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in the discourse entitled "Who is the Rich Man that is Saved?" he writes that after the death of Domitian the tyrant, John the Theologian returned from Patmos, and having been invited, he appointed bishops for the neighboring nations, and for some also organized whole churches. Among these he also adds the useful story about the young man, contributing to those repenting from many sins, how he entrusted him to a certain bishop of those in Asia, testifying to him concerning his salvation. And that one, having baptized him and instructed him in the divine word, let him go; whom some peers deceived and made a robber chief on account of the strength of his body. After some time, the Theologian demanded him back from the bishop as a deposit of Christ, and when that one was perplexed, and then was taught that the demand was about the young man and not about money, the same bishop groaned and said that he was dead to God and had become a chief of robbers. But the apostle, he says, condemning his neglect concerning the young man, on horseback by himself reached the robber's lair and having pursued the fleeing young man, with prayers and tears in his deepest old age he seizes him, and having enlightened him with good words that lead to repentance and the hope of life, with wails and tears he brought him back with himself, having granted him salvation and forgiveness through repentance and restored him to the church, so that all might be taught by him that repentance is a great example and a trophy of resurrection and a mark of regeneration. 10th emperor of the Romans, Nerva reigned 1 year.

423 YEARS OF THE WORLD 5589 Years of the divine incarnation 89. Nerva, having reigned gently and

wisely, dies of a disease in the gardens of Sallust. Under him, Philostratus says that Apollonius of Tyana died having grown old, and that he communicated the circumstances of his death to Nerva in his own letters. 11th of the Romans, Trajan reigned 19 years.

YEARS OF THE WORLD 5590. Years of the divine incarnation 7. Justus of Tiberias, a Jewish

writer, was becoming known. Tertullian relates that Pliny the Younger, governor of a province, condemned crowds of Christians to death. Being perplexed about what to do concerning them, he communicates with Trajan that they do nothing worthy of death except not sacrificing to idols, and that rising at dawn they sing hymns to Christ as to a god, abstaining from all evils. To whom Trajan wrote back that Christians should not be sought out. And Trajan, having subdued the Dacians and Scythians, celebrated a triumph over them, making Dacia a province. In Rome, the Golden House was burned down. Four cities of Asia fell, Elaea, Myrina, Pitane, and Cyme, and of Greece, Opus and Oritus. The Pantheon was destroyed by lightning. Three cities of Galatia fell in an earthquake. 6th bishop of Rome, Alexander, 12 years.

424 YEARS OF THE WORLD 5595 Ignatius the God-bearer, 2nd bishop of Antioch under

Trajan was crowned with martyrdom for Christ. 3rd bishop of Antioch, Heron, 20 years.

YEARS OF THE WORLD 5596 4th bishop of Alexandria, Cerdon, 10 years. YEARS OF THE WORLD 5597 2nd bishop of Jerusalem, Symeon, also Simon, son

of Clopas, 23 years. He was martyred under Trajan in the persecution under him. 3rd bishop of Jerusalem, Justus, 6 years. 4th bishop of Jerusalem, Zacchaeus, 4 years.

191

ἐπιγεγραμμένῳ λόγῳ «Τίς ὁ σῳζόμενος πλούσιος» γράφει, μετὰ τὴν ∆ομετιανοῦ τοῦ τυράν νου τελευτὴν ἐπανελθεῖν ἐκ τῆς Πάτμου τὸν Ἰωάννην τὸν θεολόγον, ἐπισκόπους τε παρακληθέντα τοῖς πλησιοχώροις ἔθνεσι καταστῆσαι, τισὶ δὲ καὶ ὅλας ἐκκλησίας ἁρμόσαι. ἐν οἷς καὶ τὴν περὶ τοῦ νεανίσκου προσ τίθησιν εὔχρηστον ἱστορίαν τοῖς ἐκ πολλῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μεταμελομέ νοις συμβαλλομένην, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἐπισκόπῳ τινὶ τῶν παρὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν παρέθετο, διαμαρτυράμενος αὐτῷ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας. κἀκεῖνος βα πτίσας αὐτὸν καὶ στοιχειώσας τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ εἴασεν· ὃν ἡλικιῶταί τινες ἀπατήσαντες λῄσταρχον διὰ ῥώμην σώματος προεστήσαντο. τοῦτον ὁ θεολόγος ἀπαιτήσας παρὰ τοῦ ἐπισκόπου μετά τινα χρόνον ὡς Χριστοῦ παραθήκην, κἀκείνου διαποροῦντος, εἶτα διδαχθέντος περὶ τοῦ νεανίσκου τὴν ζήτησιν ἀπαιτεῖσθαι καὶ οὐ περὶ χρημάτων, στενάξας ὁ αὐτὸς ἐπί σκοπος ἔφη τεθνάναι θεῷ καὶ ἀρχιλῃστὴν ἀποφῆναι. ὁ δὲ ἀπόστολος αὐτοῦ καταγνούς, φησί, τῆς περὶ τὸν νεανίσκον ἀμελείας, ἔφιππος δι' ἑαυ τοῦ καταλαβὼν τὸ λῃστήριον καὶ τὸν νεανίαν φεύγοντα καταδιώξας εὐχαῖς καὶ δάκρυσιν ἐν γήρει βαθυτάτῳ καταλαμβάνει, λόγοις τε χρηστοῖς καὶ πρὸς μετάνοιαν ἄγουσι καὶ ἐλπίδα ζωῆς φωταγωγήσας, οἰμωγαῖς καὶ δάκρυσι μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐπανήγαγε, τὴν διὰ μετανοίας τε σωτηρίαν καὶ ἄφεσιν χαρισάμενος καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιστήσας, ὡς πάντας μέγα παρά δειγμα καὶ τρόπαιον ἀναστάσεως καὶ παλιγγενεσίας γνώρισμα τὴν με τάνοιαν διδαχθῆναι ἐν αὐτῷ. Ῥωμαίων βασιλεὺς ιʹ Νερούας ἐβασίλευσεν ἔτος αʹ.

