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when he arrayed himself and strategized against him with every device and power, and when he assailed him more fiercely than all those who were warred against at that time, what and how many things the man endured for the sake of the word of Christ, bonds and tortures of the body, and punishments under iron and in the recesses of the prison, and how for many days his feet were stretched in the four holes of the torturing stocks, brandings and threats of fire and whatever else was inflicted by the enemies he bore with fortitude, and what sort of end he met, since the judge with all his might contentiously insisted on by no means putting him to death, and what sort of words he left behind after these things, themselves full of help for those in need of recovery, the man’s very many letters contain both the true and the accurate account. Having used these and very many other encomia of the impious Origen before these, Eusebius has left his martyrdom un-witnessed and his course unfinished; for he who endures to the end, says the Lord, will be saved, not he who has suffered many things and then deserted. And the same Eusebius of Caesarea also introduces the case of the blessed Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria, setting forth the account from his letter to Germanus, 447 doing a favor to Origen and to this man and to those of like mind with him, so that he might not appear to be the only one who deserted, but might have others as partners in this. And the account of Dionysius goes something like this: But I speak before God, and he himself knows that I do not lie, that I did not take flight on my own impulse, nor without God's direction. But even before the persecution under Decius was decreed, Sabinus at that very hour sent a frumentarius to search for me. And I for four days remained at my house, awaiting the arrival of the frumentarius, but he went about searching everything, the roads, the rivers, the fields, where he suspected I was hiding or walking, but he was held by a blindness, not finding the house. For they did not believe that I, being persecuted, would remain at home; and with difficulty after the fourth day, when God commanded me to move and miraculously made a way, I and the boys and many of the brethren went out together. And that that was a work of God’s providence the following events showed, in which we were perhaps useful to some. Then, having said some things in between, he makes clear what happened to him after the flight, adding these things: For I, around sunset, together with those who were with me, was led by the soldiers to Taposiris. But Timothy, by the providence of God, happened to be not present and was not seized; but coming later he found the house deserted and servants guarding it, and us enslaved. And after other things he says: And what was the manner of His wonderful dispensation? For the truth shall be told. One of the country-folk met Timothy as he was fleeing and agitated and inquired the cause of his haste. And he told the truth, and that one, having heard (for he was going off to a wedding feast, for it is their custom to celebrate all night in such gatherings), went in and reported it to those reclining at the wedding. And they with one impulse all rose up, and coming at a run they quickly arrived hastening to us, and they raised a shout and when the soldiers guarding us immediately fled, they came upon us, as we were, lying on the bare bedsteads. And I, God knows, at first thinking them to be robbers who had come for plunder and pillage, 448 remained on my cot in my linen garment, and offered them the rest of my clothing that lay beside me. But they commanded me to get up and go out as quickly as possible. And then, understanding for what purpose they had come, I cried out, begging them and beseeching them to go away and leave us alone; but if they wished to do something good, I begged them to get ahead of those who were carrying me off and to cut off my head themselves. And as I was crying out such things, as my companions and partners in all things know, they raised me up by force. And I threw myself on my back on the ground, but they, seizing my hands and fe

