WEBVTT 00:24.420 --> 00:26.880 Book VIII, Part I. 00:27.180 --> 00:29.080 Introduction through Chapter VIII. 00:30.980 --> 00:33.620 Book VIII, Introduction. 00:34.680 --> 00:38.820 As we have described in seven books the events from the time of the Apostles, 00:39.060 --> 00:44.220 we think it proper in this eighth book to record for the information of posterity a 00:44.220 --> 00:48.620 few of the most important occurrences of our own times, which are worthy of 00:48.620 --> 00:49.480 permanent record. 00:50.040 --> 00:52.300 Our account will begin at this point. 00:53.460 --> 00:54.580 Chapter I. 00:54.980 --> 00:58.340 The Events Which Preceded the Persecution in Our Times. 00:59.300 --> 01:04.820 It is beyond our ability to describe in a suitable manner the extent and nature of 01:04.820 --> 01:09.200 the glory and freedom with which the word of piety toward the God of the universe, 01:09.800 --> 01:14.800 proclaimed to the world through Christ, was honored among all men, both Greeks and 01:14.800 --> 01:18.100 barbarians, before the persecution in our day. 01:19.320 --> 01:24.680 The favor shown our people by the rulers might be adduced as evidence, as they 01:24.680 --> 01:28.840 committed to them the government of provinces, and on account of the great 01:28.840 --> 01:33.540 friendship which they entertained toward their doctrine, released them from anxiety 01:33.540 --> 01:35.220 in regard to sacrificing. 01:36.740 --> 01:41.760 Why need I speak of those in the royal palaces, and of the rulers over all, 01:42.060 --> 01:45.700 who allowed the members of their households, wives and children and 01:45.700 --> 01:50.780 servants, to speak openly before them for the divine word and life, and suffered 01:50.780 --> 01:53.440 them almost to boast of the freedom of their faith? 01:54.760 --> 01:58.880 Indeed, they esteemed them highly, and preferred them to their fellow 01:58.880 --> 01:59.460 servants. 01:59.860 --> 02:04.220 Such an one was that Dorotheus, the most devoted and faithful to them of 02:04.220 --> 02:08.840 all, and on this account especially honored by them among those who held the 02:08.840 --> 02:10.780 most honorable offices and governments. 02:11.580 --> 02:16.800 With him was the celebrated Gorgonius, and as many as had been esteemed worthy of 02:16.800 --> 02:19.560 the divine distinction on account of the word of God. 02:20.640 --> 02:25.420 And one could see the rulers in every church accorded the greatest favor by all 02:25.420 --> 02:26.520 officers and governors. 02:27.320 --> 02:31.680 But how can anyone describe those vast assemblies, and the multitude that crowded 02:31.680 --> 02:35.920 together in every city, and the famous gatherings in the houses of prayer, 02:36.380 --> 02:40.660 on whose account not being satisfied with the ancient buildings, they erected from 02:40.660 --> 02:43.380 the foundation large churches in all the cities? 02:44.140 --> 02:48.660 No envy hindered the progress of these affairs which advanced gradually, 02:49.120 --> 02:51.380 and grew and increased day by day. 02:51.760 --> 02:56.720 Nor could any evil demon slander them or hinder them through human counsels, 02:56.720 --> 03:01.320 so long as the divine and heavenly hand watched over and guarded his own people as 03:01.320 --> 03:01.680 worthy. 03:02.600 --> 03:08.080 But when, on account of the abundant freedom, we fell into laxity and sloth, 03:08.340 --> 03:12.820 and envied and reviled each other, and were almost, as it were, taking up 03:12.820 --> 03:17.540 arms against one another, rulers assailing rulers with words like spears, 03:17.940 --> 03:23.000 and people forming parties against people, and monstrous hypocrisy and dissimulation 03:23.000 --> 03:27.000 rising to the greatest height of wickedness, the divine judgment with 03:27.000 --> 03:31.200 forbearance, as is its pleasure, while the multitudes yet continued to 03:31.200 --> 03:34.940 assemble, gently and moderately harassed the episcopacy. 