London (1916). English Translation
THE CHRONICLE OF
JOHN, BISHOP OF NIKIU
(Pp. 1-14 CONTENTS OF THE CXXII CHAPTERS)
IN the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, one God. An introduction to this Chronicle
with an enumeration of its one hundred and twenty-two
chapters. These accounts of the primitive events which
are past and gone (the author) has put together from
the chronicles of primitive generations: i.e. (the events)
from Adam to Tīw (=Dido) who reigned over the Greeks
and over Africa, and from the time of Rōmānōs (? = Remus)
and Romulus, who reigned over Rome, of happy memory,
to the end of the reign of the holy Constantine, first
Christian emperor of Rome; from the accession of the
sons of the great Christian emperor, the Godfearing
Constantine, to the end of the Godloving emperor Jovian;
and from the accession of Andejās (? Valentinian) to
the end of Theodosius, the great and blessed emperor;
and from the time of Arcadius and Honorius, the sons
of the Godloving emperor Theodosius, to the end of the
blessed emperor Anastasius; and from the days of the
emperor Justin to the days of the reign of Heraclius
(even) to its end; and from the time of Theodore, chief
prefect of the province of Egypt, to John, monk of the
convent of Sinai, who believed in the faith of the Chalcedonians.
And furthermore these accounts were put together in
(their) completeness by John the ascetic and Maddabbar,1
which is by interpretation, administrator, who
was bishop of the town of Nakijus in Egypt, which is
called Absai, And these he has put together from more
extended histories, and these are (in) |2
chapters to the number of one hundred and twenty-two,
which is (thus) a chronography beginning with the generation
of primitive men.
CHAPTER I. Concerning the names of Adam and Eve and
their children and all creatures.
CHAPTER II. Concerning the names of the stars and of
the sun and of the moon and the things that are found
in the books of the Hebrews.
CHAPTER III. Concerning those who first began to make
ships2 and went upon the
sea.
CHAPTER IV. Concerning those who engraved astrolabes
from first to last.
CHAPTER V. Concerning the beginning of the building
of Babylon, and those who worship the image of the horse
as a god, and the beginning of the chase and the eating
of animal food.
CHAPTER VI. Concerning those who first eat human flesh,
and him who first slew his sons, and likewise him who
slew his father.
CHAPTER VII. Concerning him who first took his sister
and made her (his) wife.
CHAPTER VIII. Concerning him who founded the city of
Nineveh and who first took his mother and made her (his)
wife.
CHAPTER IX. Concerning him who first wrought gold and
brought (it) from mines.
CHAPTER X. Concerning him who first made weapons of
war.
CHAPTER XI. Concerning him who first made a furnace
and who married two women.
CHAPTER XII. Concerning him who built a city named
the City of the Sun.
CHAPTER XIII. Concerning him who built two cities,
Abusir, the one in upper Egypt, the other in northern
Egypt.
CHAPTER XIV. Concerning him who built the city of Samnūd
and Elbarābī, which is the house of idols.
CHAPTER XV. Concerning the Greeks, who were the first
to proclaim the glory of the coequal Trinity.
CHAPTER XVI. Concerning those who first made a plough
in the provinces of Egypt, and in what condition Egypt
was at the first.
CHAPTER XVII. Concerning him who first levied taxes
on the country of Egypt and measured the land with a
reed and made |3
the inhabitants give (a return) to the king. And who
it was that dug channels in the land for the water to
flow in and the canal named Dīk.
CHAPTER XVIII. Concerning him who made the waters to
disappear and drained the marshes of Egypt, so that
they could build cities and villages thereon and plant
plantations.
CHAPTER XIX. Concerning those who built three temples
(? pyramids) in the city of Memphis.
CHAPTER. XX. Concerning him who first made dyes for
garments.
CHAPTER XXI. Concerning him who made beautiful statues
and worshipped them. And concerning him who founded
the cities of Iconium and Tarsus. And who named Assyria
Persia, and who planted trees in Egypt, and who was
the first to worship the sun and the moon and fire and
water.
CHAPTER XXII. Concerning him who worshipped the moon
only and built an altar to her as a goddess.
CHAPTER XXIII. Concerning him who named Libya. And
who built Tyre and who named Canaan, and Syria and Cilicia.
CHAPTER XXIV. Concerning him who named the cities of
Europe and built the city of Gortyna.
CHAPTER XXV. Concerning him who first put beams of
wood to the feet of men.
CHAPTER XXVI. Concerning him who first built an altar
to idols and worshipped them.
CHAPTER XXVII. Concerning Melchizedek the priest, the
nature of his descent : and concerning those who built
Sidon and Sion, which is called Salem ; and the naming
of the Jews, that is, the Hebrews.
CHAPTER XXVIII. Concerning those who first invented
the letters of the Greeks and the teaching of the writing
of letters.
CHAPTER XXIX. Concerning the deluge in Attica, and
the cause of the long continuance (of the waters) upon
it and of its becoming a desert.
CHAPTER XXX. Concerning the condition (?) of Pharaoh
before Moses and his destruction with his own in the
depths of the Red Sea. .
CHAPTER XXXI. Concerning him who changed the name of
the |4 town
of Absāi and named it Nakijus, and the cause owing to
which the river changed its course from the east and
came to be on the west of the city according to the
commandment of God.
CHAPTER XXXII. Concerning the building of Jerusalem,
and the alteration of its name into Nablos, and concerning
the house of God which was built in it.
CHAPTER XXXIII. He who first pursued a handicraft among
the ancients.
CHAPTER XXXIV. Concerning him who was the first to
find an inscription and communicate it to men : and
concerning him who found the teaching and who interpreted
the verses which were written on the table of stone.
CHAPTER XXXV. Concerning him who established the law
of marriage, that men should take to wife young virgins
and call them spouses: and concerning him who was the
first to institute the (common) meal.
CHAPTER XXXVI. Concerning him who first among the Greeks
believed in the Holy Trinity as coequal in one Godhead.
CHAPTER, XXXVII. Concerning those who first practised
medicine in the world.
CHAPTER XXXVIII. Concerning him who first built a bath
in the world.
CHAPTER XXXIX. Concerning him who first played on the
flute and like instruments such as the horn and the
trumpet.
CHAPTER XL. Concerning the building of Cyzicum and
the cause which led the spirits to confess the unity
of the Holy Trinity and announce to all men that God
should be born of a virgin.
CHAPTER XLI. Concerning him who established the sanctuary
of Sosthenium and the building of a church by the command
of the Godloving emperor Constantine.
CHAPTER XLII. Concerning the nails (of the cross) of
our Lord Jesus Christ and the victory which the kings
won by their means.
CHAPTER XLIII. Concerning him who gave their names
to the two provinces Achaia and Laconia.
CHAPTER XLIV. Concerning him who named the Peloponnesus3
and built in it a city called Peloponnesus.4
CHAPTER XLV. Concerning him who built Farma and Bulkinun.
|5
CHAPTER XLVI. Concerning him who first taught playing
on instruments of music.
CHAPTER XLVII. Concerning him who named the island
of Ephesus which is in Asia ; formerly it was named
Saqālbah, but they changed its name and called it Iconia
(sic).
CHAPTER XLVIII. Concerning him who built the city which
is named Būlmīz (= Palmyra), for5
in its neighbourhood David conquered the Philistine.
CHAPTER XLIX. Concerning the cause of Nebuchadnezzar's
conquest of the city of Tyre, which is an island.
CHAPTER L. Concerning the Ark of God and the tables
and Aaron's rod which budded and the measure of manna
and the fragment of hard rocks, and concerning him who
hid them from men.
CHAPTER LI. Concerning the kingdom of King Cyrus and
his sending back the captive children of Israel; and
how Cambyses forbade them to build the temple and Yasid
the Commander of the Egyptian forces provoked Cambyses
and Cambyses6 slew the Egyptian
officers and took away captives, which he had taken
from Egypt, to his own country, and (how) the Egyptians
returned a second time to their own land, and (how)
after forty and one years Alexander of Macedon, called
the conqueror of the world, became king.
CHAPTER LII. Concerning the building of the city named
Lavinia.7
CHAPTER LIII. Concerning him who was the first to build
a house and call it a palace.
CHAPTER LIV. Concerning him who built the city named
Alba.8
CHAPTER LV. Concerning him who built Carthage.
CHAPTER LVL Concerning him who built Rome and the reason
they were named Romans: and concerning the origin of
the formulas in demanding and decreeing, and the circuit
of the courts,9 and how
the army went to battle on horseback : and concerning
the establishment of a place of combat for women, and
the administrative decrees for the army and concerning
those who are sent and those |6
who minister to them ; and the reason on account of
which our Fathers the monks of Egypt celebrated the
Eucharist on the first day of every month.
CHAPTER LVII. Concerning him who invented, as it appears,
stamped money, which gave rise to selling and buying.
And concerning the institution of prefects, magistrates,
and judges.
CHAPTER LVIII. Concerning him who built the city of
Thessalonica.
CHAPTER LIX. Concerning him who built the cities of
Alexandria and Chrysopolis of Byzantium, i.e. Alexander.
How he conquered Darius and took his daughter captive
: and how queen Candace took Alexander prisoner when
he came to her with spies (even) the messengers whom
he had sent to her : and how he made her his wife.
CHAPTER LX. Concerning the epoch when the Scriptures
inspired by God were translated, and how many translations
there were.
CHAPTER LXI. Concerning him who built Antigonia, and
Antioch, and Laodicea and Apamea, cities of renown.
CHAPTER LXII. Concerning him who first wrote chronicles
and named them.
CHAPTER LXIII. Concerning him who persecuted the Maccabean
saints.
CHAPTER LXIV. Concerning the birth of Julius Caesar,
King of Rome : and the reign of Cleopatra, and the building
of a great Church named Caesarion in the city of Alexandria.
CHAPTER LXV (LXVI). Concerning him who built Caesarea
in Palestine.
CHAPTER LXVI (LXVII). Concerning him who built the
Pharos of Alexandria and made a channel through the
land in order to conduct the canal of Kariūn, which
is by interpretation 'ditch', so that the water
came from the great river Gihon to the great city Alexandria.
And concerning the passage of the water to the skilfully
constructed and deep reservoir. And at what time our
Lord Jesus Christ was born in the flesh. And why the
Romans made their months to begin with the sixth month
of the year.
CHAPTER LXVII (LXVIII). Concerning him who fixed one
of the 'changes' on the sixth day of the month
Ter. And how Ezra, the holy man, was unjustly rejected.
|7
CHAPTER LXVIII (LXIX). Concerning the reign of the
Emperor in which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified:
and concerning him who built the city Tiberias.
CHAPTER LXIX (LXX). Concerning that which befell the
Emperor Nero and his bitter death.
CHAPTER LXX (LXXI). Concerning the Emperor Domitian
and how he sent St. John the Evangelist twice into exile,
and concerning his (St. John's) death : and how he built
Domitianopolis, and concerning the grievous death of
Domitian, and the abolition of (gladiatorial) combats
and the smiting of men.
CHAPTER LXXI (LXXII). Concerning the death of Ignatius,
clothed (?) with God and the women who became martyrs
with him : and the building of a fortress in the Egyptian
Babylon. And concerning him who named it Babylon and
him who made the channel for the canal called by the
name of Trajan which terminates in the Red Sea, and
concerning (him who built) the fortress in Manūf.
CHAPTER LXXII (LXXIII). Concerning him who built Antinoź
in the province of Rīf.
CHAPTER LXXIII (LXXIV). Concerning him who established
the decree as to fathers that they should make wills
in favour of their children: and the construction of
two gates in the city of Alexandria in its east and
west.
CHAPTER LXXIV (LXXV). Concerning him who introduced
lions into Egypt and Palestine.
CHAPTER LXXV (LXXVI). Concerning him who founded the
usage of writing accounts and pledges that a man might
be made secure.
CHAPTER LXXVI (LXXVII). Concerning the reign of Diocletian
the Egyptian and how he lost his reason and was exiled
: and which of his sons wrought the evil. And concerning
the pestilence which God brought on the idolaters till
there were none to bury them. And concerning the reign
of the Godloving Constantine and the achievement of
the works which he wrought and the magnificence of the
churches 10 in his days.
And concerning him who was the first to make a qanātra11,
i. e. a bridge. And concerning the finding of |8
the cross. And concerning the building of Constantinople
and its designation by this name, being called aforetime
Byzantium. And concerning the faith of Gelasinus (which
was produced) by a wonder which he saw, i.e. the holy
baptism, and his marvellous death : and in what way
the Indians came to know our Lord Jesus Christ, one
God. For the holy Athanasius, the apostolic, was the
first to ordain for them a bishop of India and of Yemen.
And (how) there had been visible to Constantine all
the days of his life an angel of God who awaked him
for prayer.
CHAPTER LXXVII (LXXVIII). Concerning the building of
a qantarāh (sic), i.e. a bridge on the
river named Pyramus: and the disaster at Nicaea, and
the appearance of the holy cross at midday on Golgotha
in the place where our Lord was crucified. And the tribulations
which the holy Athanasius, the apostolic, had to endure
at the hands of the Arians. And the exile of Liberius
and the holy bishops who were with him through the evil
devices of the Arians. And moreover concerning the emperor
Julian, the apostate: and how he forsook the orders
of the Church and became the general of the army until
he acceded to the throne in the place of Gallus his
brother: and how he persecuted the holy Athanasius,
in order to slay him at the instigation of the heathen.
And how Alexandria was deemed worthy to receive the
body of St. John the Baptist, that it might dwell there
and a magnificent building might be. constructed for
it by the command of the patriarch Theophilus.
CHAPTER LXXVIII (LXXIX). Through whom it is we know
the city and family12
of Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria and the
place of the birth of Cyril, his sister's son.
CHAPTER LXXIX (LXXX). Concerning the consummation of
the death of the holy martyr Domecius: and the vengeance
which God brought upon Julian, the apostate, and how
God punished him by the hand of the holy martyr Mercurius
and how he died by an evil death.
CHAPTER LXXX (LXXXI). Concerning the reign of Jovian
and how the Church became glorious : and how the holy
Athanasius returned to his throne with great honour:
and the Church everywhere was conspicuously in the orthodox
faith.
CHAPTER LXXXI (LXXXII). Concerning the reign of Sallustius
(? Valentinian) and his hatred of iniquity and his just
and equitable |9
judgement : and his construction of stone gates, i.e.
the Heracleotis, the gates of the great river of Egypt
which he had caused to be made with excessive labour.
And how the ocean tide rose to Alexandria to such a
height that it would have submerged the city had not
the holy Athanasius the patriarch checked it by his
prayers.
CHAPTER LXXXII (LXXXIII). Concerning the reign of the
Godloving Theodosius the elder : and the address which
he pronounced before Amphilochius bishop of Iconium
on the unity of the Holy Trinity. And concerning the
Council which the emperor convoked in Constantinople
: concerning the strengthening of the Churches. And
concerning Timothy, patriarch of Alexandria, who admonished
Gregory bishop of Nazianzum 13
to leave the city of the emperor Constantine and go
to his own city and nominated a man named Maximus patriarch
of Constantinople. And further concerning the building
of the church of Theodosius at Alexandria and the church
of the holy martyrs Cosmas and Damian and the martyrs
their brethren. And concerning the burning by fire of
the city of Antioch by the command of the emperor :
and the reproof which was sent to him by the holy monk
of the desert of Asqźto on this matter and the grief
of the emperor regarding it. And further concerning
the wine-merchants and the brothels which were suppressed
in his days: and the splendour of his reign in all places,
CHAPTER LXXXIII (LXXXIV). Concerning the accession
of the emperors Arcadius and Honorius : and Arcadius
was over Constantinople and Honorius over Home. And
concerning Arcadius' love of God and the devotion of
Honorius. And concerning the revolt which Alaric raised
in the city of Rome. And how the sister of the emperor
Honorius was taken prisoner by him. And the plundering
of all the treasures of the palace. And further how
Honorius quitted Rome and went to Constantinople and
became the colleague of the emperor Theodosius the younger,
the son of his brother Arcadius, till the day of his
death. And further concerning the empress Eudocia, the
consort of the emperor Theodosius the younger - her
family, and how the emperor made an alliance |10
with her and took her to wife. And at what time they
inscribed the name of St. John Chrysostom in the diptychs,
after he had gone to our Lord. And concerning the anathema
of Nestorius and the victory of Cyril. And further concerning
a heathen woman of Alexandria and the tumults which
she caused between the Jews and Christians in Alexandria.
And how the holy Cyril took the Synagogue of the Jews
and made it a church in consequence of his controversy
with the Jews. And how they dragged the heathen woman
through the streets till she died. And how they burned
her body with fire by the command of the patriarch,
Abba Cyril.
CHAPTER LXXXIV (LXXXV). Concerning the massacre made
by the Jews in Qīmītrā : concerning the mockery they
practised against the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
when in mockery they crucified a young infant and put
it to death.
CHAPTER LXXXV (LXXXVI). Concerning Fīnkeser the Jew
who presented himself to the Jews saying, I am Moses
the chief of the prophets.
CHAPTER LXXXVI (LXXXVII). Concerning the apple which
they brought as a present to the emperor Theodosius
and the appointment of his sister Pulcheria: and the
darkness which prevailed over all the earth from morning
to evening on the day that Marcian the schismatic became
emperor.
CHAPTER LXXXVII (LXXXVIII). Concerning the occasion
when the heaven rained diran, i.e. the lightnings on
Constantinople, and the fire flamed from sea to sea:
and the conversion of the heathen philosopher Isocasius
to the orthodox faith. And from what place came the
patriarch Timotheus. And concerning the terrible pestilence
which prevailed in Constantinople: and the fall of the
mountain in Syria and the apostasy of Basiliscus after
the manner of the Chalcedonians for corruptible goods.
And concerning the reign of the emperor Zenon over the
imperial city of Constantinople, and the banishment
of Basiliscus for life, and the death which was inflicted
on the judges because of their negligence in the administration
of justice. And concerning the reign of Zenon and his
command that the letter should be read in every place.
And concerning Verina his mother-in-law and her warring
against him till death overtook her and her adherents.
CHAPTER LXXXVIII (LXXXIX). Concerning the reign of
Godloving Anastasius in consequence of the prophecy
of Abbā |11
Jeremiah, an anchorite of the convent of Manūf : and
the building of the stone gates of Elmūwrad and a trench
in order to make a great bridge which should start from
Babylon and terminate with the river. And concerning
the naming of Philaletes, and the victory of the great
patriarch Severus, and the banishment of Macedonius
and the abrogation of the Chalcedonian Council.
CHAPTER LXXXIX (XC). Concerning the banishment of the
holy Severus from his throne in Antioch through the
instrumentality of heretics, and the prayer which he
made to God on behalf of the inhabitants of Constantinople
regarding the evil that the emperor Justin had wrought,
and the admonition which he heard from God. And concerning
the fire which raged in Antioch and in the cities of
the East: and the destruction of many oratories of the
Martyrs, and all kinds of marvels which befell. And
concerning the baptism of the people of the Arians (?),
and the kings of India and the Elmarīts, that is, the
Nubians. And of what religion they had been formerly.
And concerning the earthquake in Egypt: and the Huns14
(?) without the city. And the Indians, that is the
Elmākūrīds, were formerly Jews.
CHAPTER XC (XCI). Concerning the manifestation of the
towel and mandīl of our Lord Jesus Christ: they were
found in the house of a Jew who lived in Alexandria.
CHAPTER XCI (XCII). Concerning the reason of us Christians
being named after the name of Theodosius, and the appearance
of the Athenāwjān and their doctrine. And concerning
that which the chief officials published in the market-places
that there should be a memorial with them till all who
wished might take.
CHAPTER XCII (XCIII). Concerning the primitive building
of the city of Rome.
CHAPTER XCIII (XCIV). The tumults which took place
in the city of Constantinople concerning the holy body
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER XCIV (XCV). Regarding Aristomachus the son
of Theodosius of the city of Absāi and the accusation
which they brought against him <before> the emperor,
so that he was put in bonds. And how Chosroes the King
of the Persians believed and became a Christian.
CHAPTER XCV (XCVI). Concerning Galandūh, a woman of
|12 patrician
rank-the name of a dignity-and the vision which she
clearly saw in prison daring her exile.
CHAPTER XCVI (XCVII). Concerning those who were in
a corner of a dwelling in the city of Mausal: and concerning
the animal which appeared in the likeness of a woman
in the river of Egypt.
CHAPTER XCVII (XCVIII). Concerning Paulinus the magician
who sacrificed to demons in a silver bowl.
CHAPTER XCVIII (XCIX). Concerning him who first wrote
'In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'.
CHAPTER XCIX (C). Concerning the flood that covered
the city of Antinous and of Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia,
in the same night.
CHAPTER C (CI). Concerning the setting of the sun at
midday, and the appearance of stars and a great earthquake.
CHAPTER CI (CII). Concerning Sūrīkūs the prefect who
practised piety and the death which overtook him, and
how the inhabitants of Constantinople chased the emperor
Maurice.
CHAPTER CII (CIII). How the captains of vessels were
discharged of responsibility when their cargo was lost
at sea. And concerning the reign of Phocas and his murders,
CHAPTER CIII (CIV). How it was forbidden to appoint
a Patriarch or any other Church dignitary without the
consent of Phocas : and concerning the action of the
people of the East and of Palestine in this matter so
that the tombs (?)15 of
the churches were filled with blood when the people
took refuge in the baptisteries.
CHAPTER CIV (CV). Concerning Theophilus of the city
of Maurad: and the massacre which Phocas carried out
because of his death in Antioch and Palestine.
CHAPTER CV (CVI). Concerning the wife of Heraclius
the elder and the wife of Heraclius the younger and
Fabia16 her daughter, a
virgin: and how Crispus the magistrate saved them from
the impure attempts of Phocas.
CHAPTER CVI (CVII). Concerning the tumults which were
raised against Phocas in Egypt, in Mareotis and the
city of Alexandria, and the great massacres which were
made in connexion with this matter. And how they cast
his statue to the ground. |13
CHAPTER CVII (CVIII). Concerning Theophilus the Stylite
and his prophecy to Nicetas17:
'Thou wilt conquer him and the kingdom of Phocas will
speedily be destroyed and then Heraclius will reign.'
CHAPTER CVIII (CIX). Concerning the bridge which was
in the city of Dafāsher near the church of St. Mīnās.
CHAPTER CIX (CX). Concerning the death of Phocas and
the dispersion of the treasures of the palace: and the
chastisement which Heraclius inflicted on Phocas because
of the outrage he had done to his wife and daughter.
CHAPTER CX (CXI). Concerning the appearance of the
Moslem on the confines of Fījūm and the defeat of the
Romans who dwelt there.
CHAPTER CXI (CXII). Concerning the first encounter
of 'Amar with the Romans at the city of 'Awn (i. e.
Heliopolis).
CHAPTER CXII (CXIII). How all the Jews assembled in
the city of Manūf owing to their fear of the Moslem,
the cruelties of 'Amar and the seizure of their possessions
till (at last) they left the gates of Misr open and
fled to Alexandria. And how wicked men multiplied in
the beginning of wickedness and began to help ('Amar)
to destroy the people of Egypt.
CHAPTER CXIII (CXIV). How the people of Samnūd so flouted
'Amar as to refuse to receive him : and concerning the
return of Kalādī to the Romans: and how they seized
his mother and his wife-now he had hidden them in Alexandria-because
he had joined and helped the Moslem.
CHAPTER CXIV (CXV). How the Moslem took Misr in the
fourteenth year of the cycle and made the fortress of
Babylon open its gates in the fifteenth year.
CHAPTER CXV (CXVI). Concerning the death of the emperor
Heraclius and the return of Cyrus the Patriarch from
exile and his departure for Mesr to pay tribute to the
Moslem.
CHAPTER CXVI (CXVII). How God gave the Romans into
the hands of the Moslem and rejected them because of
their incredulity and their divisions and the persecution
which they had brought on the Christians of Egypt.
CHAPTER CXVII (CXVIII). How 'Amar got possession of
|14 Absādī,
that is, Niqījūs: and (concerning) the flight of the
general Domitian and the destruction of his army in
the river, and the great massacre which took place in
the city of Absādī, and in all the remaining cities-till
'Amar came to the island of Sawnā- which were under
the sway of Absāi and its island on the eighteenth day
of the month Genbōt, in the fifteenth year of the cycle.
CHAPTER CXVIII. How the Moslem got possession of Caesarea
in Palestine and the trials that overtook it.
CHAPTER CXIX. Concerning the great earthquake and the
loss of life in Crete both in their island and in all
their cities round about.
CHAPTER CXX. Concerning Cyrus the Patriarch of the
Chalcedonians-the same who went to Babylon and to 'Amar
the chief of the Moslem and took the tribute in a vessel
and paid it into his hands. And further how 'Amar increased
the taxes of the Egyptians: and concerning the death
of Cyrus the Chalcedonian after he had repented of having
delivered the city of Alexandria into the hands of the
Moslem.
CHAPTER CXXI. Concerning the return of Abba Benjamin
the patriarch of Egypt from his exile in the city of
Rīf (where he had been) fourteen years, and of these
(he had been there) ten years because the Roman emperors
had exiled him, and four under the dominion of the Moslem.
And concerning the remaining history with the conclusion
of the work.
CHAPTER CXXII. A second epilogue concluding this history.
|15
IN THE NAME OF GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS
THE holy father,18 John
bishop of Nikiu,19 who
put this work together, said: 'O thou that hast
loved toil till thou hast acquired the love of goodness,
till the love of toil, which is pain, giveth increase
to all the good qualities which every zealous man covets,
and for the sake of all the good qualities which constitute
the eternal wisdom belonging to the Omnipotent and Lord
of all; for He hath reserved it for those who come after
them, that they may accomplish what they have chosen.'
For this task, moreover, I am wanting in eloquence
beyond all authors and feeble in discourse, though with
many a testing I have tested the chosen portions. We
will begin to compose this work from many ancient books,
which deal with the (various) periods and the historical
events, which we have witnessed also in the times to
which we have come. And I have been honest (in this
work) in order to recount and leave a noble memorial
to the lovers of virtue in this present life. And we
have left this narrative which is written in good order
and in an exalted translation. Yea it is exalted beyond
everything that has been by the interpretation of the
translator, so that those who find it may not be without
past and present gain, without portion or inheritance.
CHAPTER I. We will begin with the first beings that
were created; for it is written concerning Adam and
Eve, that it was God who named them, but as for his
children and all created things it was Adam that named
them all. |16
CHAPTER II. 1. And Seth, the son of Adam, who received
wisdom from God, named five planets20:
the first Cronus; the second Zeus ; the third Ares;
the fourth Aphrodite; the fifth Hermes. 2. And on a
different ground he named the sun and the moon. And
the number of the planets was seven. 3. And, moreover,
he was the first to write letters in the language of
the Hebrews; for he had received wisdom from God: and
he composed history in it in the times of the giants.
And, moreover, he said that Ovid a wise man of the heathen
and Plutarch wrote about them after the deluge.21
CHAPTER III. The sons of Noah were great and strong,
(and) they began to build ships 22
and to go upon the sea.
CHAPTER IV. 1. It is told regarding Cainan,23
the son of Arphaxad, who was sprung from Shem, the son
of Noah, that he was a wise man and a shepherd. 2. He
was the first to compose + astrolabes + (read 'astronomy')
after the deluge.
CHAPTER V. 1. And after him the Indians composed (it),24
and there was a man from India, named Qantūrjūs,25
an Ethiopian of the |17
race of Ham, who was named Cush, 2. He begat Afrūd,
i. e. Nimrod, the giant. He it was that built the city
of Babylon. 3. And the Persians served him and worshipped
him as a god, and named him after the name of the stars
of heaven and called him Orion,26
that is, Dabarah. 4. And he was the first to hunt27
and eat the flesh of animals.
CHAPTER VI. 1. Cronus, moreover, was a giant of the
race of Shem,28 the firstborn
of Noah, who was thus named after the name of the first
planet, which is Cronus. 2. + And his son, named Domjos,+
29 was a warrior,
a redoubtable man and a slayer (of men). 3. He was the
first to rule over Persia and Assyria: and he married
an Assyrian woman, named Rhea, and she bare him two
sons, Picus whom they named Zeus,30
and Ninus, who built a royal city in. Assyria, i. e.
Nineveh. 4. And Cronus left his son in his kingdom and
went to the west and ruled over the people (there) as
they had no king. 5. And Picus his son, who was named
Zeus, rebelled against Cronus his father and slew him,
because he had devoured his children.
CHAPTER VII. 1. And he made pregnant the daughter of
+ Niks+ his mother, who was named Rhea. And Picus, moreover,
that is, |18
Zeus, was the first to take his sister to wife. 2. And
he begat by her a son named Belus, who resembled his
grandfather Cronus. 3. And this Belus ruled in Assyria
after the disappearance of his father and his grandfather
Cronus. 4. And him also after his death the Persians
worshipped with the gods.
CHAPTER VIII. 1. And after the death of Belus, Ninus
his father's brother reigned over Assyria. 2. He married
Semiramis his mother and made her his wife, and established
this impure custom and transmitted it to his successors
: and they are + designated by this evil name + till
the present day. 3. This conduct does not create a scandal
amongst the Persians; for they take to wife their
mothers and sisters and daughters.
CHAPTER. IX. 1. After the death of Picus, Faunus, called
Hermes, ruled in the west for thirty-five years. 2.
And he became a silversmith. He was the first to begin
to work in gold in the west, and to smelt it. 3. And
when he learnt that his brothers were envious of him
and wished to slay him, he became afraid and fled to
Egypt, taking with him a great quantity of gold. 4.
And he dwelt in Egypt and clothed himself in a beautiful
robe of gold. 5. And furthermore he became a diviner,
for he declared everything before it came to pass, and
he gave to people money in abundance and he gave gifts
in abundance to the people of Egypt. 6. And for this
reason they received him with honour and called him
'the Lord of gold'. And he was honoured by them as a
god. And the poor worshipped him.
CHAPTER. X. 1. And there was a man named Hephaestus.
He ruled over Egypt: and they made him a god. And he
was warlike and full of fury. 2. And men believed that
he investigated hidden things and received weapons of
war from the non-existent; |19
for he was an ironsmith and was the first to make weapons
of war to fight with in time of war and stones wherewith
men contended. 3. Now he was lame; (for)
when going to war he fell from (his) horse and was injured
and was lame all his days.
CHAPTER XI. 1. And Methuselah begat Lamech, and Lamech
married two wives. The name of the one was Ada and the
name of the other was Zillah. 2. And Ada bare Qabel
and after some time she bare Tobel who wielded the hammer
in working brass and iron. 3. And Tobel the son of Lamech
was a brass and iron smith before the deluge; for he
had received wisdom from God-Praise be to Him.
CHAPTER XII. 1. And after Hephaestus, who was named
the Sun, there reigned in Egypt his son who was named
the Sun after his father's name. 2. It was he who built
the city of the Sun after his own name, and in it there
were temples of. the supreme gods and likewise the bodies
of kings.
CHAPTER XIII. 1. And there was a man named Matunavis
who succeeded Aiqasbera which name is by interpretation
Dionysus.31 2.
He built a city in upper Egypt, named Busir, and another
Busir in the north of Egypt.
CHAPTER XIV. Osiris, which is by interpretation Apollo,
being so named by the Greeks, built the city of Samnud
and (in it) a temple of the supreme gods. And this is
the city which is called Bab'el Fegor.
CHAPTER XV. 1. In the writings of the Egyptian sages
'Abratus32 is
mentioned ... at that time, (i. e.) he who was Hermes,
a man of extraordinary judgement, through whom they
declared among the |20
heathen saying : c There are three
supreme powers that have created all things, (but only)
one divinity.' 2. And this same Hermes, who was a great
sage among the heathen, declared, saying: 'The
Majesty of the holy coequal Trinity is the Giver of
life and King over all things.'
CHAPTER XVI. 1. And there was a certain city that was
the first to learn the use of the plough (and) the sowing
of seeds and all kinds of grain. 2. It was the most
elevated city in Egypt; for the land of Egypt is full
of waters and lakes owing to the abundance of water
in the river Gihon.
CHAPTER XVII. 1. And Sesostris, who ruled over all
the land of Egypt and the adjoining countries, was the
first to levy taxes and to measure the land. 2, And
when he had gathered together much booty and many captives
from all countries, thereupon [gathering them together]
he brought them to the land of Egypt: and all the souls
over whom authority was given to levy taxes he made
to dig channels in the land and to fill up all the waters
of Egypt with earth. 3. And owing to this measure the
Egyptians were enabled to plant plantations and plough
arable lands like those of Said, which was the first
province to learn the art of ploughing. 4. And besides
he commanded (the people) to pay taxes and a proportionate
return of the products of the earth to the king. 5.
And he dug the canal which is called Dik unto this day.33
CHAPTER XVIII. 1. And after him Sabacon, king of India,
reigned over the country of Egypt fifty years. 2. And
he was a lover of his kind and was averse to shedding
blood unjustly. And he established a law in Egypt to
this effect, that no criminal should be put to death
or torture; but should be permitted to live: and every
criminal according to his crime he ordered to purify
the earth and to collect soil together and cast it upon
the morasses (lit. river or sea). 3. And when they had
been long engaged in these forced labours, the waters
of the river retired from the land, and (the inhabitants)
made their towns higher through fear of being inundated
by the waters. 4. And previously indeed in the days
of Sesostris there had been inundations before that
they had dug channels in the land for the river. And
yet, notwithstanding all they did in casting earth into
the marshes, they failed to realize their purpose because
of the great quantity of water brought down |21
by the river. 5. And Sabacon, king of India, in the
vigilance of his affection had dwellings made for the
people on the heights.34
CHAPTER XIX. 1. And there was a man named Rampsinitus,35
the Pharaoh who reigned over Egypt. 2. He (i. e. Cheops)
closed the temples of the gods and the other idols which
the Egyptians worshipped : and they sacrificed to demons.
And he built three temples (i. e. pyramids) in the city
of Memphis and made the Egyptians worship the Sun. 3.
And he paid the builders 16,000 talents of silver besides
leeks and vegetables; for so it was found written in
the inscriptions in the Egyptian language, which were
engraved on a stone wall and made known these facts
to such as read (them). 4. And he paid away all the
taxes and exhausted the royal treasuries owing to the
multitude of builders-and yet to no good purpose. 5.
For when he fell into great poverty and want he was
sore troubled: he had a daughter of beautiful form (who)
was stirred up by the practices and foul seductions
of Satan, and he placed her in the quarter of the debauchees
: and she dwelt there in obscurity and sorrow and became
a prostitute. 6. And such as wished to lie with her
had to carry one of the great stones and add it to the
structure. 7. And the stone so carried measured, it
is said, not less than thirty feet, i. e. twenty cubits.
(So they did) until they had built one of the three
pyramids by means of the shameful lust of this wretched
girl.
CHAPTER XX. 1. Heracles, a philosopher of the city
of Tyre, discovered the art of making silk36
and clothed himself (with it), 2. And Phoenix, king
of Tyre, the Canaanite, and all the kings of all countries,
as well as his successors, did likewise and so became
conspicuously distinguished from the multitude. 3. Now
the clothing of the ancients was of wool, but the kings
and chief rulers abandoned such clothing and clad themselves
in silk.
CHAPTER XXI. 1. And there was a man named Perseus.37
He aspired to the throne of Assyria; but the sons of
Ninus, the brother. |22
of his father Zeus,1 were his rivals. 2.
And when he came to Qorontos, there met him a young38
girl, walking alone. 3. And he seized her by her hair
and cut off her head with (his) sword, and placed it
on the shield which he had according to the magic which
his father Zeus had taught him. 4. And he carried it
with him in all his warlike expeditions. 5. And after
he had journeyed and gone down into 'Elbawna, he turned
towards Assyria. And when the Lycaonians made war upon
him; he took the head of the Gorgon the virgin
magician and by displaying it before them vanquished
them. 6. And he built the town of Iconium, which had
previously been a small town named Amandra; <and
he called it Iconium> because he had set up formerly
his statue (ei0kw&n)
near it together with the detestable Gorgon. 7. And
when he came to Isauria, a city of Cilicia, and its
people, moreover, warred against him, he vanquished
them by the magical power residing in the head of the
Gorgon. 8. And the village of Cilicia, named Andrasus,
he made into a city and named it Tarsus. 9. And from
Cilicia he went to the land of Assyria, and there moreover
he slew Sardanapalus-now this is the name of a dignity.
10. And he disowned his claims of consanguinity and
took possession of his kingdom as a spoil, and changed
the name of the country, that is, Assyria, and named
it Persia 39 after his
own name and their kingdom by the second name. 11. And
when he had taken away this name he planted trees there,
called Persea, that is plums.40
12. These trees, moreover, are planted to the present
day in memory of his name. And the Persians were Assyrians
at that time, and he reigned over them all during fifty
and three years. 13. And there was a great commotion
and a hissing and much rain, and the river in Syria,
named Orontes, was quickly filled. 14. (And) he urged
the Ionians41 to make prayers,
and when they had |23
offered supplications there fell from heaven a globe
of fire in the likeness of lightning. 15. And the people
became still and ceased to be indignant, and the flowings
of the river were stayed. 16. And as Perseus was surprised
at what had befallen, forthwith from that lire he kindled
a fire and preserved it. 17. And this fire he took and
brought to Persia on his return and placed it in the
kingdom of Assyria. 18. And the Persians made it a god
and honoured it and built it a temple and named it 'The
immortal fire'. 19. And they say that fire is
a son of the Sun enveloped in crystal, and the form
of the crystal resembles the cotton tree (?), the colour
of which is like water; for it is born from water and
its interior resembles water.
CHAPTER XXII. 1. Inachus of the race of Japhet, the
son of Noah, who ruled in the west over the country
of the Argives, was the first to rule over that country.
2. He paid honour to the Moon and made her a goddess.
3. And he built in the country of the Argives a city
named Iopolis after the name of the Moon ; for the Argives
in their secret mysteries name the moon Io unto this
day. 4. And he built a temple, and set up an altar in
it, and he |24
represented the Moon by a brazen image, whereon he inscribed
0I0w_ ma&kaira,
which is by interpretation, 'full of light '.42
CHAPTER XXIII. 1. And Libya, who was the daughter of
Picus by her mother Qalfmja, became the wife of Poseidon,
who ruled in the south. 2. And he named the country
over which he ruled after the name of his wife Libya.
And he begat by her Poseidon and Belus and Agenor. 3.
And this (last), having gone to Canaan, took
him a wife named Diro, and also built a city and named
it Dairus, that is Tyre, after the name of his wife.
4. And during his reign there he begat by her three
sons, men of renown and founders, i. e. Syrus and Cilix
and Phoenix who was the first to wear silk. 5. And when
about to die he divided (his empire) among his three
sons and made the land subject to them. 6. And Phoenix
took Canaan and all the adjoining country and named
it Phoenicia after his own name. 7. And the second took
Syria and gave it his name, 8. And Cilix the third took
his territory and named.it Cilicia after his own name.
CHAPTER XXIV. 1. And there was a man named Taurus,
king' of Crete, and he made an expedition against Tyre
about the hour of sunset, and attacked it, and made
himself master of it, and took its riches and + led
away captive many cities +. 2. And in that way he took
Europa and made her his wife. For Taurus having made
a night expedition by sea returned to his own country,
Crete, and having taken Europa to be his
wife, he named that country after the name of; his wife.
3. And he built a city there and |25
named it Gortyna after the name of his mother. Now she
was of the race of Picus, i.e. Zeus.
CHAPTER XXV. And there was a certain man named Laius.
+ His father was Waika,+ who, seeing that his son would
have commerce with his mother, commanded his soldiers
to suspend him on a tree of which they had cloven the
branches in order that the feet of him that was suspended
might be made fast in it.
CHAPTER XXVI. 1. And there was a man named Seruch of
the race of Japhet, the son of Noah. 2. He appears to
have been the first of those who worshipped idols through
the influence of Satan. And he set up altars to the
idols and served them.
CHAPTER XXVII. 1. And Melchizedek was found to be holy
though of Gentile origin, and he served God and was
chaste (and) without sin. 2. And Holy Scripture declares
him to be without father and mother because he was not
of the family of Abraham. 3. And he hated his father's
gods and made himself a priest of the living God. 4.
He was descended from the race of Sidus, son of (Egyptus)
the king of Egypt and Nubia, on whose account the Egyptians
are (so) called. 5. Now Melchizedek signifies king of
righteousness. 6. Now King Sidus, though a priest, ruled
over Canaan, being sprung of a powerful race, and the
Egyptians so named him because of (the land of) the
Canaanites, which is the land of Palestine until this
day. 7. And when he warred with them, they submitted
themselves to him, and as they were pleasing unto him,
he dwelt in their country, and built a city and called
it Sidon after his own name, which till the present
day has been reckoned in |26
Canaan. 8. Now as touching the father of Melchizedek
who went forth from Sidon, we have learnt that such
was his origin. But his father was an idolater and his
mother likewise. And this holy man used to reprove his
father and his mother for their idolatry. 9. And afterwards
he fled away and became priest of the living God as
has been recounted. And he ruled over the Canaanites
and built on Golgotha a city named Zion, i.e. Salem,
a name which being interpreted means in the language
of the Hebrews 'the city of peace'. 10. And he
ruled over it one hundred and thirteen years and died,
having preserved his chastity and righteousness as the
wise Josephus,43 the historian,
has written in the beginning of his work on the history
of the Jews. 11. For he was the first (to offer) sacrifices
to the God of heaven and bloodless oblations of bread
and wine in the likeness of the holy mysteries of our
Lord Jesus Christ ; as David has sung, saying : 'Thou
art His priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.'44
12. And again he said: 'God manifested Himself in Zion
45 and His name is great
in Israel, and His place abideth in peace 46
and His dwelling is in Zion.' For the Jews learnt from
Abraham the knowledge of God. 13. And Salem also, that
is, Jerusalem, is named [Jerusalem] 47
because peace abideth in Zion, that is, Melchizedek.
14. And the Jews were called 48
Hebrews from Heber, from whom Abraham, the chosen vessel,
was descended. 15. And when the rebels against God built
the tower and laboured in vain in their impious designs,
Heber indeed refused to join with them : he alone preserved
without wavering his loyalty to God. 16. And when the
confusion of tongues took place, Heber alone was not
deprived of his speech 49
|27 in its
integrity and perfectness. 17. And his successors guarded
the language of angels which Adam spoke. And for this
reason they are called Hebrews and their language Hebrew.
CHAPTER XXVIII. 1. There was a man named Hesiod of
the race of Japhet, the son of Noah. 2. He invented
Greek letters and was the first to teach them. 3. It
is told that there was in the times of the kings of
the country + in Lydia + a certain philosopher descended
from the children of the giants who were of the race
of Japhet, named Endymion. 4. He, it is told, prayed
in secret to the Moon, and they say that he learnt from
the Moon in a vision the name of God. 5. And when he
+went one day+, he heard the sacred name and thereupon
he gave up the ghost and died and rose not again. 6.
And his body is preserved unto this day in the city
of + Lydia +, and any one can see it once a year when
they open the coffin in which it is.
CHAPTER XXIX. 1. It is told that in the time of Joshua
the son of Nun, a king named Ogyges ruled over Attica,
and that there was a great deluge in that country only.
And the king himself perished and the inhabitants of
that country. 2. And it became a desert and no man dwelt
therein for two hundred and six years,50
as Africanus has recorded in his chronicle.
CHAPTER XXX. 1. And in the days of Moses the lawgiver,
the servant of God who led the exodus of the children
of Israel out of |28
Egypt, + in the days of Petissonius, that is, Pharaoh
Amosius, king of Egypt, who ruled by the help of the
book of the magicians Jannes and Jambres, who wrought
shameful things before the mighty Moses, who talked
with God-for this reason, they say, they were not willing
to let the children of Israel go after the signs and
the wonders which were wrought by his staff, + 51
2. Now (Petissonius) went to the diviners who were
in Memphis and to the celebrated oracle and offered
sacrifice. 3. And when one of the Hebrews asked the
diviner Taninus <Who is first among you ? he answered
:>52 'He who is in heaven,
the Immortal, the First: before whom the heavens quake
and likewise the earth and all the seas fear, and the
Satans are affrighted and but a few angels stand; for
He is the creator of powers and measures.' 4. And Petissonius
inscribed this oracle on a tablet and placed it in the
temple of the gods near the water-measure whereby they
learn the volume of the Nile. 5. We should recount that,
when the temple was already destroyed: this tablet was
the only one in Egypt that was still unbroken till the
foundations of the idol temples were overthrown, and
it was no longer possible for any one to maintain the
temple of Memphis. 6. It was only through the power
of our Lord Jesus Christ that all the temples were destroyed.
7. Now this mad Petissonius, that is, the Pharaoh Amosius,
was overwhelmed in the Red Sea together with his horses
and horsemen. 8. And when, after the children of Israel
had gone forth from Egypt, he learnt that they had taken
(with them) the riches of the Egyptians- a thing they
had done with the approval of God and in accordance
with His law; for the children of Israel had taken the
riches of the Egyptians in compensation for the heavy
labours which had been imposed upon them without intermission-Pharaoh
was filled with indignation. 9. Thereupon he went forth
in pursuit of them with his army. And he was overwhelmed
in the sea with his followers and there was not one
left. 10. And the children of Israel marched in the
sea as on dry land, and they came to the place where
God willed : for. He is the conqueror of all the elements
of creation.-Glory be to Him. 11. And, after the Egyptians
had been destroyed, those who remained worshipped demons
and forsook God, Those unhappy ones destroyed themselves
and became like |29
unto the angels who rebelled against God, and they worshipped
the work of their own hands. 12. Some worshipped the
cow, and some the ox, and some the dog and also the
mule: and some the ass, and some the lion : and some
fish, and some the crocodile : and some the leek and
many other like things. 13. And they named their cities
of Egypt after the name of their god. And they worshipped
the + buildings+ of Busir and Manuf and Samnud and Sahraisht
and Esna and of the Tree and of the Crocodile. And they
gave divine honours to + the building of many cities
+ 53 and likewise
to the storm.