423 ΚΟΣΜΟΥ ΕΤΗ ΕΦΠΘ Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη πθʹ Νερούας πράως καὶ

σοφῶς βασιλεύσας νόσῳ τελευτᾷ ἐν κήποις Σαλου στιανοῖς. Ἐπὶ τούτου φησὶν ὁ Φιλόστρατος Ἀπολλώνιον τελευτῆσαι τὸν Τυανέα καταγηράσαντα, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς τελευτῆς τῷ Νερβᾷ κατασημᾶναι καὶ γράμμασιν οἰκείοις. Ῥωμαίων ιαʹ ἐβασίλευσε Τραϊανὸς ἔτη ιθʹ.

ΚΟΣΜΟΥ ΕΤΗ ΕΦˉζ Τῆς θείας σαρκώσεως ἔτη ζʹ Ἰοῦστος Τιβερεὺς Ἰουδαῖος

συγγραφεὺς ἐγνωρίζετο. Τερτυλλιανὸς ἱστορεῖ Πλίνιον Σεκοῦνδον ἡγούμενον ἐπαρχίας πλήθη Χριστιανῶν κατακρῖναι θανάτῳ. περὶ ὧν ἀπορῶν τί πράξοι κοινοῦται Τραϊανῷ, μηδὲν ἄξιον θανάτου πράττειν αὐτοὺς πλὴν τοῦ μὴ θύειν εἰδώ λοις, καὶ ὅτι Χριστὸν ὡς θεὸν ἕωθεν ὑμνοῦσιν ἀνιστάμενοι, ἀπεχόμενοι πάντων κακῶν. πρὸς ὃν ἀντέγραψε Τραϊανός, μὴ ἐκζητεῖσθαι Χριστια νούς. Τραϊανὸς δὲ ∆άκας καὶ Σκύθας ὑποτάξας κατ' αὐτῶν ἐθριάμβευσεν, ἐπαρχίαν ποιήσας τὴν ∆ακίαν. Ἐν Ῥώμῃ ἐνεπρήσθη ἡ χρυσῆ οἰκία. Ἀσίας δʹ πόλεις κατεπτώθησαν, Ἐλαία, Μύρινα, Πιτάνη καὶ Κύμη, Ἑλλάδος δὲ Ὀπουντία καὶ Ὤριτος. Τὸ Πάνθεον ὑπὸ κεραυνοῦ διεφθάρη. Γαλατίας γʹ πόλεις σεισμῷ κατεπτώθησαν. Ῥώμης ςʹ ἐπίσκοπος Ἀλέξανδρος ἔτη ιβʹ.

424 ΚΟΣΜΟΥ ΕΤΗ ΕΦˉζΕ Ἰγνάτιος ὁ θεοφόρος βʹ ἐπίσκοπος Ἀντιοχείας ἐπὶ

Τραϊανοῦ τῷ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ κατεστέφθη μαρτυρίῳ. Ἀντιοχείας γʹ ἐπίσκοπος Ἥρων ἔτη κʹ.

ΚΟΣΜΟΥ ΕΤΗ ΕΦˉζΣ Ἀλεξανδρείας δʹ ἐπίσκοπος Κέρδων ἔτη ιʹ. ΚΟΣΜΟΥ ΕΤΗ ΕΦˉζΖ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος βʹ Συμεών, ὁ καὶ Σίμων, υἱὸς

τοῦ Κλεόπα ἔτη κγʹ. Οὗτος ἐπὶ Τραϊανοῦ ἐμαρτύρησεν ἐν τῷ κατ' αὐτὸν διωγμῷ. Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος γʹ Ἰοῦστος ἔτη ςʹ Ἱεροσολύμων ἐπίσκοπος δʹ Ζακχεῖος ἔτη δʹ.