03:36.120 --> 03:39.180 This persecution began with the brethren in the army. 03:39.520 --> 03:43.560 But as if without sensibility, we were not eager to make the deity 03:43.560 --> 03:48.640 favorable and propitious, and some, like atheists, thought that our affairs 03:48.640 --> 03:53.220 were unheeded and ungoverned, and thus we added one wickedness to another, 03:53.220 --> 03:57.700 and those esteemed our shepherds, casting aside the bond of piety, 03:58.160 --> 04:02.560 were excited to conflicts with one another, and did nothing else than heap up 04:02.560 --> 04:06.720 strifes and threats and jealousy and enmity and hatred toward each other, 04:07.180 --> 04:10.300 like tyrants eagerly endeavoring to assert their power. 04:10.300 --> 04:15.640 Then truly, according to the word of Jeremiah, the Lord in His wrath darkened 04:15.640 --> 04:20.280 the daughter of Zion, and cast down the glory of Israel from heaven to earth, 04:20.500 --> 04:23.760 and remembered not His footstool in the day of His anger. 04:24.080 --> 04:28.980 The Lord also overwhelmed all the beautiful things of Israel, and threw down 04:28.980 --> 04:30.320 all His strongholds. 04:31.080 --> 04:35.980 And according to what was foretold in the Psalms, He has made void the covenant of 04:35.980 --> 04:40.500 His servant, and profaned His sanctuary to the earth, in the destruction of the 04:40.500 --> 04:45.320 churches, and has thrown down all His strongholds, and has made His fortresses 04:45.320 --> 04:45.960 cowardice. 04:45.960 --> 04:50.840 All that pass by have plundered the multitude of the people, and He has become 04:50.840 --> 04:52.880 besides a reproach to His neighbors. 04:53.560 --> 04:57.920 For He has exalted the right hand of His enemies, and has turned back the help of 04:57.920 --> 05:01.020 His sword, and has not taken His part in the war. 05:01.520 --> 05:06.240 But He has deprived Him of purification, and has cast His throne to the ground. 05:06.680 --> 05:11.460 He has shortened the days of His time, and besides all, has poured out His shame 05:11.460 --> 05:12.240 upon Him. 05:12.240 --> 05:14.620 Chapter 2. 05:15.260 --> 05:39.680 The Destruction of the Churches. 05:49.180 --> 05:54.760 But it is not our place to describe the sad misfortunes which finally came upon 05:54.760 --> 05:59.480 them, as we do not think it proper, moreover, to record their divisions and 05:59.480 --> 06:02.420 unnatural conduct to each other before the persecution. 06:03.340 --> 06:07.680 Wherefore we have decided to relate nothing concerning them, except the things 06:07.680 --> 06:10.080 in which we can vindicate the divine judgment. 06:11.340 --> 06:16.400 Hence we shall not mention those who were shaken by the persecution, nor those who 06:16.400 --> 06:21.220 in everything pertaining to salvation were shipwrecked, and by their own will were 06:21.220 --> 06:22.880 sunk in the depths of the flood. 06:23.240 --> 06:27.980 But we shall introduce into this history in general only those events which may be 06:27.980 --> 06:31.700 useful first to ourselves, and afterwards to posterity. 06:32.200 --> 06:36.500 Let us, therefore, proceed to describe briefly the sacred conflicts of the 06:36.500 --> 06:38.180 witnesses of the divine word. 06:38.820 --> 06:43.300 It was in the nineteenth year of the reign of Diocletian, in the month Distrus, 06:43.620 --> 06:48.240 called March by the Romans, when the feast of the Saviour's Passion was near at hand, 06:48.540 --> 06:52.440 that royal edicts were published everywhere, commanding that the churches 06:52.440 --> 06:55.800 be leveled to the ground and the scriptures be destroyed by fire, 06:56.200 --> 07:00.820 and ordering that those who held places of honour be degraded, and that the household 07:00.820 --> 07:05.480 servants, if they persisted in the profession of Christianity, be deprived of 07:05.480 --> 07:05.900 freedom. 