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De martyribus Palaestinae (recensio prolix xior) 4.1 A terrible serpent and a harsh tyrant, having just then taken new rule over all, and immediately, as if from his very hearth, set on fighting against God, girded himself for the persecution against us more vigorously than those who had come before him. This was Maximinus. 4.2 When, indeed, a bitter confusion was hanging over all the city-dwellers, and some were being scattered in different directions and making haste to escape the surrounding evils, what account would be sufficient for us for a worthy narrative of the divine love of the martyr Apphianus? 4.3 He had not yet entered the twentieth year of his physical age, but by birth he was of the distinguished of Lycia and among the first in wealth and other dignities. For which reason he was sent by his zealous parents to the schools of Berytus for the sake of rhetoric and had collected a store of various studies. But these things would in no way have any proper narrative for the present writing; but if one must make mention of the extraordinary deed of that all-holy soul, it is worthy of wonder how in such a city he proved superior to the society and companionship of the young, and adorned himself with the character of an elder and the condition of a venerable life and manner, not being led astray by the bloom of his body nor by the comradeship of the young, and laying down for himself in his own mind self-control as a foundation of good things, he embraced complete purity and sobriety, in a manner venerable and befitting piety, 4.4 himself disciplining his own life. 4.5 But after his sufficient education, he returned from Berytus to his father’s hearth. But since he was unable to associate with his relatives on account of the dissimilarity of their ways, unbeknownst to his own people he departed from his sojourn there, taking absolutely no thought for his daily expenses. So he arrived with a genuine and whole faith, guided by the power of God, to this our city, where the most precious crown of martyrdom had been prepared for him. 4.6 And having associated with us ourselves and having been trained in the divine studies and sacred words, having been disciplined along with Pamphilus the great martyr, he acquired no common disposition towards virtue. Wherefore, having prepared himself from this for the consummation of martyrdom, what sort of end he displayed, the account will show as it proceeds, 4.7 Who, having seen, was not astounded, and who, having learned by hearing, did not marvel at his courage, his boldness, his constancy, his self-control, his words to the judge, his answers, his wisdom, and, before all these things, the very deed and the undertaking, breathing with inspired zeal and of robust piety towards the all-sovereign God? 4.8 When, therefore, a second general rising occurred in the third year of the persecution against us, letters from Maximinus having been published for the first time then, by which he commanded that everyone, with the care and diligence of the city magistrates, should sacrifice and pour libations to the demons, heralds were at once shouting throughout all the cities for men, together with women and children, to go to the houses of the idols. And tribunes and centurions, going through houses and streets, were making registers of the citizens, then calling each by name, they compelled them to do what was commanded. So when all were everywhere seized by an unspeakable flood of evils, the all-holy martyr of God, Apphianus, performed a deed better than any telling. With no one being privy with him to what was being done, and stealing away from us who were with him in the house, he rushes therefore upon the ruler of the province himself, then, suddenly standing by and likewise escaping the notice of the entire band of soldiers around the governor,

