her clothes, so as to leave only her body covered from her loins to her feet, but the rest bare, led her about the whole city of Cesarea, considering it a great feat that he caused her to be driven about the markets and beaten with thongs of hide. And after all these cruelties, which she bore with the greatest firmness, she exhibited the same most cheerful alacrity, before the tribunal of the judge himself, when she was there condemned to the flames. Whilst aiming his cruelty and madness against the worshippers of the true God, he also went beyond all the dic tates of nature, not even ashamed to deny the lifeless bodies of these holy men a burial. Night and day he ordered the dead bodies to be carefully watched, as they lay exposed in the open air, the food of beasts, and there was no small number of men present several days, of such as attended to this savage and barbarous decree, and some, indeed, were looking out from their posts of observation, as if it were something worthy of their zeal to see that the dead bodies should not be stolen. But wild beasts, and dogs, and carniverous birds of prey, scattered the human limbs here and there in all directions, and the whole city around was spread with the entrails and bones of men, so that nothing ever appeared more dreadful or horrific, even to those who before had been most hostile to us; they did not indeed so much 'lament the calamity of those against whom these things were done, as the nuisance against themselves, and the abuse heaped upon our common nature. For at the very gates of the city there was an exhibition presented dreadful beyond all description and tragic recital, human flesh devoured not in one place only but scattered over every place; for it was said that limbs and masses of flesh, and parts of entrails, were to be seen even within the gates. Which things continuing to occur for many days, a strange event, like the following, took place. The air happened to be clear and bright, and the aspect of the whole heavens was most serene. Then, suddenly, from the greater part of the columns that supported the public porticos, issued drops like tears, and the market places and streets, though there was no moisture from the air, I know not whence it came, were sprinkled with water, and became wet so that it was immediately spread abroad among all, that in an unaccountable manner the earth wept, not being able to endure the extreme impiety of these deeds, and to address a reproof to men of a relentless and callous nature, the very stones and senseless matter could bewail these facts. I well know that this account may, perhaps, appear an idle tale and fable to posterity, but it was not so to those who had its truth confirmed by their presence at the time.* CHAPTER X. Petrus Ascetes, Asclepius the Marcionite, and other martyrs. On the fourteenth of the following month Apellæus, i. e. the nineteenth of the calends of January, there were some from Egypt again seized by the spies appointed to observe those going out at the gates. They had been sent for the purpose of ministering to the necessities of the confessors in Cilicia. These experienced the same lot with those they came to serve, and were thus mutilated in their eyes and feet. Three of them, however, exhibited a wonderful fortitude at Ascalon, where they were imprisoned, and bore away different prizes of martyrdom. One of them, named Ares, was committed to the flames, the others, Promus and Elias, were beheaded. But on the eleventh of the month Audynæus, i. e. on the third of the ides of January, in the same city of Cesarea, Petrus Ascetes,† also called Apselamus, from the village of Anea, on the borders of Eleutheropolis, like the purest gold, with a noble resolution, gave the proof of his faith in the Christ of God. Disregarding both the judge, and those Perhaps some might smile at the supposed credulity of our author, but the miracle in this account was not greater than the malignity, and if man can perform miracles of vice, we can scarcely wonder if Providence should present, at least, miracles of admonition. † Peter, called the Ascetic, probably from the extraordinary severity of life and self-denial that he exhibited so young. around him, that besought him in many ways, only to have com passion on himself, and to spare his youth and blooming years, he preferred his hope in the supreme God to all, and even to life itself. With him, also, was said to be a certain bishop, named Asclepius, a follower of Marcion's error, with a zeal for piety, as he supposed, but not according to knowledge. Yet he departed this life on the same funeral pile. CHAPTER XI. Pamphilus and others. THE time is now come to relate, also, that great and celebrated spectacle exhibited by those who, in martyrdom, were associated with Pamphilus, a name thrice dear to me. These were twelve, who were distinguished by a prophetic and apostolic grace, as well as number. Of these, the leader, and the only one among them, however, with the dignity of presbyter at Cesarea, was Pamphilus; a man who excelled in every virtue through his whole life, whether by a renunciation and contempt of the world, by distributing his substance among the needy, or by a disregard of worldly expectations, and by a philosophic deportment and self-denial. But he was chiefly distinguished above the