CHAPTER XXXI. 1. And during the time of him who first
reigned over the Egyptians, when they served idols and
such creatures as have already been mentioned and as
regards the celebrated city Absāi, that is, Nakius,
and its king was named Prosopis, a name which being
interpreted means 'Lover of the deities with three faces'-now
he lived on the west bank of the river and he was continually
at war with the barbarians who were named Mauritanians
who came from the five countries.54
2. And when these came in wrath, the inhabitants warred
vigorously against them and slew many of them. 3. And
in consequence of this happy victory, (the barbarians)
did not for a long period come again against the city)
through the mercy of God who by the mighty power of
his Godhead hath made all things to come into being
out of nothingness. 4. And the great river of Egypt
was named Chrysorroas by the Greeks but it is named
Gihon in the book that is inspired by God. 5. Now this
river flowed (anciently) to the east of the city, but
it changed its course from the east to the west of the
city, and the city became like an island in the midst
of the river like a plantation of trees named Akrejas,
that is, the myrtle.
CHAPTER XXXII. 1. And as for Jerusalem which had been
built by Melchizedek its king under the sway of the
Canaanites, that is, the Philistines, Joshua the son
of Nun subdued it and called it Jebus. 2. And he dwelt
in Shechem; for he had subdued all the adjoining country.
And this (city) is named Nablus unto this day. 3. And
in the days of the wise kings David and Solomon, David
prepared all the building materials for the building
of the holy temple of God, and Solomon built it in Jerusalem.
4. And he |30
called it the city of the sanctuary on account of the
consecration and the sacrifices according to the law
and the abundance of righteousness and because our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ- praise be unto Him-underwent
the passion there.
CHAPTER XXXIII. And in the days of the Judges, there
was a judge of the Greeks named Pano&pthj, who was
so named in regard to the hundred piercing eyes with
which he beheld afar and saw better than all men. He
was the first to devise in a city of the west all manner
of handicrafts.
CHAPTER XXXIV. 1. Prometheus and Epimetheus discovered
a stone tablet with an inscription which had been written
and engraved in the days of the ancients. 2. And Elijah
the prophet interpreted the verses. So the Greeks (have
recounted) this saying that on account of this he ascended
to heaven and that what had been in heaven was in his
heart. 3. And Deucalion, moreover, wrote a detailed
history55 of what had happened
in the days of the deluge and the strange events (of
that time).
CHAPTER XXXV. 1. And after the deluge in Attica, the
sovereignty passed into the hands of the Athenians.
2. And there ruled there a man named Elwates56
and he established the (common) meal as a legal institution.
3. And he was also the first to ordain that all men
should take as their wives young virgins and name them
spouses: and that they should dig a fountain in a hidden
place in order to cause milk to spring (from the earth)
in abundance as a visible stream. 4. Now before his
reign the women of Attica and the Athenians lived in
unclean intercourse and male was joined to male. And
they were like beasts : each lusted (after the other)
and none had a woman to himself; but they ravished with
wicked violence as we have already recounted. 5. And
they knew not their own offspring, either their male
or female. And who could have known, seeing that none
of them had fathers and all whom they bare57
were begotten by all. Owing to their promiscuous intercourse
they could not know whether they had male or female
offspring. And they were all pleased with this unclean
mode of living. 6. As Cecrops the author of the prescript
in his law has said : 'This country of Attica will be
destroyed bv a deluge from God.' 7. And after this time
they became wise and |31
conformed to the law of marriage, the men and the women.
8. And Cecrops was highly honoured and esteemed all
his days, and he brought it about that the children
knew their fathers, as was befitting.
CHAPTER XXXVI. 1. And in these days lived Orpheus of
Thrace, the lyric poet of the Odrysae, called the great
sage among the Greeks. 2. He expounded to them that
which is called the Theogony, which being interpreted
in their language means 'The combatant of God', which
things are recounted by the chronicler Timothy. 3. He
said : 'Before all time was the holy Trinity coequal
in one Godhead, Creator of all things.'
CHAPTER XXXVII. 1. It is said that certain savants
of the Athenians were the first to practise the art
of medicine. 2. Indeed the philosophers were the first
who made known the noble art of using medicines which
agreed with the stomach. 3. And many people go to Athens
for the sake of this art also, for it flourishes there
until this day.
CHAPTER XXXVIII. 1. King Solomon the son of David was
the first to build baths and places for reading and
instruction in every place under his dominion; for he
had the demons subject to him. 2. Now he enjoyed
this privilege before he provoked God the Lord of all
through the strange women who lived with him. These
polluted Jerusalem with their gods.
CHAPTER XXXIX. 1. In the days of the Judges also there
arose in Phrygia a philosopher named Marsyas. 2. He
was the first to play upon the flute and the horn and
the drum (?). And he deafened the ears of men and made
himself out to be a god, saying : 'I have found food
for man by means of a small member.' 3. And God was
wroth with him and punished him and he became insane
and cast himself into the river and perished.
CHAPTER XL. 1. And in those days also lived the hero
Heracles and the Argonauts, the people that were with
Jason. And they |32
went to the Hellespont. 2. And the people (of the Hellespont)
had a king named Cyzicus. And they attacked and slew
the king Cyzicus without knowing it. 3. And when they
learned (this), they were grieved; for they were all
his kinsmen (and he was sprung) from their country.
4. And after they had attacked Cyzicus, who was called
the lord of the seven images, and won the victory <they
built a temple in Cyzicum, and> named its name Rhea,
which is by interpretation, mother of the gods. 5. It
is told (further) that they went to the place of those
who announced (oracles) and to the seat of the elders
and asked one of them, saying: 'Prophesy to us, O prophet,
servant of Apollo, of what nature this building will
be and to whom shall it belong.' 6. And they presented
gifts to him who spake to them and he said unto them
: 'There are three (Persons) but one God only. And behold
a virgin will conceive His word, and this house will
be His and His name shall belong to thousands.' 7. And
the idolaters wrote down this prophecy on a fragment
of marble with a brazen pen, and they placed it in one
of the temples. 8. After these times in the days of
the Godloving emperor Zeno, this temple was converted
into a church, dedicated to the holy Virgin Mary, the
Mother of God. 9. This the emperor Zeno did at his own
costs. And thus was accomplished the prophecy of the
demons who proclaimed the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER XLI. 1. The Argonauts sailed to the Hellespont
to an island named Principus. 2. Thence they went to
Chalcedon and sought to pass into the sea of Pontus.
3. But the inhabitants brought with them a man of valour
and fought with them. (And) he gained the mastery and
overcame them. 4. And fearing the wrath of this man,
they fled to a very desolate extremity of the coast.
5. And they saw a mighty portent from heaven which resembled
a man with great wings on his shoulders after the likeness
of a very terrible eagle. 6. And it said unto them:
'When ye fight with Amyous ye will overcome.' And when
they heard these words from the apparition which they
saw, they |33
took courage and fought and overcame him and slew him.
7. And they honoured that place where they had seen
the mighty figure, and they built there a temple and
they placed in it a statue resembling the apparition
they had seen. 8. And they named this temple Sosthenium
because they had sought refuge there and were saved.
And so they name it unto this day. 9. And in the days
of Constantine, the greatest and most illustrious of
Christian emperors, the servant of Jesus Christ, when
he first established the seat of empire in Byzantium,
that is in Rome, he came to the Sosthenium to close
the temple of the idols to be found there. 10. And when
he saw the statue which was in it, he at once recognized
that it was the statue of an angel. And as his thoughts
were troubled with doubts he prayed and besought our
Lord Jesus Christ in whom he trusted, saying: 'Make
me to know, O Lord, whose image this is.' 11. And thereupon
he fell asleep and heard in a vision that the image
was the image of S. Michael the archangel. 12. Having
learnt that it was he who had sent people to fight Amycus
the emperor caused this temple to be adorned and commanded
them to turn it to the east and [commanded them] to
consecrate it in the name of the archangel Michael.
13. And numerous miracles were wrought in this (temple)
through healings of the sick. And after that Christians
began to build churches in the name of S. Michael the
chief of the angels. And they offered in them holy offerings
unto God.
CHAPTER XLII. 1, It is said touching the holy nails
which were found in the cross of our Saviour Jesus Christ
and with which his holy body was nailed, that the holy,
Godloving Constantine took one of them and fixed it
in the saddle of his horse; and the second he
made into a bit for his horse; and the third he cast
into the pass of Chalcedon. 2. For they were in grievous
danger till by means of this holy nail the waves of
the sea, yea all the waves of the ocean, were quieted.
3. And the empire made itself strong in the city of
Constantine. Now in the days of Zeno the empire had
had its seat in Rome. Afterwards the (two) empires were
united in one by a decree of the Senate. |34
4. For one (of these) had been established on account
of the continual outbreaks of the barbarians, and the
other in accordance with the counsel of the prefects
in order that they might have another authority in Asia.
CHAPTER XLIII. 1. And in the days of Samson the last
of the Judges, Lapathus ruled in the land58
of Aegistheus.59 And he
had two sons, whose names were Achaius and Lacon.60
2. And he divided the provinces of his kingdom into
two parts, one half for himself and the other half for
his sons. 3. And when he died, one province was named
Achaia after the name of his eldest son, and the other
was named Laconia after the name of the younger son
(and such are their names) unto this day.
CHAPTER XLIV. 1. And at that epoch there reigned in
Hellas a king whose name was Pelops. 2. After this man
the Hellenes called the kingdom Peloponnesian by his
name unto this day. 3. And he built a city
and they named it Peloponnesus after his name. And the
name of his kingdom is Hellas unto this day.
CHAPTER XLV. 1. And there was a man named Bilawon.
He built the city Farma after his own name. 2. And Priam
built the city of Malkibinun ( = Ilium?), in Phrygia
... in the city of Sparta in the country of Hellas,
when he came there.
CHAPTER XLVI. And there was a wise and sagacious man
named Palamedes. He was the first to teach the arts
of playing on the harp and lyre 61
and the flute and all manner of musical instruments.
CHAPTER XLVII. 1. And Tros, also, who ruled over the
country of Phrygia 62 .
. . before that he had slain Priam and Hecuba, and he
slew their young men and plundered their royal palaces
that it might be a memorial unto him, and this city
came under his power, and he named it Enderjan. 2. And
Setabarja of Panton he named Asia of the Ephesians.63
It was named . . . which is now Saqilja |35
(= Sicily ?), and it became a great island and its earlier
name was Qubaba.
CHAPTER XL VIII. 1. And Solomon the son of David, king
of Israel, built a great structure in + Bilimiktun+
in the midst of the city to be a memorial unto him
in order that his name and the name of his father should
not be forgotten. 2. And he gave it to a man named Aiwani,
which is by interpretation in the language of Canaan
'light', but he named the structure Palmyra. 3. Indeed
it was in that place that David his father, the strong
and mighty one, was victorious when he slew and was
victorious over Goliath the Philistine. 4. It is for
this reason that he appointed its name to be Mezad in
order that strange peoples (azmad) might dwell therein.
And a great number of Jewish soldiers dwelt there. 5.
And Nebuchadnezzar king of Persia took this city, having
to expend much toil and severe effort before he could
take it and burn it with fire. And he caused the memorial
of it to disappear till this day.
CHAPTER XLIX. 1. And (he took) the city Tyre also,
which is an island surrounded by water. And he put forth
many a mighty effort to take it. 2. And he commanded
his soldiers, the cavalry and foot-soldiers, and all
the Persians to cast earth into the arm of the sea which
surrounded it. 3. And they filled it with earth till
the water of the sea dried up and (the strait) became
as land. And by these means Nebuchadnezzar the king
of the Persians was able to take this city.
CHAPTER L. 1. And at the time of the Captivity which
took place through Nebuchadnezzar - he was commanded
to do so by God and a force of angels was given to him
- before Nebuchadnezzar had come and burnt the sanctuary
of God with fire, Jeremiah, a prophet great among the
prophets and a lover of that which is good, went into
the second chamber which is called the Holy of Holies,
and took the ark of God which was covered with gold,
without and within, |36
and the glorious objects which were in it,64
i. e. the tables of the law, and the golden box of manna,
and Aaron's rod which bore almonds, and the stone from
the hard rock, from which Moses had given the people
to drink when they thirsted. 2. And, moreover, Moses
the prophet carried this stone as he went before the
people in their journey through the wilderness, according
to the commandment of God. 3. And as often as the people
thirsted, he cast it upon the earth and smote it with
the rod, and water came forth and the people were satisfied
and all the cattle. 4. And Jeremiah took those objects
and the stone, and went hastily to the rock and hid
them there until this day. 5. And on the second coming
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who will be preceded
by the sign of the cross, this ark borne by angels will
appear, and Moses also who made it will come and Jeremiah
who hid it in the rock. 6. When the dead shall rise,
the sign of the cross will appear and after it our Lord
Jesus Christ who was crucified-glory be unto Him. 7.
And these words are to be found in the teaching of S.
Epiphanius, our light-giving father, bishop of Cyprus,
who has written in his book a complete history of the
prophets after the overthrow of Jerusalem and the disappearance
of the kingdom of Judah.
CHAPTER LI. 1. Cyrus the Persian overcame Astyages
and Cyrus became king 65
. . . that is, Cambyses. 2. And Croesus was stiffnecked
and overweening. And all the kingdoms afar off and close
at hand had submitted to him. 3. And the peoples that
were subject to him paid him tribute and dwelt in peace.
But those which resisted him, he led away captive, and
spoiled their possessions and made himself master of
their territories. For he was very great and formidable
and victorious. 4. And Cyrus was disquieted in heart;
for he had a wife named Bardane, who had previously
been the wife of Darius the successor of Belshazzar.
5. She spake, saying: 'We have amongst us a prophet
of the Hebrews named Daniel, in whom is the wisdom of
God. He belongs to the captivity of the children of
Israel. 6. Now Darius used to do nothing without his
counsel, and every thing that he declared to him (beforehand)
was accomplished.' 7. And when Cyrus heard these words
he sent to Daniel the prophet and had |37
him brought with honour, and he asked him and said unto
him : 'Shall I conquer Croesus or not?' 8. But he was
silent and did not speak for the space of an hour. And
thereupon he spake, saying : 'Who can know the wisdom
of God ?' And then Daniel the prophet prayed
and besought the Lord his God to reveal unto him whether
he (Cyrus) could resist this rapacious (and) overweening
Croesus. 9. And God said unto him : 'If he sends back
the captivity of the children of Israel, he shall surely
conquer and take to himself the power of Croesus.'
10. And when he heard these words from God, he told
Cyrus that he should conquer Croesus if he sent back
the children of Israel. 11. And when Cyrus heard these
words he cast himself at Daniel's feet and sware, saying
: ' As the Lord thy God liveth, I will send Israel
back to their city Jerusalem, and they shall serve the
Lord their God.' 12. And Cyrus, in accordance with his
duty to God, heaped benefits upon Israel and sent them
back (to their own country).
13. Now Croesus went out with a great army to war against
the provinces of Cyrus. And having crossed the river
of Cappadocia in order to slay Cyrus, Cyrus put him
to shame and he was not able to escape secretly
because of the river confronting him. 14. Indeed when
Croesus came to this river, a large multitude of his
soldiers were speedily overwhelmed (in it); but he himself
was not able to cross; for God had delivered him into
Cyrus's hands by this means. 15. And Cyrus's soldiers
pursued him and took him alive and seized him and put
him in chains, and slew of his army 40,000 men. And
Cyrus had his adversary Croesus suspended on a tree,
and the rest of his army he humiliated and shamed. 16.
As for the Jews and their king he sent them off that
they might return to their own country as he had promised
to Daniel the prophet. 17. And when Cyrus returned into
Persia, he settled all the affairs of his government
and appointed his son Cambyses to be king over Persia
and Babylon. And he was a bad man, and he rejected the
wisdom of his father and the worship of the Lord God.
18. And Apries moreover was king of Egypt and dwelt
in the city of Thebes and in Memphis and in two (other)
cities, Muhil and |38
Sufiru. 19. And in those days, in consequence of the
intrigues of the neighbouring peoples Cambyses sent
to Jerusalem and gave orders (to his officers) to restrain
them (the Jews) from rebuilding the sanctuary of God.
20. And afterwards he made an expedition to Egypt with
a great (and) innumerable army of horse and foot from
Media. 21. And the inhabitants of Syria and Palestine
got ready to oppose him (but in vain), and he destroyed
not a few but many cities of the Jews, for he was supreme
over all the world. 22. And in the pride of (his) heart
he changed his name and named himself Nebuchadnezzar.
And his disposition resembled that of a barbarian, and
in the evil counsel of his desire he hated mankind.
23. And his father Cyrus had been great and honoured
before the living God, and had commanded that they should
build the temple of God in Jerusalem with (all) vigilance
and zeal, what time he had sent Joshua the high priest,
the son of Jozadak and Zerubbabel, that is Ezra, and
all the captivity of Judah that they might return to
the land of the Hebrews and Palestine. 24. But Cambyses,
that is, Nebuchadnezzar the second, and Belshazzar burnt
the holy city Jerusalem and the sanctuary according
to the prophecies of the holy prophets Jeremiah and
Daniel. 25. And after they had burnt the city Cambyses
came to Gaza and got together troops and all the materials
of war, and he went down into Egypt to war against it.
And in the war he gained the victory and he captured
the Egyptian cities Parma and Sanhur and San and Basta.
And he captured Apries, the Pharaoh, alive in the city
of Thebes and he slew him with his own hand.
26. Now there was in Egypt a warrior named Fusid who
practised righteousness and hated iniquity. When there
was war between the Persians and Egyptians, he had gone
and fought in Syria and Assyria and he had taken four
sons of Cambyses prisoner as well as his wives-in all
forty souls. 27. And he bound them and burnt their houses
and took all that they had captive and brought them
to the city of Memphis and he imprisoned them in the
palace of the king. 28. And when a second war arose
between the Assyrians and Egyptians, the Assyrians proved
the stronger and gained the mastery over the Egyptians
and took the palace which is in the city of Thebes.
29. And the Assyrian soldiers shot arrows, and, as they
shot, an arrow smote the warrior Fusid on the right
side. But the Egyptian soldiers carried off the |39
warrior Fusid from the Assyrians, before he died. And
he lived but an hour more and after this died and left
a memory to those that came after. 30. But the Egyptians
were moved with fear because they had lost such a warrior
as Fusid. And for this reason they fled for refuge into
the city Sais, because it was a strong city and its
fortifications stronger than those of the others. 31.
And Cambyses attacked this city a second time and carried
66 it by storm and destroyed
66 it. And he captured
all the other cities of lower Egypt towards the north
to the sea coast and plundered them of all their possessions
and destroyed their cities and neighbourhoods and burnt
their houses with fire and left neither man nor beast
living. 32. And he cut down their trees and destroyed
their plantations and made the land of Egypt a desert.
And returning in the direction of Rif he warred against
the city of Memphis, and he conquered the king who was
in it. 33. And the city of Busir also, which lies below
Memphis, he destroyed and annihilated and took its possessions
as a booty, and burnt it with fire and made it a desert.
34. And the sons of the kings which survived fled for
refuge to another city, the nearest at hand, (even)
into its citadel and closed the gates of the fortress.
35. And the Assyrians besieged this citadel and carried
it by storm by night and destroyed the city of Memphis
the great. 36. And one of the kings of Egypt, named
Muzab, had sent in secret to his son, named Elkad, bidding
him to bring all his wealth and that of all his officers
and of the forty wives of Cambyses, that is, Nebuchadnezzar,
even those which had been brought by Fusid the captain.
37. And they opened the gates of the fortress by night,
and they took and led them forth into the desert by
another way which the people knew not. And the four
sons of Cambyses the inhabitants of the city of Memphis
led back, and they made them ascend to the summit of
the fortress and cut them in pieces and cast them to
the base of the fortress where Cambyses was. 38. And
when the soldiers of Cambyses saw this evil thing which
the inhabitants of the city of Memphis had done, they
were filled with wrath and warred against the city without
mercy. 39. And they set up engines against it and destroyed
the palaces of the kings, and they slew without mercy
the children of the kings Muzab and Sufir and all the
chiefs of the army which were found in the city. |40
40. And when (Elkad) was informed of the death of his
father, he fled into Nubia. And Cambyses also destroyed
the city of On and upper Egypt as far as the city Eshmun.
And the inhabitants of this city on learning (of his
approach) were seized with fear and fled into the city
of Eshmunin. 41. And they sent to Nubia to Elkad the
son of Miizab, asking him to come unto them that they
might make him king in the room of his father. For he
had formerly made war against the cities of Assyria.
42. And thereupon Elkad gathered a large army of Ethiopians
and Nubians and warred against the army of Cambyses
on the eastern bank of the river Gihon. But the Ethiopians
were not able to make the passage of the river. 43.
And the Persians, full of stratagems, wheeled about
as though intending to flee. Then in the early part
of the night they crossed the river with vigilance and
took possession of the city and destroyed it before
the army of Elkad were aware. 44. And when they had
completed the destruction of the city Eshmunin they
march into upper Egypt, and laid waste the city of Assuan.
And they crossed to the opposite bank belonging to the
city Ahif, and they destroyed Phile as they had done
the other cities. 45. And they turned back to the cities
and provinces which still remained, and they ravaged
them and burned them with fire till all the land of
Egypt became a desert and there was no longer found
in it a moving creature, neither a man nor even a bird
of the air. 46. Then Elkad king of Egypt devised another
plan, he and all that had not been annihilated by the
Persians. And they proceeded and came upon Cambyses
at some distance off, and they took with them gifts
and harps and drums and timbrels 67
and prostrated themselves before him and besought him
that they might receive from him mercy and friendship.
47. And Cambyses showed mercy to the Egyptians that
survived who had come to offer their submission, and
he had compassion on them and led them away to Media
and Babylon. And he appointed as their ruler one of
their own number. 48. And as for Elkad he did not take
from him his royal crown but established him on the
royal throne and did not lead him away with him. 49.
And the number of the Egyptians whom Cambyses led away
with him were 50,000, besides women and children. And
they lived in captivity in Persia forty years, and Egypt
became a desert. 50. And after devastating Egypt, Cambyses
died in the city of Damascus. |41
And the wise (and) great Artaxerxes reigned eight years,
and he was not wanting in love either to God or man.
51. And he commanded Nehemiah the cupbearer to build
the walls of Jerusalem, and he dealt kindly with the
Jews, because Cyrus and Darius had honoured the God
of heaven, and served Him. And for this reason he supported
all the enterprises of the Jews. 52. And as for the
Egyptians he dealt kindly and well with them and made
them officers in order to take counsel with
his prefects. And later he sent back the Egyptians,
to their own country in the one and fortieth year of
their captivity and the devastation of their country.
53. And when they returned they began to build houses
in their several cities : they did not construct great
houses as formerly but small houses wherein to dwell.
And they planted trees and vines in abundance. 54. And
they set over themselves a king named Fiwaturos in compliance
with the command of Artaxerxes the humane.
55, And there was an Egyptian who comforted (his people),
a man of indefatigable energy, wise and virtuous, named
Shenufi, which is by interpretation 'good news'. 56.
And this man was very vigilant in rebuilding the cities
and villages and restoring the tillage of the land so
that in a short time he rebuilt all the villages of
Egypt. And he restored Egypt and made it as it had been
before. And there was great prosperity in his "days,
and the Egyptians increased very much, and their cattle
increased also. 57. And he reigned over them forty and
eight years in happiness and peace because of the return
of the Egyptians from captivity. And he went to rest
full of honour. But before he died he numbered the Egyptians,
and their number was 500,000 men. 58. And after the
death of Shenufi the Egyptians remained for a long time
without a king, but they paid taxes to the Persians
and Assyrians at the same time. And they remained at
peace till they appointed a second Pharaoh as king and
paid the taxes to him.
59. Now the Persians did not approve that the Egyptians
should pay the taxes to their own king. But the Persians
also were without a king after the death of the great
Artaxerxes who had had compassion on the Egyptians.
60. And he who reigned after Artaxerxes at first made
war against the Jews and the Jews |42
submitted to him. And next he made war on the Egyptians
and overcame them and took their possessions as a spoil;
for the land of Egypt is through the help of God a very
goodly (land). 61. Now when Nectanabus, the last of
the Pharaohs, was informed by the chief diviners-for
he was himself also a magician and asked the impure
demons whether he was to rule over the Egyptians or
not- when (I repeat) he was surely informed by the demons
that he should not rule over the Egyptians, he shore
his head and changed his outward figure, and fled, and
went to the city of Farma, and furthermore went to Macedonia
and dwelt there. 62. And the Egyptians remained in subjection
to Juljanos till the time of Alexander o9
pa&ntarxoj 68,
which is by interpretation 'the ruler of the world '.
And he slew the last king of the Persians.
63. And after some time Ochus reigned for twelve years
over the Persians. And after him Artaxerxes reigned
twenty-three years. And after him Darius, surnamed Akrejus,
reigned for six years. And then Alexander rose up against
him and slew him and took his kingdom of Babylon from
him ; for Alexander the son of Philip of Macedon was
ruler of the world.
CHAPTER LII. And there was a man named Aeneas, who
espoused the daughter of Latinus, named Lavinia. And
he built a great city and named it after the name of
Lavinia and established his kingdom in it.
CHAPTER LIII. 1. And there was in Italy a man named
Pallas and he had a son. And he became a good and warlike
man. And he stormed many cities belonging to Aeneas.
2. And when he warred against + Justen +, he took his
city and built therein a great house, and he adorned
it and there was no such house in any city. 3. And he
built a palace also and named it Pallantium, which is
by interpretation 'stronghold', after his name Pallas.
|43
CHAPTER, LIV. And when + Creusa became king, he built
a city named Alba. Then leaving Elbanja he came to Elwanja
+,69 that is, Alba, which
by interpretation means 'light'.
CHAPTER LV. 1. And there was a Canaanitish woman named
Dido, the wife of a man named Sichaeus. 2. And she came
originally from a small city Kardimas,70
situated on the sea-coast between Tyre and Sidon. 3.
And she was very rich. And she had a brother named Pygmalion,
who rose against her husband and slew him from the covetous
desire to get hold of her wealth and treasures. 4. Then
this woman arose in haste and collected together all
the wealth and treasures in her house, and embarked
on a ship and fled and went from Canaan to the country
of Libya71 in Africa, and
built a great city in that province, which she named
Carthage, but in the language of the Barbarians it is
called 'New city'. And she reigned there wisely until
her death.
CHAPTER, LVI. 1. And in the days of Hezekiah king of
Judah there were two brothers whose names were Romulus
and Remus.72 2.
And these built a great city near a small city Valentia
in Italy, a city of Latinus where previously there had
been a royal palace named Pallantium. And this they
rebuilt. 3. Moreover they built a temple for their God
named Zeus, and they named it in their own language
the Capitol.73 And the
appearance of one of the buildings, the royal palace,
was very wonderful. And in the Latin language they named
the Capitol 'Head of the city'. 4. And in those days
they called themselves 'Romans' and the name of their
city 'Rome'. And the two brothers ruled together in
it. But afterwards a cause of enmity intervened, and
Romulus slew Remus his brother and reserved the throne
for himself alone. |44
5. And thereupon the city was shaken with earthquake
and all the people were panic-stricken together because
of the great quakings in their midst. And Romulus also
was terrified and became heavy of heart by means of
his great terror, and he learnt from the diviners and
the unclean spirits that his throne should not be established
in Rome without his brother Remus. 6. Then he had recourse
to many a device in order to raise his brother and he
was not able. But a great quaking ensued and in the
midst of that quaking he saw an image of his brother,
a perfect likeness from his head to his breast. 7. And
he made an image of his brother in the likeness of the
apparition which he had before seen, a golden statue
representing his brother from the head to the breast,
and he placed it on his throne and he adorned it with
all manner of ornaments. 8. And in his prescripts he
wrote after this manner, saying : '(In) the prescripts
emanating from me and my brother so we declare, and
so we command, so we execute', and so on. 9. And this
custom derived from the Romans has prevailed to the
present. Their kings and their magistrates have preserved
this formula in the courts which are called 'praetorian',
that is, in their places of justice.
10. And Romulus also was the first to ride on horseback
in Rome and to rush to the encounter at full speed and
to be ardent to be victorious. And he devised
these diabolical practices and source of evils and vices,
in order that his horse soldiers should be the strongest
in the world. 11. And he appointed also a place of conflict
for women called Elmantatum that the soldiers might
resort (thither) in order to be with them (the women).
For previously they had violated all the women, whether
married, virgin, or widowed.
12. And by reason of his fear and discouragement Romulus
instituted this order of female cavalry and made them
alone without the men into one force. 13. And he divided
them moreover into two parts, the virgins on one side
and the married women on the other. And he assembled
from all the cities far and near a great assemblage
of women cavalry without number. 14. And |45
they kept watch over the foreign women in their midst
who did not belong to Rome, in order to accomplish (their)
desire. And (Romulus ordered them) to lay hands on all
they found. 15. Now the young girls of the
city of the Sabines which is near to Rome were beautiful
women. And he summoned and assembled them (masc.) to
him. And when Romulus had ended assembling the women,
he gave them to the soldiers who had no wives. And he
named those soldiers stratiw&taj,
that is, warriors. 16. And the rest he ordered to carry
them (the women) off as best they could. And subsequently
to this ordinance they chose their wives according to
their individual tastes without violence.
17. And moreover he instituted priests of the idols
and named them priests of Apollo. 18. And next Romulus
commanded his most illustrious officers and soldiers
to entertain74 in the winter
season. And he invited (in order) from alpha to omega
the most illustrious of his officers, each in turn,
and the commanders and magistrates of the people and
all the soldiers whom he wished. And this ordinance
existed in Rome. 19. And next he established a custom
in Rome, called Abrastus . . . 75
this is the place, to wit, of the officers in which
they keep guard of the citadel at all times. 20. And
next he built the walls of the city of Rome and completed
them. 21. And next he built a temple in the city of
Ares, in the month |46
of March, that is Magabit. Now March is the beginning
of months. 22. And in the beginning of the month they
celebrate a feast, and they named that feast 'Primus'.
And after this feast he commanded the soldiers to fight.
23. And they named this month March76
because of the custom of the heathen who are demon-worshippers
according as the ancients had prescribed in their foolish
ignorance. And the Romans have preserved this custom.
24. It is for this reason that the holy fathers, the
Egyptian monks, who were clothed with God, offer at
the beginning of every month an unbloody sacrifice to
the holy consubstantial Trinity and receive the holy
life-giving mysteries, while they chant the words of
the 80th Psalm: 'Blow up the trumpet in the day of the
new moon, on the notable day of our festival.' 77
CHAPTER LVII. 1. And after Romulus Numa became king.
He was a wise and very prudent man. 2. And he caused
the government of the city of Rome to go along a good
path by means of an excellent discipline. 3. And this
illustrious man was the first to make money for selling
and buying and for the exchange of silver. It is for
this reason that stamped copper money is named felus
unto this day.78 4. And
next he appointed two places: one for the officers and
one for the judges that they might give orders to the
officers and all the army. 5. And furthermore he established
(them) outside that they might judge the peoples who
were under their authority ; and not only those who
judged but those with functions which are subordinate
according to rank, and (others) which resemble this.79
6. And this law is ordained and established amongst
the Romans unto this day.
CHAPTER LVIII. 1. And in the days of the high priest
of Jerusalem who was named Judas, Philip was king of
Macedonia. And when he became king he warred against
Thessaly and came |47
off victorious over it. 2. And when he had won the victory,
he built a city (in Macedonia) and named it Thessalonica.
CHAPTER LIX. 1. And when Alexander the son of Philip
of Macedon became king he built in Egypt the great city
Alexandria, and named it Alexandria after his own name.
2. Now its name formerly in the Egyptian language was
Rakoustis.80 And after
this he warred against Persia. (And he came) to the
confines of Europe, and he built there a place where
his army and all his troops assembled. And he gave there
gold in abundance to his chief generals and to all his
officers and his numerous forces.
And he named that place Chrysopolis.81
And so it is named by the inhabitants of Byzantium.
3. And in his war against Persia Alexander slew many
of Darius's troops, (nor did he stop) till he had annihilated
them. And he seized all the kingdom of Darius and made
himself master of it. 4. And moreover he took captive
his daughter, who was named Roxana. And she was a virgin
and he made her his wife. And he did her no injury.
5. Nor yet did he offer any outrage to Candace the queen
of Ethiopia, because of her great intelligence ; for
she had heard tidings of the great deeds of Alexander
and how it was his custom when he wished to war against
the kings of the earth to join with spies (and so to
visit their territories).
6. And queen Candace, being apprised of his arrival
with the spies, had him arrested and said unto him :
'Thou art the king Alexander who hast seized upon all
the world, and yet thou art to-day seized by a woman.'
7. And he said unto her: 'It is by means of thy knowledge
and the subtility of thy intelligence and thy wisdom
that thou hast seized me. Henceforth I will preserve
thee unharmed, (even) thee and thy children, and I will
make thee my wife.' 8. And when she heard these words
she cast herself at his feet and made an alliance with
him, and he made her his wife. And thereupon the Ethiopians
submitted to him.
9. And when Alexander was dying he divided his kingdom
among his four companions who had helped him in his
campaigns. 10. And Philip, his elder brother, took Macedonia
and reigned over |48
it and all Europe. Furthermore he made Ptolemy, surnamed
Lagus, king of Egypt.
CHAPTER LX. And in the days of Ptolemy Philadelphus,
son of Lagus, whose name by interpretation means 'lover
of the brethren', a man of large thought and wisdom,
the holy books of God were translated from the Hebrew
into the Greek langua,ge by old men in the space of
seventy-two days, for there were seventy-two translators,
but two died before they had completed the translation.82
CHAPTER LXI. 1. And Antigonus reigned over Asia and
Cilicia and the river which is named Draco in the province
of Orontes, 2. And over Syria, Babylon and Palestine
there reigned a king named Seleucus Nicanor. 3. And
this (king) warred against Antigonus king of Asia and
slew him, because he had built a city on the borders
of the river Draco and had named it Antigonia. 4. And
he seized all the property in the region of Iopolis
and of the fortress which faces mount Silpion. . . .
Now this city was formerly named Bottia.83
5. And he built there the great city of Antioch, and
named it after the name of his son Antiochus. 6. And
again he built another city [in the name of his daughter],
and he named it Laodicea, for his daughter's name was
Laodicea. Now this city had formerly been named Mazabdan.
7. And again he built a city and named it Apamea, which
formerly had been named Pharnace.84
CHAPTER LXII. Seleucus, that is, Pausanias,85
was the first to write Chronicles and annals and to
name them.
CHAPTER LXIII. And Antiochus surnamed Epiphanes visited
with punishment the Maccabees.
CHAPTER LXIV. 1. History of the Consuls of the early
Romans. Julius Caesar the dictator seized the power
and administration among the Romans before the incarnation
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2. The birth of
Julius was not like the birth of (ordinary) men whom
women give birth to in the ninth month. For his mother
died during her pregnancy, and after she died the babe
stirred in her womb. And the wise men seeing that the
babe stirred, cut open the womb of the mother and brought
forth the |49
(babe) living and nursed it and called its name Caesar.
Now Caesar means 'drawn forth', 'cut out', 'separated'.
3. And when he grew up they named him also Triumvir,
and in accordance with a decree of the Senate of Rome
he was appointed and became king. 4. And when his empire
was consolidated, the Persians and barbarians were seized
with fear. And this same Caesar made the month in which
he became king the first month of the year. 5. And he
issued prescripts for his commanders and prefects according
to their various offices in every province of his empire.
6. And next he left the east and came to Alexandria
the chief city of Egypt. And he met queen Cleopatra,
the daughter of Ptolemy, surnamed Dionysus, king of
Egypt. 7. And she was a very beautiful young girl. Caesar
fell in love with her and married her and begat a son
by her. And he gave her the kingdom of Egypt. And he
named that son Julius Caesar. He was also named Caesarion.
8. He built a beautiful palace and also a beautiful
and magnificent and comely house, and he named it after
his own name and that of his son. 9. And when the great
Constantine, the emperor of the Christians, took possession
of the Roman empire he changed this (building) into
a church and named it after the name of S. Michael.
10. And to this day it is named the church of Caesarion
because it was built by Julius Caesar the younger and
Caesar the elder.
CHAPTER LXV. 1. It is told regarding Archelaus the
chief governor of Cappadocia and regarding Herod, who
was full of wickedness (and) the murderer of his father,
who was the first to eat raw meat with the blood, and
not of the number of the faithful: now Herod was king
of Judea : (it is told that) they submitted to Caesar
the elder86 and made him
sovereign over their territories during all their life.
2. And Archelaus built in Cappadocia a city and named
it Caesarea in Cappadocia to be a memorial of him (Caesar).
And formerly it was named Mazaca.
CHAPTER LXVI. 1. And Herod also built a city in Palestine
and named it Caesarea in honour of the emperor. And
this is very beautiful and its name was formerly Straton's
Tower (Stra&twnoj pu&rgoj).
2. And he constructed a way also which led into the
city of Antioch, and he made the city more spacious
and he covered the way with slabs of white stone at
his own expense, and though |50
previously impassable he made it a way fit for kings.
3. And he sent also a Jewish army into Egypt and he
made all the cities submit to the emperor. And in like
manner he caused the orientals to pay tribute to Caesar.
CHAPTER LXVII. 1. And queen Cleopatra went down from
Palestine into Egypt in order to make her royal residence
there. And when she came to the city Farma she gave
battle to the Egyptians and overcame them. 2. And next
she came to Alexandria, and reigned there. And she was
great in herself and in her achievements (in) courage
and strength. There was none of the kings who preceded
her who wrought such achievements as she. 3. And she
built in the confines of Alexandria a great (and) magnificent
palace., and all that saw it admired it; for there was
not the like in all the world. 4. And she built it on
an island in the quarter of the north to the west of
the city of Alexandria, outside the city and at a distance
of four stadia. 5. And she raised a dike against the
waters of the sea with stones and earth; and made the
place of the waters over which they voyaged formerly
in ships into dry land, and she made it passable on
foot.87 6. And this stupendous
and difficult achievement she wrought through the advice
of a wise man named Dexiphanes, who made the sea into
dry land that there might be a means of passage on foot.
7. And next she constructed a canal to the sea, and
she brought water from the river Gihon and conducted
it into the city. And by this means she brought it about
that ships could approach and enter the city and by
this means there was great abundance. 8. Now the city
was formerly without access to water, but she brought
all the water it required (lit. made it full of water)
so that ships could sail thereon, and by this means
fish became abundant in the city. 9. And she executed
all these works in vigilant care for the well-being
of the city. And before she died she executed many noble
works and (created) important institutions. And this
woman, the most illustrious and wise amongst women,
died in the fourteenth year of the reign of Caesar Augustus.
10. Thereupon the inhabitants of Alexandria and of (lower)
and upper Egypt submitted to the emperors of Rome, who
set over them prefects and generals. 11. And Augustus
reigned fifty-six years and six months. And in the forty-second
year of his reign our Lord and Saviour Jesus |51
Christ was born in the flesh in Bethlehem Judah, very
God alike in heaven and earth-to Him be praise. 12.
(He was born) in the days when a decree went forth that
all the world should be registered and every person
numbered with a view to levying of taxes. And this measure
was carried out through the advice of Eumenes and Attalus,
illustrious and great men of Rome.
13. And Augustus moreover found the name of the month
February inscribed in the middle of the year. Now if
we start from the first, that is March, the earliest
of the months of the Roman year, this month of February
was the sixth in order of the Roman months. 14. Now
Augustus decreed88 that
they should make this month the last of the months of
the year ; for Augustus blamed the chief of the army
in those days, who was named Manlius of Cappadocia,
possessing as he had power and authority over them;
for it was he who arranged the order of the months,
and he was influential and powerful amongst the Romans.
15. And instead of this month of February which he had
made the last month, because it was the shortest of
all the months, they introduced in its stead the full
month named August after his name; and it was
the sixth month. 16. The month which preceded the sixth
month, i. e. the fifth, he named Julius after the name
of the emperor, the paternal uncle of Augustus. 17.
And the Romans adopted and confirmed this regulation
(and have observed it) till the present day. The sixth
and fifth months are preceded by March.
CHAPTER LXVIII. 1. Now Christians complete in faith
do not receive any other rule than that ordained for
them in accordance with the statement of Ezra the prophet,89
the illuminator of |52
understanding + when the months come how on the sixth
of Tuba, i.e. Ter, which is the first month amongst
the Franks: 2. When the beginning of the month coincides
with the first or second or third unto the end of the
seven days.+ 3. And they observe moreover the commencement
of their months in seeking to know whether it will he
lucky or unlucky. 4. And Socrates the sage and philosopher
(and) astronomer established this custom in Rome. 5.
And Socrates the ordainer and establisher of the practice
had altered among the pagans the writings of Ezra the
prophet and saint. He was deceived and he deceived those
who read his book by his evil device.
CHAPTER LXIX. 1. And after the death of the emperor
Augustus, his son Tiberius became emperor, who had brought
Cappadocia into siibjection to Rome after the death
of Archelaus the governor of Cappadocia. 2. And he built
also a city in the province of Thrace and named it Tiberia.90
And in the days of Tiberius Caesar our Lord Jesus Christ
was crucified in Jerusalem.
CHAPTER LXX. 1. And, after the death of Claudius, the
abominable Nero became emperor in Rome. Now he was a
pagan and an idolater. 2. And to his other vices he
added the vice of sodomy, and he married as though he
were a woman. And when the Romans heard of this detestable
deed, they could no longer endure him. 3. And the idolatrous
priests particularly inveighed against him, and the
senators elders of the people) deposed him from the
throne 91 and took counsel
in common to put him to death. And when this impure
wretch was informed of the purpose of the senators,
he quitted his residence and hid himself. But he was
not able to escape the mighty and powerful hand of God.
4. For when he fell into this disquietude of heart,
owing to the debauchery which he had practised as a
woman, owing to this cause (I repeat) his belly grew
distended and became like that of a pregnant woman.
5. And he was greatly afflicted by the multitude of
his loathsome pains. And therefore he ordered the wise
men to visit him in the place where he was (hidden),
and to administer remedies. 6. And |53
when the wise men came to him thinking that he was with
child they opened his belly in order to deliver it.
And he died by this evil death.
CHAPTER LXXI. 1. And after the death of Titus Domitian
his brother became emperor in his stead. And he was
a great philosopher among the heathen. 2. And he stirred
up a persecution against the Christians and he brought
many torments upon them by the hand of Decius and through
the machinations of his officers. 3. And he had John
the beloved evangelist brought to Rome, and he persecuted
him and all the believers in God for their true and
right faith. 4. And afterwards being struck with admiration
at the greatness of his wisdom be set him free in secret
and without the knowledge of his officers and the idolatrous
priests he had him conducted to his residence. 5. But
again Domitian, yielding to the persuasions of the wicked
ministers of the demons, sent John the theologian into
exile to the island called + Sun.92
6. And next Domitian built a city in the province of
Isauria and he named it Domitianus after his own name.
7. And when the consummation of his sin was at hand,
he had driven into exile the holy martyrs and he went
to the temple of Titus and sought to offer a sacrifice
to the demons; for he called a thing which could not
speak a saviour. 8. Then his officers took counsel to
put him to death; for he had always humiliated them
through his stiffneckedness and pride of heart, and,
philosopher though he was, he had wholly failed to do
justice. And they rose against him and put him to death
secretly. 9. But the people were not aware that they
had put him to death. And they took his silk garments
and suspended them on the chains of the temple lamps,
in order to deceive all the people by a lying statement,
saying: '(The emperor) had been carried up from earth
into the air by the priests of the gods, because he
was a philosopher.'93 10.
Thus they misled the people for some time; but afterwards
they were apprised of the death of this wicked man,
and there arose a tumult because they had put him to
death in the |54
temple and by their mad act had profaned it, though
they said: 'We are guiltless and our temple is not profaned.'
11. And after this [there arose a tumult and] they agreed
upon Nerva and made him emperor. Now he was the commander-in-chief
of the army, an old man, very excellent, humane, and
wise. 12. And forthwith he sent to the sweet-tongued
S. John and had him brought back from his place of exile
to the city of Ephesus, where he died in goodly peace.
And where his holy body is buried is not known save
to our Lord Jesus Christ-unto whom be praise. 13. Now
this emperor was a good man and he established good
laws, and moreover he put an end among men to the custom
which prevailed of buffet for buffet and blow for blow.
And whilst he was engaged in this legislation the emperor
died aged + forty-four +94
years after a reign of one.
CHAPTER LXXII. 1. And after the good emperor Nerva
died, Trajan became emperor, who was much addicted to
the worship of idols. 2. He was the third of those who
persecuted the Christians. And there were many martyrs
in every place who were put to severe tortures. 3. And
furthermore the saint of God, Ignatius the patriarch
of Antioch, who was appointed after Peter, the chief
of the apostles, was brought by his orders in chains
to Rome and delivered to a lion. 4. And next he seized
<five Christian women of Antioch> 95
and interrogated them and said unto them: 'Whom do ye
worship, and in whom do ye trust that ye run with such
haste to death?' 5. They answered and said, 'We
shall die for the sake of Christ, who will give us eternal
life and deliver us from this body of corruption.' 6.
And he was filled with wrath; for he was a heathen and
was averse to the revelation of the doctrine of the
resurrection. And he commanded the bodies of the holy
women to be cast into the fire. 7. And he ordered the
earth on which the bodies of the holy women had fallen
to be gathered and + added to the brass which heated
the public bath + 96 which
he had built in his own name. 8. And it came to pass
afterwards that when any one went to wash in that bath
that a vapour arose, and |55
when he smelt that vapour he was overpowered by it and
had to be borne out. And all who saw it marvelled thereat.
Therefore the Christians mocked the heathen and gloried
in Christ and praised Him together with his Saints.
9. And when Trajan was apprised of this phenomenon,
he + changed those who heated the bath + 1 and
removed the vessels of brass with which were mingled
the ashes of the holy women, and he placed their ashes
in five brazen pillars and set them up in that bath.
10. But he was on the watch to pour contempt on the
martyrs, saying : + 'They belonged neither to me nor
to their god, but they have died foolishly.' +97
11. And at that time his daughter Drusis and Junia the
daughter of the patrician Filasanrun underwent martyrdom.
And many other virgins likewise underwent martyrdom
by fire through this unbeliever. 12. And during Trajan's
stay in Antioch, the earth was troubled and quaked in
the night owing to the wrath of God, for it had been
polluted three times. 13. And not only (in) Antioch,
but also on the island of Rhodes was there a similar
earthquake after cockcrow.
14. And the Jews who were in the city of Alexandria
and in the province of Cyrene assembled and chose a
leader named Lucuas98 to
be their king. 15. And when Trajan was informed and
apprised of this movement, he sent against them an officer
named Marcus Turbo98 with
a numerous force, even a numerous army of horse and
foot and also many troops in ships. 16. And Trajan came
to Egypt and built a fortress with a strong impregnable
tower, and he brought water into it in abundance and
he named it Babylon in Egypt. 17. Nebuchadnezzar the
king of the Magi and Persians was the first to build
its foundations and to name it the fortress of Babylon.
