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APOCRYPHAL ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (1 of 2)
   Acts of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
   Acts of Paul and Thecla
   The Acts of Barnabas
   The Acts of Philip
   Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Andrew


ACTS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES PETER AND PAUL

   IT came to pass, after Paul went out of the island Gaudomeleta,(1) that
he came to Italy; and it was heard of by the Jews who were in Rome, the
elder of the cities, that Paul demanded to come to Caesar. Having fallen,
therefore, into great grief and much despondency, they said among
themselves: It does not please him that he alone has afflicted all our
brethren and parents in Judaea and Samaria, and in all Palestine; and he
has not been pleased with these, but, behold, he comes here also, having
through imposition asked Caesar to destroy us.

   Having therefore made an assembly against Paul, and having considered
many proposals,(2) it seemed good to them to go to Nero the emperor, to ask
him not to allow Paul to come to Rome. Having therefore got in readiness
not a few presents, and having carried them with them, with supplication
they came before him, saying: We beseech thee, O good emperor, send orders
into all the governments of your worship, to the effect that Paul is not to
come near these parts; because this Paul, having afflicted all the nation
of our fathers, has been seeking to come hither to destroy us also. And the
affliction, O most worshipful emperor, which we have from Peter is enough
for us.

   And the Emperor Nero, having heard these things, answered them: It
is(3) according to your wish. And we write to all our governments that he
shall not on any account come to anchor in the parts of Italy. And they
also informed Simon the magian, having sent for him, that, as has been
said, he should not come into the parts of Italy.

   And while they were thus doing, some of those that had repented out of
the nations, and that had been baptized at the preaching of Peter, sent
elders to Paul with a letter to the following effect: Paul, dear servant of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and brother of Peter, the first of the apostles, we
have heard from the rabbis of the Jews that are in this Rome, the greatest
of the cities, that they have asked Caesar to send into all his
governments, in order that, wherever thou mayst be found, thou mayst be put
to death. But we have believed, and do believe, that as God does not
separate the two great lights which He has made, so He is not to part you
from each other, that is, neither Peter from Paul, nor Paul from Peter; but
we positively believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, into whom we have been
baptized, that we have become worthy also of your teaching.

   And Paul, having received the two men sent with the letter on the
twentieth of the month of May, became eager to go, and gave thanks to the
Lord and Master Jesus Christ. And having sailed from Gaudomeleta, he did
not now come through Africa to the parts of Italy, but ran to Sicily, until
he came to the city of Syracuse with the two then who had been sent from
Rome to him. And having sailed thence, he came to Rhegium of Calabria, and
from Rhegium he crossed to Mesina, and there ordained a bishop, Bacchylus
by name. And when he came out of Mesina he sailed to Didymus, and remained
there one night. And having sailed thence, he came to Pontiole(4) on the
second day.

   And Dioscorus the shipmaster, who brought him to Syracuse, sympathizing
with Paul because he had delivered his son from death, having left his own
ship in Syracuse, accompanied him to Pontiole. And some of Peter's
disciples having been found there, and having received Paul, exhorted him
to stay with them. And he stayed a week, in hiding, because of the command
of Caesar. And all the toparchs were watching to seize and kill him. But
Dioscorus the shipmaster, being himself also bald, wearing his shipmaster's
dress, and speaking boldly, on the first day went out into the city of
Pontiole. Thinking therefore that he was Paul, they seized him, and
beheaded him, and sent his head to Caesar.

   Caesar therefore, having summoned the first men of the Jews, announced
to them, saying: Rejoice with great joy, for Paul your enemy is dead. And
he showed them the head. Having therefore made great rejoicing on that day,
which was the fourteenth of the month of June, each of the Jews fully
believed it.

   And Paul, being in Pontiole, and having heard that Dioscorus had been
beheaded, being grieved with great grief, gazing into the height of the
heaven, said: O Lord Almighty in heaven, who hast appeared to me in every
place whither I have gone on account of Thine only-begotten Word, our Lord
Jesus Christ, punish this city, and bring out all who have believed in God
and followed His word. He said to them therefore: Follow me: And going
forth from Pontiole with those who Met believed in the word of God, they
came to a place called Baias;(1) and looking up with their eyes, they all
see that city called Pontiole sunk into the sea-shore about one fathom; and
there it is until this day, for a remembrance, under the sea.

