Book 6, Part 4, of Eusebius' Church History.
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Recording by David Leeson.
Church History by Eusebius of Caesarea.
Translated by Arthur Cushman McGiffert.
Book 6, Part 4, Chapters 41-46.
Chapter 41.
The Martyrs in Alexandria.
The same writer, in an epistle to Fabius, bishop of Antioch, relates as follows the
sufferings of the martyrs in Alexandria under Decius.
The persecution among us did not begin with the royal decree, but preceded it an
entire year.
The prophet and author of evils to this city, whoever he was, previously moved and
aroused against us the masses of the heathen, rekindling among them the
superstition of their country.
And being thus excited by him and finding full opportunity for any wickedness,
they considered this the only pious service of their demons, that they should
slay us.
They seized first an old man named Metrus, and commanded him to utter impious words.
But as he would not obey, they beat him with clubs, and tore his face and eyes
with sharp sticks, and dragged him out of the city, and stoned him.
Then they carried to their idol temple a faithful woman named Quinta, that they
might force her to worship.
And as she turned away in detestation, they bound her feet and dragged her
through the entire city over the stone-paved streets, and dashed her
against the millstones, and at the same time scourged her.
Then, taking her to the same place, they stoned her to death.
Then all with one impulse rushed to the homes of the pious, and they dragged forth
whomsoever any one knew as a neighbor, and despoiled and plundered them.
They took for themselves the more valuable property, but the poorer articles and
those made of wood they scattered about and burned in the streets, so that the
city appeared as if taken by an enemy.
But the brethren withdrew and went away, and took joyfully the spoiling of their
goods, like those to whom Paul bore witness.
I know of no one, unless possibly someone who fell into their hands, who,
up to this time, denied the Lord.
Then they seized also that most admirable virgin Apollonia, an old woman,
and smiting her on the jaws, broke out all her teeth.
And they made a fire outside the city, and threatened to burn her alive if she
would not join with them in their impious cries.
And she, supplicating a little, was released, when she leaped eagerly into
the fire and was consumed.
Then they seized Serapion in his own house, and tortured him with harsh
cruelties.
And having broken all his limbs, they threw him headlong from an upper
storey.
And there was no street, nor public road, nor lane open to us, by night or day.
For always and everywhere, all of them cried out that if anyone would not repeat
their impious words, he should immediately be dragged away and burned.
And matters continued thus for a considerable time.
But a sedition and civil war came upon the wretched people, and turned their cruelty
toward us against one another.
So we breathed for a little while, as they ceased from their rage against us.
But presently the change from that milder rain was announced to us, and great fear
of what was threatened seized us.
For the decree arrived, almost like unto that most terrible time foretold by our
Lord, which, if it were possible, would offend even the elect.
All truly were affrighted, and many of the more eminent in their fear came forward
immediately.
Others who were in the public service were drawn on by their official duties,
others were urged on by their acquaintances.
And as their names were called, they approached the impure and impious
sacrifices.
Some of them were pale and trembled, as if they were not about to sacrifice,
but to be themselves sacrifices and offerings to the idols, so that they were
jeered at by the multitude who stood around, as it was plain to everyone that
they were afraid either to die or to sacrifice.
But some advanced to the altars more readily, declaring boldly that they had
never been Christians.
Of these the prediction of our Lord is most true that they shall hardly be saved.
Of the rest some followed the one, others the other of these classes,
some fled, and some were seized.
And of the latter, some continued faithful until bonds and imprisonment, and some who
had even been imprisoned for many days yet abjured the faith before they were brought
to trial, others having for a time endured great tortures, finally retracted.
But the firm and blessed pillars of the Lord being strengthened by him,
and having received vigor and might suitable and appropriate to the strong
faith which they possessed, became admirable witnesses of his kingdom.
The first of these was Julian, a man who suffered so much with the gout
that he was unable to stand or walk.
They brought him forward with two others who carried him.