This was the epoch when he became its king by the ordinance
of God, when he drove the Jews into exile after the
destruction of Jerusalem, and also when they stoned
to death a prophet of God at Thebes in Egypt, and added
sin to sin. 18. And Nebuchadnezzar came to Egypt with
a numerous army and made a conquest of Egypt, because
the Jews had revolted against him, and he named <the
fortress> Babylon after the name of his own city.
19. And Trajan moreover added some buildings to the
fortress and other parts in it. And he dug also a small
canal-sufficiently large to convey water from the Gihon
to the city |56
Clysma. And he put this water into connexion with the
Red Sea, and he named this canal Trajan after his own
name. 20. And he built also a citadel in Manuf. And
after all these achievements he fell ill and died in
the twentieth year of his reign.
CHAPTER, LXXIII. 1. And after Trajan [the first] Hadrian99
his cousin became emperor in Rome. 2. He built in upper
Egypt a beautiful city and its appearance was very pleasing,
and he named it Antinoe, that is, Ensina. 3. And afterwards
misguided men made him a god, for he was very rich.
And he died by a distressing death.
CHAPTER LXXIV. 1. And after him Aelius Antoninus Pius
became emperor. He was kind, courteous, and virtuous.
And the Romans named him at first 'the servant of God'.
He was a just man throughout his reign. 2. The chroniclers
report concerning him that he was the first to do justice
and to put an end to the unjust practices which had
prevailed among the Romans before his time. 3. Previously
they used to commit the injustice of confiscating for
the benefit of the crown a moiety of the possessions
of the rich on their death on the ground of the covenant
which the fathers had made with their children.100
And his predecessors were not able to abolish this regulation.
4. But he issued a prescript and put art end to it in
order that every man should have control over his own
property and should give it to whom he pleased. And
he established also many other equitable measures and
laws in conformity with justice. 5. And next he went
down into Egypt even to Alexandria, and he punished
those who had wrought evil, and was gracious to those
who had wrought good; for tenderness and graciousness
and forbearance were implanted in him. 6. And he built
two gates in Alexandria on the west and on the east
(of the city), and he named the eastern gate
9Hliakh&, and the western
Selhniakh&.101
7. And he built a place of pleasure with blocks
of white stone in the city of Antioch and named it Amulum.102
And he transported the stone from upper Egypt. 8. And
in all his cities he |57
built baths and academies. 9. And after this he returned
with a numerous army to Rome and remained there for
some time and died, aged seventy-seven years, in the
twenty-third year of his reign. 10. And he left his
possessions to his son Marcus. And Marcus his son resembled
his father in graciousness and virtues. And he did all
that was lawful and just, and he died in the religion
of his father.
CHAPTER LXXV. 1. And after him the impious Decius,
the enemy of God, became emperor, 2. And he raised painful
punishments against the Christians and established the
law of the polluted heathen that search should be made
for the Christians. And accordingly he shed the blood
of many saints in every quarter, even of those who worshipped
the true God. 3. And this abominable Decius had many
male and female lions brought from Africa, and also
from the desert had many serpents and venomous beasts
male and female and placed them + to the east of the
city of Filmunti, of Arabia and Palestine + to
the fortress of Circesium in order to form a source
of strength against the barbarians and rebels.
CHAPTER LXXVI. 1. And after him a man named Aurelian
became emperor. And immediately on his accession to
the throne he rebuilt the walls of Rome, which had fallen
into ruins, and finished them in a short time. 2. And
he made all the inhabitants of Rome to work in order
to accomplish the building, while he diligently overlooked
it himself without pride. 3. And at that time he ordained
a law that all the workmen should be registered and
* that they should be named chief citizens103
of the empire in honour of the emperor. 4. And all this
was done in consequence |58
of the labour he underwent in the building of the walls
of the city. And this custom prevailed so among the
Romans that it led to the registration of the peasants
and artisans and sailors who sailed upon the sea. 5.
And all the workmen Aurelian named 'Aurelians' after
the emperor's name, and he had them registered in the
register of diwan, that is, dabdabe. And this institution
has prevailed to the present.
CHAPTER LXXVII. 1. And when Diocletian the Egyptian
became emperor, the army turned to give its help to
this impious man and persecutor of the faithful and
the most wicked of all men. 2. But the city of Alexandria
and Egypt declared against him and refused to submit
to him. And he made himself strong to war against them
with a numerous force and army and with his three colleagues
in the empire, Maximian of a wicked stock, Constantius,
and Maximian104 (Galerius).
3. And he went down into Egypt and made it subject to
him, and as for the city of Alexandria he destroyed
it. 4. Now he built a fort on the east of the city and
lay encamped there for a long time; for he was not able
by these means to capture the city and bring it into
his power. 5. And after a long time some people of the
city came to him and showed him a means of ingress whereby
he could enter. And so with much toil and trouble he
stormed the city and he had with him an innumerable
army. 6. And in the city also many thousand troops were
assembled by reason of the war that was waged amongst
them. And Diocletian set fire to the city and burnt
it completely, and he established his authority over
it. 7. And he was an idolater and offered sacrifices
to impure demons and persecuted the Christians. He was
indeed like a brute beast. 8. And he hated all good
men and he resisted God; for all the power of Rome was
in his hand. 9. And he put to death all the pastors,
priests and monks, men, women and little children, and
by the hands of his flesh-devouring agents whom he had
appointed in every place, he shed without mercy or compassion
the blood of innumerable saints. 10. And he destroyed
churches and burnt with fire the Scriptures inspired
by God. It was a persecution of all the Christians extending
over nineteen years, beginning with the time of his
accession to power and his conquest of the land of Egypt.
11. And at this time he sent men of |59
Alexandria to cut off the head of the holy father Patriarch
Peter, the last of the martyrs. 12. And he put to death
all the bishops of Egypt whom he found attached to the
orthodox faith and a pure course of life, till (at last)
every one believed him to be the Antichrist, who had
come to destroy all the world; for he was the home of
evil and the lurking-place of wrong. 13. And his colleagues
were like him in action and character, and these were
Maximian, who had perpetrated many crimes, for his sovereignty
was derived from him (i. e. Diocletian), and Maximian
the second, whose empire was in the east. He resembled
a treacherous beast, and was an enemy of God and the
perpetrator of abominable crimes. 14. But Constantius,
who was associated with him in the empire in Asia, had
not committed any crimes, but he loved men and treated
them kindly. 15. And he made also a proclamation by
the voice of a herald to the Christians in all places
under his sway that they should do the commands of the
Lord, the one true God. 16. And furthermore he commanded
that neither should violence be done to them nor persecution
be stirred up against them, nor their property be plundered
nor any evil inflicted upon them. 17. And he commanded
likewise that no hindrance should be put to their worship
in their holy churches in order that they might pray
on behalf of him and his empire. 18. And in the third
year after the close of the persecution which he had
instituted against the Christians, the impious Diocletian
in the midst of such enterprises fell sick of a grievous
bodily disease and lost his mind and reason. 19. And
in consequence thereof he was deposed and in accordance
with a decree of the Roman senate sent in exile to the
island named Waros, in which there were great forests,
and it lay in the west. And he remained there alone.
20. And in that island there were some believers who
had survived; these supplied him with daily food sufficient
to sustain his body. And whilst he pursued this course
of life in solitude, his reason returned to him, and
he became ambitious (again) of empire, and besought
the army and the Senate to come and take him from the
fortress (where he was) and make him emperor as before.
21. But the officers, the army and senate refused, saying:
'This man, who has lost his reason and mind, whom also
we have deposed, we will not receive back again. 22.
And in consequence of this refusal this enemy of God
and of the holy saints was deeply grieved and was not
|60 able to
accomplish his desire. He wept and his eyes shed tears
in abundance now that misfortune surrounded him on every
side. And he lost his reason to a very great degree
and became blind and his vigour departed and he died.
23. And Maximian, persistent in evil deeds, wrought
many enchantments on Diocletian, and he was addicted
to abominable practices and to the invocations of demons;
and he cut open the wombs of pregnant women and sacrificed
men and women to impure demons. 24. And in the midst
of such actions he was strangled and died in the second
year after his father's death,, and his end came about
not by the hands of others but by his own. 25. And the
impious Maximian (Galerius) also ceased not to perpetrate
the same crimes as Diocletian : yea he perpetrated (them)
in the east, in Africa, and in the great city of Alexandria
and in Egypt and in Pentapolis. 26. And he put to death
without mercy the holy martyrs : some he cast into the
sea, others he gave to wild beasts, others to the edge
of the sword, and others to be burnt in the fire. And
he destroyed churches, and burnt with fire the holy
Scriptures and restored the temples of the gods which
were in ruins. 27. And he had no compassion on the women
with child, but ripped open their wombs and drew forth
the babes and sacrificed them to impure demons. And
he compelled many to worship idols. 28. And no more
did he escape the wrath of God; for by the command of
God a severe cough settled in his chest, he began to
fail in health, his intestines became ulcerated, deadly
worms were generated and the odour that emanated from
him became fetid, so that one could not come near him.
29. And when he fell into this severe affliction and
great tribulation, he despaired of life and found no
solace in his grievous disease. And after-wards he recognized
and learnt that his malady had befallen him through
Christ the true God because he had afflicted the Christians.
30. And when he had wisely collected his inner thoughts
together, he commanded his appointed officials to put
an end to the persecution of the Christians. And when
he had done this act of humanity, the malady which God
had inflicted on him departed from him, and he was restored
to health. 31. And he continued (to enjoy health) for
six months after his repentance for his sin, but again
he took thought to organize a persecution of the Christians,
and he forgat Him who had healed him of his grievous
disease, (even) |61
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. 32. And again he
began to slay the Christians, and he set up new gods
in the great city of Antioch, and he gave himself to
dealings with demons and the enchantments which he used
to practise. 33. But forthwith war stirred up against
him in Armenia and there arose likewise a severe famine
in every province of his empire. And the fields yielded
no produce and nothing was to be found in the granaries,
and the people fell down and died through want of food.
34. And the rich became poor; for the people of + Abrakis
+ had quickly plundered them. And all men wept and lamented
bitterly, and they died and found none to bury them.
35. And the idolaters who lived in the west were full
of lamentation and grief because of their loss of Diocletian
and his son Maximian.
36. And (Maximian) sent to them his son Maxentius,
who established a high reputation for himself in that
place. For this son of the impious (Maximian) was on
the watch to ruin them, but, being treacherous, to begin
with he sought to please all the inhabitants of Rome.105
37. And he honoured our Faith, and he gave orders (to
his subjects) to cease from persecuting the Christians,
and he fashioned himself after the likeness of the worshippers
of Christ. And he began to exhibit a greater love for
mankind than any of his predecessors that were like
him. 38. But after a short time his treachery discovered
itself, and so, just as his fathers, he became like
a wolf in his lair. And he wrought in its fullness the
treachery of his fathers and disclosed his secret vices,
and committed every abomination and impurity. And he
became fierce and left no form of impurity and licentiousness
unaccomplished: and he perpetrated every kind of debauchery
and abused every man, and even legally married women
who had husbands he lay with [in public], not in secret
but openly, and thereupon sent them back to their husbands.
39. And further he was not willing to let them rest
from the oppression which they exercised upon them by
his command. And he also seized under many pretexts
the property of the rich and from such as had nothing
to give he took whatever he found in their possession,
and he put many thousands to death for the sake of |62
their property. 40. But one cannot give a complete account
of the deeds perpetrated by this impious man. But the
people of the city of Rome were helpless in what they
did; for he treated them, contrary to the customs of
their city.
41. But Constantius was a servant of God, of good report,
who accomplished his course in wisdom and prudence,
being beloved and virtuous. All manner of men made prayers
and supplications on his behalf, the nobles and people
and army. 42. It was he that built the city of Byzantium
and he pursued the good path in uprightness. Then he
fell asleep and went to God, leaving his illustrious
son, Constantine, the beloved of God, glorious and resplendent
in righteousness, whom he appointed empe'ror to bear
rule in his stead. 43. And this glorious (and) blessed
worshipper of the Trinity wrought the will of God always.
And he loved all the subjects of his empire and he did
good unto all, and he accomplished all the days of his
sovereignty in modesty and firmness and integrity, and
he became great before God who liveth for ever. 44.
And the army and all the people blessed him, for he
was zealous with a goodly zeal for God. And there were
revealed in his days light and Christian wisdom, powerful
and true, and charity and tolerance. 45. And he rejected
absolutely every charge of the informer,106
and yet he made, without exerting any violence, all
who were subject to his sway, servants of God. Moreover
he could not endure to leave (as they were) the churches
which had been cast down, and so he rebuilt them. Nor
did he permit any obstacle to withstand the holy Christian
worship of God whereby he had been consecrated to be
emperor (endowed) with goodness and modesty. 46. And
he took Licinius his sister Constantia's husband to
be his colleague in the government of Rome, who was
wanting in none of the virtues of Constantine the upright
emperor; for he had made him swear a great and terrible
oath that he would do justice and transgress in no respect
against our Lord Jesus Christ or against His servants.
47. And at that time there came from the east the impious
Maximin, the adversary of God and slave of Satan. For
he had usurped the empire of the east as its sole ruler,
and he plotted to put to death the |63
upright emperor Constantine and refused to execute the
sealed rescript from Constantine. 48. For he levied
war on all the cities and provinces under the sway (of
Licinius as far as) the city of Constantinople, but
he was not able to make himself master of them. And
both the godly Constantine and Licinius his sister's
husband made preparations to war against these rebels.
Constantine went to war against Maxentius who was in
Rome, and Licinius went to war against the impious Maximin
in the east. 49. And when Maxentius heard of the approach
of Constantine the servant of God, he proceeded by ship
and entered the river of Italy which flows by the city
of Rome and built a bridge on a secure structure for
the passage of the combatants, and of his followers,
and of the augurs who announced to him the oracles of
Satan. 50. He knew not indeed that the godly Constantine
had the help of Christ. And when the impious Maxentius
and all his people had crossed the river of Italy, the
cavalry that were posted on the bridge came to meet
him before the arrival of the Godloving Constantine.
51. And when Constantine arrived, he took his position
at a distance and did not enter the battle but waited
to see the manifestation of the help of God. And the
enemy indeed grew strong and powerful. 52. And while
Constantine was so engaged, he lay down and fell asleep,
grieved and sad at heart. And he saw a vision in the
form of the holy cross in the heaven and there was written
thereon this inscription: 'By this sign of the cross
thou shalt conquer.' 53. And thereupon he arose hastily
and began the battle and fought and won the victory
over his adversaries; and not one of them remained,
and he exterminated them all. 54. And those who were
with Maxentius the commander-in-chief wished to escape
and reach the city of Rome. But by the command of God
the bridge was broken and they were all drowned in the
depths. And there was joy in Rome that the impious were
drowned. 55. And the senate of Maxentius, and his nobles
and his army and all the people and the peasants together
with their babes took waxen torches and clad themselves
in clean and white garments and went with musicians
to meet the servant of God the emperor Constantine.
56. And not only did the city of Rome rejoice but also
all the cities and provinces and the city of Constantinople
with them. 57. And Constantine was not uplifted in his
heart |64
nor did he boast of his glory and his triumph as other
kings had done. He was, on the contrary, modest and
humble of heart and gave the praise to God and extolled
his Lord, the Lord of all, Jesus Christ;
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. 58. And thereupon
he entered the city of Rome in triumph, and all the
Romans prostrated themselves before him, and as many
as had survived the battle submitted themselves to his
commands. And Constantine thereupon entered the palace,
crowned with the diadem of victory. 59. And he made
known to all men the miracle with which he had been
favoured and the victory which he had won through the
vision which he had seen in the heaven in the form of
the holy cross. And when they heard this recital all
men exclaimed : 'Great is the God of the Christians
who has delivered us and our city from the hands of
the impious.' 60. And Constantine thereupon ordered
the temples to be closed and the doors of the churches
to be opened, not only in Rome but in every city. And
S. Sylvester the patriarch of Rome gave him many excellent
admonitions and instructed him in the pure faith. 61.
And afterwards he went to war against the cities of
Persia and he conquered them. And when he had conquered
them, he + established them in peace and confirmed to
them presents together with a horn + [which they used
to blow for the king].107
62. And he received with kindness all the Christians
who were there. And he removed the city magistrates
and all the officials and replaced them with Christians.
And he built beautiful churches in all the cities and
villages. 63. Furthermore he sent his mother the God-loving
empress Helena to search in the holy Jerusalem for the
wood of the glorious cross on which was crucified our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ-Praise be unto Him. 64.
It was in the days of the blessed father + Ailimun +,
bishop of Jerusalem. 65. And he built also the holy
edifice of the Resurrection in glorious fashion and
restored the buildings of Jerusalem so that they were
finer than |65
they had been at first, and so it has continued to the
present. 66. And the emperor Constantine also built
a church of great magnificence and beauty in Byzantium.
And its proportions were not small but very lofty. 67.
And when he had completed the building of the city,
he named it Constantinople after his own name; for previously
it had been named Byzantium. 68. And he liked to reside
therein, and he made it a habitation of Christ. 69.
And he gathered also the sacred Scriptures and placed
them in the churches. 70. And next he assembled three
hundred and eighteen saints in the city of Nicaea and
established the orthodox faith. It is impossible to
enumerate the good actions he accomplished. 71. Amongst
the most notable officials (of the empire) there was
one named Ablawijus, a Christian (who) laboured zealously
to discover the glorious cross on which our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ was crucified-Praise be to Him.
72. And the three hundred and eighteen whom he assembled
at Nicaea honoured the emperor Constantine, the servant
of God, and his mother the Godloving empress Helena,
and raised to them a worthy memorial and recounted their
glory from beginning to end.
73. And Licinius who took over the empire of the east
set out to war against the impious Maximin. And this
perverse wicked (man) learnt that he was marching to
war against him and (was apprised of) the overthrow
of Maxentius and his defeat by the godly emperor Constantine,
and he sought for peace from Licinius. 74. And Licinius
sent to Constantine saying : 'Maximin seeks for peace
and offers to accept the glorious and pure Christian
faith and forsakes his errors and concludes a treaty
with me.' And Constantine sent the reply that they should
accept his proposals. 75. Then Maximin, concealing in
his heart his evil treachery, sent rescripts to all
the officials under his sway, forbidding them to disquiet
the Christian. 76. And when the rescripts reached the
officials they knew that this policy was not in conformity
with his wishes but only with the faith of his superiors.
And for this reason none accorded to him honour, anywhere,
because of the evil he had previously done to the saints.
77. Now the emperor Constantine never prevented the
chief Christians from holding synods or building churches,
but he |66
observed carefully the Christian faith and shunned the
worship of idols. And thus he commanded and gave instruction
to all that the churches should be left in peace, and
he battled on behalf of the orthodox faith.
78. There was a man named Gelasinus of the village
of Mariamme, which is near to Damascus, about one mile
distant. And he lived in the midst of a large population
who were devoted to the worship of idols and dwelt in
the city of Heliopolis in Lebanon. 79. And at that time
they were assembled in a theatre, and they had brought
actors with them. They put cold water into a large brazen
vessel and thus began to mock all who came to the holy
baptism of the Christians. 80. And one of these actors
went down into the water and was baptized, and when
he came out of the water they clothed him in a white
garment; for till this incident he had been an actor,
but after he came forth from the water he refused to
pursue the avocations of an actor or to play the mimic
again, and said : 'I wish to die in the Christian religion
on behalf of Christ'; and added : 'I saw a great miracle
while I made a mock of holy baptism'. 81. And when he
had gone but a little way from the place of that water,
all who were there were filled with wrath and indignation;
for they were worshippers of idols. 82. And they went
down from the theatre and seized that holy man and stoned
him. And he received the crown of martyrdom which fadeth
not away, and he was enrolled with the holy martyrs.
And his relatives came with many Christians and took
his body and buried it in the village and built a church
over the place where his body was buried. Now the man's
name was Gelasinus.108
May God have mercy on us through his intercessions.
83. Now the impure Maximin did not forsake his wicked
errors and he was not possessed by the power of righteousness
which had been acquired from God by the Godloving emperors,
who pursued a good course through life in knowledge
and in understanding. 84. But this perverse man resolved
to make war on the Christ-loving emperors; for he was
possessed by a demon that infuriated him. And as he
had lost his former unlimited authority, he could no
longer choose for himself those most agreeable or suitable
to him. 85. And in his pride and stiffneckedness he
began to violate the treaty he had made with Licinius.
+ And he exerted himself |67
to execute deeds which should issue in his destruction
through fear +, and he changed his mind and stirred
up all men and threw all the cities into confusion and
the officials under his sway. 86. And he mustered many
thousands to war against the God-loving emperors and
he trusted in the demons from whom he received instruction.
87. But from the moment he began to war the help of
God was withdrawn from him, and Licinius conquered him
and slew all the soldiers in whom he trusted and the
officers. And all the remaining troops betook themselves
to Licinius and cast themselves at his feet. 88. And
when Maximin saw this he fled in fear; for he was dispirited,
and he quitted shamefully the field of battle and came
to his own province. And he was full of wrath and indignation
against the idolatrous priests and lying prophets, and
augurs, for they had persuaded him through favourable
counsels. 89. And for this reason he slew them in whom
he had (formerly) boasted himself, and whom he had made
gods. Then it was that he learnt for himself that they
were impostors and powerless to give aid in war. And
he renounced the demons who had instructed him with
counsel, and he slew the magicians who wrought evil.
But he had no zeal for the salvation of his soul: he
was feeble, and praised not the God of the Christians,
and he refused wholly to accept the law and its blessings.
90. And Licinius gave orders to carry on the war against
those who remained in the tenth year after the persecution
of the Christians, wherein Diocletian, the father (of
Maximin), the adversary of God, had persecuted them.
During all this length of days (Maximin) had not repented
with a genuine repentance nor truly hoped for salvation.
91. And after his flight from the field of battle, he
suffered from disease of the heart, and grew weak from
a grievous disease which came upon him from God. And
his flesh was devoured through the fire of the disease,
and this fire burned in his belly, and his appearance
was altered and his limbs wasted away, and his intestines
were consumed, and his bones became prominent and finally
his eyes fell out. And in the midst of all this affliction,
his soul left his body. 92. It is thus the three
adversaries of God, Diocletian and his two sons, perished.
But before he died the impious Maximin recognized that
all this had befallen him because of his rebellion against
Christ and the evils which he had inflicted on the Christian
saints. 93. And in those days Licinius took possession
of the east and |68
exercised authority over it and the adjoining provinces.
And the church dwelt in tranquillity and peace, and
he restored again its edifices and the church was lighted
with the light of Christ. 94. But again thereafter Satan,
the evil-doer, who is ever seeking to seduce all the
faithful as a devouring lion, which is treacherous and
cunning, seduced Licinius also and made him forget his
honourable deeds of aforetime, and he inclined towards
doing the actions of those whose eyes have been blinded,
and he was zealous to follow their evil way, and his
heart was not glad as before. 95. Formerly he had not
been estranged from the emperor Con-stantine, but afterwards
he forgot the covenant and the oath which had been made
between them, and he took evil counsel against the great
emperor Constantine to slay him. But Christ, the true
God, foiled the plots of Licinius. 96. Formerly, indeed,
he had honoured and praised Jesus Christ; but when he
denied Him He delivered him over to a cruel death, refusing
him forgiveness because of the shameful deeds that he
had done. 97. And Licinius began to persecute the Christians
and to levy war upon the God-loving Constantine as his
impious predecessors had done, whose memorial bad been
blotted out by the Lord. 98. And he began also to demolish
and close the churches and to put to death the holy
believers. And as for the soldiers who were strong in
the Christian faith, he degraded them, and subjected
the rich to tortures.109
99. And he appointed agents in every city and village
to put a stop to the holy, that is, the Christian worship
of God, lest prayers should be offered up for the faithful
emperor Constantine. And he turned them from the worship
of God to that of demons. And he wrought very many evil
acts. 100. But Constantine did not cease to praise and
worship the one true Lord God. And together with Crispus,
whom he had appointed Caesar, a strong man, kindly disposed
to men and faithful to God, he assembled a strong army,
and they went forth to war against the adversaries of
God, under the guidance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, with invincible powers. 101. And though Licinius
was his brother-in-law, Constantine had no mercy upon
him, but he was firm on behalf of the holy faith which
that rebel had forsaken, turning to demons. And for
this reason he went against him |69
speedily armed with punishment, and he laid low him
and all his army and exterminated them with a terrible
and bitter death. 102. And all these happenings had
come upon Licinius because he had denied Christ and
had violated the oath and the covenant which he had
made with Constantine. 103. And thereupon he took possession
of the empire of Licinius and made it one with his own:
yea, he took possession of the empires of the east and
of the west and of the south and of the north. And they
all came under his authority, and he established universal
peace and was at one with all men and blessed by all
men, and he duly made strong-all the frontiers of the
empire till his adversaries submitted to his authority
through the might of our Lord Jesus Christ the son of
the true Lord God. 104. And he made his two sons emperors,
Constantius and Constans, with honour and majesty. Then
he fell asleep without regret or trouble; for our Lord
Jesus Christ, the true God, protected his empire to
the third generation. 105. And the blessed Constans
resembled his father, and he walked in the right way
and accomplished all his days virtuously.
106. And after his death the people of Yemen received
the knowledge of God, and were illuminated with the
light of the praise of our Lord Jesus Christ-praise
be unto Him-by means of a holy woman named Theognosta.
107. Now she was a Christian virgin who had been carried
off captive from a convent on the borders of the Roman
empire and had been conducted to the king of Yemen and
presented to him as a gift. 108. And this Christian
woman became very rich through the grace of God and
wrought many healings. And she brought over the king
of India to the faith, and he became a Christian through
her agency as well as all the people of India. 109.
Then the king of India and his subjects requested the
Godloving emperor Honorius to appoint them a bishop.
110.. And he rejoiced with great joy because they had
embraced the faith and turned to God, and he appointed
them a holy bishop, named Theonius, who admonished them
and instructed them and strengthened them in the faith
of Christ our God till they were worthy to receive baptism
which is the second birth through the prayers of the
holy virgin Theognosta. 111. Glory be unto our Lord
Jesus Christ who alone worketh marvels and bestoweth
goodly gifts on those who trust in Him. And so it was
also in India, that is, the great India. For the men
of that country |70
had formerly received a man named Afrudit (i.e. Frumentius).110
He was of noble birth of the country of India
and they had made him their bishop, having been instituted
and ordained by Athanasius the apostolic, the patriarch
of Alexandria. 112. Now (Afrudit) had told him concerning
the grace which they had received through the Holy Spirit
and the manner in which they had found the salvation
of their souls through the grace of holy baptism and
were made worthy of this gift.
113. As for the Christ-loving emperor Constantine,
there was with him always a bright angel of God which
at all times directed and instructed him in the will
of God until the memorable day of his death. And he
waked him also from his bed for prayer every day. And
he was visible to him alone of the emperors. 114. And
as he beheld visions in the heaven he fell asleep after
a pure life: he was an oblation to God, and he went
to his rest in heaven.
CHAPTER LXXVIII. 1. And these are the names of the
sons of the great emperor Constantine, Constantius,
Constans, and Constantine. And they divided the empire
of their father into three parts which they assigned
by lot. 2. And to Constantius there fell by lot the
province of Asia and he became emperor over it. And
to Constantine (there fell) Constantinople, and he seated
himself on the throne of his father. And Constans became
emperor over Rome, the great city of Rome. 3. But feuds
arose between Constans and Constantine in regard to
the empire and their subjects, and they warred against
each other, and Constantine died in battle. 4. And thereafter
Constans, the younger of the two, resided in Rome only,
but Constantius reigned in Byzantium, that is, Constantinople.
5. And Arius appeared in his days and he attached himself
to his doctrine and became an Arian. And in consequence
of this (heresy) Sapor-Arsekius,111
king of Persia, attacked the Roman empire, and there
was much bloodshed between them. 6. And afterwards they
were reconciled and there was peace and tranquillity
and love between Rome and Persia. 7. And on his way
back to Byzantium Constantius built a bridge strongly
constructed over the river named Pyramus in Cilicia.
8. And in his days, moreover, the city of Nicaea, the
chief of cities of our three hundred and eighteen Fathers,
was overthrown by a great earthquake. And this fell
out |71 through
the will of God in order that the Arians should not
assemble therein to corrupt the holy orthodox faith
established by our holy Fathers, the three hundred and
eighteen bishops, who assembled formerly in the days
of Constantine-a festival of happy memory. And it was
for this reason that the wrath of God prevented them.
9. And afterwards there appeared in heaven a sign,
that is, the holy cross standing at midday over the
holy place where our Saviour Jesus Christ was crucified,
before the arrival of Cyril, patriarch of Jerusalem,
and other bishops who were with him. 10. And Cyril thereupon
and the bishops who were with him wrote a letter and
sent it to the emperor Constans regarding the great
marvel and the great sign which had appeared.
11. Now the emperor Constans was zealous for the faith
of his father, and he was earnestly devoted to the religion
of God. And he resembled his brother who died in battle
(and) admired him, but he hated his brother who ruled
in Asia because he had not kept the faith of the Godloving
Constantine, and promulgated many decrees against the
apostolic Athanasius, the patriarch of Alexandria, and
chased him from his bishopric in order to please the
heretics, i, e. the Arians. 12. The hatreds and differences
that divided the two imperial brothers, Constantius
and Constans, were very violent. And this hatred had
arisen not only on account of the death of their brother,
but also because of Athanasius the patriarch of Constantinople,
and of Constantius's declension from the faith of his
father and his unacceptableness to our Lord Jesus Christ.
13. And on these grounds he strengthened (his) hatred
against his brother. And whilst so engaged Constans
died, having pleased God and cursed Constantius his
brother because of his evil deeds. 14. And after the
death of Constans, the emperor Constantius sent an officer
to slay Athanasius, the glorious Father, the head of
the church. 15. Heretofore Constans had protected him
from the evil designs of his brother, and Constantius
feared his brother and concealed his evil designs in
his heart. 16. But after the death of his brother Constans,
he disclosed all that was in his heart and sought to
slay him. But the right hand of the Most High God protected
him, and he took to flight and concealed himself and
was saved from, his hands. 17. And the officer who was
sent to the apostolic Athanasius raised a tumult against
the Christians; for he belonged to the sect of Manes.
And in those days it was |72
not only the Arians who disquieted the church : the
Manichaeans also were roused on a different principle,
and stirred up a persecution of the Christians, and
there was much disquiet and shedding of blood.
18. And afterwards there arose against the city of
Rome a powerful leader named Magnentius, and he usurped
the imperial power + at the hour of sunset +112
without the permission of Constantius. And he marched
into Europe and gave battle to Constantius, and many
were slain on both sides, and finally the mighty Magnentius
was slain also. And Constantius won the day and made
himself master of all the possessions of Magnentius.
19. And after Constantius won the victory he did not
praise God as had the Christian emperors who preceded
him. In all his actions, on the contrary, he followed
the guidance of the Arians.
20. And later he assembled a council of heretical bishops
in Milan, that is in Italy, at the instigation of these
heretics who had rejected the orthodox faith and denied
the worship of the Holy Trinity. 21. And he made them
write a sentence of excommunication against the apostolic
Athanasius, the patriarch of Alexandria, and the bishops
who followed him. 22. And these are the names of those
who were exiled with the apostolic Athanasius: Liberius,
patriarch of Rome, who was appointed after Julius; Paulinus,113
metropolitan of Gaul; Dionysius, metropolitan of Italy
; and Lucifer,2 metropolitan of the island
of Sardinia. And they made Auxentius the Arian bishop
of the province of Italy. 23. And (he sent into exile
also) the aged and illustrious confessor Hosius,114
bishop of the west. 24. And he made also the holy (Fathers)
who had assembled in Nicaea to go forth, and exiled
them from their bishoprics. And later, when the emperor
Constantius was in Rome, illustrious women came in a
body to him and besought him to recall Liberius the
patriarch from exile. And the emperor brought him back
to Rome. 25. Now Felix was the minister of Liberius
the patriarch who had come to terms with the Arians,
and they made him patriarch after the expulsion |73
of his master. But on the return of his master Liberius
from exile, he (Felix) treated him with hauteur and
dislike on account of his restoration. Then he, too,
was exiled from Rome to a city of the west and obliged
to reside there.
26. And in those days Constantius sent Gallus, his
+ sister's + son, to the east by night. This (Gallus)
had formerly fought against Magnentius and slain him,
and was a Christian in all his ways. 27. And after he
had slain this powerful (rebel), he returned to Constantinople.
Then Constantius appointed him emperor of Rome and sent
him to reside there. 28. And after Gallus arrived in
Rome, his brother Julian of evil name returned to Constantinople
from the province of Bithynia to the emperor Constantius;
for he had put to death many of his relations and feared
lest they should calumniate him to the emperor. 29.
Now this Julian was a strong and powerful man. Formerly
he had resided as reader in the church of Nicomedia,
but he had been troubled with doubts regarding the Christian
faith. 30. And Gallus, who was emperor of Rome by the
will of the emperor Constantius because he was his +
son-in-law + and because he was attached to him, lived
but a few days longer and then died. 31. Thereupon Julian
gave up reading the holy Scriptures, and betook himself
to the protection of the troops and officers of Rome,
and let the hair of his head grow long and became a
great captain. 32. And subsequently he was appointed
emperor in Europe, according to the Christian custom,
by the permission of the emperor Constantius. But he
did not wait till they had placed on his head the imperial
crown according to custom ; but walked according to
the misguidance of augurs and the directions of magicians
and became a servant of demons, and aspired to the proud
position (of sole emperor) and began to make war on
the emperor Constantius. 33. And when Constantius became
aware of this movement he mustered a numerous army from
the provinces of Syria, and he came into Cilicia in
order to do battle with Julian; for he thought he should
slay him. 34. But when Constantius was so purposing
he fell ill and died, and so was unable to carry out
his purpose; for God had brought evils upon him
that he might return to the earth from which he came.
35. And when Julian was informed of the death of Constantius
he took possession of the empire. He was strong and
powerful exceedingly, |74
and he restored the exiled bishops to their thrones.
And he brought the apostolic Athanasius from exile and
sent him back to Alexandria : Meletius to Antioch :
Cyril, the author of the homilies, to Jerusalem : Eusebius,
Lucifer, and Hilary to the west: and others who were
in like plight to their several churches. 36. But after
a short time he discovered his unbelief and apostasy
owing to the philosophers, of whom one was named Libanius,
of the city of Antioch, and the other Maximus one o£
the augurs. 37. Supported and strengthened by these,
Julian closed the churches and opened the temples, and
plundered the precious vessels of the house of God and
gave them openly to impostors. 38. Next he attacked
the worshippers of Jesus Christ and proclaimed himself
the restorer of temples, and offered abominable sacrifices
to idols and kindled fire before the altars of demons,
and polluted the earth with the blood of impure sacrifices,
and polluted the air with the smoke of fat. 39. And
at the instigation of the heathen he sent (agents) to
slay the great (and) apostolic Athanasius. But he quitted
his bishopric and fled and hid himself from him. 40.
And this apostate emperor, like his father Satan, destroyed
the holy edifices that had been built by the Godloving
emperor Constantine, and made all these holy places
into dwellings of demons and temples of idols. 41. And
they lorded it over the inoffensive Christians and they
began to mock them and destroy them and slay them and
evilly entreat them, not only for a short time but for
a lengthened period. And they bellowed like ferocious
beasts against them and terrified them.
42. It was at this period that evil and idolatrous
men kindled a fire in order to burn the body of S. John
the Baptist. But the power of our Lord Jesus Christ
foiled their design, and all these apostates seeing
a terrible apparition took to flight. 43. And there
were there certain inhabitants of Alexandria who took
the body of S. John and conveyed it to Alexandria and
gave it secretly to the holy Athanasius the patriarch
before his flight. 44. And he conveyed it and placed
it secretly in the house of a magistrate, one of the
great people of the city. And this secret was known
only to a few priests and to Theophilus the third patriarch
(after Athanasius). 45. Now the latter was reader and
singer when they brought the body of S. John. And after
Athanasius Peter became patriarch, and after Peter,
his brother Timothy Aktemon, whose name is by. interpretation
'without possessions'; and after Timothy, Theophilus
|75 who destroyed
the temple named Serapis (?) and converted it into a
church. 46. Now (this church) was massive and its dimensions
lofty and it was very much decorated. And he made it
with pomp the abiding-place of the body of S. John the
Baptist. And it is also said that after many days Theophilus
took the body of S. John and his head and placed them
in the tomb which had been constructed in the midst
of the church. 47. And he made great rejoicings and
a glorious feast. And the inhabitants of the city were
uplifted because of him and made him notable with praise.
CHAPTER, LXXIX. 1. And it is said in regard to the
holy Theophilus, the patriarch of Alexandria, that he
was a citizen of Memphis, the city of Pharaoh, formerly
called Arcadia. And he was of Christian origin. 2. And
he had a little sister and an Ethiopian slave who had
belonged to his parents. Now they were orphans and he
was but a child in years and stature. 3. And one night
about the time of dawn this slave took the children
by the hand and brought them to a temple of abominable
gods, namely of Artemis and Apollo, in order to pray
there according to the errors of their worship. 4. And
when the children entered, the gods fell to the earth
and were broken. And the slave was frightened thereby
and she took the children and went in flight to the
city of Nikius; for she feared the priests of the abominable
idols. 5. And she feared also lest the people of Nikius
should deliver her up to the priests of the idols, and
so she carried off the children with her and came to
Alexandria. 6. And, as the divine inspiration moved
her, and the grace of God rested upon her, she took
the children and brought them to the church in order
to be rightly acquainted with the practice of the Christian
mysteries. 7. And at that time God revealed to the Father
Athanasius, the patriarch of Alexandria, the circumstances
of the children when they entered the church and their
position near the place of exhortation (i.e. pulpit).
And he gave orders that the three should be guarded
till the celebration was over. 8. And thereafter they
brought the children and the slave to the holy Athanasius,
and he interrogated the slave and said unto her: 'What
hast thou done and why did not the gods who are without
understanding assist thee ? Why rather, when they saw
the children of the Church, did they fall to the earth
and were broken ? Henceforth these children will belong
to me'. 9. And when the slave heard these things, she
was astonished at the words of the saint |76
in that he knew the secret things that had befallen
in the temple. Then she could not deny all that she
had done : nay more, she cast herself at his feet and
begged to be baptized into the Holy Christian faith.
10. And he baptized them and made them Christians and
they received the light of grace and were (born) anew.
11. And <he sent> the little girl to a convent
of virgins to remain there till the time of her marriage.
Then she was given in marriage to a man of Mahalle,
in the north of Egypt, which was formerly called Didusja.
12. It was there the holy Cyril was born, the great
star which lighted up all places by his doctrine, being
clothed with the Holy Spirit. It was he who became patriarch
after Theophilus, his mother's brother. 13. And after
the child, the holy Theophilus, was baptized, they shaved
his head and numbered him amongst the readers and appointed
him to be an anagnostes. 14. And he was reared
with care in the manner that befitteth saints, and he
grew up and became a youth well pleasing to God, and
he learnt all the God-inspired Scriptures of the Church
and observed their laws. 15. And next they ordained
him deacon and he became very zealous for the faith
of our Lord Jesus Christ, in purity and holiness. 16.
And later he was clothed with the garments of the priesthood
and he became the chief and sat on the throne of Mark
the Evangelist in the city of Alexandria. 17. And when
he became patriarch, he illuminated every city with
the light of his holy faith, and delivered all the cities
of Egypt from the worship of idols and he destroyed
all the makers of images, even as the holy apostolic
Athanasius had prophesied regarding him.
CHAPTER LXXX. 1. And the wretched Julian began to build
the sanctuary of the Jews in Jerusalem which the Romans
had destroyed, and he offered sacrifices there, for
he was devoted to the shedding of blood. 2. But our
Lord Jesus Christ-praise be unto Him-brought to nought
his works and ordinances. 3. And Sapor Arsaces, king
of Persia, who was of a pacific disposition and had
paid tribute to the Godloving emperor Constantine, went
forth to war with the Romans. 4. It was at that time
that the holy martyr Domitius finished his course.115
For the emperor Julian, the enemy of God, after having
offered sacrifice to demons in the city named Casius,116
in the neighbourhood of Antioch, about six miles distant,
|77 where
there was the idol Apollo, arose and went forth to war
with the Persians, he and the forces of Rome. 5. And
he was accompanied by all the demon-possessed and deceitful
augurs. And as he marched he came to a grassy spot,
and he saw there many men, women, and children. 6. And
many of the sick were healed through the prayer of the
holy Domitius, the servant of God. 7. And he questioned
(them) saying : 'What is this assemblage which I see?'
And they replied : 'A monk is working miracles and healing
the sick : and this assemblage which thou seest is composed
of Christians ; they receive a blessing from him and
are healed by him'. 8. And Julian was wroth and sent
to him a soldier treacherously in a menacing tone and
said : 'If thou dwellest in this cave in order to please
God, why dost thou desire to please men, and why hast
thou not hidden thyself?' 9. And the holy Domitius answered
and said : 'I have committed wholly my soul and my body
into the hands of the God of heaven, the true God, Jesus
Christ. And behold it is now many years since I have
closed this cave upon myself. And as for the assemblage
which have come to me in faith, I cannot drive them
away'. 10. And when the emperor heard these words he
commanded the soldiers to close the mouth of the cave
on the righteous old man till he died. 11. And thus
he accomplished his course in the twenty-third day of
the month Hamle, and received the martyr's crown which
fadeth not away.
12. But the punishment of God was not slow in overtaking
Julian the Apostate. 13. Now he marched against the
Persians who were idolaters like himself, and he marched
with haste and never again saw Rome. 14. But he did
not accomplish what the deceivers had promised to him
saying: 'We the gods will unite to give thee aid the
moment thou dost enter the river'. 15. And this unfortunate
man was deceived by their words and was not able to
open his mouth by reason of their flow of speech. 16.
And they named that river the river of fire because
there were wild beasts in it.117
And for this reason it is named by this name. |78
17. And Julian was obstinately attached to error and
called himself 'the despiser of the word of God'. For
he trusted in idols and consulted demons who were not
able to save him, but misled him with vain performances;
for they destroyed his understanding and he became an
adversary of God, the glorious Creator and our Saviour
Jesus Christ, who shed His blood on behalf of many and
became the true foundation for believers, who avenged
His Christian servants. 18. Now Julian shed the blood
of many Christians, and in his days many believers were
put to death, and he visited with severe persecution
those who called upon the name of Christ. 19. Now, while
this apostate was proposing to war against the Persians,
vengeance came upon him from our Lord Jesus Christ,
and he was slain by the hand of His servant Mercury,
the martyr. 20. And on the night on which this abominable
transgressor was slain, the holy Basil, who was clothed
with God, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, saw a vision.
21. And he saw the heavens opened and our Lord Jesus
Christ sitting on the throne of His glory (and) saying
with a loud voice : 'Mercury, go and slay Julian the
adversary of My anointed ones'. And the holy Mercury
was standing before him clothed with a flashing corslet
of steel. 22. And on hearing the command of our Lord
Jesus Christ he departed, disappearing for a short space,
and after a short space he reappeared and cried with
a loud voice: 'I have slain the emperor Julian in accordance
with Thy command, and he is dead, O Lord'. 23. The bishop
awoke astonied and terrified. Now Julian used to honour
the holy Basil greatly because they had been bound by
tics of friendship from their youth. For they were versed
in letters and Basil also had written frequently to
him in order to |79
prevail on him to forsake his errors, but he had refused.
24. And when the bishop Basil awaked from sleep, he
called the venerable priests and the faithful to early
morning prayers in the church. 25. And after the completion
of the prayers, he recounted to them this vision which
he had seen, saying: 'Can Julian really be dead?' And
when they heard these words, the priests and the people
feared and thereupon asked him to be silent till the
matter was fully ascertained. But the man of God was
not willing to be silent, but spake out and feared not;
for he trusted in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ.
26. And soon it fell out according to the vision of
S. Basil, and the death of Julian the apostate was heard
of throughout all the provinces, even his destruction
which God had accomplished by the hand of his martyr
S. Mercurius. 27. Now this apostate had brought destruction
and disasters on the army. He had the noses of two Persians
cut off who, as guides, had conducted the army into
a mountainous and waterless desert whence there was
no means of issue, when he wished to attack the Persians.
28. And the Roman soldiers perished in that region of
hunger and thirst and many hardships; for these Persians
had dealt subtly with the Romans and had destroyed them.
But this apostate Julian did not recognize (this) indubitable
judgement of God. 29. And his crimes had continued all
the days of his life, even forty and four years.118
30. After the death of Julian the Roman troops assembled
in order to appoint an emperor, and through the help
of God being all of one mind whilst they were in Persia,
they chose Jovian to be their emperor. 31. Now he was
an orthodox Christian (and) a faithful servant of God.
He, however, was unwilling to be emperor, but he was
made emperor by force. 32. Previously indeed he had
been commander-in-chief, and for this reason he received
the imperial crown. And after they had made him emperor,
he ascended an eminence and addressed in a loud voice
all the people and the troops as follows : 'If ye wish
me to become your emperor, become Christians like me,
and believe in Christ, and become the foes of idols'.
33. Thereupon all the people and the troops cried out
with one voice, saying: 'We are Christians: Henceforth
Christ is our emperor and His glorious Cross'. And for
|80 this reason
they honoured the emperor and praised him with great
praise.
34. And when the Persians had been apprised of the
death of Julian they sent ambassadors to Jovian the
Godloving emperor to negotiate terms of peace and friendship.
And the emperor Jovian received them gladly, and peace
and friendship were made between Rome and Persia. 35.
And the Persians agreed to pay tribute, and he (Jovian)
remitted the tribute of one year, because Julian the
apostate had previously destroyed and made a wilderness
of the city of Anderwan. 36. Nevertheless he commanded
them to build outside the imperial frontiers a city
for themselves, and he named this city Amides.119
And he strengthened it with walls and fortifications,
and filled it with a numerous population, and he made
it like the first city which Julian the apostate had
destroyed. And he that was set over this city besought
greatly the emperor Jovian to name it after the name
of Rome. But he refused on account of the peace and
friendship subsisting between Rome and Persia.120
CHAPTER LXXXI. 1. And after the conclusion of the war
the Christian emperor Jovian evacuated Persia and brought
back safely all the remaining troops. 2. But such as
he found holding the evil sentiments of Julian the apostate
he destroyed and exterminated. 3. And forthwith he opened
the churches of Constantinople and closed the temples.
