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having come to Ctesiphon, he was slain by a plot of Philip the praetorian prefect. For this Gordian, upon taking power, had appointed his own father-in-law, named Timesitheus, as prefect. So then, as long as that man was alive, 3.130 the emperor's authority was in a good state and his affairs flowed smoothly; but when Timesitheus died, Philip was appointed prefect. And wishing to incite the soldiers to mutiny, he reduced their grain rations, as if the emperor had perhaps ordered this. But some say that he held back the grain being brought to the camp, so that the soldiers were pressed by want, and from this were provoked to mutiny. And having mutinied, they rose up against the emperor, as though he were the cause of their famine, and attacking him they killed him, after he had ruled for six years. And Philip immediately leaped upon the imperial power. But when the slaughter of Gordian was announced to the senate, it roused itself to appoint another emperor. And it immediately proclaimed a certain philosopher Marcus as Caesar. But before he could set foot in the supreme power, he died suddenly while staying in the palace. When he died, Severus Hostilianus took control of the Roman empire. But he too, having hardly taken hold of it, paid his debt to fate. For having fallen ill and been bled, he died. Philip therefore, having returned, became master of the Roman empire. And on his return he took his son Philip as a partner in the empire. And having made a treaty with Sapor, the king of the Persians, he ended the war against the Persians, ceding to them Mesopotamia and Armenia. But when he learned that the Romans were annoyed by the cession of these territories, after a short time he broke the 3.131 treaties and took possession of the territories. And Sapor was, as has been recorded, exceedingly large in the bulk of his body, and such a man as had not then been seen. And Philip, on his return, was favorable to the Christians, and indeed according to some he was even added to the faith of Christ, so that he even shared in the prayers in church with the Christians and gladly confessed whatever sins he had committed. For he was not otherwise received into communion by the president of the church, unless he would make a confession and number himself among those seeking penance; and he is said to have obeyed. Some, however, say that this was the father of the martyr Eugenia; but they are mistaken in this opinion. For he too is recorded to have become a prefect, but of Egypt, and not the praetorian prefect. And after his faith in Christ, that man, having resigned his office, acted courageously for the confession of Christ and was adorned with martyrdom. But this emperor Philip, having undertaken a war against the Scythians, returned to Rome. And in Moesia a certain Marinus, being a tribune, was chosen by the soldiers to be emperor. And because of this Philip was disturbed, and he addressed the senate concerning the revolt. But while the others were silent, Decius told him not to worry about Marinus, as he would be killed by his own soldiers, being unworthy of the imperial power. This happened after a short time according to his prediction. Therefore Philip, admiring Decius for this, urged him to go to Moesia and punish those responsible for the revolt. But he refused the mission, saying that it was advantageous neither to himself nor to the one sending him for him to go there. But 3.132 Philip still insisted. And he went, though unwillingly; and as soon as he had gone, the soldiers acclaimed him emperor. But when he refused, they drew their swords and forced him to accept the imperial power. Therefore he writes from there to Philip not to be disturbed; for if he should come to Rome, he would lay aside the imperial insignia. But Philip, disbelieving this, marched out against him; and engaging with Decius’s forces he fell fighting in the front ranks; and with him his son Philip was also slain. When they were dead, all went over to Decius. And he reigned, according to some, for five years, but according to others, for six years and as many months. He was from Bostra, where also a city