One of these immediately denied, but the other, whose name was Cronion,
and whose surname was Eunus, and the old man Julian himself, both of them having
confessed the Lord, were carried on camels through the entire city, which,
as you know, is a very large one, and in this elevated position were beaten
and finally burned in a fierce fire, surrounded by all the populace.
But a soldier named Besus, who stood by them as they were led away, rebuked those
who insulted them, and they cried out against him, and this most manly warrior
of God was arraigned, and having done nobly in the great contest for piety,
was beheaded.
A certain other one, a Libyan by birth, but in name and blessedness a true Makar,
was strongly urged by the judge to recant, but as he would not yield, he was burned
alive.
After them, Epimachus and Alexander, having remained in bonds for a long time
and endured countless agonies from scrapers and scourges, were also consumed
in a fierce fire.
And with them there were four women, Ammonerium, a holy virgin, the judge
tortured relentlessly and excessively, because she declared from the first that
she would utter none of those things which he commanded, and having kept her promise
truly, she was dragged away.
The others were Mercuria, a very remarkable old woman, and Dionysia,
the mother of many children, who did not love her own children above the Lord.
As the governor was ashamed of torturing thus ineffectually and being always
defeated by women, they were put to death by the sword without the trial of
tortures, for the champion Ammonerium endured these in behalf of all.
The Egyptians, Heron, and Ather, and Isidorus, and with them Dioscorus,
a boy about fifteen years old, were delivered up.
At first the judge attempted to deceive the lad by fair words, as if he could be
brought over easily, and then to force him by tortures, as one who would readily
yield, but Dioscorus was neither persuaded nor constrained.
As the others remained firm, he scourged them cruelly and then delivered them to
the fire.
But admiring the manner in which Dioscorus had distinguished himself publicly,
and his wise answers to his persuasions, he dismissed him, saying that on account
of his youth he would give him time for repentance.
And this most godly Dioscorus is among us now, awaiting a longer conflict and more
severe contest.
But a certain Nemesion, who also was an Egyptian, was accused as an associate of
robbers.
But when he had cleared himself before the centurion of this charge most foreign to
the truth, he was informed against as a Christian, and taken in bonds before the
governor.
And the most unrighteous magistrate inflicted on him tortures and scourgings
double those which he executed on the robbers, and then burned him between the
robbers, thus honoring the blessed man by the likeness of Christ.
A band of soldiers, Ammon and Zeno and Ptolemy and Ingenes, and with them an old
man, Theophilus, were standing close together before the tribunal.
And as a certain person who was being tried as a Christian seemed inclined to
deny, they standing by gnashed their teeth, and made signs with their faces,
and stretched out their hands, and gestured with their bodies.
And when the attention of all was turned to them, before anyone else could seize
them, they rushed up to the tribunal, saying that they were Christians,
so that the governor and his council were affrighted.
And those who were on trial appeared most courageous in prospect of their
sufferings, while the judges trembled.
And they went exultingly from the tribunal, rejoicing in their testimony,
God himself having caused them to triumph gloriously.
Chapter 42.
Others of whom Dionysius gives an account.
Many others in cities and villages were torn asunder by the heathen, of whom I
will mention one as an illustration.
Iscariot was employed as a steward by one of the rulers.
His employer commanded him to sacrifice, and on his refusal insulted him,
and as he remained firm, abused him.
And as he still held out, he seized a long staff, and thrust it through his bowels,
and slew him.
Why need I speak of the multitude that wandered in the deserts and mountains,
and perished by hunger and thirst, and cold and sickness, and robbers and
wild beasts?
Those of them who survived are witnesses of their election and victory.
But I will relate one occurrence as an example.
Charimon, who was very old, was bishop of the city called Nihilus.
He fled with his wife to the Arabian mountain, and did not return.
And though the brethren searched diligently, they could not find either
them or their bodies.
And many who fled to the same Arabian mountain were carried into slavery by the
barbarian Saracens.
Some of them were ransomed with difficulty and at a large price.
Others have not been to the present time.