And he restored to the Christians the Christian cities
which Julian the apostate had taken from them, and he
appointed Christian (governors) in all the cities, and
he destroyed all the temples to their foundations, and
the worshippers of idols became few. 4. And he interdicted
also the religion of the Arians who are adversaries
of Christ; for he was an unwavering orthodox believer
and a true worshipper of the Holy Trinity who give life
to all. 5. And he became glorious as the light of the
sun through all his actions and his true and upright
faith. And he was full of virtues and did good unto
all men of his time. 6. And he addressed also a decree
to all the Roman provinces to this effect: 'I, the Godloving
Jovian, commander-in-chief, true emperor (and) master
|81 of the
world, hereby write to all the Christians under my sway.
7. I am solicitous over you in the Lord and I rejoice
with you in regard to the holy church which is in the
midst of the city, as the navel in the midst of the
belly. For it has triumphed greatly over all who opposed
it. 8. Now the anger of the emperor Julian arose against
it and he closed it; but I give orders to have it reopened
and restored to a condition of repose in order that
there may be given to it a pure and holy priesthood
who may therein offer prayers to heaven-which may God
in His mercy vouchsafe to receive. 9. And now let us
exert ourselves to reopen the church and let us perform
its offices, and honour its ministers, in order that
all the people and army of Rome may assemble within
it. For it was given to them by God, merciful and gracious,
in order that prayer and supplications might always
be offered therein with befitting earnestness.'
10. And Jovian addressed a letter to this effect also
to the apostolic S. Athanasius, the patriarch of Alexandria,
in order to restore him to his city in great honour.
11. 'From the emperor Jovian to the Godloving S. Athanasius.
We admire thee and thy wise manner of life and + thy
near approaches to the kings + and thy faithful virtues
and thy noble earnestness to fulfil the work of our
Lord Jesus Christ-praise be unto Him. 12. We request
thee, honoured bishop; for thou hast undergone every
labour and hast not feared those who persecuted thee
nor the tribulations that have overtaken thee, but hast
accounted wrath and indignation as a thing of nought
and reckoned them as no better than a worthless straw.
13. And thou hast gone in the footsteps of the orthodox
faith and hast proceeded unto the end, and hast left
(the example) of thy life to those that come after thee
and hast bound them with perfect faith and virtuous
deeds.+121 14. Return
now to our imperial domain and resume thy teaching which
is full of salvation. And preserve the churches and
feed the people of Christ and zealously address thy
prayers to God on our behalf and on behalf of our empire
that we may be saved through thy prayers. 15. For we
think that we shall gain the help of the Most High God
through the supplications of thy pure and holy tongue;
for it is inspired by |82
the Holy Spirit. 16. And we have written this letter
to thee that thou mayst enlighten the people with the
light of Christ and mayst put an end to idols, the adversaries
of God, and likewise to the heresy of the Arians who
persecuted them [that we may be saved by thy prayers].
17. And when the apostolic S. Athanasius, the light
of the world, had read this letter, he convoked all
the holy bishops and the honoured doctors and wrote
two treatises : the first on the Word of God, who is
one of the Holy Trinity, and the second on the precepts
of Christ. 18. And he addressed a letter also to S.
Basil, who constantly thought upon and studied the works
of God, and said : 'The Godloving emperor Jovian accepts
absolutely and with joy the orthodox faith of the Council
of Nicaea : rejoice thou therefore; for he is orthodox
and has established the pure faith of the Holy Trinity.'
19. And the emperor Jovian finished his course in peace
and integrity, doing that which was well pleasing to
God. 20. And whilst he was so engaged he set out to
go to the city of Byzantium, and though attacked by
an illness he passed through Cilicia and Galatia and
came to the city named Didastana,122
and he went to his rest there. 20. For the world was
not worthy to receive such an emperor, as he was good
and pious and merciful and humble, Christian and orthodox.
CHAPTER LXXXII. 1. And after the death of the Godloving
Jovian, Valentinian, being the foremost amongst the
officers, came to mourn with them over the death of
the emperor Jovian. 2. And whilst they were so mourning
and were anxiously deliberating on the appointment of
their emperor, then Sallust the prefect of the praetorians
came (forward) and enjoying a very illustrious position
amongst the officers advised them and said : 'It is
most suitable for us that Valentinian should be made
emperor. At an earlier date he was a general and was
persecuted by Julian the apostate on account of his
orthodox faith.' 3. And when the officers and the troops
had heard the advice of Sallust they appointed him emperor
and had him proclaimed as follows by the voice of heralds
in all the |83
provinces : 'Valentinian, a just man (and) a
Christian, whose words are just and whose utterance
is true, has become emperor.' 4. And when he became
emperor, he appointed Sallust vizier (sic)
over all his officers ; for he was no respecter
of persons. And when Sallust became vizier and was empowered
with authority, he strengthened the cause of justice
and right in all the provinces, and was full of discernment
and refused bribes and did not give his confidence rashly.
And the emperor was pleased with him because he was
a doer of the right. 5. And next Valentinian made Valens
his brother emperor in Constantinople, but he went himself
to Home and established his authority over all the empire
of the west. 6. And he condemned many magistrates who
were guilty of injustice and took bribes. 7. And there
was an officer of the palace named Rhodanus who had
committed an act of injustice on a widow and had taken
possession of her property. 8. And she went and told
the emperor, and the emperor commanded (him) to restore
all her property.123 And
from that day he was honoured by the army and the senate,
and by all peoples, 9, For this just and equitable emperor
hated oppression and judged with the voice of justice
and practised equity. 10. This great emperor did not
spare (even) his wife, the empress Marina. Now she had
bought a garden from a nursery woman (lit. a female
planter of plants) and had not paid her the price which
it was equitably worth, because the valuers had valued
(it) out of regard to the empress and so had inclined
to do her a favour. 11. And when the pious Valentinian
was apprised of what his wife had done, he sent Godfearing
men to value that garden and he bound them by a solemn
oath to value it justly and equitably. 12. And when
the valuers came to that garden, they found that she
had been guilty of a grave injustice and had given the
woman but a small portion of the price. 13. And when
the emperor heard, he was wroth with the empress (and)
removed her from his presence and drove her from the
palace and took to wife a woman named Justina, with
whom he lived all the rest of his |84
days. 14. As for his first wife, he drove and exiled
her from the city, and gave back the garden to the woman
who had sold it.
15. And the emperor Valentinian raised to the imperial
throne his son Gratian, who was born to him by the wife
he had driven into exile. 16. And after the emperor
Valentinian had accomplished many noble deeds, he fell
ill and died loyal to the faith of the Holy Trinity,
in the castle named Watan.124
17. And after his death came his brother Valens, who
had formerly been a Christian but afterwards had walked
in the way of the Arians and had attached himself strongly
to their abominable faith. 18. And he persecuted the
orthodox, and their churches were openly given to the
impious heretics. And he confiscated wrongfully the
property of all the inhabitants of Byzantium and other
cities.
19. And in the days of this abominable (prince) there
was an earthquake in the city of Nicaea where the holy
council had been held. For the sea rose against it and
overwhelmed it. 20. And in those days also a man named
Tatian was appointed prefect of Alexandria, which is
the chief city of Egypt. And he built, in the place
called Abrakjun, the two stone gates with enormous labour
and he made these gates for the passage of the great
river, and he fortified the country of Egypt.
21. And in those days there appeared a miracle through
the intervention of the apostolic S. Athanasius, the
father of the faith, patriarch of Alexandria. 22, When
the sea rose against the city of Alexandria and, threatening
an inundation, had already advanced to a place called
Heptastadion, the venerable father accompanied by all
the priests went forth to the borders of the sea, and
holding in his hand the book of the holy Law he raised
his hand to heaven and said : 'O Lord, Thou God who
liest not, it is Thou that didst promise to Noah after
the flood and say : "I will not again bring a flood
of waters upon the earth".' 23. And after these words
of the saint the sea returned to its place and the wrath
of God was appeased. Thus the city was saved through
the intercession of the apostolic S. Athanasius, the
great star.
CHAPTER LXXXIII. 1. Now these are the illustrious emperors,
the servants of God, who were zealous workers of good-Gratian
and Theodosius. 2. The one set free the holy believers
from bonds |85
wherewith they had been bound by the emperor Valens,
and put an end to the banishment of Christians. 3. As
for the other he loved God ardently and restored to
the faithful their churches, and destroyed idolatry.
4. And he prohibited also the teaching of the wicked
Arians and established the pure and spotless faith.
5. And Gregory, the Theologian, appeared in the city
of Constantinople and strengthened the churches. Previously
indeed he had been obliged to find concealment in flight
from house to house and from place to place. 6. And
(Theodosius) built also a holy church as a noble memorial.
And he drove from the city Eudoxius, the heretic, the
blasphemer of the Holy Spirit. And after he had driven
this miscreant from the city, he sent to Basil, bishop
of Caesarea in Cappadocia, to Gregory of Nyssa, and
to Amphilochius of Iconium, wise and godly divines,
and he commanded them to construct a church in the truth
and in the Holy Spirit. 7. And they disputed with the
heretics and got the better of them and put them to
shame, and they proclaimed the true orthodox faith in
every place. 8. And again as regards the history of
the Godloving emperor Theodosius, while he was on his
way to Byzantium to meet the blessed emperor Gratian,
he saw a vision in his sleep, in which Meletius the
patriarch of Antioch placed the imperial crown on his
head by the advice of the leaders.
9. And there was an Arian living outside the city.125
And when Amphilochius came to the imperial court, he
found seated on their thrones the emperor Theodosius
and his two sons Arcadius and Honorius. For he had raised
them to the imperial throne in his lifetime. 10. And
when the bishop came before Theodosius and his sons,
he saluted Theodosius but not his sons. 11. And Theodosius
was wroth because he had not saluted his sons. And when
the bishop saw that the emperor was wroth with him,
he said unto him: 'Reflect, O king, that in like manner
there are those who do not salute the Son and the Holy
Spirit who are consubstantial with the Father, namely
the blaspheming heretics, (And yet) thou hast not driven
these from thy empire.' 12. And when the emperor heard
these words of the bishop, the emperor perceived that
the bishop was one of the highest types of the faithful,
and thereupon |86
he held his peace. 13. And forthwith he became zealous
for the orthodox faith, and he ordained a law in his
days that no heretic should be permitted to live in
any of the Roman cities, nor in the cultivated enclosures
nor in the fields nor in the villages.
14. And during the stay of the emperor Theodosius in
Asia there arose a usurper, named Maximus, of British
descent, who slew the blessed emperor Gratian through
treachery and seized his empire by force and made his
residence in Rome. 15. And Valentinian, the younger
brother of Gratian, fled to Thessalonica. And as for
Maximus the heretic, he despised God; for he was an
Arian. 16. And next there arose a man named Eugenius,
who had previously been a teacher of the heathen and
had persecuted the worshippers of Christ and loved to
practise magic and made (sic). And by the advice
of the officers who agreed with him, he seized the empire
of Valentinian and slew him by treachery. 17. And when
Theodosius the emperor heard of these events, he arose
and mustered a numerous army and marched against them,
and put to death both Maximus and Eugenius through the
might of our Lord Jesus Christ whom he served. 18. And
he avenged the two emperors Gratian and Valentinian
and brought back under his own hand the entire empire
of Rome and established his authority over it. 19. And
he gave to the orthodox believers all the churches under
his dominion, and he banished the blaspheming Arians.
20. And he assembled also in Constantinople a council
of bishops, to the number of one hundred and fifty holy
fathers. 21. And he drove out infidelity and heresy
from all the provinces of his empire and he introduced
the worship of the one God in three Persons, and he
strengthened the orthodox faith. 22. And the Holy Spirit
was (shed) abundantly upon the priests, and their hands
and their tongues and all their thoughts were pure.
And peace prevailed in the churches, because the bishops
had assembled in peace and unity. 23. But afterwards
when Satan saw (the prosperity of the church), he was
jealous and began to divide and sunder the limbs of
the one complete body, that is, the holy Church. 24.
For Gregory, the Theologian, having come to the council
of the chief clergy of the Church, comforted and adorned
the city of Constantinople by his teaching, 25. And
Timothy, patriarch of Alexandria, addressed Gregory
like an angel and admonished him to leave the imperial
city of Constantinople and return to the city of his
bishopric and its ancient church, namely |87
Nazianzum (?), 126 in
order to shepherd and protect it. 26. It was unseemly
for him to forsake a poor church and occupy a rich one;
for this was an act of 127
... fornication and contrary to the canons of the Fathers.
27. But when the bishops of the east and the other bishops
present heard this address, they differed from him in
this matter. 28. A tumult, moreover, arose amongst them
on this question. For the patriarch Timothy took upon
himself to nominate Maximus to the patriarchate of Constantinople;
for he was an eminent man and had suffered many hardships
from the Arians. 29. Now there was a feud between the
Orientals and the Egyptians. And S. Gregory mediated
and made peace between them. And Maximus who had been
nominated to Constantinople without the consent of the
bishops remained there, but Gregory they banished from
the imperial city on the advice of all the bishops,
and he returned to his first church. 30. But the heart
of Gregory was firm as a stone and was not troubled
by the troubles of this world. And all the people were
grieved on his behalf; for he had saved the imperial
city of Constantinople from the (spiritual) adulteries
of the Arians. 31. And they banished Maximus also from
Constantinople to the convent to which he had formerly
been appointed, and all the bishops which had been ordained
by his hands. 32. Next they appointed a man named Nectarius
128 by the advice of the
one hundred and fifty bishops. Now he was a man of good
birth, of the city of Constantinople. He was also wise
and prudent I and he led such a good and pure life that
all the world admired him for his conduct. And they
forcibly appointed him to the patriarchate. 33. And
he kept up a continuous warfare against the faith of
the Arians, and he was zealous for the orthodox faith.
And peace was established in the council and all (the
bishops) later departed in joy to their cities. 34.
But Satan the adversary of our race did not suffer Nectarius
the patriarch to remain untroubled. For when the Godloving
emperor Theodosius had set out with a numerous army
to war against Maximus, the Arian usurper, and had reached
a place named Milan, within which lay the Arian usurper,
and had thus come face to face with him but as yet no
engagement had ensued between them, certain Arians went
and announced through all the city of Byzantium a lying
report to |88
this effect: 'The emperor Theodosius has been defeated
in battle and all his army destroyed.' 35. And by reason
of this rumour fear and terror fell on all the Christians,
and the orthodox out of fear inclined to the Arians.
And the Arians arose in wrath and burnt the mansion
of the patriarch Nectarius. 36. And after they had wrought
these evil deeds, an account thereof was reported to
the Godloving emperor Theodosius. And forthwith he arose
and gave battle to Maximus the usurper and slew him.
37. And in those days the holy patriarch Timothy built
a church of marvellous workmanship in the city of Alexandria
and named it after the name of the emperor Theodosius.
And he built also a second church and named it Arcadia
after his son. 38. And there was a temple of Serapis
in the city, and he converted it into a church and named
it after the name of his (Theodosius's) younger son
Honoring. But this church was also named after the names
of the martyrs Cosmas and Damian. It faced the church
of S. Peter the patriarch and last of the martyrs.
39. Throughout the days of the emperor Theodosius the
Christians enjoyed tranquillity and peace. 40. And Theodosius
constructed also many buildings in the outskirts of
the city of Antioch. And he built a new wall from the
mountain to the old (lit. 'first') tower129
constructed by the emperor Tiberius. And he built walls
also round the neighbouring lands and enclosures which
had been without a wall.
41. After this there arose many heresies and divisions
in the city of Thessalonica owing to the Arians. And
a disturbance took place between the inhabitants and
the officers and the Arians began to stone the officers,
insulting thereby the emperor. When the emperor was
informed of what the Arians had done, pretending that
he was on his way to Rome he marched into Thessalonica
with all his officers and soldiers. 42. And using a
ruse he sent armed men among the population of the city
and destroyed the Arians. And the number of those that
were put to the sword was 15,000.130
43. And the emperor being reprimanded by the patriarch
Miletius 131 for his great
slaughter of the Arians-for he |89
had been troubled on behalf of the Christians-was full
of wrath and indignation: but (afterwards) the emperor
repented of his wrath against the patriarch, and repented
and fasted and gave alms and shed many tears, praying
for mercy and forgiveness of the transgression.
44. And in those days there were animosities and great
trouble and destruction in the city of Antioch. 45.
And the emperor indeed was sore pressed by the war that
had been waged in (that) province and in every other
quarter, and when this pressure upon him became severe,
he commanded an extraordinary tax to be levied in all
the provinces of his empire. 46. And they seized and
illtreated the people. And when the crowds and multitudes
that were in the city saw their brethren being hanged
without mercy or pity, the men of the city cast down
from the top of the palace the bronze + coffin +
132 which contained the
body of the blessed Flacilla, the wife of the emperor
Theodosius, and they dragged it through the streets
of the city. 47. And when the emperor heard of this
outrage, he was wroth exceedingly and removed the officers
of the city and banished them to Laodicea. 48. And as
regards the officials of Antioch who had perpetrated
this great offence against the emperor, he gave orders,
in order to punish them, that the city of Antioch should
be burnt together with everything that was in it. 49.
And those, who were commanded to burn the city, were
Caesar an officer and Ellebichus a general. 50. And
subsequently there came from the desert a monk, a saint
of God, to the officers who were commanded to burn the
city, and addressed them as follows: 51. 'Write to the
emperor Theodosius and say to him on my part as follows:
"Thou art not only an emperor but thou art also
a man like us, though thou art the chief. And thou art
subject to the same afflictions as every creature which
bears the likeness of God. When thou condemnest the
likeness of God, thou dost provoke to anger the God
who created man in His likeness. For thou art angry
because of a dumb statue of brass: how much more therefore
will God be angry with thee and thy empire when His
image endowed with utterance and a soul is in question.
52. For it is He and He alone who is Lord and King over
all that has |90
given thee power. And as for thy wrath because a + coffin
+ 133 of bronze has been
destroyed, we can make one like unto it, but thou canst
not make a single hair of the head of a single person
whom thou dost wish to put to death."' 53. And in those
days there was a priest named John and surnamed Chrysostom
134 who taught in righteousness
before he was chosen patriarch. And at that time he
taught and admonished in every city. And fearing death
at the hands of the Arians he had fled and left the
city deprived of his lifegiving doctrine. 54. And when
the emperor Theodosius heard these words he repented
and calmed his anger. And the magistrates of the city,
whom he had previously banished, he restored to their
functions in Antioch, and those who were in prison he
set free. 55. And the emperor wrote a letter in reply
and sent (it) to his officers to the following effect:
'I have been angry on account of my late Godloving wife
Flacilla, who has most undeservedly suffered outrage
at their hands. 56. And I have been desirous to punish
them. But for the sake of God and His love for mankind,
(and) that He may accept me and aid me and give me victory
over the heretics and barbarians and all those who rise
up a.gainst me, I now accord pardon to them. Let there
be peace upon the city of Antioch and let them dwell
in undisturbed tranquillity.' 57. And after the emperor
Theodosius had conquered the usurpers he resided in
the city of Rome, and he put to death many heretics.
58. And in those days the bakers made underground cellars135
and secret resorts in the earth, and built likewise
structures in which they prepared dough : and they perpetrated
in them many abominable deeds on people (generally)
but specially on strangers and foreigners and on many
who came to them to get food and drink and on others
with lustful purposes. 59. And the wine sellers sent
on secretly those who came to them to the bakers who
|91 seized
them by force. And these (captives) could not escape,
and though they cried out, there was none to hear them.
60. Some of these were made to turn a mill all their
days : others were placed in a brothel till they were
old and even then not permitted to depart.
61. Now there was a soldier of the emperor whom they
introduced to the mill-house by a stratagem, and tortured
there for a long time. And when he was very weary (of
it) he made a vigorous effort (and) drawing his sword
slew many that sought to prevent his egress; those that
remained were terrified and let him escape, and so he
went and told the emperor. 62. And the emperor commanded
the bakers to be brought and punished them severely
and destroyed their secret buildings. 63. And he compelled
the female prostitutes to walk publicly through Rome
to the sound of a bell that their crimes might be made
known to all, and the bakers also to be publicly exposed.136
64. Thus (Theodosius) exterminated utterly all this
evil.
65. And (Theodosius) ended his life virtuously and
left an illustrious memory to his successors and went
to his rest in peace. He ended his earthly life pure
and blameless, and he passed from this transitory world
to the life eternal.
CHAPTER LXXXIV. 1. After the death of the Godloving
emperor Theodosius, his empire passed into the hands
of his two sons Arcadius and Honorius who were borne
to him by his wife the blessed Flacilla. 2. They had
been created emperors during his (Theodosius's) lifetime:
Arcadius he had appointed emperor in Constantinople
and Honorius emperor in Rome. And they placed the body
of the emperor Theodosius in the Church of the Holy
Apostles in Constantinople.
3. Arcadius and Honorius were very devoted to the Christian
religion. And the Godloving emperor Honorius fell ill,
and when his brother Arcadius was apprised (of this)
he set out for Rome to visit him. 4. Now Honorius was
in purity and chastity an ascetic, and though living
in the imperial palace, he observed the mode of life
of a hermit. 5. And he pursued a virtuous course marked
with severe discipline and many a hardship. And he wore
a hair garment under silk clothing which forms the imperial
dress, and he made his bed upon the ground, and fasted
every day, and prayed, |92
and sang psalms, and to his religious exercises added
always virtuous deeds, and despising exceedingly the
earthly kingdom, he set his hopes on the kingdom of
heaven, and he was prompt to do that which is pleasing
to God. 6. And he completed all the good measures which
had not been carried into effect by his father, and
he put an end to all the evil practices which were displeasing
to God. 7. Now it was the custom amongst his contemporaries
that two men should fight in the arena, and that the
victor should slay the other, without incurring bloodguiltiness.
8. And in those days there came to Rome a monk from
the east named Telemachus, whose life had been like
that of the angels of heaven. 9. And the monk finding
them practise such abominable and bloody deeds, adjured
them and solemnly bade them in the name of Jesus Christ
to make peace and to abandon this satanical act of slaying
a brother. And when they heard these words, they laid
aside their weapons and stoned him with stones and shed
the blood of the man of God, the devoted monk, Telemachus.
10. And when the holy emperor Honorius was apprised
of this event, he put a stop to this custom in the city
of Rome and abolished it. And the peace of the glorious
and Most High God prevailed in the city. 11. And he
destroyed also the unclean temples and made them edifices
consecrated to the holy martyrs.
During the sojourn of the emperor Arcadius in Rome,
an officer 137 of
the army, named Gainas, of barbaric descent, revolted,
and gathered forces and made war on the emperor. And
he mustered a large host of barbarians and he caused
great disquiet. 12. But the emperor Arcadius went forth
hastily from Rome (and) arrived at Byzantium, full of
zeal for the orthodox faith of his father, and he slew
this usurper Gainas the apostate, who was of the abominable
sect of the Arians. And he abode (thenceforth) in peace.
13. And afterwards the God loving emperor Arcadius fell
ill and died in the days of the partriarchate of S.
John Chrysostom. 14. Now his son Theodosius the younger
had been proclaimed emperor before the death of his
father.
15. And when Theodosius the younger became emperor
a serious sedition took place in the city of Rome. For
the emperor Honorius |93
had abandoned (the seat of) his empire and withdrawn
in indignation to the city of Ravenna; for many of the
senators hated the emperor Honorius the saint of God
because of his good life; for he feared God and fulfilled
all His commandments.138
16. And just then a chief of the province of Gaul, named
Alaric, set out with a numerous force to seize the city
of Rome. 17. And when he arrived he came to terms with
the enemies of the emperor and they offered him tribute
from the city; but he refused to receive it and marched
to the palace and seized all the imperial possessions.
18. And he carried off the sister of the emperor Honorius,
named Placidia, who was a virgin. Then this conqueror
returned into Gaul. 19. And he had a certain official
with him, named Constantius, and he carried off the
young girl to her brother the emperor Honorius without
the knowledge of the conqueror. And the emperor honoured
him and made him a vizier, and later raised him to the
imperial throne, and gave him his virgin sister in marriage.
20. And subsequently they two, the emperor Honorius
and Constantius, set out from the city of Ravenna and
made themselves masters of Rome, and put to death the
men who had originated the sedition against their lord,
the emperor Honorius, and these were four in number.
And he confiscated their possessions and broke the power
of that rebel. 21. And he gave his (Roman) empire to
his sister's husband Constantius, and the God-loving
emperor Honorius went to Constantinople, where he made
the younger Theodosius, his nephew, his colleague in
the empire. 22. But after a short time he returned to
the city of Rome, for he had fallen grievously ill owing
to his excessive devotion to the religious and ascetic
life with fasting and prayer. And his limbs swelled
and he died, and he departed from this perishable world
in his virginity and without a son. 23. Now Constantius
the emperor of Rome had by Placidia, the sister of the
emperor Honorius, a son whom he named Valentinian. 24.
But there arose a usurper named John who made himself
master of his empire by force.139
25. And after the .death of Honorius his uncle, Theodosius
the younger reigned alone in Constantinople. And when
he grew up to manhood, as he was still unmarried, he
was urgently pressed by his sisters, Arcadia, Marina,
and Pulcheria, to marry and have children. 26. But he
replied to them : 'I will only marry a girl |94
who is a virgin, comely, beautiful, Godloving, and wise.'
27. And after this reply they sought for him in every
city of the empire, but there was none such among the
imperial princesses nor among families of noble descent.
And they traversed every region (in their search). (At
last) they found a woman who had come to Constantinople,
who was very beautiful and surpassed all the women of
the time. 28. She was at variance with her brothers
on the question of her father's property, and she had
come to complain to the emperor of the injustice she
had undergone.
And the girl's name was Athenais + that is, by interpretation
+,140 Eudocia.
29. Now her father, whose name was Heraclitus,141
had two sons, of whom one was named Valerian and the
other Genesius, and this daughter whom we
have mentioned. 30. And their father on dying commanded
them to give his daughter one hundred mithqals of
gold as her portion. But she refused (to accept them),
for she was displeased, and said : 'Do I not deserve
to have an equal portion of the inheritance with my
brothers?' But they refused, and drove her forth from
her father's house. 31. Then her mother's sister received
her and escorted her from the province of Hellas and
brought her to the city of Awtamon and placed her with
her father's brother. 32. Now there was there a sister
of a man named Heraclitus a philosopher, who resided
in the city of Byzantium. And she resorted to an artifice
by means of which he conducted the girl into the presence
of the emperor's sisters. 33. On learning that the girl
was a virgin, they had her brought to them in the palace
and informed the emperor regarding her. And he approached
her and looked upon her + openly + and she pleased him.
And he had her converted to Christianity and she was
named Eudocia; for previously she had been a pagan of
the sect of |95
the philosophers. 34. (And) he married her according
to the law of the Christians and celebrated a nuptial
feast in her honour and also made her empress. And when
her brothers heard regarding her that she had become
the wife of the emperor Theodosius and had been proclaimed
empress, they were terrified and fled into the province
of Hellas. 35. She sent a letter to them and had them
brought from Athens to Constantinople, and she promoted
them to high positions near the emperor and set Genesius
over the province of Illyria, and Valerian she set over
the army. 36. And later she said unto them: 'If you
had not done me wrong I should not have come to the
imperial city and become empress, but by the will of
God I have come hither. I will not do unto you as you
have done to me.' 37. Thereupon they bowed to the earth
and did her homage. And subsequently she bare a daughter
and named her Eudocia after the name of the mother of
Theodosius.
38. And in the days of this emperor Theodosius dissensions
arose in the church at Constantinople because of the
banishment of the blessed patriarch John Chrysostom,
who had been banished in the days of Arcadius the father
of Theodosius because of the empress Eudocia's anger
in regard to the vineyard of the widow.
39. There was likewise a great earthquake in the imperial
city. And the emperor was profoundly grieved-he and
all the senators and priests and people together, and
for many days they walked with bare feet.
40. And the Isaurians seized the city of Seleucia in
Syria in a marauding expedition unexpectedly, * and
likewise the city of Tiberias.142
And they pillaged all its possessions and they marched
by the mountain named Amanus and returned to their country
Isauria. 41. And all the people were ignorant as to
the reason for which S. John Chrysostom was banished
for so long a period till the death of the empress Eudocia.
42. Now at this period there was a patriarch in the
city of Constantinople, named Atticus, who had lived
so wisely and after good counsels that he prevailed
on the emperor Theodosius to write to the holy and wise
Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, who had been appointed
after Timothy, that the name of the holy John Chrysostom
should be enrolled in the diptychs of the church together
with all the patriarchs who had died before. 43. The
holy Cyril accepted this proposal with great joy; for
he |96 loved
the Godloving, holy, orthodox John Chrysostom, and honoured
him as a great teacher. 44. And owing to this circumstance
there was great joy in the churches. And the emperor
Theodosius gave large sums to the churches and rebuilt
in a befitting manner those which had been destroyed.
45. And in those days the orthodox inhabitants of Alexandria
were filled with zeal and they collected a large quantity
of wood and burned the place of the heathen philosophers.143
46. But the emperor Theodosius did not forget nor forsake
the city of Rome, but he sent to it an officer named
Aspar, with a numerous army in order to war against
John the usurper. And he warred against John the rebel
and overcame him, and saved Valentinian, the son of
his aunt Placidia, whom she bare to Constantius. 47.
And he placed him near his person, and married him to
his daughter whom the empress Eudocia bare him. And
(Valentinian) begat two daughters by her, and named
the one Eudocia and the other Placidia.
48. And (Theodosius) chose a man from among the philosophers,
named Cyrus, and appointed him prefect. And he was a
wise man and of severe integrity; and he was incorruptible
and walked in integrity and uprightness. 49. Moreover
he loved to restore the buildings (of the city). The
towers 144 which had long
been in a ruinous condition he rebuilt in a short time,
and he was without pride and was greatly loved by all
the inhabitants of Constantinople. 50. And on the occasion
of a famine,145 the emperor
Theodosius saw all the people acclaiming and honouring
Cyrus the prefect. (And certain people) were jealous
of him and accused him to the emperor Theodosius, saying
: 'It is his intention to rebel and usurp thy power.'
51. And the emperor listened to their calumnies and
had the man arrested, subjected to many punishments,
and deprived of all his possessions [and had him conducted
into the palace].146
It was not on the ground of these calumnies only
that he did so, but because of the acclamations of the
people : 'He is a second |97
emperor like the great Constantine.' 52. And for this
reason the emperor was wroth against him (and) desired
to put him to death. 53. And when he heard of this purpose
(of the emperor) he fled into a church, and was there
appointed metropolitan of the city of Smyrna in the
province of Asia, for (there) the people had previously
put their bishop to death. 54. And when he was ordained
metropolitan of the city of Smyrna, he made a great
and long prayer to the God of heaven because He had
saved him from the death threatened by calumny. 55.
And whilst he was so engaged, the festival of the Nativity
of our Lord Jesus Christ arrived. The people and the
priests placed him on the throne as was customary for
the bishops, and requested him as follows: 'Speak to
us regarding the greatness and the glory and the praise
of the Omnipotent and regarding His holy Nativity.'
56. And he spoke first to them regarding his deliverance
from death, and next he addressed them as follows: 'Know
ye, my brethren, that this day is the day of the Nativity
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 57. Let us honour
him as is befitting, for it was of his own will alone
that He was conceived in the womb of the holy Virgin
Mary; for He is the primaeval Word the Creator-praise
be unto Him-together with His Father (supremely) good
and the Holy Lifegiving Spirit, Consubstantial Trinity
for evermore.' 58. And all the inhabitants of the city
honoured him and he continued discharging the ministry
and the sacred services without intermission. He fulfilled
his sacerdotal duty till he died in (all) honour.
59. And likewise in the days of the emperor Theodosius
there died Atticus and Sisinnius, patriarchs of Constantinople.
And after their death they brought from Antioch to Constantinople
Nestorius, in order to teach there because he represented
himself to be like the ascetics and those learned in
the Scriptures: and they ordained him patriarch there,
and he became the scourge of the Christians in every
country. 60. For at once he set himself to teach and
blaspheme God : and he refused to believe that the holy
Virgin Mary was the mother of God, but called her the
mother of Christ, saying that Christ had two natures;
and so there arose many dissensions and great tumults
in the city of Constantinople on this subject. 61. They
obliged the emperor Theodosius to summon a council of
bishops in Ephesus from all the world. And those who
assembled, being in number two hundred, excommunicated
and |98 deposed
Nestorius and his followers. Now these subsequently
returned to the holy faith together with John, patriarch
of Antioch. 62. They agreed with the two hundred bishops
and with our holy Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, and
they confirmed this faith and rejected Nestorius because
he taught the same false doctrine as Apollinaris. 63.
And there remained but a few of those who had created
the tumult and followed Nestorius, whereas the orthodox
believers grew strong and multiplied exceedingly during
the days of the emperor Theodosius, till Archelaus,
who was set over the east, joined them and became one
with us in the right faith. 64. And there remained but
a few who persisted in the error of Nestorius. And so
the churches enjoyed tranquillity and peace all the
days of the Godloving emperor Theodosius.
65. These are the patriarchs who lived in Constantinople
in the days of Theodosius, i. e. the wise patriarchs
Maximian and Proclus. 66. The wise Proclus had studied
diligently as a child, and when he grew up, he was fitted
to remain in the city in the devout service of God,
And he attended continually on the patriarch Atticus
and wrote down and learnt all the teachings of God.
67. And subsequently they ordained him deacon, and when
he was older they made him a priest. And Sisinnius,
who was appointed patriarch after Atticus, consecrated
him bishop of Cyzicum and gave it this great gift; but
the inhabitants of this town refused it; for they were
not worthy to receive this chosen vessel of God. 68.
And so (Proclus) remained in solitude in Byzantium,
while Nestorius as patriarch was disturbing the churches,
by creating hatred against our Lady the holy Virgin
Mary, the mother of God. 69. Now the holy Proclus composed
a treatise on our Lady, the holy Virgin Mary, the mother
of God, and read it in the church of Constantinople
before the people assembled there, and he strongly reproved
Nestorius in his treatise because his heart was set
on destruction. 70. And in the beginning of his treatise
it was written as follows: 'Let us celebrate the festival
of the Virgin and proclaim with our tongue these words:
To-day let us praise Mary the mother of God.'147
And when all the people heard these words, they
glorified our Lady and gave thanks to her, and admired
exceedingly. 71. And Proclus |99
having thus touched the heart of the emperor Theodosius
and of all the people, they were eager to raise him
to the throne (of the patriarchate) in Constantinople
after the exile and deposition of Nestorius. But certain
of the chief people of the city arose and said out of
envy : 'This man has been bishop of a small city: how
can he be the shepherd of this great city?' 72. And
for this reason they appointed Maximian148
to the patriarchate of Constantinople. Now he was a
Godfearing priest, but he was not equal to Proclus in
wisdom and learning. And he occupied the throne of the
patriarchate for two years and six months, leading a
solitary life of devotion, and he died in peace. 73.
Then the emperor Theodosius made Proclus come forward
before the interment of Maximian, and commanded that
he should be raised to the (patriarchal) throne of Constantinople.
And accordingly Celestine, patriarch of Rome, wrote
to the patriarch of Alexandria and to other bishops
regarding Proclus. 74. And they sent him an answer as
follows: 'The canon law of the church does not debar
Proclus from occupying the patriarchal throne of Alexandria;
for it is by the command of God.' 75. And so Proclus
occupied (the patriarchal throne) with honour and distinction,
and guided wisely the interests of his flock in the
imperial city and strove against those who followed
the errors of Nestorius. 76. And he wrote a letter and
sent it to the illustrious + Armenius +149
in which he combated Theodore of Mopsuestia and the
heretic Nestorius and anathematized and excommunicated
them in his letter. And already in the days of the blessed
Maximian who went to his rest, the east had been cleansed
from the pollutions of the heretic Nestorius and peace
had been established in the Church.
77. And Proclus also brought back the body of the holy
John Chrysostom to Constantinople. Five and forty years
had passed since his banishment to the island named
Thrace in the days of the Christ-loving emperor Theodosius
the elder. 78. And he placed the body in the church
of the holy Apostles where repose (also) the bodies
of the holy Fathers the patriarchs who had fulfilled
their course virtuously and in the orthodox faith in
Constantinople. |100
79. And as for the other bishops who had been wrongfully
banished with him (S. Chrysostom), whom he150
could not bring back in the days of the blessed Atticus,
the severed members were united together, and he made
them one,151 and thus
discord disappeared from the churches.152
80. And he composed a treatise worthy of the holy John
Chrysostom in which he besought God to pardon the sins
of the parents of the emperor Theodosius the younger-the
sin they had committed against the holy John Chrysostom.
81. In the days of this emperor also the barbarians
who had survived the defeat of John the usurper reunited
and proceeded to invade the Roman territories. 82. And
when the Godloving emperor was informed of this event,
he meditated, as was his wont, and turned his thoughts
to our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ-praise
be unto Him-and he fasted and prayed.
83. And he was merciful to the poor and compassionate
to the destitute and he devoted himself to the works
which are pleasing to God with integrity and that which
is beyond (all) these works. 84. He commanded Proclus
and all the priests and monks to pray to God on his
behalf that victory should be given to him over his
adversaries and that his efforts should not be exerted
in vain. 85. And God heard his prayer and the barbaric
chief named Roilas died. Indeed God struck him with
a thunderbolt (and) he was speedily destroyed, and many
of them died by this death which was sent from God.
And fire likewise came down from heaven and destroyed
those that remained. 86. And all the peoples of the
earth recognized by this event that the God of the Christians
is great, and the righteousness and faith of the Godloving
emperor Theodosius were made known.
87. And in those days there appeared
in Alexandria a female philosopher, a pagan named Hypatia,
and she was devoted at all times to magic, astrolabes
and instruments of music, and she beguiled many people
through (her) Satanic wiles. 88. And the governor of
the city honoured her exceedingly; for she had beguiled
him through her magic. And he ceased attending church
as had been his custom. + But he went once under circumstances
|101 of danger.+
And he not only did this, but he drew many believers
to her, and he himself received the unbelievers at his
house. 89. And on a certain day when they were
making merry over a theatrical exhibition connected
with dancers,153 the governor
of the city154 published
(an edict) regarding155
the public exhibitions in the city of Alexandria:156
and all the inhabitants of the city had assembled there
(in the theatre). 90. Now Cyril, who had been appointed
patriarch after Theophilus, was eager to gain exact
intelligence regarding this edict. 91. And there was
a man named Hierax,157
a Christian possessing understanding and intelligence,
who used to mock the pagans but was a devoted adherent
of the illustrious Father the patriarch and was obedient
to his monitions. He was also well versed in the Christian
faith. 92. (Now this man attended the theatre to learn
the nature of this edict.) But when the Jews saw him
in the theatre they cried out and said : 'This man has
not come with any good purpose, but only to provoke
an uproar.' 93. And Orestes the prefect was displeased
with the children of the holy church, and had Hierax
seized and subjected to punishment publicly in the theatre,
although he was wholly guiltless. 94. And Cyril was
wroth with the governor of the city for so doing, and
likewise for his putting to death an illustrious monk
of the convent of Pernōdj158
named Ammonius, and other monks (also). And when the
chief magistrate159 of
the city heard this, he sent word to the Jews as follows:
'Cease your hostilities against the Christians.' 95.
But they refused to hearken to what they heard; for
they gloried in the support of the prefect who was with
them, and so they added outrage to outrage and plotted
a massacre through a treacherous device. 96. And they
posted beside them at night in all the streets of the
city certain men, while others cried out and said: 'The
church of the apostolic |102
Athanasius is on fire: come to its succour, all ye Christians.'
97. And the Christians on hearing their cry came forth
quite ignorant of the treachery of the Jews. And when
the Christians came forth, the Jews arose and wickedly
massacred the Christians and shed the blood of many,
guiltless though they were. 98. And in the morning,
when the surviving Christians heard of the wicked deed
which the Jews had wrought, they betook themselves to
the patriarch. And the Christians mustered all together
and went and marched in wrath to the synagogues of the
Jews and took possession of them, and purified them
and converted them into churches. And one of them they
named after the name of S. George. 99. And as for the
Jewish assassins they expelled them from the city, and
pillaged all their possessions and drove them forth
wholly despoiled, and Orestes the prefect was unable
to render them any help. 100. And
thereafter a multitude of believers in God arose under
the guidance of Peter the magistrate-now this Peter
was a perfect believer in all respects in Jesus Christ-and
they proceeded to seek for the pagan woman who had beguiled
the people of the city and the prefect through her enchantments.
101. And when they learnt the place where she was, they
proceeded to her and found her seated on a (lofty) chair;
and having made her descend they dragged her along till
they brought her to the great church, named Caesarion.
Now this was in the days of the fast. 102. And they
tare off her clothing and dragged her [till they brought
her] through the streets of the city till she died.
And they carried her to a place named Cinaron, and they
burned her body with fire. 103. And all the people surrounded
the patriarch Cyril and named him 'the new Theophilus';
for he had destroyed the last remains of idolatry in
the city.
CHAPTER LXXXV. 1. And some time after this event the
Jews in a place named Kemterja160
between Chalcedon and Antioch in Syria were amusing
themselves after their customary manner in drinking
and debauchery. 2. And they performed a play in which
they brought forward one amongst them and named him
Christ and bowed down to him in mockery. And they blasphemed
the cross and those who trusted in the Crucified. 3.
And when they had insolently perpetrated this sacrilege,
they took a child and bound |103
him on the cross and mocked him, and as their feelings
grew more vehement they put the child to death. And
the child died courageously. 4. And when the Christians
heard of the atrocities committed by the Jews, they
were exceedingly wroth because of the evil deeds and
came and attacked them, and many of them died. 5. And
when the emperor Theodosius was told of the atrocities
committed by the Jews, he commanded the magistrates
of the province to punish the criminals. 6. And they
punished the Jews that were in the east and took vengeance
on all the mockers who had mocked Christ and His faithful
ones.
7. And in those days many of the Jews in Crete believed
and became Christians in consequence of the greatness
of the persecution that befell them.
CHAPTER LXXXVI. 1. And there was a Jew named Fiskis
who in his own person played the role of impostor, saying:
'I am Moses the chief of the prophets; for I have been
sent from heaven by God. 2. I have come to conduct the
Jews who dwell in this island through the sea, and I
will establish you in the land of promise.' 3. And by
these means he led them astray, saying unto them : 'I
am he that delivered your fathers out of the hand of
Pharaoh when they were in bondage to the Egyptians.'
4. And he spent an entire year in traversing Crete and
proclaiming this event and leading them astray in all
the cities and villages. 5. And he prevailed on them
to abandon their industries and to despise their goods
and possessions. And so they dissipated all that they
had. 6. And when the day which he had fixed for leading
them out drew near, he commanded them to come with their
wives and children and follow him to the sea-shore,
and cast themselves into the sea. And many perished,
some through the fall and others from being engulfed
in the depths of the sea. 7. But God who loves mankind
had compassion on His creatures and saved them lest
they should all perish by this hard fate. 8. And many
Christians who were present on the spot at the time
in order to see (what would happen) saved a large number
from being drowned in the sea. The rest who had not
cast themselves into the sea were saved by this means.
9. And when they saw that the false prophet had perished,161
engulfed in the sea, they recognized thereupon that
he |104 was
an impostor, and forthwith abandoned their erroneous
belief. 10. Through the
se means many Jews turned to our Lord Jesus Christ
and received the light of holy life-giving baptism and
believed in our Lord Jesus Christ. 11. (This event took
place) in the days of the Godloving emperor Theodosius
the younger and in those of Atticus, patriarch of the
great city of Constantinople.
CHAPTER LXXXVII. 1. And during the childhood of the
emperor Theodosius, when he was learning the holy Scriptures
inspired by God, he had with him a child named Paulinus,
the son of a vizier who learnt with him, and they grew
up together. 2. And the emperor Theodosius loved him
and appointed him an emperor in the third degree, a
dignity that is called Master (of the imperial household).
3. And he reclined frequently at table with the emperor
and empress ; for a strong friendship existed between
them. 4. And after some time Paulinus fell ill, and
when he was ill a certain officer highly honoured by
the emperor brought him an apple that was wholly out
of season, and the emperor and all his court who saw
it admired the appearance of the apple. 5. The emperor
gave one hundred gold dinars to the man who had brought
the apple. (And) he sent that apple to his wife. And
she indeed sent it to Paulinus because of his illness
and her affection for him. 6. Now Paulinus was not aware
that the emperor had given it to the empress, and so
as the emperor came just at that moment to pay Paulinus
a visit, he saw that apple in his possession and forthwith
proceeded to the palace and called for the empress,
and said unto her : 'Where is the apple which I gave
thee?' 7. And she fearing lest the emperor should be
offended with her, was not willing to avow the truth,
and said : 'I have eaten it as I was not aware that
you would question me regarding it.' And the emperor
further said unto her : 'Hast thou not sent it to some
one?' And she denied again. 8. Then the emperor ordered
the apple to be brought, and the empress Eudocia was
greatly put to shame. And a sense of pain and offence
existed between them for a long time. 9. And subsequently
the empress told the emperor all that had happened,
and confirmed her statement by a terrible oath, |105
and she persuaded the emperor that she had feared aforetime
and had not told the truth because of the offence (she
was likely to give) and the fear wherewith she feared
him.
10. Now Paulinas feared greatly and said within himself
: 'It is better for the ailing man to remain in his
ailment; for when he recovers from his ailment he conceives
evil designs in his heart. For he ill-treated Mar Basilius
who belonged to the solitaries of the desert, who had
been rejected by the heretics.' 11. Some days later
it was told the emperor that Paulinus was forming rebellious
designs and was revolting against the emperor and preparing
a revolt. And accordingly he had him executed, as (Paulinus)
had wished to deal similarly with the Godloving emperor.
12. And the empress Eudocia and the emperor Theodosius
loved him greatly and honoured him exceedingly. 13.
But lying historians who are heretics and abide not
by the truth have recounted and said that Paulinus was
put to death because of the empress Eudocia. But the
empress Eudocia was wise and chaste, spotless and perfect
in all her conduct.