07:07.140 --> 07:12.140 Such was the first edict against us, but not long after other decrees were 07:12.140 --> 07:16.440 issued, commanding that all the rulers of the churches in every place be first 07:16.440 --> 07:21.600 thrown into prison, and afterwards by every artifice be compelled to sacrifice. 07:23.260 --> 07:24.500 CHAPTER III. 07:24.940 --> 07:28.220 THE NATURE OF THE CONFLICTS ENDURED IN THE PERSECUTION. 07:51.600 --> 07:56.400 Another was punished with insupportable rackings and scrapings, in which some 07:56.400 --> 07:57.960 suffered a miserable death. 07:58.660 --> 08:01.100 Others passed through different conflicts. 08:01.660 --> 08:05.780 Thus one, while those around pressed him on by force and dragged him to the 08:05.780 --> 08:10.680 abominable and impure sacrifices, was dismissed as if he had sacrificed, 08:10.960 --> 08:11.880 though he had not. 08:12.360 --> 08:16.820 Another, though he had not approached at all, nor touched any polluted thing, 08:17.040 --> 08:21.860 when others said that he had sacrificed, went away, bearing the accusation in 08:21.860 --> 08:22.260 silence. 08:23.280 --> 08:28.120 Another, being taken up half dead, was cast aside as if already dead, 08:28.540 --> 08:33.120 and again a certain one lying upon the ground was dragged a long distance by his 08:33.120 --> 08:35.860 feet and counted among those who had sacrificed. 08:36.760 --> 08:41.080 One cried out and with a loud voice testified his rejection of the sacrifice, 08:41.700 --> 08:46.000 another shouted that he was a Christian, being resplendent in the confession of the 08:46.000 --> 08:46.760 saving name. 08:47.300 --> 08:50.780 Another protested that he had not sacrificed and never would. 08:51.760 --> 08:56.280 But they were struck in the mouth and silenced by a large band of soldiers who 08:56.280 --> 08:59.860 were drawn up for this purpose, and they were smitten on the face and 08:59.860 --> 09:04.140 cheeks and driven away by force, so important did the enemies of piety 09:04.140 --> 09:08.540 regard it, by any means, to seem to have accomplished their purpose. 09:09.220 --> 09:13.480 But these things did not avail them against the holy martyrs, for an accurate 09:13.480 --> 09:16.960 description of whom what word of ours could suffice. 09:18.680 --> 09:19.700 CHAPTER IV. 09:20.140 --> 09:24.660 THE FAMOUS MARTYRS OF GOD, WHO FILLED EVERY PLACE WITH THEIR MEMORY AND WON 09:24.660 --> 09:27.000 VARIOUS CROWNS IN BEHALF OF RELIGION. 09:27.940 --> 09:32.620 For we might tell of many who showed admirable zeal for the religion of the God 09:32.620 --> 09:36.300 of the universe, not only from the beginning of the general persecution, 09:37.040 --> 09:40.580 but long before that time, while yet peace prevailed. 09:41.580 --> 09:46.360 For though he who had received power was seemingly aroused now as from a deep 09:46.360 --> 09:51.920 sleep, yet from the time after Decius and Valerian, he had been plotting secretly 09:51.920 --> 09:54.060 and without notice against the churches. 09:54.460 --> 09:59.940 He did not wage war against all of us at once, but made trial at first only of 09:59.940 --> 10:04.300 those in the army, for he supposed that the others could be taken easily, 10:04.580 --> 10:07.220 if he should first attack and subdue these. 10:07.860 --> 10:12.440 Thereupon many of the soldiers were seen most cheerfully embracing private life, 10:12.840 --> 10:16.620 so that they might not deny their piety toward the Creator of the universe. 10:17.660 --> 10:22.380 For when the commander, whoever he was, began to persecute the soldiers, 10:22.800 --> 10:26.480 separating into tribes and purging those who were enrolled in the army, 10:26.940 --> 10:30.860 giving them the choice either by obeying to receive the honor which belonged to 10:30.860 --> 10:35.120 them or, on the other hand, to be deprived of it if they disobeyed the command, 10:35.600 --> 10:40.920 a great many soldiers of Christ's kingdom, without hesitation, instantly preferred 10:40.920 --> 10:45.420 the confession of him to the seeming glory and prosperity which they were enjoying. 