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De martyribus Palaestinae (recensio prolix xior) 4.1 ∆εινὸς ὄφις καὶ τύραννος ἀπηνὴς ἄρτι τότε νεαρᾶς τῆς κατὰ πάντων ἐπιλαβόμενος ἀρχῆς αὐτόθεν τε ὥσπερ ἀφ' ἑστίας θεομαχεῖν ὡρμημένος, νεανικώτερον ἢ οἱ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ γενόμενοι τῷ καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπαπεδύετο διωγμῷ· Μαξιμῖνος οὗτος ἦν. 4.2 συγχύσεως δῆτα πικρᾶς ἐπῃωρημένης ἅπασι τοῖς τὰς πόλεις οἰκοῦσιν ἄλλων τε ἀλλαχόσε διασπειρομένων καὶ τὰ περιέχοντα κακὰ σπουδὴν διαδρᾶναι ποιουμένων, τίς ἂν ἐπαρκέσειεν ἡμῖν λόγος εἰς ἐπαξίαν διήγησιν τοῦ θείου ἔρωτος τοῦ μάρτυρος Ἀπφιανοῦ; 4.3 εἰκοστὸν οὔπω τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἡλικίας ἔτος εἰσεληλυθὼς ἦν, τὸ δὲ γένος τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς Λυκίας διαφανῶν καὶ τὰ πρῶτα φερομένων ἐν πλούτῳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀξιώμασιν· δι' ὃ δὴ σπουδῇ τῶν γονέων ἐπὶ τὰ κατὰ τὴν Βηρυτὸν παιδευτήρια λόγων ἕνεκα ἐστέλλετο καὶ ποικίλων μαθημάτων συνείλεκτο παρασκευήν. ἀλλ' οὔπως ταῦτα ἔχοι ἂν πρὸς τὴν προκειμένην γραφὴν οἰκείαν τινὰ διήγησιν· εἰ δὲ χρὴ παραδόξου πράξεως τῆς παναγίας ἐκείνης μνημονεῦσαι ψυχῆς, θαυμάζειν ἄξιον πῶς ἐν τοιαύτῃ πόλει τῆς μὲν τῶν νέων συνουσίας καὶ συνδιατριβῆς κρείττων ἐγίνετο, ἤθει δὲ πρεσβυτικῷ καὶ σεμνοῦ βίου καὶ τρόπου καταστάσει ἑαυτὸν ἐκόσμει, οὐχ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀκμῆς τοῦ σώματος οὐδ' ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν νέων ἑταιρίας ὑποσυρόμενος, κρηπῖδά τε ὥσπερ ἀγαθῶν τὴν ἐγκράτειαν τε αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ εἰς διάνοιαν καταβαλλόμενος, ἁγνείαν τὴν παντελῆ καὶ σωφροσύνην ἠσπάζετο, σεμνῶς καὶ εὐσεβείᾳ προσηκόντως 4.4 αὐτὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ παιδεύων βίον. 4.5 ἀλλὰ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν αὐτάρκη παίδευσιν ἐπανῄει μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς Βηρυτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς ἑστίαν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ μὴ οἷός τε ἦν συνεῖναι τοῖς τῷ γένει προσήκουσιν διὰ τὸ τῶν τρόπων ἀνόμοιον, λαθὼν τοὺς οἰκείους τῆς αὐτόθι διατριβῆς ἀπαλλάττεται, καθόλου μηδὲν τῶν ἐφημέρων δαπανῶν φροντίζων. παρεγένετο γοῦν γνησίᾳ καὶ ὁλοκλήρῳ τῇ πίστει, θεοῦ δυνάμει ὁδηγούμενος, ἐπὶ τήνδε τὴν ἡμετέραν πόλιν, ἔνθα αὐτῷ παρεσκεύαστο ὁ πολυτίμητος τοῦ μαρτυρίου στέφανος. 4.6 συγγενόμενος δὲ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς θείοις συγκροτηθεὶς μαθήμασιν λόγοις τε ἱεροῖς ὑπὸ Παμφίλῳ τῷ μεγάλῳ μάρτυρι συνασκηθείς, ἕξιν εἰς ἀρετὴν οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν συνελέξατο· δι' ὅπερ τὴν τοῦ μαρτυρίου τελείωσιν ἐντεῦθεν παρασκευασάμενος τέλος ὁποῖον ἐπιδέδεικται δείξει προιὼν ὁ λόγος, 4.7 τίς μὲν ἰδὼν οὐ κατεπλάγη, τίς δὲ ἀκοῇ παραλαβὼν οὐκ ἐθαύμασεν τὸ θάρσος, τὴν παρρησίαν, τὴν ἔνστασιν, τὴν ἐγκράτειαν, τὰς πρὸς τὸν δικαστὴν φωνάς, τὰς ἀποκρίσεις, τὴν φρόνησιν καὶ πρό γε τούτων ἁπάντων τὴν τόλμαν αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ ἐπιχείρημα ζήλου πνέον ἐνθέου καὶ ἐρρωμένης τῆς πρὸς τὸν παμβασιλέα θεὸν εὐσεβείας; 4.8 δευτέρας τοίνυν καθολικῆς ἐπαναστάσεως κατὰ τὸ τρίτον ἔτος τοῦ καθ' ἡμᾶς διωγμοῦ γενομένης, γραμμάτων Μαξιμίνου τότε πρῶτον πεφοιτηκότων δι' ὧν ἐκέλευσεν πανδημεὶ πάντας μετ' ἐπιμελείας καὶ σπουδῆς τῶν κατὰ πόλιν ἀρχόντων θύειν τε καὶ σπένδειν τοῖς δαίμοσιν, κήρυκες μὲν αὐτίκα κατὰ πάσας τὰς πόλεις ἄνδρας τε ἅμα γυναιξὶν καὶ τέκνοις ἐπὶ τοὺς τῶν εἰδώλων οἴκους ἀπαντᾶν ἐβόων· χιλίαρχοι δὲ καὶ ἑκατόνταρχοι κατ' οἴκους καὶ ἄμφοδα παριόντες ἀναγραφὰς τῶν πολιτῶν ἐποιοῦντο, εἶτα ἐξ ὀνόματος ἕκαστον ἀνακαλούμενοι, τὸ προσταχθὲν πράττειν ἐβιάζοντο. ἀφάτῳ δὴ οὖν κλύδωνι κακῶν πανταχῇ πάντων ἐπειλημμένων, ὁ πανάγιος τοῦ θεοῦ μάρτυς Ἀπφιανὸς πρᾶγμά τι παντὸς λόγου κρεῖττον διαπράττεται. μηδενὸς ἐπὶ τῷ πραττομένῳ συνειδότος αὐτῷ ἡμᾶς τε ὑποκλέψας, οἳ κατ' οἶκον συνῆμεν αὐτῷ, ἐπ' αὐτὸν οὖν ὁρμᾷ τὸν τοῦ ἔθνους ἄρχοντα, ἔπειτα ἀθρόως ἐπιστὰς καὶ πᾶν τὸ περὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα στρατιωτικὸν στῖφος λαθὼν ὁμοίως,