   And having gone forth from Baias, they went to Gaitas, and there he
taught tim word of God. And he stayed there three days in the house of
Erasmus, whom Peter sent from Rome to teach the Gospel of God. And having
come forth from Gaitas, he came to the castle called Taracinas, and stayed
there seven days in the house of Caesarius the deacon, whom Peter had
ordained by the laying on of hands. And sailing thence, be came by the
river to a place called Tribus Tabernes.

   And those who bad been saved out of the city of Pontiole that had been
swallowed up, reported to Caesar in Rome that Pontiole had been swallowed
up, with all its multitude. And the emperor, being in great grief on
account of the city, having summoned the chief of the Jews, said to them:
Behold, on account of what I heard from you, I have caused Paul to be
beheaded, and on account of this the city has been swallowed up. And the
chief of the Jews said to Caesar: Most worshipful emperor, did we not say
to thee that he troubled all the country of the East, and perverted our
fathers? It is better therefore, most worshipful emperor, that one city be
destroyed, and not the seat of thine empire; for this had Rome to suffer.
And the emperor, having heard their words, was appeased.

   And Paul stayed in Tribus Tabernes four days. And departing thence, he
came to Appii Forum, which is called Vicusarape; and having slept there
that night, he saw one sitting on a golden chair, and a multitude of blacks
standing beside him, saying: I have to-day made a son murder his father.
Another said: And I have made a house fall, and kill parents with children.
And they reported to him many evil deeds--some of one kind, some of
another. And another coming, reported to him: I have managed that the
bishop Juvenalius, whom Peter ordained, should sleep with the abbess
Juliana. And having heard all these things when sleeping in that Appii
Forum, near Vicusarape, straightway and immediately be sent to Rome one of
those who had followed him from Pontiole to the bishop Juvenalius, telling
him this same thing which had just been done. And on the following day,
Juvenalius, running, threw himself at the feet of Peter, weeping and
lamenting, and saying what had just befallen; and he recounted to him the
matter, and said: I believe that this is the light which thou wast
awaiting. And Peter said to him: How is it possible that it is he when he
is dead? And Juvenalius the bishop took to Peter him that had been sent by
Paul, and be reported to him that he was alive, and on his way, and that he
was at Appii Forum. And Peter thanked and glorified the God and Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ.

   Then having summoned his disciples that believed, he sent them to Paul
as far as Tribus Tabernes. And the distance from Rome to Tribus Tabernes is
thirty-eight miles.(2) And Paul seeing them, having given thanks to our
Lord jesus Christ, took courage; and departing thence, they slept in the
city called Aricia.

   And a report went about in the city of Rome that Paul the brother of
Peter was coming. And those that believed in God rejoiced with great joy.
And there was great consternation among the Jews; and having gone to Simon
the magian, they entreated him, saying: Report to the emperor that Paul is
not dead, but that he is alive, and has come. And Simon said to the Jews:
What head is it, then, which came to Caesar from Pontiole? Was it not bald
also?

   And Paul having come to Rome, great fear fell upon the Jews. They came
together therefore to him, and exhorted him, saying: Vindicate the faith in
which thou wast born; for it is not right that thou, being a Hebrew, and of
the Hebrews, shouldst call thyself teacher of Gentiles, and vindicator of
the uncircumcised; and, being thyself circumcised, that thou shouldst bring
to nought the faith of the circumcision.(3) And when thou seest Peter,
contend against his teaching, because be has destroyed all the bulwarks of
our law; for he has prevented the keeping of Sabbaths and new moons, and
the holidays appointed by the law. And Paul, answering, said to them: That
I am a true Jew, by this you can prove; because also you have been able to
keep the Sabbath, and to observe the true circumcision; for assuredly on
the day of the Sabbath God rested from all His works. We have fathers, and
patriarchs, and the law. What, then, does Peter preach in the kingdom of
the Gentiles? But if he shall wish to bring in any new teaching, without
any tumult, and envy, and trouble, send him word, that we may see, and in
your presence I shall convict him. But if his teaching be true, supported
by the book and testimony of the Hebrews, it becomes all of us to submit to
him.