10:46.620 --> 10:51.620 And one and another of them occasionally received in exchange for their pious 10:51.620 --> 10:55.500 constancy not only the loss of position, but death. 10:56.320 --> 11:01.040 But as yet the instigator of this plot proceeded with moderation, and ventured so 11:01.040 --> 11:05.360 far as blood only in some instances, for the multitude of believers, 11:05.640 --> 11:10.220 as it is likely, made him afraid, and deterred him from waging war at once 11:10.220 --> 11:11.000 against all. 11:12.200 --> 11:17.440 But when he made the attack more boldly, it is impossible to relate how many and 11:17.440 --> 11:22.400 what sort of martyrs of God could be seen among the inhabitants of all the cities 11:22.400 --> 11:23.160 and countries. 11:24.620 --> 11:25.900 CHAPTER V. 11:26.220 --> 11:27.640 THOSE IN NICOMEDIA. 11:28.860 --> 11:33.420 Immediately on the publication of the decree against the churches in Nicomedia, 11:33.700 --> 11:38.380 a certain man, not obscure but very highly honored with distinguished temporal 11:38.380 --> 11:43.340 dignities, moved with zeal toward God, and incited with ardent faith, 11:43.740 --> 11:48.960 seized the edict as it was posted openly and publicly, and tore it to pieces as a 11:48.960 --> 11:50.660 profane and impious thing. 11:50.660 --> 11:54.520 And this was done while two of the sovereigns were in the same city, 11:54.980 --> 11:59.300 the oldest of all, and the one who held the fourth place in the government after 11:59.300 --> 11:59.640 him. 12:00.500 --> 12:05.140 But this man, first in that place, after distinguishing himself in such a 12:05.140 --> 12:09.760 manner, suffered those things which were likely to follow such daring, and kept his 12:09.760 --> 12:12.580 spirit cheerful and undisturbed till death. 12:13.940 --> 12:14.760 CHAPTER VI. 12:15.080 --> 12:16.220 THOSE IN THE PALACE. 12:16.940 --> 12:22.040 This period produced divine and illustrious martyrs, above all whose 12:22.040 --> 12:27.140 praises have ever been sung and who have been celebrated for courage, whether among 12:27.140 --> 12:32.360 Greeks or barbarians, in the person of Dorotheus, and the servants that were with 12:32.360 --> 12:33.420 him in the palace. 12:33.420 --> 12:38.160 Although they received the highest honors from their masters, and were treated by 12:38.160 --> 12:42.740 them as their own children, they esteemed reproaches and trials for religion, 12:43.220 --> 12:48.040 and the many forms of death that were invented against them, as in truth greater 12:48.040 --> 12:50.900 riches than the glory and luxury of this life. 12:52.200 --> 12:56.620 We will describe the manner in which one of them ended his life, and leave our 12:56.620 --> 12:59.860 readers to infer from his case the sufferings of the others. 12:59.860 --> 13:05.380 A certain man was brought forward in the above-mentioned city, before the rulers of 13:05.380 --> 13:06.300 whom we have spoken. 13:07.020 --> 13:11.960 He was then commanded to sacrifice, but as he refused, he was ordered to be 13:11.960 --> 13:16.220 stripped and raised on high and beaten with rods over his entire body, 13:16.620 --> 13:21.360 until, being conquered, he should, even against his will, do what was 13:21.360 --> 13:21.820 commanded. 13:22.620 --> 13:27.480 But as he was unmoved by these sufferings, and his bones were already appearing, 13:28.020 --> 13:32.300 they mixed vinegar with salt and poured it upon the mangled parts of his body. 13:32.940 --> 13:37.300 As he scorned these agonies, a gridiron and fire were brought forward, 13:37.800 --> 13:42.580 and the remnants of his body, like flesh intended for eating, were placed on the 13:42.580 --> 13:47.760 fire, not at once, lest he should expire instantly, but a little at a time. 13:47.760 --> 13:52.400 And those who placed him on the pyre were not permitted to desist until, 13:52.900 --> 13:56.520 after such sufferings, he should assent to the things commanded. 