14. And the emperor Theodosius sent a letter to the
desert of Scete in Egypt in order to consult the saints
because he had no male offspring to succeed him on the
throne. 15. And the saints wrote as follows : 'When
thou quittest this world, the faith of thy fathers will
be changed; for God out of love to thee has not given
thee a male offspring lest it should become wicked.'
16. And the emperor Theodosius and his wife were alike
pained by this communication, and they abandoned all
conjugal intercourse and lived, by mutual consent, in
befitting chastity. 17. And after they had married their
illustrious daughter Eudocia to Valentinian the emperor
of the west, as we have already recounted, and they
had consummated the nuptials in Constantinople, the
bridegroom and his consort set out for Rome.
18. Thereupon the empress Eudocia requested the Godloving
emperor Theodosius to permit her to visit the holy places
in Jerusalem and to worship there in righteousness.
For she had vowed a vow as follows: 'When I have accomplished
the nuptials of my daughter I will visit the holy places,
and I will pay my vow to the Lord in the courts of the
house of the Lord before all the people in the midst
of Jerusalem.162 And I
will pray to God to |106
preserve thy empire for a long period in peace.' 19.
The emperor having agreed to this request wrote to the
governors of every province to make preparations for
a fitting reception of the empress. 20. And he arranged
that Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, should accompany
her to Jerusalem, and bless her and instruct her in
the doing of good works. 21. Thus all her prayers to
God were accomplished for her : and she arrived in Jerusalem,
and she restored the churches and the courts of the
convent of the religious virgins and the hospice for
pilgrims, and she gave them great endowments. 22. And
she rebuilt likewise the walls of Jerusalem which had
been in ruins from an early period.163
And she accomplished with vigour all her undertakings.
Then the empress withdrew from the world and lived in
solitude.
23. And the emperor also gave himself to fasting and
prayer and to the singing of psalms and hymns, and he
pursued a virtuous course. And his virgin sisters, who
were older than he, the blessed Arcadia and Marina,
had died before the empress quitted the palace, and
gone to Christ whom they loved.
24. And during the sojourn of the empress in Jerusalem,
the holy Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria, and John, patriarch
of Antioch, died. 25. Then the Nestorian heretics reappeared,
the twelve bishops of the east, who had concealed themselves
from the holy patriarch Cyril, who denied the Holy Trinity
and divided Christ into two natures. 26. And also the
heretical bishops of Constantinople and of the other
provinces met together apart by themselves without the
knowledge of any one, and said : 'The separation of
the emperor and the empress has not been due to a desire
to serve God, but they have separated through mutual
hatred because of Paulinas.' 27. It was for this reason
that the emperor was indignant with the patriarch Flavian
and his associates, and said unto them: 'The fire (which
had been lighted) by the Nestorians, and was extinguished,
ye have kindled anew.' For they had caused many troubles
in the churches. 28. But Pulcheria, the emperor Theodosius's
sister, protected the patriarch Flavian, but she was
not able to protect him openly because she feared the
strength of the empire of the emperor Theodosius; for
he was |107
wroth with those who said, There were two natures in
Christ after there had been one. But those who devised
this evil conception laboured in vain.
29. Now the emperor's sister, Pulcheria, pursuing an
evil course, besought him to give her a garden. And
the emperor accomplished the object of her desire. And
she wrote a fraudulent document to this effect: 'The
entire palace, courts, and gardens of the empress have
been given to me by the emperor,' and she gave it to
the emperor to sign in his own hand. 30. And when the
document was read before the entire senate, Pulcheria
arose, and taking her stand in the midst of the men
without shame reproved the emperor in insolent terms
and said unto him: 'Thou hast done with negligence the
duties of imperial government.' 31. And when he took
the document and wished to read it and sign it, he saw
written therein the following words: 'The empress Eudocia
has become my slave.' 32. And when the emperor saw this
he was exceedingly wroth both because of Pulcheria's
insolence and her lack of shame. 33. And he had her
seized and transported to a certain place, and he commanded
the patriarch to lay his hands upon her and ordain her
a deaconess. And for this reason there was great enmity
and hatred between the empress Eudocia and Pulcheria.
And so the emperor was parted from his sister Pulcheria.
34. And subsequently the emperor ordered a second council
to be convoked in Ephesus, and he likewise ordered Dioscorus,
the patriarch of Alexandria, who was appointed after
Cyril, to be present. 35. And Flavian, patriarch of
Constantinople, and Eusebius, bishop of Dorylaeum, and
Domnus, patriarch of Antioch, and Ibas and John and
Theodoret, and + Madjus +, bishops of the east, were
deposed.164 And after
this event the excellent emperor Theodosius fell ill
and departed from this life and went to God. 36. And
while the empress Eudocia was living in solitude in
the holy places of Jerusalem, Pulcheria audaciously
promulgated an imperial decree without taking the advice
of Valentinian the emperor of Rome or that of the chief
officers and senate, and married Marcian, the commander-in-chief
of the army, and placed the imperial crown on his head
and made him emperor. And she became his wife and sacrificed
her virginity. 37. During his |108
lifetime the emperor had guarded her, without any desire
on her part, lest any stranger should come into her
and then proceed to seize his imperial throne.
38. And on the day of Marcian's accession there was
darkness over all the earth from the first hour of the
day till the evening. And that darkness was like that
which had been in the land of Egypt in the days of Moses
the chief of the prophets. 39. And there was great fear
and alarm among all the inhabitants of Constantinople.
They wept and lamented and raised dirges and cried aloud
exceedingly, and imagined that the end of the world
was at hand. 40. And the senate, the officers, and the
soldiers, (even) all the army, small and great, that
was in the city was filled with agitation and cried
aloud, saying: 'We have never heard nor seen in all
the previous reigns of the Roman empire such an event
as this.' 41. And they murmured very much, but they
did not express themselves openly. And on the following
day the Divine love had compassion on mankind, and the
sun rose and the light of clay reappeared.
42. And the emperor Marcian convoked a council of bishops
in Chalcedon composed of six hundred and + forty-five
+ bishops. 43. And they deposed Dioscorus, patriarch
of Alexandria, and ordained that Flavian, who had been
deposed on a former occasion, should be mentioned in
the diptychs after his death; for he had already died
in exile in the days of the blessed emperor Theodosius.
And so they enrolled his name in the diptychs of the
church as an orthodox patriarch. 44. And when disturbances
arose in Constantinople and amongst all peoples Marcian
fell grievously ill, and his illness lasted five months,
and his feet mortified and he died. And the length of
his reign was six years. And Pulcheria also had died
before Marcian.
45. And in those days the empress Eudocia went to her
rest in the holy Jerusalem, full of good works and a
pure faith. And she refused to communicate with Juvenal,
bishop of Jerusalem, and the men who had assembled in
Chalcedon ; for she knew that they had changed the true
faith of our holy Fathers and of the orthodox emperors;
but she was blessed by priests (and) monks through her
friendship and communion with Theodosius,165
patriarch of |109
Alexandria. 46. And when she had thus accomplished these
things, she went to her rest, and they placed her body
in a tomb which she had built in her lifetime, with
honour and panegyrics. And she went to God the Glorious
and Most High.
CHAPTER LXXXVIII. 1. And after the death of Marcian,
Leo the elder became emperor. And in the days of his
rule the city of Antioch was + polluted + owing to the
earthquake that befell it. 2. And + lightning +166
rained from heaven on Constantinople instead of rain.
And it rose high, upon the roofs. And all the people
were terrified and offered up prayers and supplications
to God; for that lightning had been burning fire; but
God out of His love for man had extinguished the fire
and made it + lightning +.166
3. And again after this + lightning +166
fire fell a second time from heaven on the city of Constantinople,
such as had never fallen before. And it extended from
sea to sea. 4. And the emperor left the palace, fearing
lest he should be burned in the conflagration, and took
up his abode in the church of S. Mamas for six months,
offering prayers and supplications as had been done
in the days of Marcian.
5. And the emperor Leo put a stop to all theatrical
exhibitions, alike of those that played on the flute
and on the lyre,167 on
the holy first day of the week in honour of the sabbath.
6. And he likewise banished the Arians from every province
in his empire, and he gave orders to all his subjects
not to admit them to the churches.
7. And also in the days of this emperor an accusation
was brought against a philosopher named Isocasius, an
exquaestor.168 He was
a ma,n of great prudence and a just judge. He was a
pagan, and helped the people of Cilicia when he was
+ interpreter + in Antioch. |110
And the emperor delivered him into the hands of Pusaeus,
the prefect, the chief officer, to send him into exile.
8. But he was torn from the hands of the prefect and
carried naked and with his hands bound behind him to
the gate named Zeuxippus, where a crowd of people was
assembled. 9. And the prefect standing on the tribunal
addressed him thus: 'Canst thou see in what a guise
thou art in the midst of this assembly ? 'He answered
and said unto him : 'I see, and I am not surprised;
for being a man I have fallen into troubles incident
to the body. As I have judged other men, so I now judge
myself.; 10. And when the people that stood
by heard this stern reply, they tore him away from the
prefect and bore him to the church, and, without the
exercise of any constraint on their part, he expressed
his belief in Christ, and said: 'My fathers were idolaters
but I have now become a Christian.' 11. And they instructed
him in the Christian faith, and baptized him, and he
became a Christian. Then he was set free and restored
to his functions, and he returned to his province beloved
by the emperor. 12. When the emperor Leo heard of the
disturbances which had taken place in Alexandria formerly
in the days of Marcian, and of the massacre that had
been occasioned by the council of Chalcedon, and of
the restoration of the true faith in the one nature
of Christ, and of the slaughter of Proterius, bishop
of the Chalcedonians, because of it-13. For this bishop,
who had formerly been the ecclesiastical procurator
in Alexandria, was consecrated bishop by the Chalcedonians,
when he signed the imperial rescript, but the orthodox
population rose against him and slew him, and burned
his body 169- 14.
(Now having heard of all these circumstances) the emperor
Leo appointed (to be patriarch) unto them Timothy, who
had been assistant to the patriarch Dioscorus. Formerly
he had been a strict monk belonging to the convent of
Qalmon, and he was a priest. 15. And his appointment
was made after the death of Dioscorus, who had wrongfully
been deposed by the emperor Marcian and his Council.
16. But Timothy refused to abide by the Council of the
Chalcedonians; for this Council had disturbed the entire
world.
17. And the emperor Leo likewise wrote to all the bishops,
adjuring them to declare accurately in what way matters
had taken place in the Council of Chalcedon.170
18. But as they feared the emperor, they concealed (these
things) from him, and told him |111
nothing of what had been done in the Council. 19. But
there were two bishops who did tell him: one of them
named Eustathius of Berytus, a man wise and prudent
and well versed in the holy Scriptures. And he told
the emperor that through fear of Marcian they had altered
the faith so that all the world was troubled (thereby),
as well as all the churches. 20. And the second bishop
was named Amphilochius, of the city of Maflejus.171
21. But the other bishops who were his subjects had
not declared openly to the emperor regarding the oppression
of the emperor Marcian: all that had been done at Chalcedon
they had done out of fear of the imperial authority
and power.
22. And in those days Eutyches [the Nestorian] 172
made himself known, who was eager for destruction. He
was ignorant of the holy Scriptures, as he had not been
eager to study them.
23. And Timothy the patriarch on his arrival in Alexandria
was seized and conducted to a place called Gangra, and
made to reside there.173
24. And there were alarms and fightings in Alexandria.
And the governor of the city, who used violence to the
holy patriarch Timothy, was eaten of worms and died.
25. And the inhabitants of the city said to one another:
'All this evil that has overtaken him is due to the
judgement of the Glorious and Most High God because
of what has been done to the patriarch Timothy, the
servant of God, in order that all men might learn that
God dwells amongst His chosen and renders justice to
the oppressed.
26. And after the emperor Leo and the other emperors
who succeeded him, Basiliscus ascended the imperial
throne. And he raised his son Marcus to the imperial
throne, and appointed him as his colleague for a short
time. 27. And as his sister Verina was on friendly terms
with him, she asked + Augustus for the master of the
offices, and she received the dignity, which was named
Patricius +.174 |112
28. And the emperor sent and had fetched from his place
of exile whither the elder Leo had driven him the holy
patriarch Timothy. And when he was brought to the city
of Constantinople with the honour and dignity due to
the priesthood, he was welcomed by all the court and
people. 29. And a letter was dispatched to all the provinces
and to all the bishops with orders to expel all who
confessed the faith of the Chalcedonians, (and likewise)
to excommunicate and reject them.
30. The holy Timothy and his companions made the following
prophecy in regard to the emperor Basiliscus: 'From
the day thou deniest the faith set forth in this writing,
thy empire will cease to exist and thy days will rapidly
draw to a close.' 31. And he replied : 'I will never
deny this profession of faith : on the contrary, I will
assemble a Council in Jerusalem in order that the orthodox
faith may be established and abide.' 32. And when the
holy patriarch Timothy heard these words he went to
the city of Alexandria, taking with him the profession
of faith written out in the court of the emperor, and
he seated himself on its (patriarchal) throne. 33. But
the emperor Basiliscus took bribes and broke his word,
and cast down that which he had previously built up,
and did not assemble a Council in Jerusalem as he had
promised the patriarch Timothy. 34. On the contrary,
he wrote a second letter to this effect: 'Suffer the
Chalcedonians to abide in their faith, and show them
due regard.' And so the prophecy of the illustrious
father Timothy and of his companions was accomplished.
35. And a terrible unlooked-for pestilence visited the
city of Constantinople, and the bodies of the dead putrified,
and there were not people enough to bury them. And the
city of Gabala in Syria likewise was destroyed by an
earthquake. 36. Then Zeno, the emperor of Rome, set
out and stirred up the province of Isauria, and collected
a numerous army and marched to Constantinople. And on
arriving in the city of Antioch, he had the patriarch
Peter seized in order that the latter might disclose
to him all the designs which the emperor Basiliscus
had designed against him. 37. And when Basiliscus heard
of the march of Zeno, he sent the generals Armalis and
Serbatos to war against Zeno, with a numerous army which
he had had with him in the palace at Byzantium. 38.
And when these officers came to him, he adjured them
by holy baptism not to betray him or injure him. 39.
But these officers abstained |113
from fighting with the emperor Zeno, and they sent a
secret message to him to the following effect: 'We will
withdraw to a certain locality, and do you make yourself
master of the entire country.' And these officers moreover
treacherously tendered the following advice to Basiliscus:
'Go by a different route and give battle to Zeno at
the gates of Constantinople.' 40. But the moment Zeno
drew nigh to the walls all the senators met him, and
he was greatly pleased by their reception of him. And
Zeno's mother-in-law, who was named Verina, had her
brother Basiliscus +seized and thrown into a pit+. 41.
And as Basiliscus was sore pressed, he and his wife
Zenodia175 and his children
fled to the baptistery of a church. And all the senators
honoured the emperor Zeno and proclaimed him their emperor.
And he sent to the church and took from him all the
insignia of empire, and induced him to come out by a
treacherous promise, even him and his children.176
42. Thereupon he drove the unfortunate wretches from
the palace and sent them in exile into the province
of Cappadocia, to a fortress named Lemnas. And when
they were brought to the governor of the province, he
put them in a tower and barred them in, according to
the orders of the emperor, and mercilessly left them
without food and drink till they died, and buried them
in the same place. 43. And as for the patriarch Peter,
he was brought in chains and transported to the town
of Euchaites in Pontus177;
for he had enjoyed the friendship of the emperor Basiliscus,
and had helped him, and placed the imperial crown upon
his head. It was on these grounds that (Basiliscus)
had appointed him patriarch. 44. Now this (Peter) had
persecuted the Nestorians. (And next Stephen was appointed
patriarch of Antioch, and he belonged to the Nestorians),178
and for this reason |114
all the inhabitants of the city hated him, and the people
of Antioch and all the priests put him to a violent
death in a place called Barlaams 179
on the day of the commemoration of the holy 'Forty Martyrs'.
And after slaying him they cast his body into the river
named the Orontes. And the emperor Zeno appointed in
his stead another patriarch named Calandio, and paid
him special honour.
45. And when the emperor returned to his city he distributed
abundant alms amongst the poor, and he appointed + Armatus
in his stead in that place commander, him and his father
+180 commander of the
guard and his son to be Caesar as he had promised. But
when this Armatus became master of the power of the
empire he became very strong and powerful, and none
could withstand him, and he formed evil designs in his
heart. 46. And when the emperor was informed of his
evil purposes, he sent and had him put to death in a
gallery of the palace. And when the emperor wished to
invade Persia, seeing that Basiliscus, the son of Armatus,
the Caesar, was but a youth, he took from him the crown
of investiture and gave orders for him to be consecrated
metropolitan of Cyzicum, and dispersed his property
amongst all the people.
47. And seeing these things, Theodoric, one of the
consuls who was commander of the guard, began to fear
lest he should suffer at the hands of the emperor Zeno
as had Armatus his friend,181
and so he led off the soldiers under his command,
who were Goths from the province of Moesia. 48. Now
Theodoric had been reared in the capital, and he was
acquainted with profane wisdom. And he marched against
the city of Selymbria and made its inhabitants subject
to him, and he made himself master of the entire province
of Thrace. 49. And next he went with a formidable force
from the city of Sycene, and he lay there a long time,
but was not able to inflict any injury on Byzantium,
or on the emperor Zeno. |115
50. Then he marched on Rome, and had the chief of the
barbarians, named Odoacer, who bore the title of rex,
brought before him through the treason of the senators,
and he reduced the city of Rome and made himself master
of it, and put all the barbarians to the sword, and
resided there forty-seven years as its emperor. 51.
And he refused to appoint a colleague, and made the
emperor Zeno a friend,182
and did everything in accordance with the advice of
the emperor. And he possessed the respect of the magistrates
and senate.
52. And there came to Theodoric the wife . . .,183
and she was of patrician rank in Rome, named Juvenalia,
and spake unto him and said : 'Behold it is now three
years since I have suffered wrong. My suit is with the
patrician Firmus, and justice has not been done to me.'
53. And he called the judges and said unto them : 'Behold
I give commandment and say unto you that unless in two
days you bring to a conclusion the suit of this woman
with her adversaries and render justice to the two parties
equitably according to law, I will have your heads cut
off with the sword.' 54. And thereupon they departed,
and spent two days in bringing the suit of this woman
to a conclusion equitably. And the woman lighted a waxen
taper and went in to him (i.e. the king) to thank him,
and she said unto him: 'My suit which lingered so long
a time has now, thanks to thy orders, been brought to
a conclusion.' 55. Thereupon he had the judges summoned
before him, and said unto them; 'Ye wicked men, ye have
brought to a conclusion in two days a suit which ye
were not able to conclude in three years.' And thereupon
he gave orders to have their heads cut off with the
sword. And great fear fell upon the city, and an end
was put to all oppression on the part of the Roman officials.
56. And in those days after the death of Theodoric,
Athalaric 184 came
(to the throne), and he was an Arian.
57. And subsequently the emperor Zeno sent an officer
named |116
Quaestor185 to Alexandria
to bring back to him the patriarch Timothy, the man
of God. And when the quaestor came to the patriarch
Timothy, he said unto him : 'The emperor summons thee.'
And the patriarch answered and said unto him : 'The
emperor will not see my face.' And thereupon he fell
ill and died, even as he had said. 58. And the orthodox
arose and appointed Peter, the archdeacon, surnamed
Mongus, to be patriarch. And the magistrates of the
city sought to arrest him, but he escaped out of the
hands of the soldiers, and made his escape to the house
of (one of) the faithful, and there were alarms in the
city. 59. And the partisans of Proterius the Chalcedonian
on their part elected a patriarch, named Ajes,186
but he died shortly after. 60. And the faithful . .
. <Then the Chalcedonians elected a patriarch>
named John Tabennesiotes. And he likewise got possession
of the. (patriarchal) throne of Ajes by bribing the
magistrates. And he said : 'I have sworn a solemn oath
to the emperor Zeno that I shall take no measures regarding
the ecclesiastical see (of Alexandria).' 61. And when
the emperor Zeno heard of this event he was very wroth,
and he gave orders for his expulsion. And when John
heard that the emperor had given orders for his expulsion,
he took to flight and went to Rome. 62. And at that
time Acacius, patriarch of Constantinople, was on friendly
terms with the emperor Zeno. And so he prevailed on
the emperor that they should subscribe the Henoticon,
that is to say, the confession of the faith of the three
Councils Nicaea, Constantinople, and Ephesus, and should
reject the other Councils.
63. And for this reason (he had brought back) Peter
the patriarch,187 who
had previously fled, to Antioch from the city of Dinarurja.
And Calandio the patriarch of Antioch fled through fear
of being put to death, as he was a Chalcedonian. For
(its inhabitants) had previously put to death the patriarch
Stephen, his |117
predecessor. And all the priests and people prayed to
the emperor on behalf of him (i. e. Peter). And the
patriarch Peter accepted the Henoticon of the emperor.
64. And in his days there were tumults in the city because
of the confession of the faith written by the emperor-for
we anathematize the council of the bishops at Chalcedon
and their impure creed which states that there are two
natures in Christ, whereas the letter of Zeno says that
there is (only) one nature in the Word of God which
was made flesh, and that the bishops who had been expelled
should be remembered (in the diptychs).
65. And the emperor Zeno made a compact with Illus
and came to terms with him about the same time that
he had received Armatus, the father of Caesar, into
favour. But subsequently the army of Illus waged war
on the emperor Zeno. For Illus, seeing that Armatus,
though a friend of the emperor Zeno, had been executed,
fled in fear (of a similar fate) to Isauria.188
66. Now Illus sent the empress Verina, the mother-in-law
of the emperor, a message to this effect: 'Prevail on
the emperor in his behalf.' But she could not prevail
on the emperor. Now the emperor Zeno concealed his evil
designs from his brother Longinus lest there should
be a scandal and grounds for disturbances in Byzantium;
for she had formerly been an empress. 67. And in this
treacherous plot the emperor Zeno had arranged with
Illus to banish her, and transport her to the province
of Isauria and to keep her guarded there.
And when she arrived there, Illus came forth and shut
her up in a fortress, and he appointed a large force
to guard her. And he took with him Longinus the emperor's
brother. 68. But when she (Verina) came to know these
facts, she sent a message to her daughter (Ariadne)
the emperor's wife. And her daughter requested the emperor
to release her from the fortress where they had imprisoned
her.189 |118
And the emperor said unto her: 'I cannot incur the
anger of Illus the patrician; but do thou ask him, and
if he approves, I will set her free.' 69. And the empress
sent to him and besought him with tears to set free
her mother and to pardon her wrong-doing. 70.
But he refused to have compassion on her and said unto
her: 'Do you wish me to set up another emperor against
thine own husband?' And she was very wroth with him,
and she went to the emperor and said unto him: 'Am I
and likewise Illus to live (at the same time) in the
palace?' And the emperor said unto her : 'Do what you
wish; for I love you more than Illus and many men.'
71. And when the empress heard these words of the emperor,
her heart was strengthened, and she commanded + Adrian
+ to put him to death. And + Adrian + 190
who was chief of the eunuchs sent a man, named Scholarius,
who being a captain of the guard could enter when he
wished the palace of the emperor with his men. 72. And
he went in and drew his sword in order to smite him
(Illus) and cleave his head in a gallery of the palace.
And one of the officers, seeing this, ran hastily and
wrested his sword from him after he had cut off the
right ear of Illus instead of his head. 73. And Scholarius
191 the eunuch was put
to death, who had smitten Illus with the sword. And
the followers of Illus transported him to his house.
74. And when the emperor Zeno heard of this event, he
took an oath, saying: 'I know nothing of this outrage
that the eunuch did to Illus.' And when Illus had recovered
from his wound, he asked permission from the emperor
Zeno to go to the east for change of air in order to
avoid a return of his malady. 75. And he asked humbly
that he would let him go, dissembling his treacherous
designs. And, unaware of his treachery, (the emperor)
let him go. And he appointed + in his stead another
man named Julalja + with full powers.192
And Illus wished to take Leontius and Pamprepius with
him, apparently on the pretext that they would negotiate
peace between Verina the emperor's mother and the emperor
Zeno, and that (thus) she might return honourably to
him. |119
76. And the emperor was pleased with this plan, and
he sent these three persons and likewise (two) illustrious
(senators) named Marsos and Valjanos, magistrates of
Isauria, and many officials and troops. 77. And when
they came to Antioch the Great, Illus stayed a year
(there), and the inhabitants of that city paid him very
high honours. 78. Then he marched into Isauria and brought
Verina down from the fort, and they bound themselves
by mutual oaths. And in agreement with Pamprepius, who
was given to magic and the seductions of demons, he
prevailed on the officers to create Leontius emperor.
So they created him emperor in the oratory of S. Peter,
outside the walls of Tarsus the capital of Cilicia.
79. And she (Verina) wrote and dispatched letters to
all the cities and officials and troops of the east,
and to the cities of Egypt, to gain their recognition
of the imperial authority of Leontius without opposition.
80. And the empress Verina, Augusta, wrote likewise
as follows: 'I make known unto you touching our imperial
authority, that after the death of the emperor Leo,
of happy memory, we appointed Trascalissaeus, that is
Zeno, emperor, that he might be solicitous as
regards our commands and duly govern the army. 81. But
now we have seen that he has abandoned integrity, while
he is likewise devoid of understanding. Accordingly
we have accounted him as a rebel, a perverse man and
a usurper. Behold, now, we have appointed another emperor,
a Christian Godloving man, distinguished for righteousness
and uprightness, that he may save the country by his
virtuous conduct and put an end to the war: and may
preserve his subjects according to law and order. 82.
And we have crowned Leontius with the imperial crown
that he may be emperor over the Roman empire, who will
be solicitous after every good work,' 83. And when the
letter was read in the city of Antioch, all the population
cried aloud saying: 'Do unto us the good things, O Lord,
which will be good for us.' And a letter also was sent
to Alexandria. 84, Then Leontius came to Antioch and
took up his residence in the palace, and he |120
appointed Lilianus193
prefect and judge. 85. And after fifteen days he marched
to Chalcis, a city of Isauria, in order to attack the
inhabitants of that city, because they refused to submit
to him and called him a rebel against the emperor. 86.
And for one and a half months he waged war on the inhabitants
of that city but was not able to take it. And when the
emperor Zeno heard of what had befallen, he sent a Scythian
officer named John, a valiant man and a warrior, in
command of a numerous army to wage war on the conspirators.
87. And when Illus who was in Cilicia discovered that
he was not able to make head against the general John,
he marched and joined Leontius and Verina, and they
arranged to flee together and to take refuge in a castle
in Isauria, named Papyris. 88. And Leontius went in
precipitate flight from the province of the East, and
these three personages, Leontius, Illus, and Pamprepius
accompanied by Verina, withdrew into a castle. And when
the troops of the emperor Zeno arrived they besieged
that castle in which they were. And Verina died in the
castle. 89. And the garrison of the castle, learning
that Pamprepius was seeking to join the enemy against
them, put him to death and cast his body from the top
of the battlements. 90. And after many toilsome efforts,
(the besiegers) captured the castle and brought forth
the rebels, that is, Leontius who wrought his own destruction
and Illus who was the cause of all the evil. 91. And
they placed them on a tribunal in the midst of the assemblage
and passed upon them the sentence of death, and they
cut off their heads with the sword and carried them
to the emperor Zeno in Constantinople.
92. And it is told also regarding the emperor Zeno
that he was with Maurianus the astrologer: now the latter
used to announce to him (beforehand) all that happened;
for they were friends. 93. And (the emperor) asked him
saying: 'Who will succeed to the empire after me ?'
And he said unto him : 'A Silentiarius will take
thine empire and likewise thy wife.' And owing to this
(prediction) he thought (the person meant) was an illustrious
man named Pelagius, who had become a patrician. 94.
Now they deposed him unjustly; indeed the emperor committed
Silentiarius to the charge of six trusty men and commanded
them to strangle him in the night, though he was guiltless.
After they had strangled him, they cast his body into
the sea. 95. And when this wicked murder came to |121
be known, people could not keep silence on the matter-and
particularly Arcadius, an illustrious officer and a
thorough observer of justice. And he was one that judged
uprightly and hated oppression. And he blamed the emperor
for the crime that in the hardness of his heart he had
committed in putting Silentiarius the patrician to death.
96. And when Zeno the emperor heard (this) he was wroth
with Arcadius, and gave orders for him to be put to
death as he entered the palace. And (the guards) did
as the emperor commanded, but Arcadius escaped out of
their hands, by entering a church in order (as he pretended)
to make prayer and supplication to God.194
97. And the emperor fell sick of a dysentery and died.
CHAPTER LXXXIX. 1. And after the death of the Godloving
emperor Zeno, the Christian and Godfearing emperor Anastasius
came to the throne. He was one of the emperor's chamberlains,
and became emperor through the grace of God and. the
prayers of our Egyptian Fathers. 2. Now the emperor
Zeno had banished him to the island of S. Irai, situated
in the river of Memphis. Now the inhabitants of Manuf
had treated him with kindly affection. 3. And Ammonius,
who belonged to the city of Hezena in the province of
Alexandria, and <the inhabitants of that city>
became his friends, and honoured him and showed him
much affection. 4. And one day the inhabitants of Manuf
and of Hezena agreed together respecting Anastasius,
who was in disgrace with the emperor Zeno, to ascend
the mountain to the convent of the God-clothed S, Abba
Jeremiah of Alexandria. 5. And there lived on their
route a man who was endowed with the knowledge of all
the works of God. And they conversed regarding the holy
life of the man of God, and desired his blessing. And
he prayed for them to Christ whom he served. 6. And
they proceeded and entered into the dwelling of the
man of God, the Abba Jeremiah. And he blessed them all,
but spake no word at all to Anastasius. 7. And when
they came forth Anastasius was very deeply pained, and
he wept much, saying in his heart: 'It is by reason
of the multitude of my sins that the man of God did
not bless me when he blessed all the rest.' 8, And the
inhabitants of Manuf and |122
Ammonius of the city of Hezena went to the holy man
of God and told him of the grievous pain with which
Anastasius was afflicted. 9. And he indeed called him
apart, and likewise his trusty friends and Ammonius,
and said unto him : 'Grieve not so as to think and say,
"It is by reason of my sins that the old man blessed
me not" : the matter is not so; on the contrary, as
I have seen the hand of God upon thee, I have on this
ground refrained from blessing thee. 10. How should
I who have been guilty of so many sins be worthy to
bless him whom God hath blessed and honoured. And he
hath chosen thee from amongst many thousands to be His
anointed ; for it is written: "The hand of the Lord
God is on the head of kings." 11. And He hath set His
trust in thee that thou mayest become His representative
on earth and strengthen His people. Only when thou dost
recall my words and hast accomplished the prophecy,
observe this command which I give thee this day, so
that God may save thee from thine adversaries : "Do
no sin of any kind and transgress not against the Christian
faith of Christ, and reject the Chalcedonian faith which
hath provoked God to anger."'
12. And as for these commands which the Abba Jeremiah
gave to Anastasius, he indeed received them, (engraving
them) on the tables of his heart, even as Moses the
prophet received the tables of the Covenant from God
whereon were engraved the commandments of the law. 13.
And shortly after Anastasius was recalled from the banishment
into which the emperor of (this) world had driven him
by virtue of his power. And subsequently Anastasius
was appointed emperor. 14. And thereupon he sent to
the disciples of the holy Abba Jeremiah <and had
them fetched>. And the Abba Warjanos, who was a relative
of Abba Jeremiah, accompanied them. Now the emperor
indeed besought them with many prayers to accept money
for their food on the way and for the convent; but <they
refused> because their father the holy Jeremiah had
instructed them not to accept anything save incense
for the celebration of the eucharist or for offering
the sacrifice, and a few sacred utensils. 15. And he
sent also to the island where he had formerly been in
banishment, and he had a great and massive church built
(and) named S. Irai. Formerly it was but a little church.
16. And he sent to it many gold and silver vessels and
beautiful vestments. And he sent also much gold and
silver to his friends in the city of Manuf and Hezena.
And he conferred magistracies upon |123
them, and some of them he had ordained to the priesthood.
17. And this Godloving Anastasius sent to the city of
Antioch and to all the cities, and put a stop to the
civil war which the people waged on each other, and
he made them submit to authority as became Christians.
And he wrote to all the magistrates that were subject
to him (bidding them) to execute this decree, and they
submitted to authority as became Christians.
18. And subsequently there arose disturbances in (the
capital of) his dominion through the enmity of Satan.
For the people demanded tumultuously that certain disorderly
and factious persons should not be cast into prison;
for the prefect had delivered over several of them to
be stoned. But the emperor refused to let them off,
and he was wroth, and gave orders for them to be attacked
by the cavalry.195 19.
And when these went down to make the attack a slave
audaciously rose up and approached the emperor's seat,
and hurled a stone with the intention of killing the
emperor. Now he stood up in his place, saying in his
heart, 'No one will recognize me'. 20. But the help
of God shielded the emperor, and the stone fell inside
the enclosure that is within the imperial seat and brake,
it. And when (the guards) saw that slave who cast a
stone at the emperor they marked him closely, and ran
and seized him, and dismembered him limb from limb.
21. And the tumult waxed more serious, and they burnt
the brazen circuit where stood the seats
of the soldiers and the cavalry and all the |124
people all the way to the emperor's seat, and the portico
of Hexahippium which adjoins the seat196
constructed by the holy Constantine.
22. And after many great efforts they forcibly re-established
the (imperial) authority over the seditious, and punished
many of them till peace and tranquillity were restored
throughout all the city.
23. And the inhabitants of Antioch also acted after
the same manner as those of Constantinople. They set
fire to the synagogue of the Jews, which is in Daphne,
and set up within it the glorious cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and they transformed it (the synagogue)
into a church, dedicated to S. Leontius, and they put
many of them (the Jews) to death. 24. And when the emperor
was informed of these events he sent Procopius, count
of the east, in order to subdue the seditious factions.
25. And when he and Menas of Byzantium arrived in Antioch
the leaders of the factions fled from the city and withdrew
into the sacred dwelling of S. John. 26. And Menas the
prefect at the head of a numerous force went thither
by night. And a great tumult arose, and he slew amongst
them a man named Eleutherius, whose head was carried
to the governor Procopius. 27. But the (Green) faction
gained the day, and burned the place of their assemblage
197 with fire, (and likewise)
the praetorium. Thereupon there was a terrible strife,
and Menas the prefect was slain and his body burned
with fire.198 28. And
Procopius immediately took to flight and went to the
confines of Constantinople.199
And when (the emperor) was apprised of the flight of
the governor Procopius he appointed in his stead a man
named Irenaeus, and ordered him to proceed to Antioch.
29. And when he arrived there he punished many of them,
and inspired such great fear and terror that all the
factions abandoned their civil strife, and so he re-established
peace among the inhabitants of Antioch. 30. And the
emperor rebuilt the edifices which had been burnt, and
he constructed many beautiful streets; for in his mercy
and compassion he loved to build edifices. 31. He built
many |125
edifices in Egypt, and likewise a fortress on the borders
of the Red Sea. And he applied himself to completing
all manner of beautiful works, that he might remain
in tranquillity and peace. 32. And for the inhabitants
of Doras 200 he had a
wall built, and openings made in the walls like bridges
to prevent the water of the river from spreading upon
the fields.
33. And in the reign also of this Godloving emperor
impious barbarians, who eat human flesh and drank blood,
arose in the quarter of Arabia, and approaching the
borders of the Red Sea they seized the monks of Araite,201
and they put them to the sword or led them away captive
and plundered their possessions; for they hated the
saints, and were themselves like in their devices to
the idolaters and pagans. And after they had taken a
large booty they returned to their own country. 34.
And when the emperor was informed of this event he had
strong forts constructed as a defence to the dwellings
of the monks, and he rendered many good services to
them and all the monks of the Roman world.
35. And certain people in the city of Alexandria rose
up and created a shameful disturbance, and slew the
prefect of the city, who was named Theodosius, who had
been brought up in the house of the patriarch of Antioch.
And when the emperor was informed of this event he was
wroth, and punished many of the inhabitants of that
city.
36. And the good deeds alone of the emperor are beyond
numbering; for he was an orthodox believer and
trusted in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and prohibited
the faith of the Chalcedonians because the holy Jeremiah,
the servant of God, had (so) bidden him.
37. Now the people of Elwarikon202
had refused to accept the letter of Leo which he dispatched
to them from Rome. But when the oppression of Marcian
and his magistrates became severe they began to fear
lest they should experience the violence which befell
Dioscorus the patriarch of Alexandria. 38. And the emperor
Anastasius, the servant of God, agreed with the terms
of the letter of the emperor Zeno. And subsequently
he gave orders that the faith professed by the three
Councils, Nicaea, Constantinople, and |126
the first at Ephesus, should be established. 39. But
Euphemius, the patriarch of Constantinople at that period,
was a Chalcedonian, who divided the one nature of Christ
into two distinct natures in its manifestations, saying
that it was the Word of God that had wrought the miracles,
but the weak human nature that had submitted to the
passion. 40. And he changed likewise the trisagion which
we recite thus: 'Holy God, holy Strong One, holy Immortal
One, who hast been crucified for us, have mercy upon
us.' But he did not recite it as we, but in the following
terms: 'Holy God, holy Strong One, holy Immortal One,
have mercy upon us.' 41. Indeed he declared, 'I do not
recite it as ye do, to prevent the application of this
formula to the Holy Trinity in three persons. Him who
was crucified we adore together with the Father and
the Holy Spirit. Now it was not the Father and the Son
and the Holy Spirit who suffered. He that became incarnate
without separating Himself (from the Trinity) and suffered
is consubstantial with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
but He did not suffer in His divinity. And there is
none other than He-God forbid ! 42. Now whilst one of
the Holy Trinity, He is capable of suffering in the
body which is united with Him and the reasonable soul
which are combined in (one) person, but He is not capable
of suffering in His divinity which is consubstantial
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as our holy Fathers
have taught us.' 43. The wise Proclus joined the Nestorians
in saying: 'If Christ was in every respect incapable
of suffering after His incarnation, He could no more
suffer in body than could the divinity of the Son.'
But in so saying he speaks falsely, for the Son of God
could not then have suffered in reality. 44. These are
the pestilent words of those who say there are four
persons instead of three.
45. Of a similar character are the declarations of
those impostors who say regarding the Son that it was
another who was crucified ; for this wicked opinion
was propounded by heretics. 46. And the emperor Anastasius
deprived Euphemius of his dignities and banished him
from Constantinople to Euchaites in Pontus. And he appointed
Macedonius in his stead, who accepted from his hand
the edict of the emperor Zeno, and refused to accept
the Council of Chalcedon. 47. And he charmed the heart
of the emperor Anastasius, though concealing the while
treacherous devices in his thoughts regarding the faith.
And (the emperor) obliged him to recite the |127
trisagion in these terms : 'Mayst Thou who wast crucified
for us have mercy upon us.' And thus he ordained this
rule.
48. Now the orthodox monks of Palestine had abandoned
the study of the Scriptures, and a schism had arisen
amongst them ; for they declared that they were unwilling
to accept the edict of the emperor. And they brought
thereby persecution upon themselves at the instigation
of a monk named Nephalius, a promoter of dissension.
49. The monks of the desert sent certain aged anchorites
to Constantinople, accompanied by Severus the chief
of the Fathers-a wise man well versed in the Scriptures,
and a perfect priest-to request the emperor Anastasius
to issue orders to the monks to live peaceably in their
dwellings and cloisters, and to pray on his behalf.
50. And when they came to speak to the emperor they
were recognized by the officers and conducted to the
patriarch Macedonius, and they conversed with him on
the subject of the faith. 51. And thereupon he confessed
openly what was hidden in his heart regarding the perverted
faith which he followed; for he could not always conceal
his views and prevent their coming to be known by some
one. 52. Now there was an Alexandrian, named Doritheus,
who possessed S. Cyril's treatise on the faith. And
he had conversed with Severus and had found him imbued
with the doctrine of S. Cyril. 53. These two admonished
Macedonius and the Chalcedonians, who + remembered +
two natures to Jesus Christ the Son of God, who is one.
And it was marvellous in their eyes, and they named
this book Philalelhes,
54. But Macedonius and his adherents, as well as the
partisans of the Nestorians, were wroth, and said that
after the manner of their (tris)agion the angels recite
the trisagion. But Severus answered: 'The angels recite
as follows : "Holy God, holy Mighty One, holy Immortal
One, have mercy upon us." Indeed the angels have no
necessity to say : "Who was crucified for us"; for the
crucifixion of our God was not on behalf of angels,
but on behalf of us men was our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ crucified. 55. And it was for our salvation that
He came down from heaven and was incarnate and became
man, and was crucified for us in the days of Pontius
Pilate, and rose from the dead on the third day, as
it is written in the holy Scriptures which were set
in due order by our |128
holy Fathers of Nicaea and Constantinople and Ephesus,
who also established a fitting definition of His divinity.
56. It is for this reason that we Christians say of
necessity : "O Thou who hast been crucified for us,
have mercy upon us." We believe also that the holy,
mighty and immortal God was crucified for us. In like
manner also we truly believe that the holy Virgin Mary
brought forth very God : and that they were not two
different persons, but one and the same whom the Virgin
bare and the Jews crucified - one and the same alike
in birth, crucifixion, and resurrection.' 57. And many
similar arguments were addressed to the emperor and
the magistrates, whereby the opinions of the heretical
Nestorians were overthrown from their foundation. 58.
And when they had by their orthodox arguments reduced
Macedonius to silence, and his opinions had vanished
because of the words of truth, he thought out an evil
device, and spake to the emperor and the magistrates
to this effect : 'I too believe the same facts as the
orientals, and I say in the church : "O Thou that wast
crucified203 for
us, have mercy upon us."' 59. But in secret he stirred
up the heretics against the emperor, saying unto them
: 'They have introduced novelties into the faith of
our Christian Fathers.' Then the heretics assembled
and proceeded to the court of the emperor in order to
stir up a tumult with a view to the banishment of Plato,
who administered all the affairs of his empire : he
was very highly and universally honoured. 60. And yielding
to fear, he took to flight and hid himself. And these
heretics and the soldiers who were with them cried aloud
and proclaimed the name of another emperor of the Romans.
61. And they proceeded with haste to the house of Marinus
the Syrian, an illustrious man.204
And they burnt his house and possessions. And they sought
to slay him, but they could not find him ; for he had
fled, and was saved through the strong aid of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 62. Now the lying patriarch Macedonius
had calumniated this Godloving man to the people, and
had said unto them : 'It is Marinus who turns the heart
of the emperor from the faith.' 63. And moved with evil
zeal they sought for him with a view to slaying him,
though he was unaware of it. And when they had plundered
the house of this illustrious man and carried out the
silver vessels he possessed, they divided |129
them amongst themselves. 64. But indeed the moment the
crowds entered the house of the magistrate they found
(in it) a monk of the east, (and) they led him forth
and put him to death, believing him to be the Godloving
Severus. And they took his head and carried it about
throughout all the city crying aloud these words: 'This
is the enemy of the Holy Trinity.' 65. And they went
also to the house of Juliana, who belonged to the family
of the emperor Leo <and proclaimed her husband>,
who was named Ariobindus, <emperor>. But when
he was apprised of their coming he took to flight. 66.
But the people kept shamelessly perpetrating these excesses.
Then the Godloving emperor Anastasius, being guided
by the true faith of Christ, arose and accompanied by
all the senators ascended the imperial throne, clothed
in the imperial robes. And when all the people saw him,
they were pained and grieved and became repentant, and
fearing the emperor they besought him to pardon their
transgression, confessing their offences. 67. And the
emperor said to them in a loud voice: 'Be not afraid:
lo ! I have pardoned you.' 205
And thereupon all the people dispersed to their several
dwellings, and tranquillity was restored. But after
a few days, the same people stirred up fresh disturbances,
and so the emperor Anastasius mustered a numerous force
of soldiers and gave orders to them to seize the rioters,
and when they were seized and brought to the emperor,
some had their limbs broken, others were executed, and
others sent into banishment. 68. And by these measures
tranquillity was restored, and the fear of the emperor
was inspired in the hearts of the citizens. It was then
also that Macedonius was banished, who had brought about
the destruction of many. He was stripped of his episcopal
dignities and reckoned as a murderer, and expelled from
the congregation (of the faithful). 69. And the bishops
of the east arrived in Byzantium and made the following
accusations to the emperor Anastasius against Flavian,
patriarch of Antioch: that he was a Nestorian, though
he had accepted the Henoticon of the emperor Zeno; that
he had again joined the Chalcedonians, and accepted
the abominable letter of Leo, in which were mentioned
the two natures and twofold operations of Him who is
one only and indivisible, Jesus Christ, very God. 70.
And the Godloving emperor Anastasius, moreover, |130
banished him to Petra in Palestine ; for he had cursed
the orthodox and had embraced the faith of the wicked
heretics.
71. And Vitalian, moreover, who was commander of the
troops in the province of Thrace, being a man of perverse
heart, hated Severus the saint of God. Now the emperor
Anastasius had appointed Severus patriarch of Antioch
in the room of the heretic Flavian, whom he had banished,
when the orthodox bishops of the east testified in the
favour of the former.
72. And Vitalian, whom we have just mentioned, raised
a revolt against the emperor Anastasius, and seized
Thrace and Scythia 206
and Mysia, and mustered a numerous army. 73. And
the emperor sent against him a general named Hypatius.
And when they fought together, he was vanquished by
Vitalian and taken prisoner. And on the payment of a
large ransom he was set free. 74. But immediately on
his return to the emperor, the latter removed him from
his command, and appointed in his room another general,
named Cyril, of the province of Illyria. 75. And he
also gave battle to Vitalian, and there was great slaughter
on both sides. Cyril the general retired into the city
named Odyssus, and stayed there while Vitalian withdrew
into the province of Bulgaria. 76. And he gave large
sums of money to the guards who kept the gates of Odyssus,
and then, marching by night, he put Cyril the general
to death and captured the city. 77. And he attacked
also the province of Thrace, and plundered all its wealth,
and likewise the cities of Europe, and Sycae, and the
region over against Constantinople and Sosthenium, and
he established himself in the church of the holy Archangel
Michael, devising by what means he could make himself
master of the empire of Byzantium.
78. And the emperor Anastasius sent to the philosopher
Proclus in order that he might render help to Marinus.
79. And the emperor informed him regarding the rebel
Vitalian and the audacity he had shown. But Marinus
encouraged the emperor, saying: 'I will overcome this
rebel by the might of God ; only give orders that I
may be accompanied by soldiers and the philosopher Proclus.