rest of us, by his sincere devotedness to the sacred Scriptures, and by an indefatigable industry in what he proposed to accomplish, by his great kindness and alacrity to serve all his relatives, and all that approached him. The other features of his excellence, which deserve a more full account, we have already given in a separate work on his life, consisting of three books. Referring, therefore, those that have a taste for these things, and who wish to know them, to this work, let us now prosecute the history of the martyrs in order. The second after Pamphilus that entered the contest was Valens, deacon of the church of Elia, a man dignified by his venerable and hoary locks, and most august by the very aspect of his great age; well versed in the sacred Scriptures, in which he had no superior. For he had so much of them treasured up in his memory, that he did not require to read them, if he undertook at any time to repeat any parts of the Scriptures. The third that was most illustrious among them, was Paul of the city of Jamna, a man most fervent in zeal, and ardent in spirit, who before his martyrdom had already passed through the conflict of a confession for the faith, by enduring the tortures of searing with red hot iron. After these had been two whole years in prison, the occasion of their death was a second arrival of brethren from Egypt, who also suffered martyrdom with them. These had accompanied the confessors in Cilicia to the mines there, and were returning to their homes, and, like the former, at the entrance of the city of Cesarea, being questioned by the guards stationed at the gates, men of barbarous character, as they did not conceal the truth, they were immediately seized as malefactors caught in the very act, and taken in custody. There were five in number. When brought before the tyrant, they declared themselves freely before him, and were immediately committed to prison. On the next day, being the sixteenth of the month Peritisis, and the fourteenth of the calends of March, Roman style, these, according to the decree, together with the associates of Pamphilus, were conducted before the judge. He first made trial of the invincible firmness of the Egyptians by every kind of torture, and by new and various machinery invented for the purpose. And first he asked the chief of them, after he had practised these cruelties upon him, who he was; when, instead of his proper name, he heard him repeat some name of the prophets, which was done by them, if they happened to have had names given them by their parents from some of the names of the idols, in which case you would hear them calling themselves Elias, and Jeremiah, and Isaiah, Samuel and Daniel; thus exhibiting the true and genuine Israel of God, as belonging to those who are the real Jews* (spoken of by the apostle), not only in their works, but also in their proper names. * The author refers here to that passage of the apostle, Rom. ii. 28, where he draws the distinction between the mere nominal and the real Jew. When Firmilianus had heard some name like this of the martyr, and yet did not understand the force or import of the name, he next asked him what was his country? He gave an answer allied to the former, saying that Jerusalem was his country, referring to that city of which Paul speaks, "but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all;" also again: "And ye have come to mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," and it was this that the martyr meant to signify. But the judge, fixed in thought and cast down in his mind, anxiously inquired what country, and in what part of the world it was? Then he also applied tortures to make him confess the truth. But he, with his hands twisted behind his back, and his feet thrust into certain new machines, persevered in asserting that he had said the truth. Then, again, being frequently asked what and where that city was that he had mentioned, he said that it was the city of the pious only, for none but these were admitted to it; but that it lay to the very east, and the very rising sun. And here again, the martyr in this way philosophized according to his own sense, paying no regard to the tortures with which he was surrounded; but as if he were without flesh and blood, he did not even appear to be sensible of his pains. But the judge at a loss, was greatly perplexed in mind, thinking that the Christians were collectively about establishing a city somewhere in opposition and hostile to the Romans, and frequently inquired where this city was, and examined where the country lay towards the east. But after he had sufficiently tortured the young man with scourging, and lacerated him with many and various tortures, perceiving his mind unchangeably fixed in his former purpose and declarations, he passed the sentence of death against him. Such then, was the scene exhibited in the martyrdom of this one. The rest he exercised with trials of a similar kind, and finally destroyed in a similar manner. Wearied at last, and perceiving that it was all in vain to punish the men, and having fully satiated his curiosity, he proceeded against Pamphilus and his associates. But as he had learned that they had already displayed an unchangeable alacrity in the confession of religion under torture, and also asked them whether they were |