13:57.480 --> 14:01.840 But he held his purpose firmly, and victoriously gave up his life while 14:01.840 --> 14:03.760 the tortures were still going on. 14:04.360 --> 14:08.520 Such was the martyrdom of one of the servants of the palace, who was indeed 14:08.520 --> 14:11.800 well worthy of his name, for he was called Peter. 14:12.900 --> 14:18.360 The martyrdoms of the rest, though they were not inferior to his, we will pass by 14:18.360 --> 14:23.660 for the sake of brevity, recording only that Dorotheus and Gorgonius, with many 14:23.660 --> 14:28.340 others of the royal household, after varied sufferings, ended their lives 14:28.340 --> 14:32.620 by strangling, and bore away the trophies of God-given victory. 14:33.820 --> 14:40.120 At this time Anthimus, who then presided over the church in Nicomedia, was beheaded 14:40.120 --> 14:41.900 for his testimony to Christ. 14:42.240 --> 14:47.840 A great multitude of martyrs were added to him, a conflagration having broken out in 14:47.840 --> 14:52.700 those very days in the palace at Nicomedia, I know not how, which, 14:52.880 --> 14:55.560 through a false suspicion, was laid to our people. 14:56.300 --> 15:01.020 Entire families of the pious in that place were put to death in masses at the royal 15:01.020 --> 15:04.680 command, some by the sword, and others by fire. 15:04.960 --> 15:09.820 It is reported that with a certain divine and indescribable eagerness men and women 15:09.820 --> 15:15.040 rushed into the fire, and the executioners bound a large number of others and put 15:15.040 --> 15:18.320 them on boats, and threw them into the depths of the sea. 15:19.120 --> 15:24.040 And those who had been esteemed their masters considered it necessary to dig up 15:24.040 --> 15:28.340 the bodies of the imperial servants, who had been committed to the earth with 15:28.340 --> 15:33.220 suitable burial, and cast them into the sea, lest any, as they thought, 15:33.380 --> 15:37.500 regarding them as gods, might worship them lying in their sepulchres. 15:38.700 --> 15:44.120 Such things occurred in Nicomedia at the beginning of the persecution, but not long 15:44.120 --> 15:48.840 after, as persons in the country called Melitene and others throughout Syria 15:48.840 --> 15:53.640 attempted to usurp the government, a royal edict directed that the rulers of 15:53.640 --> 15:57.120 the churches everywhere should be thrown into prison and bonds. 15:58.180 --> 16:01.720 What was to be seen after this exceeds all description. 16:02.420 --> 16:07.020 A vast multitude were imprisoned in every place, and the prisons everywhere, 16:07.300 --> 16:11.100 which had long before been prepared for murderers and robbers of graves, 16:11.460 --> 16:16.020 were filled with bishops, presbyters and deacons, readers and exorcists, 16:16.380 --> 16:20.460 so that the room was no longer left in them for those condemned for crimes. 16:21.360 --> 16:25.660 And as other decrees followed the first, directing that those in prison, 16:25.820 --> 16:29.120 if they would sacrifice, should be permitted to depart in freedom, 16:29.520 --> 16:34.280 but that those who refused should be harassed with many tortures, how could any 16:34.280 --> 16:39.320 one, again, number the multitude of martyrs in every province, and especially 16:39.320 --> 16:43.380 of those in Africa and Mauritania and Thebaeus and Egypt? 16:43.380 --> 16:48.440 From this last country many went into other cities and provinces and became 16:48.440 --> 16:50.200 illustrious through martyrdom. 17:30.580 --> 17:36.020 We were present ourselves when these things occurred, and have put on record 17:36.020 --> 17:40.780 the divine power of our martyred Saviour Jesus Christ, which was present and 17:40.780 --> 17:43.360 manifested itself mightily in the martyrs. 