Procure for me also unpurged sulphur resembling powdered
antimony.' 80. And the emperor gave him the sulphur.
And Marinus |131
ground it into a + hard powder +,207
and said publicly : 'If you cast (this) on a house or
on a ship, it will take fire when the sun rises and
melt it like wax.' 81. And Marinus took with him many
ships, and he mustered all the soldiers he could find
in Constantinople, and he proceeded to wage war against
Vitalian as the emperor had commanded. 82. And when
the rebel saw Marinus he took all the ships he could
find and manned them with a large force of Scythian
and Gothic archers, and sailed in the direction of Byzantium,
believing that he should get the better of his opponents.
83. But Marinus and his companions, through the mighty
help of God, got the better of this enemy, and the design
of this shameless rebel failed of accomplishment, and
thereupon Vitalian, the cause of civil strife, took
to flight.
84. And Marinus gave the unpurged sulphur to the sailors,
and commanded them to cast it on the ships of the rebel
foe in order that they might be burnt. And when the
fleets of Marinus and of this rebel encountered each
other, they (the sailors) cast the sulphur into the
ships of Vitalian about the third hour of the day, and
immediately the ships burst into flames and sank in
the depths.
85. And when Vitalian saw this he was stupefied, and
his remaining forces turned back and fled. And the general
Marinus put all the rebels he could find to the sword,
and pursued them till they came to the church of S.
Mamas. And as night was approaching Marinus encamped
there and guarded the route. 86. But Vitalian after
his defeat marched throughout the night and fled with
his followers in fear and terror to a place named Anchialus.
And he traversed that night a space of sixty miles,
as he feared lest Marinus should pursue him and make
him a prisoner. On the morrow every one forsook him
and left him alone.
87. And the emperor Anastasius distributed many alms
amongst the poor and destitute in the district of Sosthenium.
And he set out from the imperial city and stayed in
the church of S. Michael, praying and giving thanks
to God for all the benefits He had bestowed upon him
and for the victory which He had given him over his
adversaries, and displaying an irreproachable (and)
orthodox faith. 88. Next the emperor Anastasius ordered
that a large sum of gold should be given to the philosopher
Proclus. But he refused |132
to take the money and, saluting the emperor, he requested
him (to let him go back to Athens), saying: +
Whoever loves money is not worthy to be a philosopher,
and the contempt of money likewise in those that cultivate
philosophy is honourable.' And the emperor let him go,
and held him in high honour.
89. And all the orthodox believers who had accepted
the Henoticon of the righteous emperor Zeno were highly
esteemed by the emperor. And at that time appeared from
the city of Nikius208
John priest and monk; for the patriarch had refused
to accept him. 90. Now the priest John209
was wise and Godloving and well versed in the Scriptures,
and he lived in the convent of Par. 91. And the inhabitants
of the city of Sa and those of the city of Akela came
to be at variance with each other. Thereupon the bishops
of the two cities arose and went to the emperor Anastasius,
and besought him to ordain for them suitable canons,
to hold a Council, and expel the Chalcedonians and blot
out their remembrance from the church and that of all
bishops who agreed with the abominable Leo who proclaimed
the two natures,
92. But the emperor in his goodness did not force them
contrary to their inclinations, but (suffered) each
(to) act according to his own inclination. And the emperor
Anastasius paid great honour to those who agreed with
him in the orthodox faith and distributed numerous alms
and virtuously completed his work.
93. And subsequently the emperor fell ill. Now he was
an old man, and at the age of ninety years he went to
his rest in great honour, as saith the Scriptures: 'All
the glory of man is but as grass: as soon as the sun
ariseth, the grass withereth, the flower thereof fadeth,
the beauty of the appearance thereof perisheth, but
the word of the Lord abideth for ever.' 210
CHAPTER XC. 1. And after the blessed Godloving orthodox
emperor Anastasius went to his rest, Justin the terrible,
the consort of the empress Euphemia, ascended the throne,
and was crowned with the imperial crown in pursuance
of the decision of the trusty councillors of the emperor.
2. Some say regarding him that he was + chief over the
seventh assemblage in Byzantium +.211
But all the officers |133
did not approve of him ; for he was unlettered, but
he was a soldier and a valiant man. 3. Now there was
a man named Amantius whom the officers wished to make
emperor over them after the emperor Anastasius, and
the councillors had given large sums of money to Justin
to distribute among the civilians and the soldiers,
in order that they might proclaim his name and spread
abroad the rumour that God had named him emperor. But
these refused to do so. And so the councillors were
thereupon obliged to make Justin emperor.212
4. And when Justin became emperor he put to death all
the eunuchs, however guiltless they were, because they
had not approved of his elevation to the throne; for
he thought they would plot evil against him.
5. And in the beginning of the reign of Justin there
rose in the east a fearful and terrible comet. And for
this reason the emperor Justin sent and recalled Vitalian
who had been the enemy of the emperor Anastasius, and
appointed him a master of the forces.213
6. And he changed the orthodox faith of the emperor
Anastasius, and the Henoticon of the emperor Zeno was
rejected: communion with the Chalcedonians was restored,
and the letter of Leo was accepted and enrolled amongst
the writings of the Eastern Church.
7. In the first year of his reign the great Severus,
the patriarch of the great city of Antioch, + appeared
+. When he heard of the change of faith and the return
of Vitalian and his reception at the court of the emperor
Justin, he became afraid and fled into Egypt and abandoned
his (patriarchal) throne. 8. Now Vitalian hated him
and wished to cut out his tongue because he had written
(and delivered) in the church long and short homilies,
full of knowledge and invective directed against the
+ emperor +214 Leo because
of his corrupt faith. 9. And Paul was appointed patriarch
of Antioch in the room of Severus, and this Paul was
in communion with the Chalcedonians. And a schism then
arose and none associated with him save the magistrates
of the emperor only. 10. The people turned away from
him because of his being a |134
Nestorian and refused the sacerdotal benediction and
baptism save at the hands of the priests ordained in
secret by the great Severus. 11. Now he who wished to
cut out the tongue of the great Severus soon died of
a violent death. Now Vitalian's death was brought about
by his plotting, after his appointment by the emperor
Justin, to raise a revolt (against him) as he had done
against the emperor before him. 12. And thereupon (Justin)
gave orders for his execution. For God punished him
speedily, even as Severus had prophesied regarding him
that he should die a violent death.
13. And the patriarch Severus (composed) a treatise
full of wisdom and the fear of God, and sent it to the
patrician Godloving Caesaria; for she was a chosen vessel,
of the imperial family of Rome, and she was strong in
the orthodox faith in which she had been instructed
by the holy patriarch Severus. And this teaching prevails
to the present day among the Egyptian monks. 14. And
subsequently Paul the Chalcedonian, of Antioch, died,
who had been appointed after Severus, and another was
appointed in his room, named Euphrasius, of Jerusalem.
This man hated the Christians attached to the teaching
of Severus. And many of the orthodox were put to death
on account of the faith which he taught. 15. And he
stirred up civil war throughout all the Roman empire,
and there was much shedding of blood. And in the city
of Antioch there were great tumults during five years.
And no one could speak owing to fear of the emperor.
16. And there arose many men belonging to the people
who in Constantinople *and the cities of Hellas215
loudly accused the patrician Justinian his brother's
son. Now Justinian helped the Blue Faction to commit
murder and pillage among the various nations. 17. And
(the emperor) appointed a prefect named Theodotus, (formerly
count) of the east to punish all who had been guilty
of crime, and he made him swear that he would show no
partiality. 18. And beginning with Constantinople he
punished many guilty persons, and subsequently had Theodosius
arrested and put to death. And he was very rich. And
next he had Justinian the patrician arrested, and wished
to put him to death. But when he fell ill, he let him
go. 19. And the emperor on hearing these things was
wroth with the prefect and stripped him of his dignities
and sent him in exile from Constantinople into the east.
And fearing lest he should be |135
put to death there, he went to the holy places of Jerusalem
and lived there in seclusion.
20. And subsequently all the soldiers and people assembled
together in Byzantium and disowned their allegiance
to the emperor. And they besought God saying: 'Give
us a good emperor like Anastasius or else remove the
emperor Justin whom Thou hast given us.' 21. And there
arose a man amongst them named Qamos, who said unto
them: 'Thus saith the Lord: see, I love you: wherefore
do ye supplicate Me. Behold him whom I have given unto
you-I will give you no other;-for if he did according
to that which is written, supplications would arise
amongst the adversaries of the emperor. For it is owing
to the sins of this city that I have appointed this
emperor who is a hater of the virtuous.' Thus saith
the Lord : 'I will give you rulers according to your
own hearts.' 22. And the emperor was grieved when he
heard these words. However, he sought to gain the affection
of the people, as he feared lest the wise should admonish
him according to the laws of this world. 23. And so
on his own initiative he chose and appointed in the
room of Theodotus and Theodore prefects of the imperial
city : and the names of those who were appointed were
Theodore and Ephraim of Amida. These, indeed, by great
efforts and severity, put an end to civil war amongst
the citizens, made feuds to cease, and established peace.
24. But these means were not yet sufficient to turn
away the wrath of God from the earth owing to the declension
of the emperor. For there came an earthquake from God
and fire fell from heaven on the city of Antioch, extending
from the church of S. Stephen to the house of the chief
of the army, in breadth and length, and as far as the
bath called Tainadonhus and the bath of the Syrian nation.
25. And about the same time also fires burst out in
the countries of the east and along all the routes for
six months, and no one could pass in this direction
or that. And there were conflagrations in the city and
many souls perished in the flames, and the fire descended
from above the houses and they were destroyed to their
foundations. 26. And likewise in the days of that emperor,
the great city of Antioch in Syria was sorely afflicted
and was devastated six times. The people who remained
wasted away in their houses and became as soulless bodies.
27. Burning coals of fire like thunderbolts fell from
the air and set fire to everything |136
they touched, and the city was overthrown to its foundations.
28. And the fire pursued those who wished to flee, whilst
those who remained in the houses were consumed by the
fire. And the beauty of the city of Antioch was destroyed,
and none could escape the fire. No more did the houses
on the heights216 escape
this visitation. And many edifice sacred to the martyrs
were devastated, and some of them were cloven in twain
from the top to the bottom, and the great church which
had been built in the days of the emperor Constantine
was destroyed. 29. And weeping and lamentation were
multiplied throughout the city, and the number of men,
women, young people and babes that died was 250,000
souls.
30. And when the festival of the Ascension of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ arrived, many people assembled
in the church called Karadaum, in order to make intercession
because of this terrible event. 31. And many who had
survived the visitation went out to bury their dead,
and others drew forth (from the debris) certain women
with their babes which had escaped. 32. Moreover, the
unfortunate Euphrasius, who had been unfitted for the
patriarchate, perished in the fire. And they appointed
by lot as his successor a man named <Ephraim>,
of Amida in Mesopotamia, And he also was a Chalcedonian,
and persecuted the orthodox as his predecessors had
done. 33. And the cities of Seleucia and Daphne and
all the towns within a radius of twenty miles <were
destroyed>. And all who saw (these things) said:
'All these calamities have taken place because the orthodox
faith has been forsaken, and also because of the unjust
expulsion of the patriarch Severus, and the evil deeds
perpetrated by the emperor Justin and his abandonment
of the faith of the Godloving emperors that preceded
him. These are the causes alike of this affliction and
this tribulation.' 34. And when the emperor Justin heard
these things, <he put off> his imperial crown
and garments and wept and lamented, and ceased to visit
the theatre. And under the pressure of strong necessity
he went from the imperial court to the church |137
on the fifth day of the Easter festival, walking on
the ground with bare feet. And all the people and the
Senate wept and lamented with abundant tears. And he
gave much money in order to rebuild the churches and
towns which had been destroyed: no emperor before him
gave in the same measure.
35. And in his reign the Lazaeans, who had been under
the sway of the Persians, and had embraced the cult
of their idols, came to him and became Christians. 36.
It was on the occasion of the death of the king of the
Persians that they received grace from heaven, that
is, faith in the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.
37. And thereupon they came to the city of Constantinople
to the emperor Justin, saying: 'We wish thee to make
us Christians like thyself, and we shall then be subjects
of the Roman empire.' And he received them gladly, and
had them baptized in the name of the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, the con substantial Trinity.
38. And he honoured their chief exceedingly, and clothed
him after his baptism with a robe of honour, and rendered
to him imperial honours, and gave him for his spouse
the daughter of a great official, who was named Ionics,217
and he sent him back to his own country with great honours.
39. And when Cabades, the king of the Persians, heard
these things he was greatly grieved, and sent ambassadors
to the emperor Justin with the following message: 'Heretofore
there have been friendship and peace between us: but
behold now thou hast created enmity and hast + received+
218 the king
of the Lazaeans, who from the earliest times has been
subject to our sway, and not to that of Rome.' 40. And
when the emperor Justin heard this message, he wrote
a reply in the following terms : 'We have not taken
from thee any of thy subjects; but when a man named
Tzathius came to us, humbly begging us to deliver him
from the error wherein he walked, namely, the errors
of demons and of pagans, and from impure sacrifices,
and besought us that he might be made a Christian, how
could I forbid one who desired to return to the true
God, the Creator of all things ? 41. And when he became
a Christian, and was deemed worthy to receive the holy
mysteries, we permitted him |138
to return to his own country.' And for this reason there
was enmity between the Romans and the Persians.
42. And the emperor Justin (requested) Ziligdes, king
of the Huns, to be his ally in the war, and he gave
him numerous presents, and made him swear a solemn oath
that he would deal truly and fairly with him. 43. But
Ziligdes proved false to his oath, and set out to join
Cabades, king of Persia, with 20,000 soldiers, and formed
an alliance with him, and joined him. But the Christians
had the help of God, who always wars against their enemies.
44. For when the Persians went forth to give battle
the emperor Justin sent the following message to the
king of Persia : 'Behold, it is fitting that we should
be brothers in friendship, and not be mocked by our
enemies. And behold we wish to inform thee that Ziligdes
the Hun has received large sums from us with a view
to helping us in the time of war, and behold now he
has gone to thee with treacherous intent, and in the
time of war he will come to our side and slay the Persians.
And now, as thou sayest, let there be no enmity between
us, but peace.' 45. And when Cabades, king of Persia,
heard this, he asked Ziligdes and said unto him: 'Is
it true that thou hast received moneys from the Romans
to help them against the Persians?' And he answered,
'Yes.' And Cabades was enraged, and immediately commanded
his head to be cut off; for he thought that he had done
this with treacherous intent. 46. And he sent soldiers
to fight against the 20,000 troops who had come with
him, and he put them to the sword, and only a few escaped,
who returned in great shame to their own country. And
from that day friendship prevailed between Cabades,
king of Persia, and Justin, the emperor of Rome.
47. But the reign of Justin did not last long after
the conclusion of this friendship, and in the ninth
year of his reign he fell into a grievous illness, for
he had a wound in his head,219
which had been struck by an arrow in battle. The wound
reopened, and remained incurable for a long time. 48.
And during his illness he appointed his brother's son
emperor, and placed upon him the imperial crown, and
put all the affairs of the empire in his hands. And
thereupon he died.
49. And Justinian, after he had taken the empire into
his hands, resided in Constantinople with his wife Theodora.
And he |139
practised every virtue, and all shameless persons concealed
themselves from his notice. 50. And he built churches
everywhere, and hospices for strangers, and asylums
for old men, and hospitals for the sick, and orphanages,
and many other like establishments. 51. And he restored
many cities which had been destroyed, and gave large
sums of money to the people. None of the emperors that
preceded him had done as he did.
52. And Cabades, king of Persia, wished to make war
upon <the king of> the Lazaeans, because he had
given aid to Rome, and had become a Christian, and had
embraced their faith. And (the latter) wrote to the
emperor Justinian (requesting him) to give him aid because
of his faith in Christ. And he sent thereupon to him
numerous forces under three commanders, whose names
were Belisarius,220 Cerycus,
and Irenaeus, in order to help him. 53. But when they
engaged in battle many of the Romans <fell>; for
(the generals) were at variance with each other. And
when the emperor heard (this news) he was very wroth,
and sent Peter to be commander with a large force of
archers. And this Peter placed himself at the head of
the Roman generals,221
and, forming a junction with the Lazaeans, they attacked
the Persians, and put a great number of the Persians
to the sword on that occasion.
54. And the emperor Justinian loved God with all his
heart and mind. Now there was a magician named Masides,
who resided in the city of Byzantium, and there dwelt
with him a band of demons, who served him. And all the
faithful shunned him, and had no intercourse at all
with him. And this magician commanded the demons to
inflict evil plagues on men. 55. And those who lived
without using remedies for the soul and became remiss,
attending the theatre and the races, and particularly
certain nobles in the city, i.e. Addaeus and Aetherius,
patricians, held this enemy of God in high honour. 56.
And these same patricians spoke of this magician to
the emperor, and said unto him : 'This man has caused
the destruction of the Persians, and will give victory
to the Romans. And he will be serviceable to the Roman
empire by his practices, |140
and he will see to the administration of the nations,
and cause the taxes to be collected excellently, and
he will send demons against the Persians, and make their
stout warriors weak through manifold plagues separate
and distinct, and he will make them (the Romans) victors
without a battle.' 57. But being firm of purpose he
mocked the words of these servants of demons, and yet
he wished to become acquainted with their impure devices.
And so Masides carried out his evil practices as these
patricians had told him. 58. And when the emperor became
acquainted (with these practices) he mocked them (the
patricians) and said unto them: 'I do not desire the
magic and sorcery which thou dost practise, thinking
that thou canst benefit the state. 59. Am I, Justinian,
a Christian emperor, to conquer by the help of demons
? Not so, my help cometh from God and my Lord Jesus
Christ, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.' And
accordingly he drove away this magician and his assistants,
for his hope was always in God,
60. And some time later the emperor received the victory
from God, and he commanded that the magician should
be burnt.
61. And the Persians, renewing hostilities against
Rome, requested the Huns to send 20,000 warriors to
fight against Rome. Now there was there a certain valiant
woman amongst the + outer + Huns, named queen Boa, in
the language of the barbarians. 62. And this woman,
who was a widow, was wise. And she had two young sons,
and thousands of Hunnish warriors were under her sway.
And she exercised a vigorous rule since the death of
her husband, who was named Balach. 63. And this woman
arose and went to the Christian emperor Justinian, and
brought him a great quantity of gold and silver and
precious stones.222 And
the emperor commanded her to attack the two chiefs who
wished to make an alliance with the Persians and to
fight against the Romans. And these are their names,
Astera and Aglanos.223
64. And when this woman had overtaken these chiefs,
who were making terms with the Persians, she gave them
battle and defeated them, and slew Airlands and his
followers on the field of battle. 65. And Astera |141
she took alive, and seized him, and sent him in chains
to Constantinople. And they hanged him on a tree, and
fixed him (thereto) with nails.
66. And subsequently there came a man of the Huns named
Jaroks224 to the emperor
Justinian, and he was baptized and became a Christian.
And the emperor Justinian was his sponsor at the baptism,
and he gave him abundant honours, and sent him back
to his own country. Now this man became a vassal of
the Roman empire. 67. And when he returned home he told
his brother regarding the gifts which the emperor had
given him. And he also became a Christian. This Jaroks
took all the idols which the Huns worshipped and brake
them in pieces, and took the silver wherewith they were
covered and burnt them with fire. And all the people
of the country of the Huns who were barbarians were
wroth, and they rose against him and slew him. 68. And
when the emperor Justinian heard of this, he arose and
went to war against them, and he sent many ships by
the sea of Pontus and many warriors of the Scythians
and Goths. And he set Tulilan,225
a valiant general, over the ships. 69. But as
for the cavalry he dispatched them by land, and there
was a numerous army with Baduarius as commander. And
when the inhabitants of the country of the Huns heard
(of these forces) they took to flight, and concealed
themselves. And the emperor seized their country and
made peace with them anew.
70. And in those days there reigned in the country
of the Huns a man named Grepes (text-Akraids),226
and he went to the emperor Justinian and became a Christian,
he and all his kindred and officers. And the emperor
gave him large sums of money, and sent him back to his
own country with honour as a vassal of the Roman empire.
71. And in the days of the emperor Justinian the Indians
were at war with the Ethiopians. And the name of the
king of the Indians was Endas. He worshipped the star
called Saturn. Now the country of the Ethiopians was
not far distant from Egypt: it comprised three Indian
states and four Abyssinian states, and they were situated
on the border of the Sea [of Salt] towards the east.
|142 72.
Now the Christian merchants who travelled through the
country of the star-worshippers and through the Homeritae,1
whom we have mentioned and previously described, had
to submit to seven trials. Damnus,227
the king of the Homeritae,1 used to slay
the Christian merchants who came to him, and to take
their goods, saying: 'The Romans used to oppress and
slay the Jews, and on this account I also will slay
all the Christians I find.' 73. And for this reason
commerce ceased and came to an end in the interior of
India. 74. And when the king of Nubia heard these tidings,
he sent to the king of the Homeritae1 the
following message: 'Thou hast done an evil deed in that
thou hast slain Christian merchants and inflicted injuries
on my kingdom and on the kingdoms of other (kings) who
live near at hand and far off from me.' 75. And when
(Damnus) heard these words he went forth to fight. And
when they encountered each other the king of Nubia 228
opened his mouth and said: 'If God give me the victory
over this Jewish Damnus, I shall become a Christian.'
76. And then he gave battle to this Jew, and conquered
him and slew him, and made himself master of his kingdom
and of his cities. And at that time he sent messengers
to Alexandria + in reference to the Jews and the pagans
+ requesting the Roman governors to send from the empire
of Rome a bishop to baptize and instruct in the holy
Christian mysteries all the inhabitants of Nubia and
the survivors of the Jews. 77. And when the emperor
Justinian was apprised of these facts, he gave orders
that they should do for him all he requested, and should
send to him some priests and a bishop +from amongst
the clergy of the holy patriarch John+.229
He was a chaste and pious man. 78. Such was the origin
of the conversion of the Ethiopians in the days of the
emperor Justinian.
79. In his days also the king of Hedjaz, named Alamundar,
arose and invaded Persia and Syria, and committed great
depredations |143
as far as Antioch, and put many people to the sword,
and burned the city named Chalcis and other cities in
the province of Sirmium and Cynegia. 80. Thereupon the
army of the east went forth to meet them, but they did
not await the attack, but seizing much booty retired
into their own country.
81. In the days also of the emperor Justinian there
was a great earthquake in the land of Egypt, and many
cities and villages were swallowed in the abyss. And
those who lived in the country made prayers and many
intercessions with tears, being grieved on account of
the destruction that had been wrought. 82. And after
a year the wrath (of heaven) ceased and the earthquakes
which had prevailed in every place were stayed. And
the Egyptians celebrate the memorial of this day every
year on the 17th of Teqemt.230
83. And the remembrance of this calamity has been preserved
for us by our fathers, the divinely-influenced Egyptian
monks. For these earthquakes were due to the change
in the orthodox faith brought about by the emperor Justinian,
who had hardened his heart more than his father's brother,
who had preceded him.
84. And this Justinian commanded the Orientals to inscribe
the names of the (bishops of the) Council of Chalcedon
on the diptychs of the church, although they had sent
the patriarch Severus into exile-a custom which had
hitherto not existed and which is not mentioned in the
Apostolic Canons nor in the Councils of the Fathers
who came later: none of the Councils should be mentioned
in public worship. 85. Now it was this emperor Justinian
alone who established this custom throughout every province
of his empire, and had the names of the (bishops of
the) Council of Chalcedon inscribed. And Anthimus, patriarch
of Constantinople, and Acacius who had been patriarch
in the days of the emperor Zeno, and Peter, patriarch
of Alexandria, were excommunicated. 86. And he caused
their names to be removed from the diptychs, and abolished
the Henoticon of the emperor Zeno : he proscribed the
name of the patriarch Abba Severus throughout all the
province of Antioch and the adjoining districts, enjoining
that it should not be mentioned in the diptychs of the
church, but |144
cursed; and he caused the inhabitants of Alexandria
to thirst after the waters of the doctrine of Dioscoras,
who was succeeded by the patriarch Timothy. 87. Now
the emperor Justinian had given the patriarchal chair
to the Chalcedonians, but as the empress Theodora, his
wife, besought him on behalf of Timothy, patriarch of
Alexandria, he permitted him on her account. Now she
called him 'spiritual father'.
88. And in the days of this father, the emperor Justinian
sent numerous forces to Alexandria, and these encompassed
the city and wished to shed much blood. But Timothy
the patriarch sent many anchorites and ascetics to the
emperor to intercede on behalf of the church, and avert
a massacre in the city and the shedding of innocent
blood, and to get permission (for its people) to abide
by the faith of its fathers. 89. And when the emperor
heard these petitions, he granted them on the intercession
of the empress Theodora, who was near (?) to him, and
he sent orders to the army to return to the province
of Africa. 90. And the patriarch Timothy continued to
reside in his palace, true to the orthodox faith. And
again subsequently the emperor sent to Alexandria a
chief eunuch, named Calotychius. In that year the Roman
empire had reached its 1287th year.
And the city continued tranquil for a short period.
And the illustrious father Timothy died full of honour.
CHAPTER XCI. 1. And likewise in the days of this patriarch
Timothy there took place in the city of Alexandria an
event, great and very terrible and strange exceedingly.
2. Now there was a house in the eastern quarter of the
city, in a place called Arutiju, to the right of the
church of the holy Athanasius. And in this house there
dwelt a Jew, named Aubaruns, and he had a chest in which
were the mandil and towel of our Lord Jesus Christ,
wherewith He girded Himself when He washed the feet
of His disciples. 3. His kindred gave it (the chest)
to this Jew. He indeed did not open it; for though he
often wished to open it he could not. For when he touched
it, (fire) descended threatening to consume him who
wished to open it. 4. And he heard the voices of angels
singing the praises of Him who was crucified on the
cross, the Lord, the King of Glory. 5. And as this Jew
was terrified, he, his mother, and wife, and children
went to the patriarch Timothy and told him (regarding
it). And forthwith he |145
proceeded with crosses, and gospels, censers and lighted
waxen candles, and he came to the place in which the
chest was. 6. And forthwith the lid of the coffer opened,
and he took with great veneration the notable mandil
and towel and conveyed them to the patriarchal palace,
and placed them in the Church of the Tabenniosites,
in a holy place. 7. And an angel descended from heaven
and closed until this day the lid of the brazen coffer
wherein the mandil and towel had been. 8. And all the
inhabitants of Alexandria were indignant, and went to
the Persians (?) and besought them to open the lid of
the coffer, but they could not. 9. That Jew indeed and
all his household became Christians then as was befitting.
CHAPTER XCII. 1. And after the death of the venerable
father Timothy, the deacon Theodosius, who had been
(his) secretary, was appointed in his stead. Whilst
he was going to occupy his pontifical chair, an Ethiopian
wished to kill him. He fled and came to the city Konus
and lived there in solitude. 2. Then the foolish populace
seized Gainas and made him patriarch in the room of
Theodosius, thus transgressing the holy canons. 3. And
there was strife in the city; some said: 'We are Theodosians';
and others said: 'We are Gainites', even unto this day.
4. And when the emperor heard of these events-now there
was in the city a prefect named Dioscorus, and Aristomachus,
moreover, was commander of the troops-the emperor Justinian
ordered the military commander to proceed to Alexandria
and bring back the (holy) father Theodosius from his
exile. 5. And <Aristomachus> established him in
his (patriarchal) chair and sent Gainas into exile .
. .231 And when
he had taken possession of the Church he gave it to
Paul the Chalcedonian, who had been a monk among the
Tabenniosites, and he made him patriarch. 6. And joining
the Chalcedonian faith, he furnished letters in his
own hand (to this effect) and sent (them) to all the
churches. And forthwith there arose an uproar among
the Alexandrians, and they fought with one another;
for there was none who supported Paul, as he was an
apostate and a Nestorian. 7. And it was not only Alexandria,
but every city that disapproved of him; for he was a
persecutor, and loved to shed blood. And the emperor
Justinian deposed this Paul from his office, as he was
found committing the abominable crime of sodomy with
a deacon |146
in a bath, and he appointed in his room a monk, named
Zoilus of the city of Aksenja. And him also the inhabitants
of the city refused to receive. 8. And Zoilus, seeing
that the inhabitants of the city were hostile to him,
sent a letter to the emperor Justinian, resigning the
patriarchal dignity. 9. Then the emperor appointed a
reader, named Apollinaris, of the convent of Salama,
in the city of Alexandria. And he was o£ gentle disposition,
and a member of the Theodosian party. 10. And they persuaded
him to be patriarch in the place of Zoilus, and they
promised him great gifts with a view to his re-establishing
the faith of the Church. And Ga'inas died in exile before
Theodosius.
11. And the emperor Theodosius assembled a great number
of bishops from every country, and Vigilius, patriarch
of Rome. And after painful exertions many accepted the
orthodox faith, but others followed the wicked Nestorian
and Chalcedonian creed, and of Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia.
12. And (the Council) anathematized the blasphemer Nestorius,
who spoke of the two natures. Now Theodoret232
had opposed the words and teaching of our holy father
Cyril. 13. And when the Nestorians had grown strong
through the help of the new Marcian, i. e. Justinian,
John of the city of Antioch (?)233
helped our holy father Cyril. 14. And the emperor Justinian
believed in the Chalcedonian creed which says Christ
had two natures in one person-while they preach Him,
as they say, according to Theodoret the Nestorian, who
contended against John of the city of Antioch in the
Council of Chalcedon. 15. And Asturaljus the prefect
wrote a letter establishing the one nature of Christ,
the Word who became incarnate through union with the
flesh, and submitted to the passion, and wrought true
miracles : 16. And (showing) that the holy Virgin Mary
bare God, Him who was crucified, one of the Holy Trinity,
the Lord of glory. And this is the pure faith and the
holy orthodox teaching. 17. And they wrongfully put
to death the holy Dioscorus, the patriarch of Alexandria.
18. And Justinian believed in the Chalcedonian creed,
and accepted the letter of Leo which declared that Christ
had two natures, distinct in all His |147
actions, as the two Nestorian bishops, i. e. Theodoret,
bishop of Cyrrhus, and Theodore, bishop of Mopsuestia
taught.
19. And after the visitations which God had made to
fall on the country, Justinian made peace with the Persians
and conquered the Vandals; 20. And these great victories
have been carefully recorded by Agathias, one of the
renowned scholars of the city of Constantinople, and
likewise by a learned man named Procopius the patrician.
He was a man of intelligence and a prefect, whose work
is well known. 21. It was he (Justinian) that took all
the imperial edicts of his predecessors, and duly arranged
and re-edited them, and set them in the place of judgement,
which went back to the ancient Romans, and they had
left them as a memorial to those that came after.
CHAPTER XCIII. 1. There was a man named Romulus who
had founded the great city of Rome; and likewise another
who came after him named Numa, who adorned the city
of Rome with institutions and laws, and subsequently
established three orders in the empire. 2. And so also
subsequently did the great Caesar and Augustus also
after him. And it was through these that the virtues
of the Romans were shown forth, and these institutions
are maintained among them until this day, 3, And subsequently
came the empress Theodora, the consort of the emperor
Justinian, who put an end to the prostitution of women,
and gave orders for their expulsion from every place.234
4. And there was a Samaritan brigand chief who assembled
all the Samaritans, and raised a great war, and assumed
the royal crown in the city of Nablus, and said : 'I
am king.' 5. And he seduced many of his people by his
lying statement when he declared: 'God hath sent me
to re-establish the Samaritan kingdom'; just as <Je>roboam
the son of Nebat who, reigning after the wise Solomon
the son of David, seduced the people of Israel and made
them serve idols.
6. And whilst he was at Nablus there were three horsemen
who were leading in a race, a Christian, a Jew, and
a Samaritan. And the Christian conquered in the race,
and immediately dismounted and bowed his head to receive
the prize. 7. And he asked saying: 'What is he who was
first in the race?' And they replied: 'A |148
Christian.' And thereupon they cut off his head with
the sword. 8. And for this reason they named their troops
troops of the Philistines. And troops from Phoenicia,
Canaan, and Arabia, and many other Christian forces,
mustered and made war on that wretched Samaritan and
slew him and his companions and his officers. 9. And
they cut off his head and sent it to Constantinople
to the emperor Justinian, in order to strengthen his
empire. And (the emperor) thereupon distributed alms
to the poor and wretched.
CHAPTER XCIV. 1. And there was discussion as to the
body of our Lord Jesus Christ, and much controversy
in the city of Constantinople as to its being corruptible
or incorruptible. 2. And they were agitated in the city
of Alexandria regarding this controversy which had arisen
between the two factions, the Theodosians and the Gainians.
3. And the emperor Justinian sent to Eutychius the patriarch
of the city of Constantinople at that time and asked
him regarding this matter. He agreed on doctrinal views
with Severus and Theodosius. 4. Accordingly, he answered
and said unto him : 'The body of our Lord which submitted
to suffering on behalf of our salvation is living, imperishable,
incorruptible, and unchangeable. We believe that He
suffered voluntarily. And after the resurrection He
was incorruptible and unchangeable in all aspects and
ways.' 5. But the emperor did not accept this pronouncement.
Now the true solution of this question is to be found
in the letter sent by the holy Cyril to Successus.235
6. But the emperor inclined to the views of Julian,
a bishop of the Gainian party who had the same doctrine
; for they said : 'He was a man like us, and the holy
Scriptures say : "Christ suffered for us in the body.''
' 7. And the emperor Justinian was wroth with the patriarch
Eutychius because he had not sent him a reply such as
he desired, but a pronouncement like that of Severus
and Anthimus ; 'These (he said) had deceived the inhabitants
of Constantinople, and this (Eutychius) likewise had
deceived them.' 8. And thereupon he sent a letter to
Agathon the prefect of Alexandria, with orders to appoint
Apollinaris, count of the Monastery of Banton,236
to be patriarch of the Chalcedonians in the city of
Alexandria and the |149
other cities of Egypt. 9. But the inhabitants of this
city were strongly attached to the incorruptibility
dogma, and followed the teaching of our fathers, written
in books, which declares : 'The holy body of our Lord
was incorruptible before the resurrection, and He submitted
to suffering of His own will unto death, but since the
resurrection it has become immortal and impassible.'
Such was the declaration of Gregory the theologian.
10. Wherefore it behoves us, touching the proposition
of the incorruptibility, to set aside the salutary suffering
which He endured in the body of His own free will and
power, and accomplished on behalf of our salvation.
11. And the emperor Justinian deposed and exiled Eutychius
the patriarch of Constantinople, and appointed John
of the city of + Jūdans +,237
who promised to give the emperor an autograph letter
signifying his agreement with him in the faith, and
likewise to write a synodal letter. 12. But when he
received the (patriarchal) dignity, he set at naught
the command of the emperor and refused to write as he
had promised him. He had indeed been formerly a layman,
and was unacquainted with the Scriptures, and had no
thorough knowledge of the holy faith; but when he became
a priest he studied unintermittingly the holy Scriptures,
and acquainted himself with the pains and troubles which
our holy fathers sustained on behalf of Christ, and
he learnt the orthodox doctrine, and forsook the perverse
doctrine of the emperor. 13. Now it was this John the
patriarch that wrote the Mystagogia, which set forth
the one nature of Christ, the Word of God, which became
flesh. And its testimony agrees with the testimony of
the apostolic Athanasius who said : 'There is one hypostasis,
divine and human.'
14. And a man, named Menas, who had previously been
patriarch of Constantinople, wrote to Vigilius, patriarch
of the city of Rome, to the following effect: 'There
is only one will and one volition in our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ. And we believe in God in perfect fear
of heart, instructed as we are in the teaching of our
fathers.' And all this discourse was in the hands of
John, patriarch of Constantinople. 15. And so the emperor
wished to depose John, |150
but, being troubled regarding this matter, because of
Eutychius whom he had already driven forth without recourse
to canonical judgement, he feared the outbreak of a
tumult. Now while matters were in this train, the emperor
Justinian died in an advanced old age in the thirty-ninth
year of the reign. His consort, the empress Theodora,
had died before him.
16. And the Romans deposed all the bishops. And subsequently
the Romans abandoned their ancient institutions because
of the heathen 238
who dwelt among them. Now the heathen concerted
together and put the Romans to the sword at midday and
seized the cities and a multitude of captives.
17. And the Samaritans dwelling in Palestine took up
arms and rebelled. And the emperor Justinian [before
he died] sent against them a monk of high rank named
Photion and a numerous army under him. And he fought
against them and conquered them, and put many of them
to torture, and others be drove into exile, and he inspired
them with a great fear.
18. And in those days there was a pestilence in all
places, and a great famine, And when the emperor saw
that all the nations were troubled when he published
his edict on the faith in all the province of Alexandria,
and stirred up a severe persecution in the land of Egypt,
his mind was affected through the greatness of his grief,
and he kept traversing the apartments of the palace
in mental bewilderment. 19. And he longed for death
but failed to find it; for God was wroth against him.
And when he betrayed his madness before all the people
they took from him the imperial crown, and placed it
on Tiberius and made him emperor in his stead. And our
Lord Jesus Christ gave power and strength to the latter.
Now this Tiberius was a young man, very fair to look
upon, virtuous, generous, and resolute. 20. And when
he became emperor he put a stop to the persecution,
and showed (due) honour to the priests and monks. And
so they accused him of being a Nestorian; but their
accusation was false. On the contrary, he was a very
good man and never failed to show favour to the orthodox,
and to those who believed in the one nature of Christ,
perfect God and man of one essence, the Word that became
flesh. |151
Let us worship and give praise to Him who gives help
and power to kings. 21. Now this emperor never permitted
any persecution throughout his reign. And he presented
many gifts to all his subjects, and he built many edifices
in honour of the martyrs and houses in which the monks
could pursue their religious exercises, and + pulpits
+ and convents for the virgins. 22. And he presented
many alms to the poor and destitute. And God caused
peace to prevail throughout his days as a recompense
for his good deeds, and preserved the imperial city
through special mercies.
23. And John patriarch of Constantinople died in his
reign at the close of a very prosperous career. And
the emperor brought Eutychius back from exile and restored
him to his (patriarchal) throne in the place of John
who had died. 24. And Apollinaris bishop of the Chalcedonians
died in Alexandria, and a man, named John, an ex-military
man, was appointed in his stead, And he had a goodly
presence and forced none to forsake his faith. But he
glorified God in His Church in the midst of all the
assembled people, and they gave thanks to the emperor
for the noble acts he had done.
25. And Christ was with him (the emperor), and he conquered
the Persians and the nations by force of arms, and he
made peace with all the nations subject to him, And
he died in peace in the third year of his reign. It
was owing to the sins of men that his days were so few;
for they were not worthy of such a Godloving emperor,
and so they lost this gracious and good man. 26, Before
he died he gave orders that his son-in-law, named Germanus,
should be raised to the imperial throne. Now he had
formerly been patrician. But owing to his humility of
heart he refused to be emperor. Thereupon Maurice, who
was of the province of Cappadocia, was made emperor.
CHAPTER XCV. 1. Now Maurice who became emperor in succession
to the Godloving Tiberius was very avaricious. He had
previously been in command in the province of the east,
and had subsequently married + the daughter of Domentiolus
+,239 named Constantina,
and made her his wife. 2. And straightway he gave orders
to the city of Constantinople that all the cavalry should
muster and proceed with Commentiolus 240
to the province of the east.241
3. And he sent also to Aristomachus in the province
of Egypt. Now he was a |152
citizen of Nikiu, a son of the prefect Theodosius. And
he was a proud and powerful man, and his father before
he died had admonished him, saying : 'Be content with
what thou hast and do not desire a different career:
but be content with that which befits thee that thy
soul may have peace; for thou hast wealth in abundance,
sufficient for thee.' 4. But when the child grew up
he sought after the (great) things of this world, and
arrayed a numerous force with + rustic + arms which
attended upon him, and so forgot the advice of his father.
5. Moreover he built vessels by means of which he could
visit all the cities of Egypt with pleasure and delight.
And so he became proud and forced 242
all the military officers to be subject to the emperor;
for he had received the command in the reign of the
emperor Tiberius. 6. And by reason of this command he
became more and more presumptuous, and made all the
troops submit to his orders, and led a fearless life.
And he posted cavalry in the city of Nikiu without any
authorization of the emperor. 7. And all the troops
under his command were without means, and he seized
all the houses of those who were richer than he, and
he esteemed them of no account. And when men of high
or low degree came to him from the emperor, he let them
remain at the door and did not admit them for a longtime.
8. And when the emperor Tiberius was informed, before
he died, of the actions of Aristomachus, he sent to
the city of Alexandria an officer named Andrew243
to effect his arrest by wise measures, avoiding the
shedding of blood, and to bring him back alive to him.
9. And the emperor Tiberius likewise sent orders to
all the forces in Egypt to render him assistance in
the war against the barbarians. And when the message
of the emperor reached Aristomachus, he proceeded to
the city of Alexandria with only a few attendants; for
he was not aware of the treacherous device they had
prepared against him. 10. And when the patriarch and
Andrew saw him, they were delighted, and got ready a
light ship on the sea close at hand to the Church of
St. Mark the Evangelist. Then they celebrated divine
service on the 30th of Mijazja,244
the festival of St. Mark the Evangelist. 11. And at
the close of the divine service, Andrew went forth accompanied
by Aristomachus and |153
walked towards the seashore. And thereupon Andrew made
a signal to his attendants and to the soldiers to seize
Aristomachus and to cast him into the vessel. And immediately
they seized him, and, bearing him on their shoulders,
cast him into the vessel, without his being aware (of
the reason), and loosing thence they set sail to go
to the emperor. 12. And when the gracious emperor saw
him, he said: 'This face is not the face of a criminal:
let us do him no injury of any kind.' And he gave orders
for him to be kept in the city of Byzantium till he
had examined into his conduct. And after a few days,
finding no fault in him, he restored him to his command,
and sent him back to the city of Alexandria. And he
was beloved by all the people. 13. And he vanquished
the barbarians in the province of Nubia and Africa,
who are named Mauritanians, and others named Marikos.
He destroyed them and laid waste their country, and
took their possessions as a booty and brought them all
in chains by the river Gihon into the land of Egypt;
for the engagement had taken place on the banks of the
river. 14. Now the chroniclers have recounted the victory
he won. And there he reflected after this manner: 'Some
envious person will go to the emperor and slander me,
but I will forestall him and send a message to the emperor.'
And forthwith he sent the following message: 'May I
come to have interview with thee?' And the emperor Maurice
replied: 'Yes.' 15. And he arose at once with haste,
and went to the emperor, and brought him many gifts.
And the latter accepted all that he presented, and thereupon
appointed him prefect of the imperial city. And the
empress Constantina appointed him controller of all
her house and loaded him with honours, until he was
second only in rank to the emperor, and he became a
very great personage in the city of Byzantium. 16. And
he constructed aqueducts throughout all the city, for
its inhabitants complained greatly of the want of water.
And he had a reservoir of bronze made for them by a
clever engineer, such as had never been made previously.
And so the water flowed into the reservoir of bronze
which had been appointed. 17. And the city was thus
delivered from disquiet through the abundant supply
of water; and when a fire broke out in the city, they
went to the reservoir and extinguished the fire. 18.
And all the people loved and respected him. And he was
fond of constructing public works, and his deeds were
noble. And then there arose against him |154
certain envious persons who were foolish and aimed at
delivering him over to death through their devices.
And whilst they were engaged in such designs a prefect
who knew astrology came forward, and likewise another
person named Leon, the logothete, and, observing a star
which had appeared in the heaven, they said that this
star which had appeared portended the assassination
of the emperor. 19. And they went and made this announcement
to the empress Constantina and said unto her: 'Learn
what thou shouldst do and take measures that thou and
thy children may escape destruction; for this star which
has appeared is a presage of a revolt against the emperor.'
20. And they brought many accusations against Aristomachus,
and they bound her by an oath not to tell the emperor.
And she went at once and told the emperor. And he imagined
that Aristomachus intended to slay him and take his
wife. And the emperor became hostile forthwith to Aristomachus,
and he robbed him of every hope, and exposed him to
numerous humiliations, and sent him in exile to the
island of Gaul where he had to remain till he died.
21. Now the emperor Maurice welcomed many false, turbulent
persons, owing to his greed for money. And he sold all
the grain of Egypt and converted it into gold, and likewise
the grain for Byzantium he sold for gold. 22. And every
one hated him and said : 'How is it that the city of
Constantinople puts up with such a wicked emperor? And
how is it that five sons and two daughters have been
born to one who has wrought such wickedness to the end
of his reign ?'
23. And Hormisdas, named Chosroes, the king of Persia
at that epoch, was the son of the great Cabades. It
is said that his father had been a Christian, and believed
in Christ our true God, but that through fear of the
Persians had concealed his true faith. 24. But in his
latter days he had gone into a bath with faithful attendants,
and after he had been exhorted and admonished by a Christian
bishop regarding the faith he was to believe in secret,
he renounced Satan whom he had worshipped and was baptized
in a font belonging to the bath in the name of the Holy
Trinity. 25. And when he was baptized he gave orders
for the destruction of the font in which he had been
baptized. Then he took his son Hormisdas and made him
king in his stead. 26. This unhappy man was addicted
to the worship of demons; moreover he compelled the
Christians to |155
worship fire and the sun. And the horses also that pastured
on grass were objects of his worship.
CHAPTER XCVI. 1. And there was once a noble woman who
was a Nestorian and she was called in the Persian language
Golanduch.245 And
as she journeyed by sea, she was seized by the Persians
and cast into prison. 2. And they put a chain246
upon her neck after the manner of the Assyrians, and
when a prisoner died, the (jailers) showed the king
the chain still locked upon his neck. 3. Now while she
was so situated an angel appeared to her and addressed
her, and seized the chain that was upon her neck, and
removed it without unlocking it, and placed it with
the jailers in order that they might suffer no injury
at the hands of their judges. 4. And she heard a mighty
voice which said unto her: 'It is for the sake of the
orthodox faith of our Lord Jesus Christ that thou hast
been delivered.' And she arose and fled and she came
to the territory of Rome, and abode in the city of Hierapolis
on the river Euphrates. 5. And she went and recounted
to the metropolitan Domitian all that had befallen her.
Now he was the son <of the paternal uncle> 247
of the emperor Maurice, and he went and told the
emperor regarding this woman whom we have already mentioned.
6. And he gave orders that they should conduct her to
him, and he prevailed on her to forsake the Nestorian
faith and become a believer in the orthodox Christian
faith. And she believed as he told her.
