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guiding; but my account will make its beginning from here. 7.1.1 Decius, who had not ruled for two whole years, was immediately slain with his children, and Gallus succeeded him. At this time Origen, having completed sixty-nine years of his life, died. Dionysius, writing to Hermammon, says these things about Gallus: «But not even Gallus recognized the evil of Decius, nor did he foresee what had tripped him up, but he stumbled against the same stone that was before his own eyes, who, when his reign was going well and his affairs were proceeding according to his mind, drove away the holy men who were interceding with God for his peace and health. Therefore, with them he also persecuted the prayers on his behalf». So much, then, concerning this. But in the city of the Romans, when Cornelius had completed his episcopate of about three years, Lucius was appointed his successor, and when he had served in the ministry for not even eight whole months, he died and handed on the succession to Stephen. To him Dionysius composed the first of his epistles on baptism, a question of no small importance having been raised at that time, whether it was necessary to purify by the font those who were converting from any heresy whatever. For an ancient custom had prevailed in such cases to use only the prayer through the laying on of hands. Cyprian, pastor of the parish in Carthage, was the first of those at that time to hold that they should not be received otherwise than after they had first been cleansed from their error by the font. But Stephen, thinking that nothing new should be innovated contrary to the tradition that had prevailed from the beginning, was very indignant about this. Dionysius therefore, having discussed this matter at great length with him through letters, finally shows how, when the persecution had ceased, the churches everywhere, having turned away from the innovation of Novatus, had recovered peace with one another. And he writes as follows: «Know now, brother, that all the churches throughout the East and beyond, which were formerly divided, have been united, and all the presidents everywhere are of one mind, rejoicing exceedingly at the peace that has come contrary to expectation: Demetrianus in Antioch, Theoctistus in Caesarea, Mazabanes in Aelia, Marinus in Tyre after Alexander had fallen asleep, Heliodorus in Laodicea after Thelymidres had gone to his rest, Helenus in Tarsus and all the churches of Cilicia, Firmilianus and all Cappadocia. For I have named only the most distinguished of the bishops, so that I might not add length to the letter nor weight to the account. 7.5.2 And all the Syrias and Arabia, whom you help on every occasion and to whom you have now written, and Mesopotamia, Pontus and Bithynia, and, to speak concisely, all everywhere are rejoicing in their concord and brotherly love, glorifying God». 7.5.3 So wrote Dionysius. And Stephen, having completed his ministry for two years, is succeeded by Xystus. To him Dionysius, having composed a second epistle on baptism, indicates both the opinion and the judgment of Stephen and the other bishops, saying these things about Stephen: 7.5.4 «He had written previously, then, concerning Helenus and Firmilianus and all those from Cilicia and Cappadocia and clearly Galatia and all the neighboring nations, that he would not have communion even with them for this same reason, because, he says, they rebaptize heretics. 7.5.5 And consider the magnitude of the matter. For decrees on this have truly been made in the greatest synods of bishops, as I learn, so that those who come over from heresies, after being first instructed, should then be washed and cleansed anew from the filth of the old and impure leaven. And concerning all these things I wrote to him in supplication». 7.5.6 And after other things he says: «And to our beloved fellow-presbyters Dionysius and Philemon, who formerly were of the same opinion as Stephen and wrote to me on the same subjects, I wrote briefly at first, and now more at length». 7.6.1 But

