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And when the houses of prayer there had been taken away, seeing those from the catholic church gathered in a field before the city, it is said that he reviled the prefect and struck him on the jaw with his fist, as one who had permitted such assemblies to take place contrary to his command. 6.18.3 But Modestus (for that was the prefect's name), although he was a heretic, secretly informed the Edessenes to be on their guard the next day and not to assemble in the accustomed place for prayer; for he had been ordered by the emperor to punish those who were caught. And he made these threats, taking care that few or none should be endangered, and eager to excuse himself from 6.18.4 the wrath of the ruler. But the Edessenes, making nothing of the threat, flocked together from early morning more eagerly than before and filled the accustomed place. But Modestus, when this was reported, did not know what to do, 6.18.5 but being at a loss in the present circumstances, he nevertheless went to the field. A certain woman, pulling along a little child and dragging her cloak carelessly, contrary to the decorum proper for a woman, as if hurrying to something important, cut through the military rank that was leading the prefect. And Modestus, seeing her, ordered her to be seized, 6.18.6 and calling her to him, demanded that she state the reason for her haste. When she said it was so that she might more quickly reach the field where those of the catholic church were assembling, ‘Are you then the only one,’ said Modestus, ‘who does not know that the prefect is about to go there immediately and will kill all whom he finds?’ ‘Yes, I have heard,’ she said, ‘and for this very reason I need to hurry, so that I may not be late for the occasion and miss the testimony for God.’ ‘But why are you bringing this child with you?’ asked the prefect. ‘So that he too,’ she said, ‘of the 6.18.7 common suffering may partake and be deemed worthy of the same things.’ And Modestus, marveling at the woman’s courage, returned to the palace; and after communicating with the emperor about her, he persuaded him not to carry out his decision, showing it to be shameful and inexpedient. So indeed the city of the Edessenes, with all its people, confessed on behalf of the dogma in the aforementioned way. 6.1.1 Around this time Athanasius, the leader of the church of Alexandria, died, having completed about forty-six years in the high priesthood. 6.1.2 And when those who held the opinions of Arius quickly announced his death, not long after Euzoius arrived, who presided over the Arian heresy in Antioch, and with him also Magnus, the treasurer of the treasury, sent by the emperor, they seized and imprisoned Peter, to whom Athanasius had entrusted the episcopate, and handed over the church of Alexandria to Lucius. 6.1.3 From that point, it happened that those in Egypt were treated more harshly than those elsewhere; and calamities following upon calamities afflicted those of the catholic church. For at the same time he arrived in Alexandria 6.1.4 and attempted to seize the churches. But when the populace resisted, an accusation of sedition was fabricated against the clergy and the sacred virgins; and as if enemies had overrun the city, some fled, while others who were pursued were captured and guarded as prisoners. And being brought forth from the prison they were punished, some being tortured with claws and ox-hides, others being burned by torches of fire. And it was extraordinary to survive the punishments, and to die before the trial of these things or to be condemned to live in exile was considered enviable. 6.1.5 And so these things happened. But Peter the bishop, having escaped from the prison, finding a ship, sailed away to the bishop of the Romans as to one of the same faith. 6.1.6 But the Arians, although not numerous, took control of the churches. And at that very time an order from the emperor also followed, driving out from Alexandria and from Egypt itself as many of those who held the same faith as those who had assembled at Nicaea as Lucius ordered; for so it had been commanded to the governor of the province. And Euzoius, since the things for which he had striven were accomplished, returned to Antioch. 6..1 But Lucius
