁ δὲ τὸ ξίφος ἐγύμνωσεν, ἧκέ τις μηνύων τὴν ἄφεσιν καὶ βοῇ κωλύων πόρρωθεν τὴν ἀναίρεσιν. τότε ὁ νεώτατος τὴν τῆς σφαγῆς δυσχεράνας ἀπαλλαγήν· "οὐκ ἦν ἄρα", ἔφη, "Ῥωμανὸς ἄξιος μάρτυς κληθῆναι Χριστοῦ". τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ ὄνομα. ἀλλὰ τὴν μὲν σφαγὴν ὁ κακομήχανος ἐκεῖνος ἐκώλυσε, φθόνῳ βαλλό μενος καὶ τῆς εὐκλείας βασκαίνων τοῖς ἀθληταῖς, οὐκ εἴασε δὲ ὅμως 197 αὐτοὺς τὰς πόλεις οἰκεῖν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τῆς Ῥωμαίων ἡγε μονίας ἐξέπεμψε. Καὶ Ἀρτέμιον δέ (στρατηγὸς δὲ οὗτος τῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ στρα τιωτῶν ἐγεγόνει), ἐπειδὴ πλεῖστα τῶν εἰδώλων συνέτριψε τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκείνην ἐν τοῖς Κωνσταντίου χρόνοις λαχών, οὐ μόνον τῶν ὄντων ἐγύμνωσεν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς τὸ λοιπὸν ἐστέρησε σῶμα. ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα δέδρακεν ὁ πραότατος καὶ ὀργῆς ἐγκρατέστατος παρὰ τῶν δυσσεβούντων ὀνομαζόμενος. ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ γυναικὸς ἀρίστης ἀξιέπαινον διήγημα προσθήσω τῇ συγγραφῇ· κατεφρόνησαν γὰρ τῆς τούτου λύττης καὶ γυναῖκες τῷ θείῳ ζήλῳ καθωπλισμέναι. Πουπλία τις ἦν κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον ὀνομαστοτάτη καὶ πολυθρύλητος ἐκ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς κατορθωμάτων γεγενημένη. αὕτη καὶ τοῦ γάμου τὸν ζυγὸν πρὸς ὀλίγον δεξαμένη καιρόν, καρπὸν ἀξιά γαστον τῷ θεῷ προσενήνοχεν. Ἰωάννης γάρ, ὁ τῶν ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ πρεσβυτέρων ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἡγησάμενος χρόνον καὶ πολλάκις μὲν τῆς ἀποστολικῆς προεδρίας τὰς ψήφους δεξάμενος, ἀεὶ δὲ τήνδε τὴν ἡγε μονίαν φυγών, ἐξ ἐκείνης τῆς θαυμασίας ἀρούρας ἐβλάστησεν. αὕτη χορὸν ἔχουσα παρθένων τὴν διὰ βίου παρθενίαν ἐπηγγελμένων ἀεὶ μὲν ὕμνει τὸν πεποιηκότα καὶ σεσωκότα θεόν, τοῦ δὲ βασιλέως παριόντος γεγωνότερον κοινῇ ἔψαλλον, εὐκαταφρόνητον ἡγούμεναι καὶ καταγέλαστον τὸν ἀλάστορα. ᾖδον δὲ μάλιστα ἐκεῖνα τὰ ᾄσματα ἃ τῶν εἰδώλων κωμῳδεῖ τὴν ἀσθένειαν, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἔλεγον· " τὰ εἴδωλα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον, ἔργα χειρῶν ἀνθρώπων ". καὶ μετὰ τὴν τῆς ἀναισθησίας διήγησιν ἔλεγον· 198 " ὅμοιοι αὐτοῖς γένοιντο οἱ ποιοῦντες αὐτὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ". τούτων ἀκούσας ἐκεῖνος καὶ λίαν ἀνιαθεὶς σιγᾶν αὐταῖς προσέταξε κατὰ τὸν τῆς παρόδου καιρόν. ἡ δὲ μικρὸν τῶν ἐκείνου νόμων φροντίσασα, πλείονος τὸν χορὸν προθυμίας ἐνέπλησε, καὶ πάλιν ἐκείνου διιόντος ψάλλειν ἐκέλευσεν· " ἀναστήτω ὁ θεὸς καὶ διασκορπισθήτωσαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ". ὁ δὲ χαλεπήνας τοῦ χοροῦ τὴν διδάσκαλον ἀχθῆναι προσέταξε. καὶ γῆρας ἰδὼν αἰδοῦς ἀξιώτατον, οὔτε τοῦ σώματος τὴν πολιὰν ᾤκτει ρεν οὔτε τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς τετίμηκεν ἀρετήν, ἀλλά τισι τῶν δορυφόρων ἐκέλευσεν ἐπὶ κόρρης αὐτὴν ἑκατέρας παῖσαι καὶ ταῖς χερσὶ φοινίξαι τὰς παρειάς. ἡ δὲ ὡς ἄκραν τιμὴν δεξαμένη τὴν ἀτιμίαν ἀνελήλυθε μὲν εἰς τὸ δωμάτιον, συνήθως δὲ αὐτὸν ταῖς πνευματικαῖς ἔβαλλε μελῳδίαις, καθάπερ ὁ τῆς μελῳδίας ἐκείνης συγγραφεὺς καὶ διδάσκα λος τὸ πονηρὸν ἐκεῖνο κατέπαυε πνεῦμα τὸ τῷ Σαοὺλ ἐνοχλοῦν. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτος τοὺς ἀλάστορας εἰσοικισάμενος δαίμονας, κορυβαν τιῶν διετέλει καὶ κατὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας λυττῶν. διὰ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους κατὰ τῶν εἰς Χριστὸν πεπιστευκότων καθώπλισεν. καὶ πρῶτον μὲν αὐτοὺς συναλίσας ἤρετο τί δή ποτε τοῦ νόμου θύειν κελεύοντος ταῖς θυσίαις οὐ χρῶνται· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔφασαν ἑνὶ τόπῳ τὴν σφετέραν περιγεγράφθαι λατρείαν, παραυτίκα προσέταξεν ὁ θεομισὴς ἀνεγεῖραι τὸν καταλυθέντα νεών, τὴν δεσποτικὴν ὑπολαμβάνων 199 ὁ μάταιος πρόρρησιν