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ὑφηγούμενος· ἐμοὶ δ' ὁ λόγος ἐντεῦθεν ποιήσεται τὴν ἀρχήν. 7.1.1 ∆έκιον οὐδ' ὅλον ἐπικρατήσαντα δυεῖν ἐτοῖν χρόνον αὐτίκα τε ἅμα τοῖς παισὶν κατασφαγέντα Γάλλος διαδέχεται· Ὠριγένης ἐν τούτῳ ἑνὸς δέοντα τῆς ζωῆς ἑβδομήκοντα ἀποπλήσας ἔτη, τελευτᾷ. γράφων γέ τοι ὁ ∆ιονύσιος Ἑρμάμμωνι, περὶ τοῦ Γάλλου ταῦτα φάσκει· «ἀλλ' οὐδὲ Γάλλος ἔγνω τὸ ∆εκίου κακὸν οὐδὲ προεσκόπησεν τί ποτ' ἐκεῖνον ἔσφηλεν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ γενόμενον ἔπταισε λίθον ὃς εὖ φερομένης αὐτῷ τῆς βασιλείας καὶ κατὰ νοῦν χωρούντων τῶν πραγμάτων, τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἄνδρας, τοὺς περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ὑγιείας πρεσβεύοντας πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἤλασεν. οὐκοῦν σὺν ἐκείνοις ἐδίωξεν καὶ τὰς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ προσευχάς». ταῦτα μὲν οὖν περὶ τοῦδε· κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ῥωμαίων πόλιν Κορνηλίου ἔτεσιν ἀμφὶ τὰ τρία τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν διανύσαντος, Λούκιος κατέστη διάδοχος, μησὶν δ' οὐδ' ὅλοις οὗτος ὀκτὼ τῇ λειτουργίᾳ διακονησάμενος, Στεφάνῳ τελευτῶν μεταδίδωσι τὸν κλῆρον. τούτῳ τὴν πρώτην ὁ ∆ιονύσιος τῶν περὶ βαπτίσματος ἐπιστολῶν διατυποῦται, ζητήματος οὐ σμικροῦ τηνικάδε ἀνακινηθέντος, εἰ δέοι τοὺς ἐξ οἵας δ' οὖν αἱρέσεως ἐπιστρέφοντας διὰ λουτροῦ καθαίρειν. παλαιοῦ γέ τοι κεκρατηκότος ἔθους ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων μόνῃ χρῆσθαι τῇ διὰ χειρῶν ἐπιθέσεως εὐχῇ. πρῶτος τῶν τότε Κυπριανός, τῆς κατὰ Καρχηδόνα παροικίας ποιμήν, οὐδ' ἄλλως ἢ διὰ λουτροῦ πρότερον τῆς πλάνης ἀποκαθηραμένους προσίεσθαι δεῖν ἡγεῖτο. ἀλλ' ὅ γε Στέφανος μὴ δεῖν τι νεώτερον παρὰ τὴν κρατήσασαν ἀρχῆθεν παράδοσιν ἐπικαινοτομεῖν οἰόμενος, ἐπὶ τούτῳ διηγανάκτει· πλεῖστα δὴ οὖν αὐτῷ περὶ τούτου διὰ γραμμάτων ὁ ∆ιονύσιος ὁμιλήσας, τελευτῶν δηλοῖ ὡς ἄρα τοῦ διωγμοῦ λελωφηκότος αἱ πανταχόσε ἐκκλησίαι τὴν κατὰ Νοουάτον ἀποστραφεῖσαι νεωτεροποιίαν, εἰρήνην πρὸς ἑαυτὰς ἀνειλήφεσαν· γράφει δὲ ὧδε· «ἴσθι δὲ νῦν, ἀδελφέ, ὅτι ἥνωνται πᾶσαι αἱ πρότερον διεσχισμέναι κατά τε τὴν ἀνατολὴν ἐκκλησίαι καὶ ἔτι προσωτέρω, καὶ πάντες εἰσὶν ὁμόφρονες οἱ πανταχοῦ προεστῶτες, χαίροντες καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐπὶ τῇ παρὰ προσδοκίαν εἰρήνῃ γενομένῃ, ∆ημητριανὸς ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ, Θεόκτιστος ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, Μαζαβάνης ἐν Αἰλίᾳ, Μαρῖνος ἐν Τύρῳ κοιμηθέντος Ἀλεξάνδρου, Ἡλιόδωρος ἐν Λαοδικείᾳ ἀναπαυσαμένου Θηλυμίδρου, Ἕλενος ἐν Ταρσῷ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ τῆς Κιλικίας ἐκκλησίαι, Φιρμιλιανὸς καὶ πᾶσα Καππαδοκία· τοὺς γὰρ περιφανεστέρους μόνους τῶν ἐπισκόπων ὠνόμασα, ἵνα μήτε μῆκος τῇ ἐπιστολῇ μήτε βάρος προσάψω τῷ λόγῳ. 7.5.2 αἱ μέντοι Συρίαι ὅλαι καὶ ἡ Ἀραβία, οἷς ἐπαρκεῖτε ἑκάστοτε καὶ οἷς νῦν ἐπεστείλατε, ἥ τε Μεσοποταμία Πόντος τε καὶ Βιθυνία καὶ συνελόντι εἰπεῖν ἀγαλλιῶνται πάντες πανταχοῦ τῇ ὁμονοίᾳ καὶ φιλαδελφίᾳ, δοξάζοντες τὸν θεόν». 7.5.3 ταῦτα μὲν ὁ ∆ιονύσιος· Στέφανον δ' ἐπὶ δυσὶν ἀποπλήσαντα τὴν λειτουργίαν ἔτεσιν, Ξύστος διαδέχεται. τούτῳ δευτέραν ὁ ∆ιονύσιος περὶ βαπτίσματος χαράξας ἐπιστολήν, ὁμοῦ τὴν Στεφάνου καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπισκόπων γνώμην τε καὶ κρίσιν δηλοῖ, περὶ τοῦ Στεφάνου λέγων ταῦτα· 7.5.4 «ἐπεστάλκει μὲν οὖν πρότερον καὶ περὶ Ἑλένου καὶ περὶ Φιρμιλιανοῦ καὶ πάντων τῶν τε ἀπὸ Κιλικίας καὶ Καππαδοκίας καὶ δῆλον ὅτι Γαλατίας καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑξῆς ὁμορούντων ἐθνῶν, ὡς οὐδὲ ἐκείνοις κοινωνήσων διὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ταύτην αἰτίαν, ἐπειδὴ τοὺς αἱρετικούς, φησίν, ἀναβαπτίζουσιν. 7.5.5 καὶ σκόπει τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πράγματος. ὄντως γὰρ δόγματα περὶ τούτου γέγονεν ἐν ταῖς μεγίσταις τῶν ἐπισκόπων συνόδοις, ὡς πυνθάνομαι, ὥστε τοὺς προσιόντας ἀπὸ αἱρέσεων προκατηχηθέντας εἶτα ἀπολούεσθαι καὶ ἀνακαθαίρεσθαι τὸν τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ ἀκαθάρτου ζύμης ῥύπον. καὶ περὶ τούτων αὐτοῦ πάντων δεόμενος ἐπέστειλα». 7.5.6 καὶ μεθ' ἕτερά φησιν. «καὶ τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς δὲ ἡμῶν καὶ συμπρεσβυτέροις ∆ιονυσίῳ καὶ Φιλήμονι, συμψήφοις πρότερον Στεφάνῳ γενομένοις καὶ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν μοι γράφουσιν, πρότερον μὲν ὀλίγα, καὶ νῦν δὲ διὰ πλειόνων ἐπέστειλα». 7.6.1 Ἀλλὰ