   Paul saying these and such like things, the Jews went and said to
Peter: Paul of the Hebrews has come, and entreats thee to come to him,
since those who have brought him say that he cannot meet whomsoever he may
wish until he appear before Caesar. And Peter having heard, rejoiced with
great joy; and rising up, immediately went to him. And seeing each other,
they wept for joy; and long embracing each other, they bedewed each other
with tears.

   And when Paul had related to Peter the substance(1) of all his doings,
and how, through the disasters of the ship, he had come, Peter also told
him what he had suffered from Simon the magian, and all his plots. And
having told these things, he went away towards evening.

   And in the morning of the following day, at dawn, behold, Peter coming,
finds a multitude of the Jews before Paul's door. And there was a great
uproar between the Christian Jews and the Gentiles. For, on the one hand,
the Jews said: We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, the friends of
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, with whom God spake,
to whom He showed His own mysteries and His great wonders. But you of the
Gentiles are no great thing in your lineage; if otherwise, you have become
polluted and abominable by idols and graven images.

   While the Jews were saying such things, and such-like, those of the
Gentiles answered, saying: We, when we heard the truth, straightway
followed it, having abandoned our errors. But you, both knowing the mighty
deeds of your fathers, and seeing the signs of the prophets, and having
received the law, and gone through the sea with dry feet, and seen your
enemies sunk in its depths, and the pillar of fire by night and of cloud by
day shining upon you, and manna having been given to you out of heaven, and
water flowing to you out of a rock,--after all these things you fashioned
to yourselves the idol of a calf, and worshipped the graven image. But we,
having seen none of the signs, believe to be a Saviour the God whom you
have forsaken in unbelief.

   While they were contending in these and such-like words, the Apostle
Paul said that they ought not to make such attacks upon each other, but
that they should rather give heed to this, that God had fulfilled His
promises which He swore to Abraham our father, that in his seed he should
inherit all the nations.(2) For there is no respect of persons with God.(3)
As many as have sinned in law shall be judged according to law, and as many
as have sinned without law shall perish without law.(4) But we, brethren,
ought to thank God that, according to His mercy, He has chosen us to be a
holy people to Himself: so that in this we ought to boast, whether Jews or
Greeks; for you are all one in the belief of His name.

   And Paul having thus spoken, both the Jews and they of the Gentiles
were appeased. But the rulers of the Jews assailed Peter. And Peter, when
they accused him of having renounced their synagogues, said: Hear,
brethren, the holy Spirit about the patriarch David, promising, Of the
fruit of thy womb shall He set upon thy throne.(5) Him therefore to whom
the Father said, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee, the chief
priests through envy crucified; but that He might accomplish the salvation
of the world, it was allowed that He should suffer all these things.(6)
Just as, therefore, from the side of Adam Eve was created, so also from the
side of Christ was created the Church, which has no spot nor blemish. In
Him,(7) therefore, God has opened an entrance to all the sons of Abraham,
and Isaac, and Jacob, in order that they may be in the faith of profession
towards Him,(8) and have life and salvation in His name. Turn, therefore,
and enter into the joy of your father Abraham, because God hath fulfilled
what He promised to him. Whence also the prophet says, The Lord hath sworn,
and will not repent: Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of
Melchizedec.(9) For a priest He became upon the cross, when He offered the
whole burnt-offering of His own body and blood as a sacrifice for all the
world.

   And Peter saying this and such-like, the most part of the people
believed. And it happened also that Nero's wife Libia, and the yoke-fellow
of Agrippa the prefect, Agrippina by name, thus believed, so that also they
went away from beside their own husbands. And on account of the teaching of
Paul, many, despising military life, clung to God; so that even from the
emperor's bed-chamber some came to him, and having become Christians, were
no longer willing to return to the army or the palace.

   When, consequently, the people were making a seditious murmuring,
Simon, moved with zeal, rouses himself, and began to say many evil things
about Peter, saying that he was a wizard and a cheat. And they believed
him, wondering at his miracles; for he made a brazen serpent move itself,
and stone statues to laugh and move themselves, and himself to run and
suddenly to be raised into the air. But as a set-off to these, Peter healed
the sick by a word, by praying made the blind to see, put demons to flight
by a command; sometimes he even raised the dead. And he said to the people
that they should not only flee from Simon's deceit, but also that they
should expose him, that they might not seem to be slaves to the devil.