7. And our Lord Jesus Christ, though long-suffering
and beneficent, did not remain indifferent and unmoved
regarding the persecution which was brought upon His
saints by Hormisdas the king of Persia. 8. And God was
roused to anger against him and his house was destroyed
from the top to the bottom, and the king's son, the
new Chosroes,248 arose
and slew him.
9. And at the time of the emperor's death there were
grave dissensions amongst the troops, and two parties
were formed. And when the younger249
Chosroes saw what had befallen, he took to flight and
reached the Roman territory. And having made himself
known to the Roman officials, he sent ambassadors to
the emperor Maurice with the request that he should
be permitted to remain under the Roman sway, and that
he should make war on the |156
Persians and seize their kingdom, and make it (part
of) the Roman empire. 10. And the emperor Maurice betook
himself to John, patriarch of the city of Constantinople,
in order to deliberate with him. And this John was an
ascetic and eat no (animal ?) food whatever, and drank
no wine, but supported himself sufficiently on the produce
of the field and on green vegetables. 11. And there
came together to him all the magistrates and officers
in order to deliberate with him regarding Chosroes,
king of Persia, who had come to them. 12. And John cried
aloud to them all and said unto them : 'This man who
has murdered his father cannot benefit the empire. Nay
it is Christ, our true God, who will war on our behalf
at all times against all the nations that attack us.
And as for this man who has not been faithful to his
father, how will he be faithful to the Roman empire.'
13. But the emperor Maurice did not accept the advice
of the patriarch wherewith he advised him, and likewise
his officers, and he wrote forthwith to Domitian, (the
son of) his father's brother, who was bishop of Melitene,
and to Narses, commander of the forces in the east,
and commanded him to take all the Roman troops and set
out and establish Chosroes, king of Persia, and to annihilate
all his adversaries. 14. And he gave them the royal
insignia and magnificent garments befitting his rank.
Now this Chosroes used to go to Golanduch to ask her
if he should become king of Persia or not. And she said
unto him : 'Thou shalt conquer and shalt certainly become
king of the Persians and the Magi; but the Roman empire
has been given to the emperor Maurice.'
15. And Narses did as he had commanded, and he conducted
the accursed Chosroes back to the Persians, and he made
war upon them, and conquered them, and delivered the
kingdom of the Magi into the hand of this wretch. 16.
And when he was established on the throne he proved
ungrateful to the Romans, who had been his benefactors,
and devised evil against the Romans. 17. And all the
magicians assembled by night in his house in order to
prepare poison to put in the food of the Roman troops
and in the food of their horses, with a view to destroying
them all together with their commander Narses. 18. But
our Lord Jesus Christ inspired the hearts of the members
of the court with pity, and they went and disclosed
the matter to Narses the Roman commander. When he was
acquainted with this plot he gave orders to all the
troops, and |157
said unto them : 'When they offer you food do not eat
it, but give it to the dogs, and as for the fodder give
it to other animals.' 19. And when the dogs had eaten
they burst asunder in the midst, and the cattle died.
And when Narses saw this he was very wroth against Chosroes,
and arose forthwith and marched and brought back the
Roman forces to their rulers (?). And all the Romans
hated the emperor Maurice because of the calamities
which had befallen in his days.
CHAPTER XCVII. 1. There were three brothers in a city,
in the north of Egypt, named Aikelah, i. e. Zawja. And
the names of the three brothers were Abaskiron, Menas,
and Jacob. 2. Now this Abaskiron was the eldest, and
he was a Nasaha.250 And
he had a son named Isaac. 3. Now John the prefect of
the city of Alexandria had made them governors over
many cities in Egypt. Their own city Aikelah was near
the city of Alexandria. 4. And these four men were in
the enjoyment of great wealth, but not being able to
bear (it) they attacked the Blue Faction, and sacked
the two cities of Bena and Busir, without the permission
of the governor of the province. Now the latter was
a good, excellent, and chaste man. 5. And these four
men whom we have already mentioned, shed much blood,
and burnt the city of Busir and the public bath. And
the governor of the city of Busir fled by night; for
the inhabitants of the city of Aikelah wished to kill
him. 6. And he succeeded in making his escape from them,
and proceeded to the city of Byzantium to the emperor
Maurice, shedding many tears, and he informed him of
the death which the four men had prepared for him. And
a second dispatch came to the emperor from the governor
of the city of Alexandria announcing these events. 7.
And when the emperor Maurice was apprised of these things,
he was very wroth, and gave orders to John the prefect
of the city of Alexandria to remove them from (their)
office. Now these men mustered a large force of daring
men provided with horses and swords and weapons of war,
and they seized a large number of ships, in which grain
was carried to the city of Alexandria, and there arose
a great famine in the city. And (its inhabitants) suffered
greatly and sought to kill the prefect John. But the
faithful who loved Christ fought on his behalf because
of his good conduct. |158
8. And the inhabitants of the city wrote a letter and
sent it to the emperor informing him regarding the troubles
of the city. And the emperor removed the prefect John,
and appointed in his stead Paul of the city of Alexandria.
And the inhabitants of the city escorted John as he
departed with every mark of honour. And he went and
had an interview with the emperor and informed him regarding
the deeds of violence wrought by the inhabitants of
the city of Aikelah, and he stayed for a short time
with the emperor. 9. And the latter, however,, appointed
him and gave him full authority over the city of Aikelah.
And when the inhabitants of the city of Aikelah heard
what had befallen, and likewise of the return of John
to the city of Alexandria, they stirred up disquiet
and strife throughout all the land of Egypt alike on
sea and land. 10. And they sent one of their number,
the daring Isaac with his freebooters, and these went
down to the sea, and seized a large number of ships
which were on the sea and they broke (?) them up. And
they proceeded to Cyprus and captured much booty.
11. And many people, that is, Tananikun, and Lakurin,
and Elmatridin Elmasr, and the Blue and Green Factions,
and the enemy of God from Busir-all these mustered in
the city of Aikelah, and took counsel with Eulogius,
Chalcedonian patriarch in the city of Alexandria, and
with Ailas the deacon, and Minas the assistant, and
Ptolemy the commander of the barbarians, but the inhabitants
of the city of Aikelah were not aware of this procedure.
12. They wanted to appoint a prefect in the room of
John; for they said : 'This John has no respect of persons,
and he hates injustice and he will <not> treat
us as we wish. 13. Now the inhabitants of Aikelah went
on committing transgression after transgression, and
they seized the grain-laden ships, and they got hold
of the imperial taxes and forced the prefect of the
city to send forward the taxes to them.
14. Now John quitted with honour the imperial presence
and came to the city of Alexandria, and the (insurgent)
chief of the city of Aikelah heard of the arrival of
John. And John mustered the forces of Alexandria, Egypt,
and Nubia in order to attack the inhabitants of the
city of Aikelah. 15. And forthwith there came a general
named Theodore, who had been with Aristomachus. Now
this Theodore was a son of the commander Zechariah.
And he |159
sent a secret letter to John, (requesting him) to send
him trained troops who could shoot with the bow (lit.
the arrow) and to release from prison two men, namely
(the one), Cosmas the son of Samuel, and the other Banon
the son of Ammon. 16. And he commanded Cosmas to proceed
by land route and Banon by sea. Now this Zechariah -
a man of illustrious rank - was the lieutenant1
of John in the city of Busir. 17. And (John) found (on
his arrival) that much devastation had been wrought
in the city of Alexandria. And he had a large number
of the daring ones seized and punished, and he captured
a great number of ships, and inspired a great fear in
them (the rebels) on his arrival in the city of Alexandria.
18. And subsequently he had many great works constructed
in the sea at the cost of great exertions. And he did
not return to the city of Byzantium till he died.251
19. And when the general Theodore and his men came
up they burned the camp of the rebels, and they all
advanced as far as Alexandria, (even) the (full-grown)
men, the youths who shot with the bow, and some stone-slingers.
20. And he took with him the five men whom he had released
from prison, namely, Cosmas, the son of Samuel, Banon,
the son of Ammon, and their companions, in order to
show the Egyptians those whom he had released from imprisonment.
21. And when they came to the border of the river, they
marshalled the sturdy soldiers in boats and the cavalry
on the land. And the general passed over to the eastern
bank of the river with all his soldiers. 22. But Cosmas
and Banon remained on the western bank of the river
with a numerous force. And they cried aloud to the conspirators
on the eastern bank of the river and said unto them
: 'Observe all ye people who have joined with those
rebels : do not war against the general ; for the Roman
empire is neither enfeebled nor subdued; but through
our compassion towards you we have borne with you until
now.' 23. And thereupon the people who had assembled
along with those rebels broke off from them and crossed
the river and joined the Roman troops. 24. And
they began an attack on the inhabitants of Aikelah,
and they vanquished them. And the latter fled by night
and gained a small city named Abusan, and not being
able to remain there they |160
passed on to the great city (of Alexandria). 25. And
the Roman troops pursued them thither and captured the
four men, Abaskiron, Menas, Jacob, and Isaac, and put
the four on a camel, and had them conducted throughout
all the city of Alexandria in the sight of all men.
26. And next they cast them into prison with their hands
and feet loaded with chains. 27. And after a long interval
Constantine the patrician who had been appointed governor
of the city of Alexandria came and examined the case
of the prisoners. 28. And when he became acquainted
with the charges against them, he had three of the brothers
executed; but as for Isaac he had him thrown into chains
and transported for life to the island of Atroku. 29.
And as for their accomplices, some were condemned to
corporal punishment, others had their goods confiscated.
And the cities of Aikelah and Abusan were burnt with
fire. And great fear prevailed over all the land of
Egypt, and its inhabitants dwelt in the enjoyment of
tranquillity and peace.
30. And about this time also there arose a rebel named
Azarias in the province of Akhmim, who mustered a large
force of Ethiopic slaves and brigands and seized the
imperial taxes without the knowledge of the officers
of the province. 31. But when the inhabitants saw the
warlike measures of these slaves and barbarians, they
feared them, and sent a dispatch to the emperor with
information (on the matter). 32. And the emperor sent
a distinguished commander with a numerous force of Egyptians
and Nubians to attack Azarias. But before the attack
was made, he fell into a panic and fled, and gained
the summit of an arid mountain which resembled a citadel.
33. And the troops beleaguered that mountain for a long
time until the water and food of the rebels failed.
Thereupon the rebel Azarias died and likewise his followers
through hunger and thirst. Now they had already abandoned
their horses.
34. And in the reign of this emperor also, when the
governor and commander in Alexandria was one named Menas,
the son of Main, there appeared (two) creatures in human
form, one resembling a man and the other a woman. 35.
And all who travelled by river, when they stopped near
the bank, saw them clearly and wondered greatly at the
spectacle. And Menas likewise saw them and all the officers
and notables of the city. 36. And all who saw them spake
to them and said: 'We adjure you in the name of the
God who created you, show yourselves to us again.' And
when they |161
heard the adjuration, they showed their face and hands
and breasts. And all who saw them, said: 'This is the
work of demons who dwell in the waters.' 37. But others
said: 'This river is of two sexes, for there have appeared
in it creatures such as have never been seen before.'
Others said: 'This is an evil thing for our country.'
Others said: 'The apparition of these creatures is a
happy omen.' All these were false, and their statements
were without truth.
CHAPTER XCVIII. 1. And there was likewise in the reign
of the emperor Maurice, a man named Paulinus in the
city of Byzantium, a worshipper of impure demons, who
falsely said: 'The emperor Maurice overlooks these practices.'
And God punished this magician and he lost his reason.
2. And he had a silver bowl which contained the blood
of impure sacrifices to demons. And he carried this
cup and sold it to a silversmith. And after the (silver)smith
had bought this bowl, the abbot of a monastery saw it,
and being greatly pleased with it bought the bowl and
conveyed it to his monastery. 3. And he placed it full
of water away from the altar, and gave orders to the
brethren and said unto them : 'Each time ye take of
the holy mysteries drink of the water in the bowl in
order to cool the oblation which is for the body and
blood of Christ our God.' 4. But the great King of Glory,
our Lord Jesus Christ, did not approve that the vessels
of demons should be mingled with the vessels of the
holy altar of our God which are without blood, as the
apostles say. And thereupon that water became blood.
5. And when the brethren partook of the holy mysteries,
they went forth from the sanctuary to take of that water
for cooling according to the custom. And when they saw
this miracle that had been wrought in the silver bowl,
they together with their Superior were seized with fear,
and fell a-weeping. And they resorted to self-examination
but could find no evil that they had committed. 6. And
thereupon they arose and took the silver bowl, filled
as it was with blood, and brought it to John, patriarch
of Constantinople, and they informed him of all that
had befallen. 7. And John sent unto the man who had
sold it and said unto him: 'Whence have you obtained
this bowl, and from whom have you bought it?' And the
man said: 'I bought it from Paulinus.' 8. And thereupon
the patriarch and the priesthood and the faithful of
the Christian Church recognized that the matter was
from God. And |162
(the patriarch) wished to make known the apostasy and
the infamy of the magician Paulinus: and forthwith with
godly zeal they arose and fetched Paulinus to the palace
of the emperor Maurice. 9. And the chief officer interrogated
him in the presence of all the magistrates and senators
regarding this matter, and he confessed in the presence
of all, saying: 'I was accustomed to place in this bowl
the blood of the sacrifices which I offered to demons.'
10. And they all passed judgement upon him that he should
be burnt alive. And they proclaimed aloud regarding
him by the voice of a herald three distinct proclamations.
The first in these terms: 'Wherefore should Paulinus
be saved, the enemy of God who to his own destruction
prays to Apollo?' The next as follows : 'Thou hast lusted
after a strange sin : and he has laboured much in that
which benefits not his own soul.' And the third proclamation
: 'Paulinus has sought of himself his own destruction.
He has become the enemy of the Holy Trinity, and has
not kept faithful to the true orthodox faith.' But those
who followed him in his evil practices sought to save
him.
11. And when the patriarch John was apprised of this
movement, he went to the court and put off his priestly
robe. Meanwhile all the people cried aloud and said
: 'May the orthodox faith spread and prosper.' 12. And
the patriarch said: 'If Paulinus the magician is not
committed to the flames this very hour, I will resign
my throne and close all the churches. And I will not
permit any one to partake of the holy mysteries, until
Christ has punished those who blaspheme His name.' 13.
And the emperor feared that a tumult might be occasioned
thereby. And so the patriarch did not return to his
palace till he had burnt Paulinus alive. Now the emperor
used to follow heathen practices; but when the emperor
heard that he was censured (for so doing) he was very
deeply grieved.
CHAPTER XCIX. 1. And at the outset of his reign he
had ordained a law that they should inscribe at the
beginning of all their writings the formula : 'In the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ our God and Saviour.'
He wished to profess his faith in Jesus Christ the Saviour
of all the world. 2. And thereupon Domitian, the son
of the emperor's brother, gave orders that force should
be used to compel the Jews and Samaritans to be baptized
and become Christians. But these proved false Christians.
And likewise he |163
forced heretics to be enrolled in the orders of the
Church; for he was a true Chalcedonian.
CHAPTER C. 1. And likewise in the reign of the emperor
Maurice there came a flood in the night on the east
of the city of Esna, which is the capital of Rif, while
the inhabitants were asleep, and it destroyed many houses
together with their inhabitants, and it carried them
off and submerged them in the river. 2. And great havoc
was wrought in the city and in (its) inhabitants. And
likewise in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia the same befell;
for the river, named Euphrates, which flows near it,
rose at midnight and submerged one division of the city,
named Antinoaea, and destroyed many buildings. 3. And
a stone tablet was found in the river with the inscription:
'This river will destroy many of the buildings of the
city.'
CHAPTER CI. 1. And likewise in the reign of this Maurice,
the city of Antioch was troubled by a great earthquake
and laid low. Now it had been laid low seven times.
2. And many roads (?) in the east were destroyed, and
islands, and an innumerable multitude of men through
the earthquake. 3. And likewise at that time the sun
was eclipsed at the fifth hour of the day, and the light
of the stars appeared. And there was a widespread alarm,
and men thought that the end of the world was at hand.
And all men wept and implored and prayed Christ our
God to have mercy and compassion upon them. 4. Thereupon
the light reappeared and the sun rose out of the darkness,
and those who had come together said : 'This event is
one that has taken place at the end of the cycle of
532 years.' 5. And they set them selves to calculate,
and discovered, as they said, that it was the end of
the twelfth cycle. But holy and righteous persons said:
'This chastisement has befallen the earth owing to the
heresy of the emperor Maurice.
CHAPTER CII. 1. Now a certain event took place relating
to a magistrate named Eutocius,252
who had been deputed to a barbarous country. Now he
possessed a silk embroidered (lit. sewn) garment, namely,
a tunic, and he gave orders to his steward to fetch
it to him. 2. And when he brought it to him, he found
that the rats had eaten and destroyed it. And he was
wroth with the steward, and cast him into a pit which
was full of rats, and he closed the pit's mouth for
many days, and (the rats) eat him and he died. |164
3. And after many days he sought him, and found him
dead and putrid. And he repented having killed the man
for the sake of a garment. He practised good works,
and gave much money to the poor, with much weeping addressing
his prayers unto our Lady the holy Virgin Mary. 4. And
likewise he went to holy places and visited the saints
who abode there, confessing to them his sin, in order
that he might hear the words of consolation. And these
spoke to him in hostile terms in order to make him abandon
the salvation of his soul. 5. And next he went to the
convent of Sinai, and (there the monks) said unto him
: 'There is no forgiveness'- therein they were deceived-'there
is no forgiveness after baptism'; and they robbed him
of (all) hope. 6. Now they remembered not the word which
was written regarding David; for when he had slain Uriah,
(God) afterwards accepted his repentance, and restored
him again to his first state. 7. And the restoration
of Manasseh was brought about through repentance, after
he had sacrificed to demons and slain Isaiah the prophet,
and wrought countless evils. Yea, when he repented,
God accepted him. 8. And this unfortunate man, when
all hope was cut off, went up a lofty acclivity and
cast himself down and so died a violent death.
9. And shortly after, the Thracians rebelled and rose
up against the emperor Maurice, and (their) four commanders
set out against him. And when Maurice heard this news
he began to distribute money among the inhabitants of
Constantinople. Now they had been wont to call Maurice
a heathen and a magician, and a person undeserving of
the imperial throne. 10. And when the soldiers heard
of these movements they took measures to wrest concessions
from him touching their wage and food, that is, the
pay of the officers and chiefs. 11. But subsequently
changing their plans they cast lots, and the lot fell
upon Phocas, and marked him out as emperor. Now he was
one of the four commanders of Thrace. 12. And the inhabitants
of Constantinople were all of one mind, and cried out
saying : 'Let us have a Christian emperor in this city.'
And when Maurice heard that the inhabitants of the city
wished to seize him, he went into the palace, and brought
forth all (his) wealth, and placed it in a ship, and
likewise his children and his wife, <and> they
made for Bithynia.
CHAPTER CIII. 1. And Maurice wrought a noble deed during
his |165
reign, and put a stop to the iniquities that had been
practised by his imperial predecessors. 2. A certain
captain of a ship set sail from Alexandria, having taken
on board a considerable cargo of grain belonging to
the emperor. But the ship was wrecked and the grain
lost in the sea. And the governor of the province had
him arrested and severely beaten, but no money was found
upon him. 3. But the emperor Maurice gave orders for
the captain of the vessel to be released, and thereupon
published a decree, enacting that the captain of a vessel
should not be subjected to punishment and made to render
compensation when his ship was wrecked, but that the
loss should be put down to the imperial revenue.
4. And after the flight of the emperor Maurice all
the population came together to the patriarch, and by
general consent they placed the imperial crown on Phocas
in the church of S. John the Baptist.
5. And <Phocas> proceeded to the palace, and
got ready his generals and officers and chariots, and
sent them in pursuit of Maurice. 6. And whilst Maurice
was proceeding by ship a strong wind rose against him
and overturned the ship, and so he betook himself alone
with his children to a small island near Chalcedonia.
7. And when the soldiers had learnt where he was, they
proceeded to him according to the commands of Phocas,
and put him to death with his five children in the twenty-second
year of his reign. 8. And they stripped the empress
Constantina and her two daughters and the wife of her
son Theodosius of their imperial robes, and clothed
them in servants' apparel, and placed them in a convent
for virgins.
9. And when Phocas was firmly established in the empire,
he sent ambassadors to Chosroes, king of Persia; but
Chosroes refused to receive the ambassadors. Moreover,
he was very wroth on account of the death of Maurice.
10. And certain persons accused + Alexander +,253
who was one of the rulers-a discreet man and beloved
by all the inhabitants of Constantinople, and they said
to Phocas : 'This Alexander is desirous of slaying thee
and becoming emperor in thy stead.' Now this + Alexander+
had married a daughter of Maurice.254
11. And |166
thereupon Phocas had +Alexander+ and Kudis (= Elpidius?)
and other officers thrown into chains and sent to the
city of Alexandria to be imprisoned there. 12. Shortly
after, Phocas sent orders to Justin the governor of
Alexandria to execute +Alexander+ and his companions.
CHAPTER CIV. 1. Owing to the great quantity of blood
shed by Phocas great terror prevailed among all the
officers (clergy ?) of the province of the east.255
2. Now at that epoch no province was allowed to appoint
a patriarch or any other ecclesiastical dignitary without
his (the emperor's) authorization. 3. And the Orientals
256 assembled
in the great city of Antioch. When the troops heard
of these doings they were all enraged, and set out on
horseback and made preparation for fighting, and they
slew many people in the church (and continued the slaughter)
till they had filled all the edifices with blood. 4.
And this frightful massacre extended to Palestine and
Egypt.
CHAPTER CV. 1. And there was a man named Theophilus,
of the city of Merada in Egypt, the governor of five
cities in the reign of Phocas. And the officers of the
city and a large body of men revolted against him. (And)
they attacked Theophilus and put him and his followers
to the sword. 2. And they took the five cities by storm,
i.e. Kerteba, San, Basta, Balqa, and Sanhur. And David
and Abunaki, the envoys of the patriarch, informed Phocas
(of these events). 3. And when Phocas heard, he was
very wroth and sent a very malignantly-tempered general,
named Bonosus, from the province of the east.257
And he was like a fierce hyena. And he gave him full
authority over the officers (?)258
of the city of Antioch, that he might do unto them as
they had done. 4. And when he came to Cilicia, he mustered
a large body of men and marched against the officers
(?) of the city of Antioch, and reduced them to submission,
and by reason of the greatness of their fear of him
they became like women before him. 5. And he punished
them without mercy. Some of them he strangled, and others
he |167 burnt,
and others he drowned, and others he gave to wild beasts.
And those who belonged to the factions he delivered
to the sword. 6. And all with whom he wished to deal
mercifully he sent into perpetual banishment. Upon the
monks and convents of the nuns he perpetrated barbarities.
CHAPTER CVI. 1. And the following incident is an illustration
of the conduct of the insensate Phocas. 2. He sent orders
to the province of Cappadocia that there should be brought
to him the wife of Heraclius the elder, who was the
mother of the general Theodore, and the wife of Heraclius
the younger, together with her daughter Fabia, a virgin.259
3. And he had them placed in the house of + Theodore
+ 260 (and treated) with
distinction. Now +Theodore+ was of the family of the
emperor Justinian. 4. And Phocas sought to dishonour
Fabia. But she, using the stratagems of a woman, said:
'I am in the menstrual period'; and she showed him a
cloth saturated with blood. And for this reason he let
her go. 5. By the advice of Akrasis and Fibamon, interpreters
of dreams, this statement was made unto him.261
6. And when the elder Heraclius heard of these matters
he thanked Akrasis, and let off Theodore, and took no
action against him or his people.
CHAPTER CVII. 1. And they came to the city of Constantinople
and informed Phocas of all that had been done. 2. At
the same period came Heraclius, who distributed large
sums of money among the barbarians of Tripolis and Pentapolis,
and thereby prevailed on them to help him in the war.
3. Next he summoned the captain of his forces, named
Bonakis,262 with 3,000
men, and a large number of barbarians, and dispatched
them to Pentapolis to wait for him there. 4. And he
sent likewise Nicetas, the son of Gregory, with large
subsidies to the prefect Leontius, who had been appointed
to the province of Mareotis by Phocas, urging him to
send salutations to Phocas and write to him in these
terms : 'My Lord'. 5. Now Tenkera and Theodore the son
of Menas, who had been governor of Alexandria in the
reign of Maurice, had made a secret compact with Heraclius
whereby they promised to give him the empire of Constantinople,
and to slay Phocas, and compel the thousands (of troops)
in Constantinople to submit to him. |168
6. And this was done without the cognizance of Theodore
the Chalcedonian patriarch of Alexandria, who had been
appointed by Phocas. 7. But John the governor of the
city was acquainted with his plot; for he was prefect
of the palace and military commander in Alexandria.
And Theodore also who was set over the grain supply
(was acquainted with it). 8. These three wrote a letter
to Phocas and informed him of all that had happened.
But Phocas despised Heraclius. 9. Nevertheless he sent
large sums of money to the +Apulon+263
of the city of Manuf through the agency of the governor
of the city of Constantinople, and he sent the latter
to Egypt with a large military force; having first bound
him by many an oath to defend his empire with fidelity,
and to war against Heraclius in Egypt; and (he sent
also) to Ptolemy the +Apulon+ of the city of Athrib,
the governor of that city.
10. And next he sent orders to Qusum to leave the city
of Antioch and repair to Alexandria. Now he had previously
sent Bonosus by sea, with lions and panthers264
and other wild beasts to be conducted to the city of
Alexandria. 11. Now the emperors had heretofore destroyed
them, but he re-established this custom. And he sent
likewise instruments of torture of many kinds, chains
and bonds, and much money and glorious garments.
12. And Bonakis,265 the
chief (captain) of Heraclius, (set out) and he saw Nicetas
in Pentapolis as Heraclius had commanded. And he indeed
had received troops from Leontius, who had been sent
to the province of the Mareotis, and he had proceeded
towards Nubia in Africa (?). 13. Now the prefect Leontius
had come to terms with them. And when they had met the
garrison of the city of Kabsen, they entered but did
no violence to the garrison. And they set free all the
prisoners that they might join them in the war. 14.
And before they entered, they had prevailed on the inhabitants
of the city to precede them (and) stir up a tumult on
the river, named Pidrakon, that is, the Dragon, which
flows close to the great city of Alexandria on the west.
15. And when they had entered, they found the +Balalun+,266
the governor of Alexandria, with a large force of Egyptians
arrayed with weapons of war. And |169
they said to him : 'Hearken to our words and flee from
us and preserve thy dignity, and remain neutral till
thou seest the side which is victorious; and no calamity
shall befall thee, and subsequently thou shalt become
the Administrator of Egypt; for behold the days of Phocas
are at an end.' 16. But he refused to comply with this
proposal and said: 'We will fight for the emperor unto
death.' And when they engaged they slew this misguided
man, and cut off his head, and suspending it on a lance
they carried it into the city. 17. And not only none
could withstand them, but many joined their ranks. And
the prefect of the palace and Theodore who was set over
the corn supply withdrew into the church of S. Theodore
on the east of the city. And Theodore the Chalcedonian
patriarch withdrew into the church of the holy Athanasius
on the sea coast. 18. (And they did so) not only through
fear of the soldiers (or 'war'), but also of the inhabitants
of the city; for they had kept under guard Menas the
coadjutor, the son of Theodore the vicar,267
that is the Adagshan,268
in order to deliver him up to Bonosus when he arrived.
19. And when the clergy (?) and the people of the city
assembled they were of one accord in their hatred of
Bonosus,269 who had already
sent the wild beasts and the instruments of torture.
20. And they took the imperial taxes out of the hands
of those who guarded them, and openly rebelled against
Phocas, and received Heraclius with great honour, and
took possession of the governor's palace and established
themselves therein. 21. And they suspended the head
of the Apulon on the gate for all that went in and out
to see. And they seized upon all the wealth consisting
of gold and silver and glorious garments which (Phocas)
had sent to the Apulon. 22. And he sent for his own
troops and soldiers, and he sent likewise to Pharos,
and had the soldiers who were in the fleet arrested
and kept under a close guard.
23. And information was subsequently brought to Bonosus
in the city of Caesarea in Palestine that (the rebels)
had captured the city of Alexandria and slain the Apulon,
and that the inhabitants of that city hated him and
were attached to Heraclius. 24. Now previously to the
arrival of Bonosus in Egypt, Bonakis met with |170
no reverse, but gained the mastery over all the prefects
in Egypt. 25. And the Blues confiscated all the property
of Aristomachus, the friend of the emperor, and the
property of all the notables in the city of Manuf, and
reduced them to such a degree of destitution that they
were unable to pay taxes.
26. And all the people rejoiced because of the revolt
against Phocas. And all the inhabitants of Nakius and
the bishop Theodore and all the cities of Egypt joined
the revolt. But Paul the prefect of the city of Samnud
alone did not join it. He was one of the prefects appointed
by Phocas, and he was beloved by all the inhabitants
of the city.
27. But the military commander they named Liwnakis,
by this name (sic), as he was a perverse and
foolish man and 'a dog's head'. + And subsequently also
Cosmas the son of Samuel, the friend of Paul, who was
likewise one of their number, but who, being weak, was
borne by two men + 270-as
for this man indeed whom they had released from prison,
he was high spirited, and likewise those who were with
him,271 and he stirred
up all the officers and made them submit to him. 28.
And Paul was the first to resist and refuse to join
the party of Heraclius, but he vacillated in his plans.
29. Indeed, all the province of Egypt was divided on
the ground of the murder of the Aisaililun. And Marcian,
the prefect of the city of Athrib <likewise refused>;
for he was a friend of theirs.
30. And Bonosus proceeded from the house of Ptolemais
(?), and he sent his ships to the city of Athrib. And
Christodora the sister of Aisallun practised a system
of espionage on those who threw off their allegiance
to the emperor Phocas, and she refused to hearken to
the message of Heraclias. 31. And all the troops of
Egypt and of the east were expecting succour from the
forces that were coming by land and sea. Now these were
coming in ships by the two branches of the river, and
they were to land as we have before said. 32. But the
forces which came on horseback from the east were on
the look out for Plato and Theodore. Now these were
in the neighbourhood of the city of Athrib and were
alarmed at their arrival. 33. But before Paul and Cosmas
the son of Samuel had . . . . .272
the bishop Theodore and Menas, the scribe of the city
|171 of Nakius,
sent a message to Marcian the prefect and to the lady
Christodora, the sister of Aisaillun, requesting them
to cast down the insignia273
of Phocas and to submit to Heraclius. 34. But these
refused ; for they had heard news of Bonosus to the
effect that he had arrived at the city of Bikuran. And
when the party of Plato heard this news, they sent a
dispatch to Bonakis in Alexandria to this effect : 'Hasten
hither with thy forces ; for Bonosus has arrived in
the city of Farma.' 35. And when Bonakis had reached
Nakius, Bonosus likewise had already arrived at the
city of Athrib, where he found Marcian's troops ready
for war. Christodora also, the sister of Aillus (sic),
and the troops of Cosmas the son of Samuel (were already
there) by land. 36. And he marched to the small branch
of the river which proceeds from the main branch, and
met with the prefect Paul and his troops. 37. Then Bonakis
came to attack Bonosus, and they engaged on the east
of the city of Manuf. And in the engagement the forces
of Cosmas the son of Samuel prevailed and drove those
of Bonakis into the river, and they took Bonakis prisoner
and slew him. 38. And Leontius the general and Kudis
they put to the sword, and they surrounded a large body
of troops, and took them prisoners and threw them into
chains. And when Plato and Theodore saw that Bonakis
and his men had been slain, they fled to a convent and
concealed themselves.
39. Then Theodore the bishop of Nakius and Menas the
scribe took the Gospels and proceeded to meet Bonosus,
thinking that he would have mercy upon them. And when
Bonosus saw Theodore the bishop, he took him with him
to the city of Nakius, but he cast Menas into prison.
40. But Christodora and Marcian, the prefect of Athrib,
informed him that it was the bishop that had the insignia
of Phocas thrown down from the gate of the city. And
when Bonosus saw the insignia of Phocas cast down upon
the ground, he gave orders for the beheading of the
bishop. 41. But as for Menas, he had him severely scourged,
and required from him the payment of 3,000 gold dinars,
and then he let him go. But owing to the excessive scourging,
he was attacked by a fever and |172
died shortly afterwards. (He was so dealt with) at the
instigation of Cosmas the son of Samuel.
42. And the three chief men of Manuf, Isidore, John,
and Julian, and those who had concealed themselves in
the convent of Atris, that is, Plato the friend of the
emperor and Theodore the lieutenant, were delivered
up to Bonosus by the monks. 43. And he had them arrested
and thrown into chains and conducted to the city of
Nakius, where he gave orders for them to be scourged
and then beheaded in the place where the bishop had
been put to death. 44. And he held an inquiry likewise
regarding the troops who had fought under Bonakis. And
such as had been soldiers of Maurice he sent into exile,
but those who had been in the service of Phocas he called
to account and put to death. 45. And the rest of the
troops, seeing these things, fled and betook themselves
to the city of Alexandria. And all the notables in Egypt
mustered round Nicetas, the general of Heraclius, and
assisted him because they detested Bonosus, and they
informed Nicetas of all that he had done. 46. And Nicetas
got together a numerous army of regulars, barbarians,
citizens of Alexandria, the Green Faction,274
sailors, archers, and a large supply of military stores.
And they prepared to fight Bonosus in the environs of
the city. 47. And Bonosus thus reflected : 'By what
means can I get possession of the city and deal with
Nicetas as I did with Bonakis.' 48. And he sent Paul
of the city of Samnud with his ships into the canal
of Alexandria in order to co-operate with him. But Paul275
was not able to approach the environs of the city; for
they hurled stones at him, and the ships took to flight.
49. And Bonosus likewise came with his troops and took
up a position at Miphamonis, i.e. the new Shabra. Next
he marched with all his forces to the city of Demqaruni,
and was purposing to make a breach in the city on Sunday.
Now these events took place in the seventh year of the
reign of Phocas.
CHAPTER CVIII. 1. And there was a holy aged man, named
Theophilus the confessor, who lived on the top of a
pillar, near the banks of the river, and he was endowed
with the spirit of prophecy. This old man lived thirty
years on the top of the pillar. 2. Now Nicetas used
to visit him frequently. And Theodore the general and
Menas the coadjutor, and Theodosius, who were agents
of |173 Nicetas,
informed him of the virtues of this holy man. 3. And
Nicetas went to him and besought him and said: ' Who
will be victor in this war ?'-for he feared lest evil
should overtake him as it had done Bonakis. 4. And the
holy man said to Nicetas: 'Thou shalt conquer Bonosus
and overthrow the empire of Phocas, and Heraclius will
become emperor this year.' 5. And Nicetas was guided
by the prophecy of the aged man of God and said to the
inhabitants of Alexandria: ' Fight no longer from the
top of the wall but open the gate of On and meet Bonosus
in close encounter.' 6. And they hearkened to the words
of Nicetas and put the troops in array and placed the
catapults and engines for hurling stones near the gate.
7. And when a captain of Bonosus's troops advanced,
a man smote him before he drew near to the gate, with
a huge stone, and crushed in his jaw, and he fell from
his horse and died forthwith. And another likewise was
crushed. And when the battle pressed sore upon them
they began to flee. 8. And Nicetas opened the second
gate, which was close to the church of S. Mark the Evangelist,
and he issued forth with his barbarian auxiliaries,
and they went in pursuit of the fleeing troops and they
put some of them to the sword. 9. And the inhabitants
of Alexandria smote them with stones and pursued them
and struck them with arrows and wounded them with grievous
wounds. And some that sought to hide themselves from
the violence of the battle fell into the canal and perished
there. 10. And to the north of the city there were the
qasabfars,276 that is,
a plantation of roses and a hedge of thorns surrounding
the plantation. And these stopped the fugitives. 11.
And on the south side of the city also the fugitives
were checked by a canal. And those who were pursued
attacked each other, failing in the stress of danger
to recognize their comrades. 12. Bonosus escaped with
a few soldiers and took refuge in the city of Kariun.
And Marcian the prefect of Athrib and the general Leontius,
and Valens, and many men of distinguished names, were
slain in the battle. 13. And when Nicetas saw that this
victory was his through the prayers of the saints, and
that the strength of the army of Bonosus was broken
and that its numbers had become few, he sent Ptolemy,
Eusebius, and other notables of the party of Heraclius
to the river in order to fetch him |174
all the wealth they could find, and collect for him
many soldiers from all the cities of Egypt. 14. And
the members of the Blue Faction, great and small, and
the officers, protected and helped Nice tas in the city
of Alexandria. 15. And when Paul and his companions
were apprised of these events they remained secretly
on board their ships and intended to desert Bonosus
and go over to Nicetas. And the affairs of Bonosus grew
(daily) worse, while those of Nicetas daily advanced
in strength.
CHAPTER CIX. 1. And after his escape Bonosus stayed
a few days in Nakius, and likewise his remaining troops.
And he provided them with ships, and they destroyed
many of the inhabitants of Alexandria. 2. And they proceeded
towards Mareotis, and entered the canal of the Dragon
which lies to the west of the city, and intended to
harass the Alexandrians. But this unhappy man knew not
that it is God who is strongest in warring. 3. And when
Nicetas was apprised of this he had the qantarā, that
is, the bridge of Dafāshīr, cut away. Now it is near
the church of S. Mīnās of the city of Mareotis. 4. And
when Bonosus heard of this event, he was very grieved
and purposed to slay Niketas by a treacherous device;
for he said : 'If Nicetas dies, the army will be dispersed.'
5. And he had a soldier brought to him, and he persuaded
him to go to Nicetas, boldly facing death, and he said
unto him : 'Take thee a small sword, and put it in thy
bosom, pretending that I have sent thee unto him, and
that thou art to intercede on my behalf. And when thou
comest near him smite him with this sword in his heart,
that he may die. And if thou art able to escape, well
and good; but if thou diest on behalf of this nation
I will take thy children and conduct them into the imperial
palace, and I will give them money sufficient for all
the days of their life.' 6. But one of his suite, named
John, having heard this abominable project, sent and
informed Nicetas. And this soldier rose thereupon, and
took an imperial sword, and placed it in his bosom,
and betook himself to Nicetas. 7. And when (the latter)
saw him, he ordered his troops to surround him, and
when they had stripped him, they found the sword in
his bosom. And thereupon they beheaded him with the
sword.
8. And Bonosus proceeded to the city of Dafāshīr and
put many men to the sword. And when Nicetas was apprised
of this event he pursued him with all haste. And when
he came up to him, |175
Bonosus crossed the river and betook himself to the
city of Nakius. 9. And after he crossed the river, Nicetas
abandoned the pursuit and marched to the city (?) of
Mareotis, and left considerable forces there to guard
the route. And he marched likewise to the city of the
upper Manūf. 10. And when he drew near the city, the
party of Bonosus who were there took to flight, and
he captured the city, and Abrāis and his people were
taken prisoners, and (the troops of Nicetas) burnt their
houses and likewise the way (?) of the city. 11. And
Nicetas directed a combined and powerful attack on the
city of Manūf and compelled it to open its gates. Then
all the cities of Egypt sent in their submission to
him. 12. Next he crossed the river in pursuit of Bonosus,
(who was) in the city of Nakius. And when Bonosus was
apprised thereof he rose in the night and quitted the
province of Egypt and betook himself to Palestine. 13.
And he was driven also from this country by the people
because of the abominable murders he had perpetrated
among them formerly. And he went from thence to the
city of Byzantium, and there met with Phocas, his friend,
the assassin.
14. And all the land of Egypt fell under the power
of Niketas, from the great city of Alexandria to the
village of Theophilus the Stylite, who had predicted
the accession of Heraclius to the imperial throne.
15. And Nicetas, moreover, had Paul of the city of
Samnūd and Cosmas the son of Samuel arrested. He pardoned
them and inflicted no punishment upon them, but sent
them to Alexandria to be kept in custody there till
the death of Bonosus. 16. And taking advantage of the
war between Bonosus and Nicetas, the artisan guilds277
of Egypt arose (and) perpetrated outrages on 'the Blues',
and gave themselves shamelessly to pillage and murder.
17. And when Nicetas was apprised of these facts he
had them arrested, and reproved them, and said unto
them : 'Do no outrage henceforth to any one.' And he
established peace amongst them. And he named prefects
in all the cities and repressed plundering and violence,
and he lightened their taxes for three years. And the
Egyptians were very much attached to him.
18. And in regard to Rome it is recounted that the
kings of (this) epoch had by means of the barbarians
and the nations |176
and the Illyrians devastated Christian cities and carried
off their inhabitants captive, and that no city escaped
save Thessalonica only; for its walls were strong, and
through the help of God the nations were unable to get
possession of it. But all the province was devastated
and depopulated. 19. Then the armies of the east278
arose against Rome, and they took the Egyptians
prisoners, who were there, and who had fled from Egypt
from fear of Bonosus. These were Sergius the Apostate
and Cosmas who had delivered up his city. 20. Now these
had denied the Christian faith and had abandoned holy
baptism, and had followed in the paths of the pagans
and idolaters.
21. And (the Persians) made themselves masters of the
river Euphrates and of all the cities of Antioch, and
they plundered them and left not a soldier surviving
at that epoch. 22. And likewise the inhabitants of the
district of Tripolis in Africa brought blood-eating
barbarians (into the country) out of affection to Heraclius.
23. For they detested Phocas, and they attacked the
general Mardius and sought to slay him, and likewise
two other generals named Ecclesiariūs and Isidore. 24.
And when these barbarians arrived they made war on the
province of Africa, and proceeded to join Heraclius
the elder. And the great prefect of the district of
Tripolis, named Kīsīl, went to Nicetas with large supplies
in order to help him against Bonosus.
25. And Heraclius the elder sent his son Heraclius
the younger to the city of Byzantium with ships and
a large force of barbarians in order to attack Phocas.
And when he touched at the islands and the various stations
on the sea coast, many people, notably those of the
Green Faction, went on board with him. 26. And Theodore
the Illustrious, together with a large number of wise
senators, deserted Phocas and submitted to Heraclius.
27. And seeing this the civilians and the soldiers who
were with him followed his example and submitted to
Heraclius and Cappadocian. And all the people assailed
Phocas with angry invectives, and none stayed them.
And all these matters fell out in the city of Constantinople.
28. And when Phocas was apprised of these facts, and
had learnt that everybody had made his submission to
Heraclius, he sent the imperial chariots to Bonosus
in order that he might march against him (Heraclius).
29. And other prefects |177
of the emperor got ready the Alexandrian ships in which
corn had been brought from the land of Egypt to Constantinople.
For Phocas had had these seized because of the revolt
of the inhabitants of Alexandria.
CHAPTER CX. 1. And when at the suggestion of Nicetas,
the patrician, the people accepted Heraclius as their
emperor, the people of Africa lauded Heraclius in these
terms : 'The emperor Heraclius will be like Augustus.'
And all the people of Alexandria also and of the camp
279 spake in the
same fashion. 2. And thereupon they began an engagement
on the seashore, and the men of the chariots slew Bonosus.
And they all with one voice in the Greek language cried
aloud in praise of Heraclius the younger, the son of
Heraclius the elder, and abused Phocas and Bonosus.
3. And, hearing these demonstrations, the Green Faction
and the inhabitants of the city of Byzantium, who were
on the sea, assembled their ships and pursued the 'Blues.'
Now these latter were disquieted because of the accusation
made against them, and subsequently took refuge in the
church of S. Sophia. 4. And all the officers and senators
had taken up a position near the palace, and they were
lying in wait for Phocas. But when Phocas and Leontius
the chamberlain became aware that they sought with evil
intent to slay them as they had slain the depraved Bonosus,
the two arose and seized all the money that was in the
imperial treasury which had been amassed by Maurice,
and likewise that which had been amassed by (Phocas)
himself from the Roman nobles whom he had put to death,
and whose property he had confiscated, and likewise
the money of Bonosus, and they cast it into the waves
of the sea, and so thoroughly impoverished the Roman
empire. 5. And thereupon the senators and the officers
and soldiers went in and seized Phocas, and took the
imperial crown from his head, and (they seized) Leontius
the chamberlain likewise, and conducted them in chains
to Heraclius to the church of S. Thomas the Apostle,
and they put both of them to death in his presence.
6. And they cut off the privy parts of Phocas, and tore
off his skin right down to his legs because of the dishonour
and shame he had brought on the wife of <Photius>
because she was consecrated to the service of God, for
he had taken her by force and violated her, although
she was of an illustrious family. 7. And next they took
the bodies of |178
Phocas and Leontius and Bonosus and they conveyed them
to the city of Constantinople, and they burnt them with
fire, and scattered the ashes of their bodies to the
winds; for they were detested by all men. 8. And thus
the vision was accomplished which Benjamin of the city
of Antinoe had received from God, and the inhabitants
of Byzantium did not slight a detail in it. 9. On the
contrary, they conducted Heraclius against his will
to the church of S. Thomas the Apostle and placed the
imperial crown on his head. When he had completed his
prayers, he went and entered into the palace, and all
the + wise+ congratulated him.
10. And after his accession to the imperial throne
Heraclius wrote a letter to Heraclius, his father, to
inform him of all that had happened, and likewise of
his accession to the imperial throne. 11. Now Heraclius,
his father, had seized the city of Carthage, the imperial
capital of Africa, and he was much concerned for his
son who had gone to Byzantium. But when he heard this
news, he rejoiced (thereat). 12. Now great uncertainty
prevailed in the churches because of the long duration
of the war, and every one was full of apprehension over
the victory which had been won over Bōnākīs, and the
disquietude which had been occasioned in regard to his
(Heraclius's) son.
13. And subsequently Heraclius fell ill and quitted
this world, while he was at his post in his government.
God alone knows whom He appoints, and unto God be glory
for ever.
CHAPTER CXI. 1. Now Theodore was commander-in-chief
in Egypt. And when the messengers of Theodosius the
prefect of Arcadia informed him regarding the death
of John,280 general of
the local levies, he thereupon turned with all the Egyptian
troops and his auxiliary forces and marched to Lōkjōn,
which is an island. 2. Moreover he feared lest, owing
to the dissensions prevailing amongst the inhabitants
of that district, the Moslem should come and seize the
coast of Lōkjōn and dislodge the communities of the
servants of God who were subjects of the Roman emperor.
3. And his lamentations were more grievous than the
lamentations of David over Saul when he said: 'How are
the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished !'281
Eor not only had John the general of |179
the forces perished, but likewise John the general,
who was of the city of Mārōs, had been slain in battle
and fifty horsemen with him.
