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to have taken up, while others call the flesh that was taken up ensouled, but not that a rational and intelligent soul came to be in it. Perhaps having their own foolishness as proof of this. But we know no other human soul than the rational and immortal one. And others again cut the one Christ in two, 1.463 insisting that the one born of a virgin was a complete man, and the Word from God the Father was another, and setting the one aside as a man individually and in part, they name the other as God by nature and in truth. Others say that the Word from God the Father was changed into the nature of bones and sinews and flesh, impiously dogmatizing all these things."

Tacitus reigned for 2 years. He appointed his kinsman Maximinus over Assyria, whom the soldiers killed because of the injustice done by him, and then, fearing that Tacitus would avenge him, they killed Tacitus himself at the suggestion of Florianus. Probus and Florianus reigned for two years and 4 months. This Probus, pretending to be mad, killed Florianus. During his reign, when rain fell, much grain mixed with the water was brought down, which they gathered and made great heaps. Likewise they say that drops of silver were brought down. Victorinus, a friend of Probus, asked that his friend be made ruler in Britain; but he went away and rebelled. Victorinus, being reproached on account of him, was sent to stop the rebellion. Pretending to flee from the presence of the emperor, he was received as a friend of the rebel and killed him. But upon his return, as he was disembarking from the ship, he unfastened his belt and threw it into the sea, and entered before the emperor ungirt. The emperor was angry, thinking that this had been done to him by another. But Victorinus said that this had been done 1.464 by himself, asking that he no longer be in charge of any matter; 'for every office,' he said, 'is with dangers and perils.' And he granted him tranquility and gave him many gifts. He killed all those who had killed Tacitus and Aurelian, in Perinthus, having invited him to a feast. But he himself was also killed. Carus, Carinus, and Numerian reigned for 2 years. This Carus took Persia and Ctesiphon, this having happened for the fourth time, under Trajan, under Verus and Severus and Carus. And when Carus died from plague, and Numerian was blinded, Aper his father-in-law killed him, and Numerian reigned, being dux of Moesia. During his reign the holy Babylas was martyred in Antioch. Diocletian killed him. Diocletian reigned for 22 years, a Dalmatian by race. Having gained control of affairs, he appointed Maximian Herculius, who was his son-in-law and friend; by whom a great persecution against the Christians was set in motion. For they ordered that throughout the city and throughout the country the churches of Christ be destroyed and their divine scriptures be burned, and that the Christians who were found be compelled to sacrifice to the demons. Wherefore also many took up the crown of athletic contest, among whom are Peter of Alexandria and Anthimus of Nicomedia and Procopius and George, the renowned martyrs. And Sabbatius, who strengthened the heresy of the Quartodecimans, 1.465 became known, and a certain holy and admirable woman, a perpetual virgin in her life and beautiful, was arrested and, though the tyrants tried to compel her to sacrifice with many devices, was not overcome. They ordered that she be given to a soldier for shameful intercourse, and if she would not even so be persuaded, that she be subjected to capital punishment. And being in great distress she begged Anthimus of Nicomedia, who had not yet been perfected through martyrdom, to advise her what she should choose. And he, being truly a good man and a steward, and one who faithfully administered the oracles of the Lord in judgment, says: "The achievement of chastity is good, O child, and befitting God, but the commandment of faith is greater, being the foundation of the good things of piety. Therefore, do not prefer to the better things the

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ἀνειληφέναι, οἱ δὲ ἔμψυχον μὲν καλοῦσι τὴν ληφθεῖσαν σάρκα, οὐ μὴν λογικὴν δὲ καὶ νοερὰν ἐν ταύτῃ γεγενῆσθαι ψυχήν. ἴσως τὴν οἰκείαν ἄνοιαν τούτου τεκμήριον ἔχοντες. ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀν θρώπου ψυχὴν οὐδεμίαν ἴσμεν ἑτέραν ἢ τὴν λογικὴν καὶ ἀθάνα τον. καὶ ἄλλοι μὲν πάλιν εἰς δύο τὸν ἕνα Χριστὸν διατέμνουσι, 1.463 καὶ ἕτερον μὲν εἶναι διατεινόμενοι τὸν ἐκ παρθένου τεχθέντα τε λείως ἄνθρωπον, ἕτερον δὲ τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ πατρὸς λόγον, καὶ τὸν μὲν ὡς ἄνθρωπον ἰδίᾳ τιθέντες καὶ ἀνὰ μέρος, τὸν δὲ ὡς θεὸν φύσει τε καὶ ἀληθείᾳ θεὸν ὀνομάζουσιν. ἄλλοι δὲ παρατετράφθαι φασὶ τὸν ἐκ θεοῦ πατρὸς λόγον εἰς ὀστέων καὶ νεύρων καὶ σαρκὸς φύσιν, ταῦτα πάντα δυσσεβῶς δογματίζοντες."