17:43.380 --> 17:48.200 For a long time the man-devouring beasts did not dare to touch or draw near the 17:48.200 --> 17:52.600 bodies of those dear to God, but rushed upon the others who from the outside 17:52.600 --> 17:54.340 irritated and urged them on. 17:54.780 --> 17:59.280 And they would not in the least touch the holy athletes, as they stood alone and 17:59.280 --> 18:03.740 naked, and shook their hands at them to draw them toward themselves, for they were 18:03.740 --> 18:05.040 commanded to do this. 18:05.380 --> 18:09.440 But whenever they rushed at them, they were restrained as if by some divine 18:09.440 --> 18:11.220 power, and retreated again. 18:12.460 --> 18:17.220 This continued for a long time, and occasioned no little wonder to the 18:17.220 --> 18:17.800 spectators. 18:18.220 --> 18:22.660 And as the first wild beast did nothing, a second and a third were let loose 18:22.660 --> 18:24.340 against one and the same martyr. 18:25.640 --> 18:30.320 One could not but be astonished at the invincible firmness of these holy men, 18:30.640 --> 18:34.780 and the enduring and immovable constancy of those whose bodies were young. 18:34.780 --> 18:38.900 You could have seen a youth not twenty years of age standing unbound and 18:38.900 --> 18:43.600 stretching out his hands in the form of a cross, with unterrified and untrembling 18:43.600 --> 18:49.060 mind, engaged earnestly in prayer to God, and not in the least going back or 18:49.060 --> 18:53.320 retreating from the place where he stood, while bears and leopards, breathing rage 18:53.320 --> 18:55.500 and death, almost touched his flesh. 18:56.020 --> 19:00.580 And yet their mouths were restrained, I know not how, by a divine and 19:00.580 --> 19:04.400 incomprehensible power, and they ran back again to their place. 19:04.400 --> 19:06.300 Such an one was he. 19:07.460 --> 19:12.020 Again you might have seen others, for they were five in all, cast before a 19:12.020 --> 19:16.240 wild bull, who tossed into the air with his horns those who approached from the 19:16.240 --> 19:20.580 outside, and mangled them, leaving them to be taken up half dead. 19:20.920 --> 19:24.360 But when he rushed with rage and threatening upon the holy martyrs, 19:24.560 --> 19:29.360 who were standing alone, he was unable to come near them, but though he stamped with 19:29.360 --> 19:33.880 his feet, and pushed in all directions with his horns, and breathed rage and 19:33.880 --> 19:37.840 threatening on account of the irritation of the burning irons, he was, 19:38.000 --> 19:40.800 nevertheless, held back by the sacred providence. 19:41.100 --> 19:46.140 And as he in no wise harmed them, they let loose other wild beasts upon 19:46.140 --> 19:46.500 them. 19:47.640 --> 19:52.560 Finally, after these terrible and various attacks upon them, they were all slain 19:52.560 --> 19:56.640 with the sword, and instead of being buried in the earth, they were committed 19:56.640 --> 19:58.100 to the waves of the sea. 20:02.240 --> 20:07.920 Such was the conflict of those Egyptians who contended nobly for religion in Tyre. 20:07.920 --> 20:12.700 But we must admire those also who suffered martyrdom in their native land, 20:13.000 --> 20:16.980 where thousands of men, women, and children, despising the present life 20:16.980 --> 20:20.780 for the sake of the teaching of our Savior, endured various deaths. 20:21.840 --> 20:27.280 Some of them, after scrapings and rackings and severest scourgings, and numberless 20:27.280 --> 20:32.260 other kinds of tortures, terrible even to hear of, were committed to the flames. 20:32.260 --> 20:37.500 Some were drowned in the sea, some offered their heads bravely to those who cut them 20:37.500 --> 20:42.200 off, some died under their tortures, and others perished with hunger. 20:42.760 --> 20:46.820 And yet others were crucified, some, according to the method commonly 20:46.820 --> 20:51.560 employed for malefactors, others, yet more cruelly, being nailed to the 20:51.560 --> 20:55.940 cross with their heads downward, and being kept alive until they perished 20:55.940 --> 20:57.380 on the cross with hunger.