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Κτησιφῶντα γενόμενος ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς Φιλίππου τοῦ ἐπάρχου τοῦ δορυφορικοῦ ἀνῃρέθη. ουτος γὰρ ὁ Γορδιανὸς αρξας επαρχον τὸν οἰκεῖον προεχειρίσατο πενθερὸν Τιμησοκλέα καλούμενον. μέχρι μὲν ουν περιῆν ἐκεῖνος, 3.130 καλῶς ειχε τὰ τῆς ἐξουσίας τῷ αὐτοκράτορι καὶ κατὰ ῥοῦν ἐφέρετό οἱ τὰ πράγματα, Τιμησοκλέους δὲ τελευτήσαντος Φίλιππος προκεχείριστο επαρχος. καὶ στασιάσαι τοὺς στρατιώτας βουλόμενος τὰς αὐτῶν σιτήσεις ἠλάττωσεν, ὡς τοῦτο τάχα κεκελευκότος τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος. οἱ δέ φασιν οτι τὸν σῖτον ἐπέσχε τὸν εἰς τὸ στρατόπεδον κομιζόμενον, ωστε τοὺς στρατιώτας ἐνδείᾳ πιέζεσθαι, κἀντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς πρὸς στάσιν ἐρεθισθῆναι. στασιάσαντες δὲ κατὰ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορος ἐπανέστησαν ὡς αἰτίου αὐτοῖς γεγονότος λιμοῦ, καὶ ἐπελθόντες ἀπέκτειναν αὐτόν, ἐπὶ ἐνιαυτοὺς ἡγεμονεύσαντα εξ. καὶ ὁ Φίλιππος αὐτίκα ἐπεπήδησε τῇ ἀρχῇ. ὡς δ' ἀπηγγέλη τῇ γερουσίᾳ ἡ τοῦ Γορδιανοῦ σφαγή, ετερον αὐτοκράτορα διήγειρεν αὐτὴν προχειρίσασθαι. καὶ ἀνεῖπεν αὐτίκα Καίσαρα Μάρκον τινὰ φιλόσοφον. ὁ δὲ πρὶν ἐρεῖσαι τὸν πόδα τῇ αὐταρχίᾳ θνήσκει αἰφνίδιον ἐν τῷ παλατίῳ διάγων. τοῦ δὲ θανόντος κρατεῖ τῆς ̔Ρωμαίων ἡγεμονίας Σευῆρος ̔Οστιλιανός. ἀλλὰ καὶ ουτος ουπω σχεδὸν ταύτης ἐπειλημμένος ἀπέτισε τὸ χρεών. νοσήσας γὰρ καὶ φλεβοτομηθεὶς ἐτελεύτησεν. ̓Επανελθὼν ουν ὁ Φίλιππος ἐγκρατὴς ἐγένετο τῆς τῶν ̔Ρωμαίων ἀρχῆς. ἐν δὲ τῷ ἐπανιέναι τὸν υἱὸν Φίλιππον κοινωνὸν τῆς βασιλείας προσείλετο. σπονδὰς δὲ πρὸς Σαπώρην θέμενος τὸν τῶν Περσῶν βασιλεύοντα, τὸν πρὸς Πέρσας κατέλυσε πόλεμον, παραχωρήσας αὐτοῖς Μεσοποταμίας καὶ ̓Αρμενίας. γνοὺς δὲ ̔Ρωμαίους ἀχθομένους διὰ τὴν τῶν χωρῶν τούτων παραχώρησιν, μετ' ὀλίγον ἠθέτησε τὰς συν3.131 θήκας καὶ τῶν χωρῶν ἐπελάβετο. ην δὲ ὁ Σαπώρης, ὡς ἱστόρηται, ὑπερμεγέθης τὸν ογκον τοῦ σώματος, καὶ οιος ουπω τότε ωφθη ἀνήρ. ̓Επαναζεύξας δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος εὐμενὴς ην τοῖς χριστιανοῖς, μάλιστα δὲ κατὰ ἐνίους καὶ προσετέθη τῇ πίστει Χριστοῦ, ωστε καὶ εὐχῶν ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας κοινωνῆσαι χριστιανοῖς καὶ ἀσμένως ἐξαγορεῦσαι οσα οἱ ἡμάρτητο. οὐ γὰρ αλλως εἰς κοινωνίαν παρὰ τοῦ προεστῶτος τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐδέχετο, εἰ μὴ ἐξομολογήσεται καὶ τοῖς αἰτοῦσι μετάνοιαν ἑαυτὸν καταλέξει· κἀκεῖνον λέγεται πειθαρχῆσαι. φασὶ μέντοι τινὲς τοῦτον ειναι τὸν πατέρα τῆς μάρτυρος Εὐγενίας· ἀλλὰ περὶ τὴν δόξαν ταύτην πεπλάνηνται. επαρχος μὲν γὰρ κἀκεῖνος γενέσθαι ἱστόρηται, ἀλλ' Αἰγύπτου, καὶ οὐ τοῦ δορυφορικοῦ· καὶ μετὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν πίστιν ἐκεῖνος παραιτησάμενος τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ὁμολογίας ἠνδρίσατο καὶ μαρτυρίῳ κεκόσμηται. Ουτος δ' ὁ αὐτοκράτωρ Φίλιππος πρὸς Σκύθας ἀράμενος πόλεμον εἰς ̔Ρώμην ἐπανῆλθεν. ἐν δὲ Μυσοῖς Μαρῖνός τις ταξιάρχης ων παρὰ τῶν στρατιωτῶν βασιλεύειν ᾑρέθη. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Φίλιππος τεθορύβητο, καὶ τῇ συγκλήτῳ διελέχθη περὶ τῆς στάσεως. τῶν αλλων δὲ σιωπώντων ὁ ∆έκιος μὴ δεῖν φροντίζειν ειπεν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ Μαρίνου, ὡς παρ' αὐτῶν ἀναιρεθησομένου τῶν στρατιωτῶν, οια ἀναξίου τῆς βασιλείας τυγχάνοντος. ο μετ' ὀλίγον κατὰ τὴν ἐκείνου γέγονε πρόρρησιν. θαυμάσας ουν ὁ Φίλιππος διὰ τοῦτο τὸν ∆έκιον, ἀπελθεῖν προετρέπετο εἰς Μυσίαν καὶ κολάσαι τοὺς αἰτίους τῆς στάσεως. ὁ δὲ τὴν ἀποστολὴν παρῃτεῖτο, λέγων μήθ' ἑαυτῷ μήτε τῷ στέλλοντι συμφέρειν αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ ἀπελθεῖν. ὁ δὲ 3.132 Φίλιππος καὶ ετι ἐνέκειτο. κἀκεῖνος καὶ ακων ἀπῄει· καὶ ἀπελθόντα εὐθὺς αὐτὸν οἱ στρατιῶται βασιλέα εὐφήμησαν. τοῦ δὲ ἀπαναινομένου, τὰ ξίφη σπασάμενοι δέξασθαι αὐτὸν ἠνάγκασαν τὴν ἀρχήν. γράφει ουν ἐκεῖθεν τῷ Φιλίππῳ μὴ ταραχθῆναι· εἰ γὰρ ἐπισταίη τῇ ̔Ρώμῃ, ἀποθήσεται τὰ τῆς βασιλείας παράσημα. ἀλλ' ἀπιστήσας τούτῳ ὁ Φίλιππος ἐξεστράτευσε κατ' αὐτοῦ· καὶ συμβαλὼν τοῖς τοῦ ∆εκίου επεσεν ἐν πρώτοις ἀγωνιζόμενος· σὺν αὐτῷ δὲ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἀνῄρητο Φίλιππος. ων θανόντων τῷ ∆εκίῳ ξύμπαντες προσεχώρησαν. ἐβασίλευσε δὲ κατὰ μέν τινας πέντε ἐνιαυτούς, καθ' ἑτέρους δὲ εξ ἐπὶ τοσούτοις μησίν. ωρμητο δ' ἐκ Βόστρων, οπου καὶ πόλιν