Τάκιτος ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη βʹ. οὗτος Μαξιμῖνον συγγενῆ αὐ τοῦ ἐπέστησε τῇ Ἀσσυρίᾳ, ὃν διὰ τῆς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένης ἀδικίας ἀνελόντες οἱ στρατιῶται, εἶτα φοβηθέντες μὴ ἐκδικήσῃ αὐτὸν ὁ Τάκιτος, ἀπέκτειναν καὶ αὐτὸν ὑποθήκῃ Φλωριανοῦ. Πρόβος καὶ Φλωριανὸς ἐβασίλευσαν ἔτη δύο μῆνας δʹ. οὗ τος ὁ Πρόβος παράφρονα ἑαυτὸν ποιήσας ἀνεῖλε τὸν Φλωριανόν. ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ βροχῆς γεγονυίας σῖτος μεμιγμένος τῷ ὕδατι πολὺς κατηνέχθη, ὃν συναγαγόντες σωροὺς μεγάλους ἐποίησαν. ὡσαύ τως καὶ ψεκάδας ἀργύρου κατενεχθῆναί φασι. Βικτωρῖνος δὲ φίλος τοῦ Πρόβου ᾔτησε φίλον αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντα γενέσθαι εἰς Βρετ τανίαν· ὁ δὲ ἀπελθὼν ἀντῆρεν. ὀνειδιζόμενος δὲ ὁ Βικτωρῖνος δι' αὐτὸν ἀπεστάλη παύσων τὴν ἀνταρσίαν. προσποιησάμενος δὲ ἀπὸ προσώπου φεύγειν τοῦ βασιλέως, ὡς φίλος τοῦ ἀντάραντος ἀπεδέχθη καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτόν. ὑποστρέψας δέ, ὡς ἐξῄει τοῦ πλοίου, λύσας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζώνην ἔρριψεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ εἰσῆλθε λυσίζωνος εἰς τὸν βασιλέα. ὁ δὲ ὠργίσθη, δοκῶν ὑφ' ἑτέρου αὐ τὸν τοῦτο πεπονθέναι. Βικτωρῖνος δὲ ἔφη ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ τοῦτο γε 1.464 νέσθαι, αἰτησάμενος μηκέτι ἄρξαι πράγματος· ἀρχὴ γὰρ πᾶσα, ἔφη, μετὰ κινδύνων καὶ κλιμακτήρων. ὁ δὲ καὶ ἡσυχίαν αὐτῷ ἐχαρίσατο καὶ δωρεὰς πολλὰς παρέσχεν. ἀπέκτεινε δὲ πάντας τοὺς ἀποκτείναντας Τάκιτον καὶ Αὐρηλιανόν, ἐν τῇ Πειρίνθῳ ἐπὶ ἑστία σιν αὐτὸν καλέσας. ἀνῃρέθη δὲ καὶ αὐτός. Κάρος καὶ Καρῖνος καὶ Νουμεριανὸς ἐβασίλευσαν ἔτη βʹ. οὗτος ὁ Κάρος τὴν Περσίδα καὶ Κτησιφῶντα παρέλαβεν, τέταρ τον τοῦτο πεπονθυίας, ὑπὸ Τραϊανοῦ, ὑπὸ Βήρου καὶ Σεβήρου καὶ Κάρου. τελευτήσαντος δὲ Κάρου ὑπὸ λοιμικῆς, καὶ Νουμε ριανοῦ τυφλωθέντος, ἀνεῖλεν αὐτὸν Ἄπρος ὁ αὐτοῦ πενθερός, καὶ ἐβασίλευσε Νουμεριανὸς δοὺξ τυγχάνων Μυσίας. ἐπὶ αὐτοῦ ἐμαρτύρησεν ὁ ἅγιος Βαβύλας ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ. τοῦτον ἀνεῖλε ∆ιο κλητιανός. ∆ιοκλητιανὸς ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτη κβʹ, τῷ γένει ∆αλμάτης. περιγενόμενος δὲ τῶν πραγμάτων προβάλλεται Μαξιμιανὸν Ἑρκού λιον, γαμβρὸν καὶ φίλον αὐτοῦ ὄντα· ὑφ' ὧν μέγας διωγμὸς κατὰ Χριστιανῶν ἐκινήθη. προσέταξαν γὰρ κατὰ πόλιν καὶ κατὰ χώ ραν τὰς μὲν Χριστοῦ ἐκκλησίας καταστρέφεσθαι καὶ τὰς θείας αὐτῶν γραφὰς κατακαίεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ Χριστιανοὺς εὑρισκομένους ἀναγκάζεσθαι θύειν τοῖς δαίμοσι. διὸ καὶ πολλοὶ τὸν τῆς ἀθλή σεως ἀνεδήσαντο στέφανον, ἐξ ὧν εἰσὶ Πέτρος Ἀλεξανδρείας καὶ Ἄνθιμος Νικομηδείας καὶ Προκόπιος καὶ Γεώργιος οἱ ἀοίδιμοι μάρτυρες. καὶ Σαββάτιος ὁ τὴν αἵρεσιν τῶν τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατι 1.465 τῶν κρατύνας ἐγνωρίζετο, καὶ γυνή τις ἱερὰ καὶ θαυμασία, τὸν βίον ἀειπαρθένος καὶ ὡραία, πάνυ συσχεθεῖσα καὶ πολλαῖς μηχα ναῖς θῦσαι τῶν τυράννων αὐτὴν ἀναγκαζόντων μὴ ἡττηθεῖσα. προσέταξαν ἐκδοθῆναι στρατιώτῃ πρὸς αἰσχρὰν μῖξιν, καὶ μηδὲ οὕτως πειθομένην ὑποβαλέσθαι κεφαλικῇ τιμωρίᾳ. καὶ περιστα τηθεῖσα λίαν ἐδεῖτο τοῦ Ἀνθίμου Νικομηδείας, μήπω τελειωθέν τος διὰ μαρτυρίου, συμβουλεῦσαι αὐτῇ τί ἂν αἱρήσοιτο. ὁ δὲ χρηστὸς ὄντως ἀνὴρ καὶ οἰκονόμος καὶ πιστῶς ἐν κρίσει τὰ λόγια κυρίου ταμιευόμενός φησι "καλὸν μέν, ὦ τέκνον, τὸ κατόρθωμα τῆς ἁγνείας καὶ θεοπρεπές, μείζων δὲ ἡ τῆς πίστεως ἐντολή, κρη πὶς οὖσα τῶν καλῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας. μὴ οὖν προκρίνῃς τῶν κρειτ τόνων τὰ