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ραταξαμένου πάσῃ τε μηχανῇ καὶ δυνάμει κατ' αὐτοῦ στρατηγήσαντος, παρὰ πάντας τε τοὺς τηνικάδε πολεμηθέντας διαφερόντως ἐπισκήψαντος αὐτῷ, οἷά τε καὶ ὅσα διὰ τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγον ὁ ἀνὴρ ὑπέμεινε, δεσμὰ καὶ βασάνους τὰς κατὰ τοῦ σώματος τάς τε ὑπὸ σιδήρῳ καὶ μυχοῖς εἱρκτῆς τιμωρίας καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ πλείσταις ἡμέραις τοὺς πόδας ὑπὸ τέσσαρα τοῦ κο λαστηρίου ξύλα παραταθεὶς στίγματά τε καὶ πυρὸς ἀπειλὰς καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα πρὸς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπενεχθέντα καρτερῶς ἤνεγκεν, οἵου τε τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ἔτυχε τέλους, μηδαμῶς αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν παντὶ σθένει τοῦ δικαστοῦ φιλονεί κως ἐνστάντος, ὁποίας τε μετὰ ταῦτα καταλιπὼν φωνάς, καὶ αὐτὰς πλή ρεις τοῖς ἀναλήψεως δεομένοις ὠφελείας, πλεῖσται ὅσαι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἐπι στολαὶ τἀληθὲς ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀκριβὲς περιέχουσιν. Τούτοις Εὐσέβιος καὶ πλείστοις πρὸ τούτων ἄλλοις Ὠριγένους τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς ἐγκωμίοις χρησάμενος ἀμάρτυρον αὐτῷ καταλέλοιπε τὸ μαρτύ ριον καὶ τὸν δρόμον ἀτέλεστον· ὁ γὰρ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, φησὶν ὁ κύριος, σωθήσεται, οὐχ ὁ πολλὰ παθὼν καὶ λειποτακτήσας. ἐπάγει δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ μακαρίου ∆ιονυσίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Γερμανὸν 447 αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολῆς τὴν χρῆσιν προθεὶς ὁ αὐτὸς Καισαρεὺς Εὐσέβιος, Ὠρι γένει καὶ τούτῳ καὶ τοῖς ὁμόφροσιν αὐτοῦ χαριζόμενος, ὡς ἂν μὴ μόνος φανῇ λειποτακτήσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλους ἔχων ἐν τούτῳ συμμετόχους. ἔχει δὲ ἡ χρῆσις ∆ιονυσίου πως ὧδε· Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ λαλῶ, καὶ αὐτὸς οἶδεν ὅτι οὐ ψεύδομαι, οὐδεμίαν ἐπ' ἐμαυτοῦ βαλλόμενος, οὐδὲ ἀθεεὶ πεποίημαι τὴν φυγήν. ἀλλὰ καὶ πρότερον τοῦ κατὰ ∆έκιον προτεθέντος διωγμοῦ Σαβῖνος αὐτῆς ὥρας φρουμεντάριον ἔπεμψεν εἰς ἀναζήτησίν μου. κἀγὼ μὲν τεσσάρων ἡμερῶν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἔμεινα, τὴν ἄφιξιν μὲν τοῦ φρουμενταρίου προσδοκῶν, ὁ δ' ἅπαντα μὲν περιῆλθεν ἀνερευνῶν, τὰς ὁδούς, τοὺς ποταμούς, τοὺς ἀγρούς, ἔνθα κρύπτεσθαί με ἢ βαδίζειν ὑπενόησεν, ἀορασίᾳ δὲ εἴχετο, μὴ εὑρίσκων τὴν οἰκίαν. οὐ γὰρ ἐπίστευον οἴκοι με διωκόμενον μένειν, καὶ μόλις μετὰ τὴν τετάρτην ἡμέραν κελεύσαντός μοι μεταστῆναι τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ παραδόξως ὁδοποιήσαντος ἐγώ τε καὶ οἱ παῖδες καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀδελ φῶν ἅμα συνεξήλθομεν. καὶ ὅτι τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προνοίας ἔργον ἐκεῖνο γέγονε τὰ ἑξῆς ἐδήλωσεν, ἐν οἷς τάχα τισὶ γεγόναμεν χρήσιμοι. εἶτά τινα μεταξὺ εἰπὼν τὰ μετὰ τὴν φυγὴν αὐτῷ συμβεβηκότα δηλοῖ ταῦτα ἐπάγων· ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ περὶ ἡλίου δυσμὰς ἅμα τοῖς σὺν ἐμοὶ γενομένοις ὑπὸ τοῖς στρατιώ ταις εἰς Ταπόσιριν ἤχθην. ὁ δὲ Τιμόθεος κατὰ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ πρόνοιαν ἔτυχε μὴ παρὼν μηδὲ καταληφθείς· ἐλθὼν δὲ ὕστερον εὗρε τὸν οἶκον ἔρημον καὶ φρουροῦντας αὐτὸν ὑπηρέτας, ἡμᾶς δὲ ἐξηνδραποδισμένους. Καὶ μεθ' ἕτερά φησι· καὶ τίς ὁ τῆς θαυμαστῆς αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας τρόπος; τὰ γὰρ ἀληθῆ λεχθήσεται. ἀπηντᾶτό τις τῶν χωριτῶν ὑποφεύγοντι τῷ Τιμοθέῳ καὶ τεταραγμένῳ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἐπείξεως ἐπύθετο. ὁ δὲ τἀληθὲς ἐξεῖπεν, κἀκεῖνος ἀκούσας (ἀπῄει δ' εὐωχησόμενος γάμῳ, δια παννυχίζειν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις συνόδοις ἔθος) εἰσελθὼν ἀπήγ γειλε τοῖς κατακειμένοις ἐν τῷ γάμῳ. οἱ δὲ ὁρμῇ μιᾷ πάντες ἐξανέστησαν, καὶ δρόμῳ φερόμενοι τάχιστα ἧκον ἐπισπεύδοντες ἡμῖν, καὶ ἠλάλαξαν καὶ φυγῆς εὐθέως τῶν φρουρούντων ἡμᾶς στρατιωτῶν γενομένης ἐπέστησαν ἡμῖν, ὡς εἴχομεν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀστρώτων σκιμπόδων κατακείμενοι. κἀγὼ μέν, οἶδεν ὁ θεός, ὡς λῃστὰς εἶναι πρότερον ἡγούμενος ἐπὶ σύλησιν καὶ ἁρπα 448 γὴν ἀφικομένους, μένων ἐπὶ τῆς εὐνῆς ἤμην ἐν τῷ λινῷ ἐσθήματι, τὴν δὲ λοιπὴν ἐσθῆτα παρακειμένην αὐτοῖς ὤρεγον. οἱ δὲ ἐξανίστασθαί τε ἐκέλευον καὶ τὴν ταχίστην ἐξιέναι. καὶ τότε συνεὶς ἐφ' ᾧ παρῆσαν ἀνέ κραγον δεόμενος αὐτῶν καὶ ἱκέτευον ἀπιέναι καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐᾶν· εἰ δὲ βούλονταί τι χρηστὸν ἐργάσασθαι, τοὺς ἀπάγοντάς με φθάσαι καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐ τοὺς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀποτεμεῖν ἠξίουν. καὶ τοιαῦτα βοῶντος, ὡς ἴσασιν οἱ κοινω νοί μου καὶ μέτοχοι πάντων γενόμενοι, ἀνίστασαν πρὸς βίαν. κἀγὼ μὲν παρῆκα ἑαυτὸν ὕπτιον πρὸς τοὔδαφος, οἱ δὲ διαλαβόντες χειρῶν καὶ πο