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ἀφαιρεθέντων δὲ κἀνταῦθα τῶν εὐκτηρίων οἴκων θεασάμενος ἐν πεδίῳ πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεως συνηγμένους τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας λέγεται τὸν [καθόλου] ὕπαρχον λοιδορήσασθαι καὶ πὺξ κατὰ τῆς σιαγόνος πλῆξαι, ὡς παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ πρόσταξιν συγχωρήσαντα γενέσθαι τοιαύτας συνόδους. 6.18.3 ὁ δὲ Μόδεστος (τοῦτο γὰρ ὄνομα τῷ ὑπάρχῳ ἦν) καίπερ ἑτερόδοξος ὢν λάθρα τοῖς ᾿Εδεσσηνοῖς ἐμήνυσε φυλάξασθαι τὴν ὑστεραίαν καὶ μὴ συνελθεῖν εἰς τὸν εἰωθότα τόπον εὐξομένους· εἶναι γὰρ αὐτῷ προστεταγμένον παρὰ βασιλέως τιμωρεῖσθαι τοὺς ἁλισκομένους. καὶ ὁ μὲν ταῦτα ἠπείλει ἢ ὀλίγους ἢ μηδένα κινδυνεῦσαι προνοῶν καὶ ἑαυτὸν παραιτεῖσθαι σπουδάζων πρὸς 6.18.4 τὴν τοῦ κρατοῦντος ὀργήν. οἱ δὲ ᾿Εδεσσηνοὶ παρ' οὐδὲν ποιησάμενοι τὴν ἀπειλὴν σπουδαιότερον ἢ πρὸ τοῦ συνέρρεον ἕωθεν καὶ τὸν εἰωθότα τόπον ἐπλήρουν. ὁ δὲ Μόδεστος ἀγγελθέντος τούτου οὐκ εἶχεν ὅ τι καὶ ποιή6.18.5 σειεν, ἀμηχανῶν δὲ τοῖς παροῦσιν ὅμως ἐπὶ τὸ πεδίον ᾔει. γυνὴ δέ τις παιδάριον ἕλκουσα καὶ τὸ φᾶρος εἰκῇ ἐπισυρομένη παρὰ τὸν πρέποντα γυναικὶ κόσμον, ὡς ἐπί τι σπουδαῖον ἐπειγομένη, τὴν ἡγουμένην τοῦ ὑπάρχου στρατιωτικὴν στίχα διέτεμεν. ἰδὼν δὲ Μόδεστος προσέταξεν αὐτὴν συλληφθῆ6.18.6 ναι, καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος ἀπῄτει λέγειν τοῦ δρόμου τὴν αἰτίαν. τῆς δὲ εἰπούσης, ἵνα θᾶττον καταλάβοι τὸ πεδίον ἔνθα συνίασι οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας, «μόνη γοῦν», ἔφη Μόδεστος, «οὐκ ἔγνως αὐτίκα μέλλειν ἐκεῖσε τὸν ὕπαρχον ἰέναι καὶ οὓς ἂν εὕροι πάντας ἀναιρήσειν;» «ναίχι ἀκήκοα», φησί, «καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα δρόμου δεῖ μοι, ἵνα μὴ τοῦ καιροῦ κατόπιν γένωμαι καὶ ἁμάρτω τῆς περὶ θεοῦ μαρτυρίας.» «ἀτὰρ τί καὶ τοῦτο τὸ παιδάριον μεθ' ἑαυτῆς ἄγεις;» ἤρετο ὁ ὕπαρχος. «ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτός», ἔφη, «τοῦ 6.18.7 κοινοῦ πάθους μετάσχοι καὶ τῶν ἴσων ἀξιωθείη.» θαυμάσας δὲ ὁ Μόδεστος τὴν γυναῖκα τῆς ἀνδρείας ἀνέστρεψεν εἰς τὰ βασίλεια· καὶ κοινωσάμενος τῷ κρατοῦντι περὶ αὐτῆς ἔπεισε μὴ χρῆναι τὸ δόξαν ἐπιτελεῖν, αἰσχρὸν τοῦτο καὶ ἀσύμφορον ἐπιδείξας. ἡ μὲν δὴ ᾿Εδεσσηνῶν πόλις πανδημεὶ τὸν εἰρημένον τρόπον ὑπὲρ τοῦ δόγματος ὡμολόγησεν. 6.1.1 ῾Υπὸ δὲ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον ἐτελεύτησεν ᾿Αθανάσιος ὁ τῆς ᾿Αλεξανδρέωνἐκκλησίας ἡγούμενος, ἀμφὶ τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἓξ ἐνιαυτοὺς τὴν ἀρχιερωσύ6.1.2 νην ἀνύσας. τῶν δὲ τὰ ᾿Αρείου φρονούντων ἐν τάχει τὴν αὐτοῦ τελευτὴν δηλωσάντων οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν παραγενόμενος Εὐζώιος, ὃς ἐν ᾿Αντιοχείᾳ τῆς ᾿Αρείου αἱρέσεως προΐστατο, σὺν αὐτῷ δὲ καὶ Μάγνος ὁ τῶν θησαυρῶν ταμίας παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως ἀποσταλείς, Πέτρον μέν, ᾧ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν ἐπέτρεψεν ᾿Αθανάσιος, συλλαβόμενοι καθεῖρξαν, Λουκίῳ δὲ τὴν ᾿Αλεξανδρέων 6.1.3 ἐκκλησίαν παρέδωκαν. ἐντεῦθεν δὲ παρὰ τοὺς ἀλλαχόσε χαλεπώτερον συνέβη διατεθῆναι τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ· συμφοραί τε συμφοραῖς ἐπιγινόμεναι τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς καθόλου ἐκκλησίας ἐπίεζον. ἅμα γὰρ τῇ ᾿Αλεξανδρέων ἐνεδήμησε 6.1.4 καὶ τὰς ἐκκλησίας κατασχεῖν ἐπεχείρησεν. ἀντιπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ πλήθους στάσεως αἰτία τοῖς κληρικοῖς ἐπλάκη καὶ ταῖς ἱεραῖς παρθένοις· ὡς πολεμίων δὲ καταδραμόντων τὴν πόλιν οἱ μὲν ἔφυγον, οἱ δὲ διωκόμενοι κατελαμβάνοντο καὶ δεσμῶται ἐφρουροῦντο· καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου προαγόμενοι ἐτιμωροῦντο, οἱ μὲν ὄνυξι καὶ βοείαις αἰκιζόμενοι, οἱ δὲ ὑπὸ λαμπάσι πυρὸς φλεγόμενοι. παράδοξον δὲ ἦν ταῖς τιμωρίαις ἐπιβιῶναι, ἀποθανεῖν δὲ πρὸ τῆς τούτων πείρας ἢ ὑπερορίαν οἰκεῖν καταδικασθῆναι ζηλωτὸν ἐνομίζετο. 6.1.5 καὶ τὰ μὲν ὧδε ἐγίνετο. Πέτρος δὲ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος διαδρὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου, ὡς πρὸς ὁμόδοξον τὸν ῾Ρωμαίων ἐπίσκοπον νηὸς ἐπιτυχὼν ἀνέπλευσεν. 6.1.6 οἱ δὲ ᾿Αρείου καίπερ οὐ πολλοὶ ὄντες τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐκράτησαν. ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ καὶ βασιλέως ἐπηκολούθησε πρόσταγμα, τῶν ὁμοδόξων τοῖς ἐν Νικαίᾳ συνελθοῦσιν ᾿Αλεξανδρείας τε καὶ αὐτῆς Αἰγύπτου ἀπελαῦνον ὅσους ἐκέλευε Λούκιος· ὧδε γὰρ ἦν προστεταγμένον τῷ ἡγουμένῳ τοῦ ἔθνους. Εὐζώιος δὲ κατωρθωμένων ὧν ἐσπούδαζεν ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Αντιόχειαν ἀνέστρεψεν. 6..1 ῾Ο δὲ Λούκιος