I have related these things, my brother, not without an object, but that you may
understand how many and great distresses came upon us.
Those indeed will understand them the best who have had the largest experience of
them.
A little further on, he adds, these divine martyrs among us, who now are seated with
Christ, and are sharers in his kingdom, partakers of his judgment, and judges with
him, received some of the brethren who had fallen away and become chargeable with the
guilt of sacrificing.
When they perceived that their conversion and repentance were sufficient to be
acceptable with him who by no means desires the death of the sinner,
but his repentance, having proved them, they received them back and brought them
together, and met with them and had fellowship with them in prayers and
feasts.
What counsel then, brethren, do you give us concerning such persons?
What should we do?
Shall we have the same judgment and rule as theirs, and observe their decision and
charity, and show mercy to those whom they pitied?
Or shall we declare their decision unrighteous, and set ourselves as judges
of their opinion, and grieve mercy and overturn order?
These words Dionysius very properly added when making mention of those who had been
weak in the time of persecution.
Chapter 43.
Novatus, his manner of life and his heresy.
After this Novatus, a presbyter of the church at Rome, being lifted up with
arrogance against these persons, as if there was no longer for them a hope
of salvation, not even if they should do all pertaining to a genuine and pure
conversion, became leader of the heresy of those who, in the pride of their
imagination, call themselves Cathari.
Thereupon a very large synod assembled at Rome of bishops in number sixty,
and a great many more presbyters and deacons, while the pastors of the
remaining provinces deliberated in their places privately concerning what ought to
be done.
A decree was confirmed by all that Novatus and those who joined with him,
and those who adopted his brother-hating and inhuman opinion, should be considered
by the church as strangers, but that they should heal such of the brethren as had
fallen into misfortune, and should minister to them with the medicines of
repentance.
There have reached us epistles of Cornelius, bishop of Rome, to Fabius,
of the church at Antioch, which show what was done at the synod at Rome,
and what seemed best to all those in Italy and Africa and the regions thereabout.
Also other epistles, written in the Latin language, of Cyprian and those with him in
Africa, which show that they agreed as to the necessity of succoring those who had
been tempted, and of cutting off from the Catholic church the leader of the heresy
and all that joined with him.
Another epistle of Cornelius, concerning the resolutions of the synod, is attached
to these, and yet others, on the conduct of Novatus, from which it is proper for us
to make selections, that anyone who sees this work may know about him.
Cornelius informs Fabius what sort of a man Novatus was in the following words.
But that you may know that a long time ago this remarkable man desired the
episcopate, but kept this ambitious desire to himself and concealed it, using as a
cloak for his rebellion those confessors who had adhered to him from the beginning,
I desire to speak.
Maximus, one of our presbyters, and Urbanus, who twice gained the highest
honor by confession, with Sidonius and Selurinus, a man who by the grace of God
most heroically endured all kinds of torture, and by the strength of his faith
overcame the weakness of the flesh and mightily conquered the adversary,
these men found him out and detected his craft and duplicity, his perjuries and
falsehoods, his unsociability and cruel friendship.
And they returned to the holy church and proclaimed in the presence of many,
both bishops and presbyters and a large number of the laity, all his craft and
wickedness, which for a long time he had concealed.
And this they did with lamentations and repentance, because through the
persuasions of the crafty and malicious beast they had left the church for the
time.
A little farther on he says...
"...which had not been given him from above, chose two of his companions who had
given up their own salvation.
And he sent them to a small and insignificant corner of Italy,
that there by some counterfeit argument he might deceive three bishops, who were
rustic and very simple men.
And they asserted positively and strongly that it was necessary that they should
come quickly to Rome, in order that all the dissension which had arisen there
might be appeased through their mediation, jointly with other bishops.
When they had come, being, as we have stated, very simple in the craft and
artifice of the wicked, they were shut up with certain selected men like himself.
And by the tenth hour, when they had become drunk and sick, he compelled them
by force to confer on him the episcopate through a counterfeit and vain imposition
of hands.