4. I will acquaint you briefly with what befell the
former inhabitants of Fajūm.
5. John and his troops, the warriors whom we have just
mentioned, had been appointed by the Romans to guard
the district. Now these posted other guards near the
rock of the city of Lāhūn in order to keep guard continually,
and to give information to the chief of the forces of
the movements of their enemies. 6. And subsequently
they got ready some horsemen and a body of soldiers
and archers, and these marched out to fight the Moslem,
purposing to prevent the advance of the Moslem. 7. And
subsequently the Moslem directed their march to the
desert and seized a large number of sheep and goats
from the high grounds without the cognizance of the
Egyptians. 8. And when they reached the city of Bahnasā,
all the troops on the banks of the river came (to the
succour) with John, but were unable on that occasion
to reach Fajūm.
9. And the general Theodosius, hearing of the arrival
of the Ishmaelites, proceeded from place to place in
order to see what was likely to befall from these enemies.
10. And these Ishmaelites came and slew without mercy
the commander of the troops and all his companions.
And forthwith they compelled the city to open its gates,
and they put to the sword all that surrendered, and
they spared none, whether old men, babe, or woman. 11.
And they proceeded against the general John. And he282
took all the horses : and they hid themselves in the
enclosures and plantations lest their enemies should
discover them. Then they arose by night and marched
to the great river of Egypt, to Abūīt, in order to secure
their safety. Now this matter was from God.
12. And the chief of the faction who was with Jeremiah
informed the Moslem troops of the Roman soldiers who
were hidden. And so these took them prisoners and put
them to death. 13. And tidings of these events were
brought to the general Theodosius, and to Anastasius,
who were then twelve miles distant from Nakius. And
they betook themselves immediately to the citadel of
Babylon, and they remained there, sending the general
Leontius to the city |180
of Abūīt. 14. Now he was obese in person, quite without
energy and unacquainted with warlike affairs. And when
he arrived he found the Egyptian troops and Theodore
fighting with the Moslem and making sorties every day
from the city of Fajūm in order to <re>take the
city.283 And taking half
the troops he returned to Babylon in order to acquaint
the governors (with the state of affairs), and the other
half of the troops remained with Theodore.
15. And Theodore sought with great diligence for the
body of John, who had been drowned in the river. And
with much lamentation he had the body drawn forth in
a net, and placed in a bier and sent to the governors,
who also (in turn) sent it to Heraclius.
16. And such (of the Romans) as were in Egypt sought
refuge in the citadel of Babylon. And they were also
awaiting the arrival of the general Theodore in order
to join with him in attacking the Ishmaelites before
the rise of the river and the time of sowing, when they
could not make war lest their sowings should be destroyed
(and) they should die of famine together with their
children and cattle.
CHAPTER CXII. 1. Moreover, there prevailed great indignation
between Theodore the general and the governors owing
to the charges brought by the emperor. 2. And both284
Theodosius and Anastasius went forth to the city of
On, on horseback, together with a large body of foot
soldiers, in order to attack 'Amr the son of Al-As.285
Now the Moslem had not as yet come to know the city
of Misr.286 3. And paying
no attention to the fortified cities they came to a
place named Tendunias,287
and embarked on the river. 4. And 'Amr showed great
vigilance and strenuous thought in his attempts to capture
the city of Misr. But he was troubled because of his
separation from (a part of) the Moslem troops, who being
divided into two corps on the east of the river were
marching towards a city named 'Ain Shams, i. e. On,
which was situated on high ground. 5. And 'Amr the son
of Al-As sent a letter to Omar the son of Al-Khattab
in the province of Palestine to this effect: |181
'If thou dost not send Moslem reinforcements, I shall
not be able to take Misr.' 6. And he sent him 4,000
Moslem warriors. And their general's name was Walwarja.
He was of barbarian descent. 7. And he divided his troops
into three corps. One corps he placed near Tendunias,
the second to the north of Babylon in Egypt; and he
made his preparations with the third corps near the
city of On. 8. And he gave the following orders: 'Be
on the watch, so that when the Roman troops come out
to attack us, you may rise up in their rear, whilst
we shall be on their front, and so having got them between
us, we shall put them to the sword.' 9. And thus when
the Roman troops, unaware (of this design), set out
from the fortress to attack the Moslem, these Moslem
thereupon fell upon their rear, as they had arranged,
and a fierce engagement ensued. And when the Moslem
came in great numbers against them, the Roman troops
fled and betook themselves to the ships. 10. And the
Moslem army took possession of the city of Tendunias;
for its garrison had been destroyed, and there survived
only 300 soldiers. And these fled and withdrew into
the fortress and closed the gates. But when they saw
the great slaughter that had taken place, they were
seized with panic and fled by ship to Nakius in great
grief and sorrow. 11. And when Domentianus of the city
of Fajūm heard of these events, he set put by night
without informing the inhabitants of (A)būīt that he
was fleeing to escape the Moslem, and they proceeded
to Nakius by ship. 12. And when the Moslem learnt that
Domentianus had fled, they marched joyously and seized
the city of Fajūm and (A)būīt, and they shed much blood
there.
CHAPTER CXIII. 1. And after the capture of Fajūm with
all its territory by the Moslem, 'Amr sent Abākīrī288
of the city of Dalas requesting him to bring the ships
of Rīf in order to transport to the east bank of the
river the Ishmaelites who were upon the west. 2. And
he mustered all his troops about him in order to carry
on a vigorous warfare, And he sent orders to the prefect
George to construct for him a bridge on the river of
the city Qaljūb with a view to the capture of all the
cities of Misr, and likewise of Athrīb and Kuerdīs.
And people began to help the Moslem. 3. And (the Moslem)
captured the cities of Athrīb and Manūf, and all their
territories. And he had moreover a great bridge |182
constructed over the river near Babylon in Egypt to
prevent the passage of ships to Nakius, Alexandria,
and upper Egypt, and to make it possible for horses
to cross from the western to the eastern bank of the
river. And so they effected the submission of all the
province of Misr. 4. But 'Amr was not satisfied with
what he had already done, and so he had the Roman magistrates
arrested, and their hands and feet confined in iron
and wooden bonds. And he forcibly despoiled (them) of
much of (their) possession, and he doubled the taxes
on the peasants and forced them to carry fodder for
their horses, and he perpetrated innumerable acts of
violence. 5. And such of the governors as were in the
city of Nakius fled and betook themselves to the city
of Alexandria, leaving Domentiarius with a few troops
to guard the city. And they sent orders also to Dares
the chief officer in the city of Samnūd to guard the
two rivers. 6. Then a panic fell on all the cities of
Egypt, and all their inhabitants took to flight, and
made their way to Alexandria, abandoning all their possessions
and wealth and cattle.
CHAPTER CXIV. 1. And when those Moslem, accompanied
by the Egyptians who had apostatized from the Christian
faith and embraced the faith of the beast, had come
up, the Moslem took as a booty all the possessions of
the Christians who had fled, and they designated the
servants of Christ enemies of God. 2. And 'Amr left
a large body of his men +in +289
the citadel of Babylon in Egypt, and marched in person
towards the two rivers in the direction of the east
against the general Theodore. 3. But the latter dispatched
Jeqbarī and Satfārī to seize the city of Samnūd (and)
fight with the Moslem. And when they came to the body
of local levies,290 they
all refused to war against the Moslem. And they indeed
gave battle and put to the sword many of the Moslem
<and of those> who were with them. 4. And the
Moslem were not able to inflict any injury on the cities
which lay on the two rivers; because the water served
as a rampart, and the horses could not enter them because
of the deep water which surrounded them. 5. And so leaving
them they marched towards the province of Rīf and arrived
at the city of Būsīr. And they fortified this city and
likewise the approaches which they had previously seized.
|183
6. And in those days the general Theodore went to Kalādji,
and besought him saying : 'Come back to us, come back
to the side of Rome.' And Kalādji, fearing lest they
should put to death his mother and wife, (who) were
concealed in Alexandria, gave Theodore a great sum of
money. 7. And the general Theodore prevailed on Kalādji,
and the latter arose in the night, while the Moslem
were asleep, and marching on foot with his men he came
to the general Theodore. 8. And thence he proceeded
to the city of Nakius and formed a junction with Domentianus
in order to war against the Moslem.
9. And subsequently Sabendīs devised an excellent plan
and so escaped out of the hands of the Moslem by night.
And he betook himself to Damietta to the prefect John.
10. And he indeed sent him to Alexandria with a letter
. . . confessing his fault to the governors with many
tears in these words: 'I have done this deed because
of the blow and the ignominy which John inflicted upon
me without showing any consideration for (my) old age.
For this reason I joined the Moslem. Heretofore I was
a zealous servant of the Romans.'
CHAPTER CXV. 1. And 'Amr the chief of the Moslem spent
twelve months291 in warring
against the Christians of Northern Egypt, but failed
nevertheless in reducing their cities. 2. And in the
fifteenth year of the cycle, during the summer, he marched
on the cities of Sakā and Tūkū-Dāmsis,292
being impatient to subdue the Egyptians before the rise
of the river. But he was unable to do them any hurt.
3. And in the city of Damietta they also refused to
admit him, and he sought to burn their crops. 4. And
he began to march back to the troops that were in the
fortress of Babylon in Egypt, And he gave them all the
+booty which he had taken from the city of Alexandria.
5. And he destroyed the houses of the Alexandrians who
had fled +, and he took their wood and iron and gave
orders for the construction of a road from the fortress
of Babylon to the city of the two rivers, in order that
they might burn that city with fire. 6. And the inhabitants
of that city on hearing of this project took to flight
with their possessions, |184
and abandoned their city, and the Moslem burned that
city with fire. But the inhabitants of that city came
by night and extinguished the fire. 7. And the Moslem
marched against other cities to war against them, and
they despoiled the Egyptians of their possessions and
dealt cruelly with them. 8. But the generals Theodore
and Domentianus were unable to do any injury to the
inhabitants of the city on account of the Moslem who
were amongst them.
9. And 'Amr left lower293
Egypt and proceeded to war against Rīf. He sent a few
Moslem against the city of Antinoe. And when the Moslem
saw the weakness of the Romans and the hostility of
the people to the emperor Heraclius because of the persecution
wherewith he had visited all the land of Egypt in regard
to the orthodox faith, at the instigation of Cyrus the
Chalcedonian patriarch, they became bolder and stronger
in the war. 10. And the inhabitants of the city (Antinoe)
sought to concert measures with John their prefect with
a view to attacking the Moslem; but he refused, and
arose with haste with his troops, and, having collected
all the imposts of the city, betook himself to Alexandria;
for he knew that he could not resist the Moslem, and
(he feared) lest he should meet with the same fate as
the garrison of Fajūm, 11. Indeed, all the inhabitants
of the province submitted to the Moslem, and paid them
tribute. And they put to the sword all the Roman soldiers
whom they encountered. And the Roman soldiers were in
a fortress, and the Moslem besieged them, and captured
their catapults, and demolished their towers, and dislodged
them from the fortress. 12. And they strengthened the
fortress of Babylon, and they captured the city of Nakius
and made themselves strong there.
CHAPTER CXVI. 1. And Heraclius was grieved by the death
of John the chief of the local levies, and of John the
general who had been slain by the Moslem, as well as
by the defeat of the Romans that were in the province
of Egypt. 2. And in accordance with the decree of God
who takes away the souls of rulers,294
and of men of war as well as of kings, Heraclius fell
ill with fever, and died in the thirty-first year of
his reign in the month Yakātīt295
of the |185
Egyptians, that is, February of the Roman months, in
the fourteenth year of the lunar cycle, the 357th year
of Diocletian. 3. And some said: 'The death of Heraclius
is due to his stamping the gold coinage with the figures
of the three emperors-that is, his own and of his two
sons on the right hand and on the left-and so no room
was found for inscribing the name of the Roman empire.'
And after the death of Heraclius they obliterated those
three figures.
4. And when Heraclius the elder died, Pyrrhus, the
patriarch of Constantinople, passed over Martina <the
daughter of> his (i. e. Heraclius's) sister and her
children, and nominated Constantine the son of the empress
Eudocia, and made him head of the empire in succession
to his father. And the two princes were treated with
honour and distinction. 5. And David and Marinus seized
Pyrrhus, the Roman Chalcedonian patriarch, and banished
him to an island in the west of Africa, without any
one being cognizant of what had been fulfilled; for
no word of the saints falls (to the ground). 6. Now
it happened that the great Severus, patriarch of Antioch,
wrote to Caesaria the patrician to the following effect:
'No son of a Roman emperor will sit on the throne of
his father, so long as the sect of the Chalcedonians
bears sway in the world.'
7. And Constantine, the son of Heraclius, on his accession
to the empire mustered a large number of ships, and
entrusted them to Kīrjūs and Salākriūs, and sent them
to bring the patriarch Cyrus to him that he might take
counsel with him as to the Moslem, that he should fight,
if he were able, but, if not, should pay tribute; and
that he should meet him in the imperial city on the
festival of the holy Resurrection, and to cause all
the inhabitants of Constantinople to assemble to carry
out the same object. 8. And next he sent orders to Theodore
3 to come to him and leave Anastasius296
to guard the city of Alexandria and the |186
cities on the coast. And he held out hopes to Theodore
that he would send him a large force in the autumn in
order to war with the Moslem. 9. And when in conformity
to the command of the emperor they had prepared the
ships for setting out, the emperor Constantine forthwith
fell ill, and was attacked by a severe malady, and he
vomited blood, and when the blood was exhausted he forthwith
died. And this malady lasted a hundred days, that is,
all the days of his reign wherein he reigned after his
father Heraclius. And people mocked at Heraclius and
his son Constantine.
10. And the members of the party of Gainas assembled
in the church in the city of Dafāshīr near the bridge
of the Apostle S. Peter. Now Cyrus the patriarch had
robbed the church of large possessions in the time of
the persecution, without any authorization on the part
of the magistrates. 11. And when the Gainites sought
to lay hands on the patriarch Cyrus, Eudocianus, the
brother of the prefect Domentianus, being immediately
apprised (of their purpose), sent troops against them
to shoot them with arrows and prevent them from carrying
out their intention. Some of them were so severely smitten
that they died, while two had their hands cut off without
legal sentence. 12. And proclamation was made throughout
the city by the voice of a herald in these terms: 'Let
every one of you withdraw to his own church, and let
no one do any violence to his neighbour in defiance
of the law.' 13. But God, the Guardian of justice, did
not neglect the world, but avenged those who had been
wronged : He had no mercy on such as had dealt treacherously
against Him, but He delivered them into the hands of
the Ishmaelites. 14. And the Moslem thereupon took the
field and conquered all the land of Egypt. And after
the death of Heraclius, the patriarch Cyrus on his return
did not cease (his) severities and persecution against
the people of God, but rather added violence to violence.
CHAPTER CXVII. 1. And 'Amr the chief of the Moslem
forces encamped before the citadel of Babylon and besieged
the troops that garrisoned it. 2. Now the latter received
his promise that they should not be put to the sword,
and on their side undertook to deliver up to him all
the munitions of war-now these were |187
considerable. 3. And thereupon he ordered them to evacuate
the citadel. And they took a small quantity of gold
and set out. And it was in this way that the citadel
of Babylon in Egypt was taken on the second day after
the (festival of the) Resurrection. 4. Thus God punished
them because they had not honoured the redemptive passion
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave His life
for those who believe in Him. Yea, it was for this reason
that God made them turn their back upon them (i. e.
the Moslem). 5. Now on that day of the festival of the
holy Resurrection they released the orthodox that were
in prison; but, enemies of Christ as they were, they
did not let them go without first ill-using them; but
they scourged them and cut off their hands. 6. And on
that day these (unhappy ones) wept and their tears poured
down their faces and they were spurned, even as it is
written regarding those unclean persons: 'They have
defiled the Church by an unclean faith, and they have
wrought apostasies and deeds of violence like the sect
of the Arians, such as neither pagan nor barbarian has
wrought, and they have despised Christ and His servants,
and we have not found any that do the like amongst the
worshippers of false idols. 7. But God has been patient
with the apostates and heretics who have undergone baptism
a second time in submission to despotic emperors. Yet
it is the same God who recompenses every man according
to his deeds and does justice to him that has been wronged.
8. How then, is it not far better for us to endure patiently
the trials and punishments which they inflict upon us
? They indeed think to honour our Lord Christ by so
doing, whereas they are found to be perverted in their
faith. They have not indeed voluntarily apostatized,
but they persecute those who agree not with them in
faith. God forbid (such agreement) ! for they are not
servants of Christ: yet they think they are such in
their thoughts.'
CHAPTER CXVIII. 1. Now the capture of the citadel of
Babylon and of Nakius by the Moslem was a source of
great grief to the Romans. 2. And when 'Amr had brought
to a close the operations of war he made his entry into
the citadel of Babylon, and he mustered a large number
of ships, great and small, and anchored them close to
the fort where he was.
3. And Menas, who was chief of the Green Faction, and
Cosmas the son of Samuel, the leader of the Blues, besieged
the city of Misr and |188
harassed the Romans during the days of the Moslem. And
fighting men had gone up with fear-inspiring boldness
from the western bank of the river in ships, and these
made expeditions by night.
4. 'Amr and the Moslem army, on horseback, proceeded
by land till they came to the city of Kebrias of Abādjā.
And on this occasion he attacked the general Domentianus.
5. But when the latter learnt of the approach of the
Moslem troops, he embarked on a ship and fled [in a
ship] and abandoned the army and their fleet. And he
sought to enter the small canal which Heraclius had
dug during his reign. But finding it closed he returned
and entered the city of Alexandria. 6. Now when the
soldiers saw that their commander had taken flight,
they cast away their arms and threw themselves into
the river in the presence of their enemies. 7. And the
Moslem troops slaughtered them with the sword in the
river, and none escaped save one man only, named Zechariah,
a doughty man and a warrior. 8. And when the crews of
the ships saw the flight of the troops, they too took
to flight and returned to their own country. And thereupon
the Moslem made their entry into Nakius, and took possession,
and finding no soldiers (to offer resistance), they
proceeded to put to the sword all whom they found in
the streets and in the churches, men, women, and infants,
and they showed mercy to none. 9. And after they had
captured (this) city, they marched against other localities
and sacked them and put all they found to the sword.
And they came also to the city of +Sa+,297
and there they found Esqutaws and his people in a vineyard,
and the Moslem seized them and put them to the sword.
Now these were of the family of the general Theodore.
10. Let us now cease, for it is impossible to recount
the iniquities perpetrated by the Moslem after their
capture of the island of Nakius, on Sunday, the eighteenth
day of the month Genbōt,298
in the fifteenth year of the cycle, and also the horrors
committed in the city of Caesarea in Palestine.
11. And the general Theodore, who was in command of
the city, even the city of Kīlūnās, quitted (this) city
and proceeded to Egypt, leaving Stephen with the troops
to guard the city and |189
contend with the Moslem. 12. And there was a certain
Jew with the Moslem, and he betook himself to the province
of Egypt. And when with great toil and exertion they
had cast down the walls of the city, they forthwith
made themselves masters of it, and put to the sword
thousands of its inhabitants and of the soldiers, and
they gained an enormous booty, and took the women and
children captive and divided them amongst themselves,
and they made that city a desolation (lit. destitute).
13. And shortly after the Moslem proceeded against the
country (city?) of +Cōprōs+ and put Stephen and his
people to the sword.
CHAPTER CXIX. 1. And Egypt also had become enslaved
to Satan. A great strife had broken out between the
inhabitants of Lower Egypt, and these were divided into
two parties. Of these, one sided with Theodore, but
the other wished to join the Moslem. 2. And straightway
the one party rose against the other, and they plundered
their possessions and burnt their city. But the Moslem
distrusted them.
3. And 'Amr sent a large force of Moslem against Alexandria,
and they captured Kariun, which lies outside the city.
And Theodore and his troops who were in that locality
fled and withdrew into Alexandria. 4. And the Moslem
began to attack them but were not able to approach the
walls of the city; for stones were hurled against them
from the top of the walls, and they were driven far
from the city.
5. And the inhabitants of Misr were at variance with
those of Lower Egypt, and their strife ran high, but
after a short time they made peace. 6. But when their
discord came to an end, Satan stirred up another in
the city of Alexandria; for Domentianus the prefect
and Menas the general were at variance with each other
through lust for office and other motives. 7. Now the
general Theodore took the side of Menas: he was moreover
hostile to Domentianus because of his flight from Nakius
and his abandonment of the troops. 8. And with Eudocianus,
the elder brother of Domentianus, Menas was very wroth,
because he had practised cruelties against the Christians
during the season of the holy Passion in regard to the
faith. 9. And Domentianus mustered a large force of
the 'Blues'. And when Menas was apprised of this movement,
he too mustered a large force of the 'Greens' and of
the troops in the city. And thus these two kept up their
hostility. |190
10. It was subsequently to this that Philiades the prefect
of the province of Arcadia arrived. Now Domentianus
had become the foe of Cyrus the patriarch, and he showed
him ill will, though he was his brother-in-law, and
though previously they had been mutual friends. But
subsequently he came to hate him without any good ground.
11. And Menas also who cherished a spiritual friendship
for Philiades and was not neglectful of him but invited
him frequently out of respect for the priesthood ; for
Philiades was the brother of the patriarch George. Now
(Menas) was merciful and Godfearing and was grieved
on behalf of those that were oppressed. But Philiades
was not loyal in friendship, but acted unjustly, (and)
cherished in secret evil designs. 12. Now in the days
of the general Theodore, when a discussion was raised
regarding the city named Māmūnā, and regarding the pay
of the troops and the lands on which it should be levied,
this wicked man straightway spake and said: 'In place
of twelve men, it will be better to have one; then there
will be one man to receive pay instead of twelve, and
so the tax in kind and the pay of the troops will be
lessened.' And in this incident Menas found an occasion
against Domentianus. 13. And all the troops loved and
trusted him : for Menas loved the esteem of all men-not
in order to receive idle praise, but by reason of his
wisdom and modesty. 14. Now while he was present in
the great church of Caesarion with all the people, all
the inhabitants of the city gathered together against
Philiades and sought to put him to death. But he took
to flight and hid himself in a church. 15. And straightway
the people proceeded to his dwelling and burnt it, and
pillaged all his property, but they spared such persons
as they found in the house, and did not slay them. 16.
And when Domentianus was apprised (of these events)
he sent a body of the 'Blues' to attack them. And a
great strife ensued amongst them, and six men were killed
and many wounded. 17. And with great efforts and exertions
Theodore established peace amongst them. And he deposed
the general Domentianus, and appointed Artana chief
of ten orders, who is named a decurion. And all the
property which had been carried off as pillage from
the house of Philiades was returned to him. It has been
said that this strife and tumult originated in religious
dissensions. |191
18. And after the death of Constantine, the son of
Heraclius, they brought forward Heraclius, his brother
on his father's side, though but an infant. But his
accession to the empire was as idle as had been that
of his brother who died. 19. And the patriarch Pyrrhus,
seeing that Heraclius, who was still a child, had become
emperor through the intrigues of Martina his mother,
whilst he Pyrrhus was still in exile299
. . . . 20. And after his accession to the empire
he recalled Pyrrhus from exile by the advice of the
Senate, and abolished the penal decree issued by his
brother Constantine and his imperial predecessors; for
they abolished it because of the unjust accusation of
Philagrius the treasurer. 21. And it was through his
agency that the churches were in tribulation: for he
put an end to the gifts which the emperors were accustomed
to make, and he confirmed the heavy charges (that were
upon them).
22. And subsequently he appointed him (Cyrus) a second
time to the city of Alexandria) and the priests who
were with him. He gave him power and authority to make
peace with the Moslem and check any further resistance
against them, and to establish a system of administration
suitable to the government of the land of Egypt. And
he was accompanied by Constantine, a general of the
army, who was master of the local levies. 23. And he
had the army from the province of Thrace brought to
the city of Constantinople, and he banished Philagrius
the treasurer to the province of Africa where Pyrrhus
had previously been in banishment. 24. And there were
great dissensions, and the inhabitants of the city rose
up against Martina and her children because of the banishment
of Philagrius the treasurer; for he was greatly beloved.
CHAPTER CXX. 1. Now not only Cyrus the Chalcedonian
patriarch desired peace with the Moslem, but also all
the people and the patricians and Domentianus, who had
enjoyed the favour of the empress Martina-(and so) all
these assembled and took counsel with Cyrus the patriarch
with a view to making peace with the Moslem. 2. And
all the clergy began to stir up odium against the empire
of Heraclius the younger, declaring: 'It is not fitting
that one derived from a reprobate seed should sit on
the imperial throne: rather it is the sons of Constantine,
who was the son of Eudocia, |192
that should bear sway over the empire.' And they rejected
the will of the elder Heraclius.
3. And when Valentinus was apprised that all men were
united against Martina and her sons, he took large sums
of money out of the treasury of Philagrius, and distributed
them amongst the soldiers and officers, and prevailed
on them to act against Martina and her sons. 4. And
some of them gave over warring against the Moslem, and
turned their hostilities against their own countrymen.
5. And thereupon they sent an envoy secretly to the
island of Rhodes with this message to the troops with
the patriarch Cyrus: 'Return to the imperial city and
do not take sides with him.' 6. And they sent also to
Theodore, the prefect of Alexandria, the following message:
'Do not hearken to the voice of Martina, and do not
obey her sons.' And they sent likewise to Africa, and
to every province under the sway of Rome.
7. And when Theodore the general heard this news, he
was pleased and kept the matter secret, and set out
by night without the cognizance of any, and purposed
proceeding from the island of Rhodes to Pentapolis,
and he told only the captain of the ship. 8. But the
captain of the ship alleged (that he could not), saying:
'The wind is contrary to us.' And he entered Alexandria
on the night of the seventeenth day of Maskaram,300
on the day of the festival of the Holy Cross. 9. And
all the inhabitants of Alexandria, men and women, old
and young, gathered together to meet the patriarch Cyrus,
rejoicing and giving thanks for the arrival of the patriarch
of Alexandria. 10. And Theodore betook himself secretly
with the patriarch to the Church of the monks of Tabenna
and closed the door. And he sent for Mīnās and appointed
him general, and banished Domentianus from the city.
And all the inhabitants cried out: '(Begone) from the
city.'
11. Now before the arrival of Cyrus the patriarch,
George had been highly esteemed by the governor Anastasius;
for he had received the dignity from Heraclius the younger
(?), and, when he was advanced in years, he enjoyed
universal authority: even the patriarch suffered him
to enjoy his authority.
12. And when the patriarch Cyrus came to the great
church of Caesarion, they covered all the way (with
carpets) and chanted hymns |193
in his honour (and the crowds increased) till the people
trod each other down. And after great exertions they
brought him to the Church. 13. Now he extolled highly
the well in which the Holy Cross had been found. And
he took also (to the Caesarion) the venerable cross
from the Convent of the monks of Tabenna which he had
received previously to his exile from the general John.301
14. And when they began to celebrate divine service
on the day of the holy Resurrection, instead of chanting
the psalm proper to the day of the Resurrection, which
is: 'This is the day which the Lord has made; we will
rejoice and be glad in it',302
the deacon, desiring to praise the patriarch and to
congratulate him on his return, gave out another psalm
that was not proper (to the day). 15. And when the people
heard it, they said : 'This is not the proper psalm
: it is an evil augury for the patriarch Cyrus: he will
not see a second festival of the Resurrection in the
city of Alexandria.' 16. And all the congregation and
the monks made predictions after this fashion in public:
'He has acted contrary to what is ordained in the Canons.'
But none who heard any of these sayings believed them.
17. And subsequently the patriarch Cyrus set out and
went to Babylon to the Moslem, seeking by the offer
of tribute to procure peace from them and put a stop
to war in the land of Egypt. And 'Amr welcomed his arrival,
and said unto him: 'Thou hast done well to come to us.'
And Cyrus answered and said unto him : 'God has delivered
this land into your hands : let there be no enmity from
henceforth between you and Rome : heretofore there has
been no persistent strife with you.' 18. And they fixed
the amount of tribute to be paid. And as for the Ishmaelites,
they were not to intervene in any matter, but were to
keep to themselves for eleven months. The Roman troops
in Alexandria were to carry off their possessions and
their treasures and proceed (home) by sea, and no other
Roman army was to return. But those who wished to journey
by land were to pay a monthly (?) tribute. 19. And the
Moslem were to take as hostages one hundred and fifty
soldiers and fifty civilians and make peace. |194
20. And the Romans were to cease warring against the
Moslem, and the Moslem were to desist from seizing Christian
Churches, and the latter were not to intermeddle with
any concerns of the Christians. 21. And the Jews were
to be permitted to remain in the city of Alexandria.
22. And when the patriarch had concluded this negotiation,
he returned to the city of Alexandria, and he reported
to Theodore and the general Constantine (the conditions
of peace), to the intent that they should report them
to the emperor Heraclius and support them before him.
23. And straightway all the troops and the people of
Alexandria and the general Theodore came together to
him and paid their homage to the patriarch Cyrus. And
he acquainted them with all the conditions which he
had made with the Moslem, and he persuaded them all
to accept them. 24. And while things were in this condition,
the Moslem came to receive the tribute, though the inhabitants
of Alexandria had not yet been informed (of the treaty).
And the Alexandrians, on seeing them, made ready for
battle. 25. But the troops and the generals held fast
to the resolution they had adopted, and said: 'We cannot
engage in battle with the Moslem: rather let the counsel
of the patriarch Cyrus be observed.' 26. Then the population
rose up against the patriarch and sought to stone him.
But he said unto them: 'I have made this treaty in order
to save you and your children.' And plunged in much
weeping and grief he besought them. 27. And thereupon
the Alexandrians felt ashamed before him, and offered
him a large sum of gold to hand over to the Ishmaelites
together with the tribute which had been imposed on
them.
28. And the Egyptians, who, through fear of the Moslem,
had fled and taken refuge in the city of Alexandria,
made the following request to the patriarch : 'Get the
Moslem.to promise that we may return to our cities and
become their subjects. And he negotiated for them according
to their request. And the Moslem took possession of
all the land of Egypt, southern and northern, and trebled
their taxes.
29. Now there was a man named Menas, who had been appointed
prefect of Lower Egypt by the emperor Heraclius : he
was a presumptuous man, unlettered and a deep hater
of the Egyptians. Now after the Moslem had got possession
of all the country, they |195
established him in his (former) dignity: and a man named
Sīnōdā they appointed prefect of the province of Rīf:
and another named Philoxenus as prefect of the province
of Arcadia, that is, Fajum. 30. Now these three men
loved the heathen but hated the Christians, and compelled
the Christians to carry fodder for the cattle, and they
forced them to + carry +303
milk, and honey, and fruit and leeks, and other things
in abundance: Now all these were in addition to the
ordinary rations. 31. (The Egyptians) carried out these
orders under the constraint of an unceasing fear. (The
Moslem) forced them to excavate (anew) the canal of
Trajan, which had been destroyed for a long time, in
order to conduct water through it from Babylon in Egypt
to the Red Sea. 32. And the yoke they laid on the Egyptians
was heavier than the yoke which had been laid on Israel
by Pharaoh, whom God judged with a, righteous judgement,
by drowning him in the Red Sea with all his army after
the many plagues wherewith He had plagued both men and
cattle. 33. When God's judgement lights upon these Ishmaelites
may He do unto them as He did aforetime unto Pharaoh
! But it is because of our sins that He has suffered
them to deal thus with us. Yet in His longsuffering
our God and Saviour Jesus Christ will look upon us and
protect us: and we also trust that He will destroy the
enemies of the Cross, as saith the book which lies not.
34. And 'Amr subdued the land of Egypt and sent his
men to war against the inhabitants of Pentapolis. And
after he had subdued them, he did not permit them to
dwell there. And he took from thence plunder and captives
in abundance. 35. And Abūljānōs the prefect of Pentapolis
and his troops and the rich men of the province withdrew
into the city of Dūshera-now its walls were strongly
fortified-and they closed the gates. So the Moslem after
seizing plunder and captives retired to their own country.
36. Now the patriarch Cyrus was greatly grieved on
account of the calamities which had befallen the land
of Egypt. For 'Amr had no mercy on the Egyptians, and
did not observe the covenant they had made with him,
for he was of a barbaric race. 37. And on the festival
of Palm Sunday the patriarch Cyrus fell ill of a fever
owing to excessive grief, and he died on the fifth day
of |196 Holy
Week, on the twenty-fifth of the month Magābīt.304
38. Thus he did not live to see the festival of the
holy Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ as the Christians
had predicted regarding him. Now this event took place
in the reign of the emperor Constantine the son of Heraclius
(II).
39. And after his (Heraclius II) death the Romans were
plunged in war on account of the sons of the empress
Martina; for they had excluded them from the imperial
throne, and wished to make the sons of Constantine emperors
(in their stead). 40. And Valentine who was leagued
with Philagrius assisted them. And he drew over all
the troops and marched to the city of Chalcedon; for
he thought and said : 'Martina's strength lies in the
fighting men which are with her sons.' And he prevailed
on all to consent to the recall of Philagrius from exile.
41. And thereupon Heraclius the younger embarked on
the imperial ships, accompanied by a great number of
priests and monks and illustrious bishops, and passed
over to Chalcedon. 42. And he made the following appeal
to all the troops : 'Abandon not the duty of Christian
integrity by becoming hostile to me; but make peace
with God, and comply with the will of my father Heraclius;
for he laboured much on behalf of this country.' 43.
Moreover he alleged that he would take unto him his
brother's son and make him his colleague in the empire
and there would no longer be war or bloodshed between
them. And he received the assent of all the patricians
and said unto them : 'I will bring back Philagrius from
exile.' 44. And when Valentine learnt that all the people
had submitted to him and received his words in peace,
he took Domentianus and other patricians with him and
placed the imperial crown on the younger Constantine,
one of the sons of Constantine, the son of Heraclius
the elder, whom Heracleonas had taken unto him (as colleague).
And all the people dispersed without strife. 45. But
they (the rebels) did not suffer this peace to be permanent.
Shortly after they had raised Constantine to the imperial
throne, the hatred of the two emperors grew in strength,
that is, of Heraclius II and Constantine the younger.
For Satan sowed dissensions between Heraclius II and
the army. 46. And straightway the troops in the province
of Cappadocia began to commit atrocities : moreover
they produced |197
a letter to the following effect: 'This letter was sent
by Martına and Pyrrhus the patriarch of Constantinople
to David the Ma-targuem (urging him) to make a vigorous
war, and to take Martina to be his wife, and to put
down the sons of Constantine (III), who had been emperor
with Heraclius (II) his brother.' 305
47. And when the inhabitants of Byzantium heard this
news, they said: 'This project is concerned with Kubratos,
chief of the Huns, the nephew of Organa, who was baptized
in the city of Constantinople, and received into the
Christian community in his childhood and had grown up
in the imperial palace.' 48, And between him and the
elder Heraclius great affection and peace had prevailed,
and after Heraclius's death he had shown his affection
to his sons and his wife Martina because of the kindness
(Heraclius) had shown him. 49. And after he had been
baptized with life-giving baptism he overcame all the
barbarians and heathens through Virtue of holy baptism.
Now touching him it is said that he supported the interests
of the children of Heraclius and opposed those of Constantine.
50. And in consequence of this evil report all the soldiers
in Constantinople and the people rose up, and Jūtālījūs,
the son of Constantine, named Theodore became the chief
of their forces. And he was a doughty warrior like his
father. 51. And when they had made preparations to fight
with David the Matarguem, the latter fled and took refuge
in a fortress of Armenia. And (Jūtālıjūs) pursued
him and, since none could render him aid, cut off his
head and had it sent round all the cities of the east.
52. And next he marched with a large force to the city
of Byzantium and he captured the palace, and he had
Martina and her three sons, Heraclius, David, and Marinus,
escorted forth with insolence, and he stripped them
of the imperial crown, and he had their noses cut off,
and he sent them in exile to Rhodes. 53. And the patriarch
Pyrrhus was deposed without having recourse to a council,
and he was removed from the Church and sent in banishment
to Tripoli where Philagrius was. And Philagrius indeed
was brought back from banishment. 54. And the youngest
son of Martina was castrated, through fear, as they
said, of his becoming emperor when he grew up. But the
child could not endure the great wound, and straightway
died. And the second of her sons was a deaf-mute, and
so was unfit for the throne. For |198
this reason they did him no injury. 55. And they set
at naught the will of Heraclius the elder, and they
made Constans, the son of Constantine, emperor. And
they appointed Paul of the city of Constantinople in
the room of the patriarch Pyrrhus.
56. (All these events) and the separation of Egypt
and Alexandria during the reign of Heraclius the emperor
of the Chalcedonians (fell out) as they are recorded
in the letters of the great Severus the patriarch of
Antioch, which he wrote to the Patrician in the reign
of the emperor Anastasius, wherein he prophesied against
the Roman empire in these terms: 'No son shall sit on
his father's throne so long as the creed of the Chalcedonians
prevails, who say that there were two natures in Christ
after they became one, a creed which we cannot profess.
Their doctrine that the manhood and the Godhead are
two distinct natures after having become united, we
believers cannot teach. It is not fitting that we should
speak as the heretics.' 57. Or according to the statement
of Gregory: 'We recognize God the Word to be of one
nature derived from two. For God was united to the flesh
and became one Substance. The Godhead indeed is not
converted into the manhood, nor the manhood into the
other nature, but the Word which became flesh had become
unchangeable, and no change can affect the Word. But
the Word which has become flesh is one divine Substance.
58. But this union is a marvel. That which is invisible
has become visible: the Creator has been born and we
have seen Him : He has healed us by His wounds!' 59.
But we should cease giving citations from the words
of the illustrious Fathers of the Church, who have been
learned in investigation: for the Romans do not believe
in aught now save the Passion. 60. But for those who
welcome the flavour of true knowledge I will set it
forth briefly. When they rejected the orthodox faith,
which is our faith, in like manner were they rejected
from the imperial throne. And there has followed the
undoing of all Christians that are in the world, and
we have not experienced the mercy and compassion of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
61. And in those days there arose great troubles through
Valentine; for he had assumed the imperial robes and
sought to make himself emperor. But when the people
of Constantinople heard, they arose against him, and
straightway he put off the (imperial) robes. 62. And
forthwith they seized him and conducted him before the
|199 emperor
Constans. And he sware a terrible oath to this effect:
'I have not done this with any evil intent, hut in order
to contend against the Moslem.' 63. And when they heard
this statement, they set him free and made him commander-in-chief
of the army, and arranged with him that he should give
his daughter in marriage to the emperor. And on that
occasion they had her proclaimed through the voice of
the herald by the imperial name of Augusta.
64. And the evil-doer Valentine accused Arcadius the
archbishop of the island of Cyprus. Now this man was
an ascetic in purity of life, and well known (as such)
unto all men. And (Valentin) said touching him: 'He
was an ally of Martina and the patriarch Pyrrhus, and
a foe of the new emperor Constans.' 65. And (the emperor),
acting on this evil counsel, sent from Constantinople
a numerous band of soldiers to fetch in great ignominy
Arcadius the archbishop. But by the command of God he
found (his) consummation and died after the manner of
all men. 66. But Cyrus the Chalcedonian patriarch in
Alexandria was excessively grieved when he heard (of
these events)-the exile of Martina and her sons who
had brought him back from exile, the deposition of Pyrrhus
the patriarch of Constantinople, the restoration of
Philagrius his enemy, the death of the archbishop Arcadius,
and the triumph and power of Valentine. 67. And for
these reasons he wept unceasingly; for he feared lest
he should suffer the same fortune that had befallen
him previously. And in the midst of this grief he died
according to the law of nature. And, his chief grief
was due to the Moslem, who had refused his request on
behalf of the Egyptians. 68. And before he died he wrought
the works of the apostates and persecuted the Christians;
and for this reason God, the righteous Judge, punished
him for the evils he had wrought.
69. And the general Valentine and his troops were not
able to give any assistance to the Egyptians; but the
latter, and particularly the Alexandrians, were very
hard pressed by the Moslem. And they were not able to
bear the tribute which was exacted from them. And the
rich men of the city (country ?) concealed themselves
ten months in the islands.
70. And, subsequently Theodore the governor and Constantine
the commander-in-chief of the army, and the remaining
troops, and likewise those which had been hostages in
the hands of the |200
Moslem, set out and embarked, and came to Alexandria.
71. And after the festival of the Cross they appointed
Peter the deacon to be patriarch on the twentieth of
Hamle,306 on the festival
of the holy Theodore the martyr, and placed him on the
patriarchal throne.
72. On the twentieth of Maskaram,307
Theodore and all his troops and officers set out and
proceeded to the island of Cyprus, and abandoned the
city of Alexandria. And thereupon 'Amr the chief of
the Moslem made his entry without effort into the city
of Alexandria. And the inhabitants received him with
respect; for they were in great tribulation and affliction.
CHAPTER CXXI. 1. And Abba Benjamin, the patriarch of
the Egyptians, returned to the city of Alexandria in
the thirteenth year after his flight from the Romans,
and he went to the Churches, and inspected all of them.
2. And every one said : 'This expulsion (of the Romans)
and victory of the Moslem is due to the wickedness of
the emperor Heraclius and his persecution of the Orthodox
through the patriarch Cyrus. This was the cause of the
ruin of the Romans and the subjugation of Egypt by the
Moslem.
3. And 'Amr became stronger every day in every field
of his activity. And he exacted the taxes which had
been determined upon, but he took none of the property
of the Churches, and he committed no act of spoliation
or plunder, and he preserved them throughout all his
days. And when he seized the city of Alexandria, he
had the canal drained in accordance with the instructions
given by the apostate Theodore. 4. And he increased
the taxes to the extent of twenty-two batr of
gold till all the people hid themselves owing to the
greatness of the tribulation, and could not find the
wherewithal to pay. And in the second year of the lunar
cycle came John of the city of Damietta.
5. He had been appointed by the governor Theodore,
and had lent his aid to the Moslem in order to prevent
their destruction of the city. Now he had been appointed
prefect of the city of Alexandria when 'Amr entered
it, And this John had compassion on the poor, and gave
generously to them out of his possessions. And seeing
their affliction he had mercy upon them, and wept over
their lot. 6. 'Amr deposed Menas and appointed John
in his stead. |201
Now this Menas had increased the taxes of the city,
which 'Amr had fixed at 22,000 gold dinars, and the
sum which the apostate Menas got together was 32,057
gold dinars-he appointed for the Moslem.308
7. And none could recount the mourning and lamentation
which took place in that city: they even gave their
children in exchange for the great sums which they had
to pay monthly. And they had none to help them, and
God destroyed their hopes, and delivered the Christians
into the hands of their enemies. 8. But the strong beneficence
of God will put to shame those who grieve us, and He
will make His love for man to triumph over our sins,
and bring to naught the evil purposes of those who afflict
us, who would not that the King of Kings and Lord of
Lords should reign over them, (even) Jesus Christ our
true God. 9. As for those wicked slaves, He will destroy
them in evil fashion: as saith the holy Gospel: 'As
for Mine enemies who would not that I should reign over
them, bring them unto Me.' 10. And now many of the Egyptians
who had been false Christians denied the holy orthodox
faith and lifegiving baptism, and embraced the religion
of the Moslem, the enemies of God, and accepted the
detestable doctrine of the beast, this is, Mohammed,
and they erred together with those idolaters, and took
arms in their hands and fought against the Christians.
11. And one of them, named John, the Chalcedonian of
the Convent of Sinai, embraced the faith of Islam, and
quitting his monk's habit he took up the sword, and
persecuted the Christians who were faithful to our Lord
Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER CXXII. 1. And now let us glorify our Lord Jesus
Christ and bless His holy name at all times; for unto
this hour He hath preserved us Christians from the errors
of the erring heathen, and from the transgressions of
the apostate heretics. 2. And may He also strengthen
and help us to endure tribulation through hope in His
divinity. And He will make us worthy to receive, with
a face not put to shame, the inheritance of His eternal
(and) incorruptible Kingdom in heaven. And (let us bless)
His Father, (pre-eminently) good, and the Holy Lifegiving
Spirit for ever and ever, Amen.
CHAPTER CXXIII. 1. (Herewith) ends this blessed book
which John the rector bishop of Nikius composed for
the profit of the soul. |202
Now it contains divine mysteries and heavenly marvels
which have befallen apostates from the faith. 2. At
one time the earth quaked on account of the denial (of
the faith), and the great city of Nicaea was destroyed.
At another it rained fire from heaven : at another the
sun was darkened from the hour of dawn till evening.
3. On a certain occasion the rivers rose.and overwhelmed
many cities ; while on another houses were overthrown
and many men perished and went down to the depths of
the earth. 4. And all these things fell out because
they divided Christ into two natures, whilst some of
them made Him (merely) a created being. 5. Also the
Roman emperors lost the imperial crown, and the Ishmaelites
and Chuzaeans won the mastery over them, because they
did not walk in the orthodox faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but divided the indivisible.
6. The transcription of this book began on the twenty-eighth
day of Hamle, and was finished on Monday on the twenty-second
day of Teqmet,309 at the
sixth hour of the day, when the sun was in the sign
of Scorpion, and the moon in the sign of Aquarius. 7.
And the course of the sun was then in (its) 195th degree,
and its zenith was at eighty-seven degrees thirty minutes.
And the day was eleven hours, and the night thirteen.
And the day increased and the night decreased daily
by twenty minutes. 8. And the dominion of Elgufr from
Manāzel was then, in the 7594th year of the world, the
1947th year of Alexander, the 1594th year of the Incarnation
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the 1318th year of the Martyrs,
the 980th year of Hagar according to the solar reckoning,
but the 1010th year according to the lunar reckoning:
four years seven months and eight days after the accession
of Malak Sagad the younger, son of Malak Sagad the elder,
who was named Jakob when he received the grace of baptism:
eight years three months and five days after the accession
of the Godloving queen Malak Mōgasā, who was named Mārjām
Sena on receiving the grace of baptism.
9. We have translated this book with great care from
Arabic into Ge'ez, even poor I, the most worthless amongst
men and the vilest amongst the people, and the deacon
Gabriel the Egyptian, son of the martyr John Kolobos,310
by the order of Athanasius |203
commander-in-chief of the army of Ethiopia, and by the
order of the queen Mārjām Sena. 10. God grant that it
may serve to the salvation of the soul and the preservation
of the body. And praise be unto Him, who has given us
power to begin and to finish (this work), for ever and
ever. Amen and amen. So be it. So be it.