Because it had not come to him, he avenged himself by craft and treachery.
One of these bishops shortly after came back to the church, lamenting and
confessing his transgression.
And we communed with him as with a layman, all the people present interceding for
him.
And we ordained successors of the other bishops, and sent them to the places where
they were.
This avenger of the gospel then did not know that there should be one bishop in a
Catholic church.
Yet he was not ignorant, for how could he be, that in it there were forty-six
presbyters, seven deacons, seven subdeacons, forty-two acolytes,
fifty-two exorcists, readers and janitors, and over fifteen hundred widows and
persons in distress, all of whom the grace and kindness of the Master nourish.
But not even this great multitude, so necessary in the church, nor those who,
through God's providence, were rich and full, together with the very many,
even innumerable people, could turn him from such desperation and presumption,
and recall him to the church.
Again, farther on, he adds these words, Permit us to say further.
On account of what works or conduct had he the assurance to contend for the
episcopate?
Was it that he had been brought up in the church from the beginning, and had endured
many conflicts in her behalf, and had passed through many and great dangers for
religion?
Truly this is not the fact.
But Satan, who entered and dwelt in him for a long time, became the occasion of
his believing.
Being delivered by the exorcists, he fell into a severe sickness,
and as he seemed about to die, he received baptism by effusion on the bed
where he lay, if indeed we can say that such a one did receive it.
And when he was healed of his sickness, he did not receive the other things which
it is necessary to have according to the canon of the church, even the being sealed
by the bishop.
And as he did not receive this, how could he receive the Holy Spirit?
Shortly after, he says again, in the time of persecution, through cowardice and love
of life, he denied that he was a presbyter.
For when he was requested and entreated by the deacons to come out of the chamber in
which he had imprisoned himself and give aid to the brethren, as far as was lawful
and possible for a presbyter to assist those of the brethren who were in danger
and needed help, he paid so little respect to the entreaties of the deacons that he
went away and departed in anger.
For he said that he no longer desired to be a presbyter, as he was an admirer of
another philosophy.
Passing by a few things, he adds the following.
For this illustrious man forsook the church of God, in which, when he believed,
he was judged worthy of the presbyterate through the favor of the bishop who
ordained him to the presbyterial office.
This had been resisted by all the clergy and many of the laity, because it was
unlawful that one who had been effused on his bed on account of sickness as he had
been should enter into any clerical office, but the bishop requested that he
might be permitted to ordain this one only.
He adds to these yet another, the worst of all the man's offenses, as follows.
For when he has made the offerings and distributed a part to each man,
as he gives it he compels the man to swear in place of the blessing.
Holding his hands in both of his own, he will not release him until he has sworn
in this manner, for I will give his own words.
Swear to me by the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that you will never
forsake me and turn to Cornelius.
And the unhappy man does not taste until he has called down imprecations on
himself, and instead of saying Amen as he takes the bread, he says, I will never
return to Cornelius.
Farther on he says again, But know that he has now been made bare and desolate,
as the brethren leave him every day and return to the church.
Moses also, the blessed martyr, who lately suffered among us a glorious
and admirable martyrdom, while he was yet alive, beholding his boldness and folly,
refused to commune with him and with the five presbyters who with him had separated
themselves from the church.
At the close of his letter, he gives a list of the bishops who had come to Rome
and condemned the silliness of Novatus, with their names and the parish over which
each of them presided.
He mentions also those who did not come to Rome, but who expressed by letters their
agreement with the vote of these bishops, giving their names and the cities from
which they severally sent them.
Cornelius wrote these things to Fabius, bishop of Antioch.
Chapter 44, Dionysius' Account of Serapion.
To this same Fabius, who seemed to lean somewhat toward this schism, Dionysius of
Alexandria also wrote an epistle.
He writes in this many other things concerning repentance, and relates the
conflicts of those who had lately suffered martyrdom at Alexandria.
After the other account, he mentions a certain wonderful fact which deserves a
place in this work.
It is as follows.
I will give thee this one example which occurred among us.
There was with us a certain Serapion, an aged believer who had lived for a long
time blamelessly, but had fallen in the trial.
He besought often, but no one gave heed to him, because he had sacrificed.
But he became sick, and for three successive days continued speechless and
senseless.
Having recovered somewhat on the fourth day, he sent for his daughter's son,
and said, How long do you detain me, my child?
I beseech you, make haste, and absolve me speedily.
Call one of the presbyters to me.
And when he had said this, he became again speechless.
And the boy ran to the presbyter.
But it was night, and he was sick, and therefore unable to come.
But as I had commanded that persons at the point of death, if they requested it,
and especially if they had asked for it previously, should receive remission,
that they might depart with a good hope, he gave the boy a small portion of the
Eucharist, telling him to soak it and let the drops fall into the old man's mouth.
The boy returned with it, and as he drew near, before he entered, Serapion,
again arousing, said, Thou art come, my child, and the presbyter could not
come, but do quickly what he directed, and let me depart.
Then the boy soaked it and dropped it into his mouth.
And when he had swallowed a little, immediately he gave up the ghost.
Is it not evident that he was preserved, and his life continued till he was
absolved, and his sin having been blotted out, he could be acknowledged for the many
good deeds which he had done?
Dionysius relates these things.
Chapter 45.
An Epistle of Dionysius to Novatus.
But let us see how the same man addressed Novatus when he was disturbing the Roman
brotherhood.
As he pretended that some of the brethren were the occasion of his apostasy and
schism, as if he had been forced by them to proceed as he had, observe the manner
in which he writes to him.
Dionysius to his brother Novatus greeting.
If, as thou sayest, thou hast been led on unwillingly, thou wilt prove this if thou
retirest willingly.
For it were better to suffer everything, rather than divide the church of God.
Even martyrdom for the sake of preventing division would not be less glorious than
for refusing to worship idols.
Nay, to me it seems greater.
For in the one case a man suffers martyrdom for the sake of his own soul,
in the other case in behalf of the entire church.
And now, if thou canst persuade or induce the brethren to come to unanimity,
thy righteousness will be greater than thine error.
And this will not be counted, but that will be praised.
But if thou canst not prevail with the disobedient, at least save thine own soul.
I pray that thou mayst fare well, maintaining peace in the Lord.
This he wrote to Novatus.
Chapter 46.
Other Epistles of Dionysius.
He wrote also an epistle to the brethren in Egypt on repentance.
In this he sets forth what seemed proper to him in regard to those who had fallen,
and he describes the classes of transgressions.
There is extant also a private letter on repentance which he wrote to Conan,
bishop of the parish of Hermopolis, and another of an admonitory character to
his flock at Alexandria.
Among them also is the one written to Origen on martyrdom, and to the brethren
at Laodicea, of whom Thelimedres was bishop.
He likewise sent one on repentance to the brethren in Armenia, of whom Merozenes was
bishop.
Besides all these, he wrote to Cornelius of Rome, when he had received from him an
epistle against Novatus.
He states in this that he had been invited by Helinus, bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia,
and the others who were with him.
Formilianus, bishop in Cappadocia, and Theoctistus of Palestine, to meet them
at the synod in Antioch, where some persons were endeavoring to establish the
schism of Novatus.
Besides this, he writes that he had been informed that Fabius had fallen asleep,
and that Demetrianus had been appointed his successor in the episcopate of
Antioch.
He writes also in these words concerning the bishop of Jerusalem, for the blessed
Alexander, having been confined in prison, passed away happily.
In addition to this, there is extant also a certain other diaconal epistle of
Dionysius, sent to those in Rome through Hippolytus.
And he wrote another to them on peace, and likewise on repentance, and yet
another to the confessors there who still held to the opinion of Novatus.
He sent two more to the same persons after they had returned to the church.
And he communicated with many others by letters, which he has left behind him as a
benefit in ways to those who now diligently study his writings.
End of Book 6, Part 4