   And thus it happened that all pious men abhorred Simon the magian, and
proclaimed him impious. But those who adhered to Simon strongly affirmed
Peter to be a magian, bearing false witness as many of them as were with
Simon the magian; so that the matter came even to the ears of Nero the
Caesar, and he gave order to bring Simon the magian before him. And he,
coming in, stood before him, and began suddenly to assume different forms,
so that on a sudden he became a child, and after a little an old man, and
at other times a young man; for he changed himself both in face and stature
into different forms, and was in a frenzy, having the devil as his servant.
And Nero beholding this, supposed him to be truly the son of God; but the
Apostle Peter showed him to be both a liar and a wizard, base and impious
and apostate, and in all things opposed to the truth of God, and that
nothing yet remained except that his wickedness, being made apparent by the
command of God, might be made manifest to them all.

   Then Simon, having gone in to Nero, said: Hear, O good emperor: I am
the son of God come down from heaven. Until now I have endured Peter only
calling himself an apostle; but now he has doubled the evil: for Paul also
himself teaches the same things, and having his mind turned against me, is
said to preach along with him; in reference to whom, if thou shalt not
contrive their destruction, it is very plain that thy kingdom cannot stand.

   Then Nero, filled with concern, ordered to bring them speedily before
him. And on the following day Simon the magian, and Peter and Paul the
apostles of Christ, having come in to Nero, Simon said: These are the
disciples of the Nazarene, and it is not at all well that they should be of
the people of the Jews, Nero said: What is a Nazarene? Simon said: There is
a city of Judah which has always been opposed to us, called Nazareth, and
to it the teacher of these men belonged. Nero said: God commands us to love
every man; why, then, dost thou persecute them? Simon said: This is a race
of men who have turned aside all Judaea from believing in me. Nero said to
Peter: Why are you thus unbelieving, according to your race?(1) Then Peter
said to Simon: Thou hast been able to impose upon all, but upon me never;
and those who have been deceived, God has through me recalled from their
error. And since thou hast learned by experience that thou canst not get
the better of me, I wonder with what face thou boastest thyself before the
emperor, and supposest that through thy magic art thou shalt overcome the
disciples of Christ. Nero said: Who is Christ? Peter said: He is what this
Simon the magian affirms himself to be; but this is a most wicked man, and
his works are of the devil. But if thou wishest to know, O good emperor,
the things that have been done in Judaea about Christ, take the writings of
Pontius Pilate sent to Claudius, and thus thou wilt know all. And Nero
ordered them to be brought, and to he read in their presence; and they were
to the following effect:(2)--

   Pontius Pilate to Claudius, greeting. There has lately happened an
event which I myself was concerned in. For the Jews through envy have
inflicted on themselves, and those coming after them, dreadful judgments.
Their fathers had promises that their God would send them his holy one from
heaven, who according to reason should be called their king, and he had
promised to send him to the earth by means of a virgin. He, then, when I
was procurator, came into Judaea. And they saw(3) him enlightening the
blind, cleansing lepers, healing paralytics, expelling demons from men,
raising the dead, subduing the winds, walking upon the waves of the sea,
and doing many other wonders, and all the people of the Jews calling him
Son of God. Then the chief priests, moved with envy against him, seized
him, and delivered him to me; and telling one lie after another, they said
that he was a wizard, and did contrary to their law. And I, having believed
that these things were so, gave him up, after scourging him, to their
will;(4) and they crucified him, and after he was buried set guards over
him. But he, while my soldiers were guarding him, rose on the third day.
And to such a degree was the wickedness of the Jews inflamed against him,
that they gave money to the soldiers, saying, Say his disciples have stolen
his body. But they, having taken the money, were not able to keep silence
as to what had happened; for they have testified that they have seen him
(after he was) risen, and that they have received money from the Jews.
These things, therefore, have I reported, that no one should falsely speak
otherwise, and that thou shouldest not suppose that the falsehoods of the
Jews are to be believed.

   And the letter having been read, Nero said: Tell me, Peter, were all
these things thus done by him? Peter said: They were, with your permission,
O good emperor. For this Simon is full of lies and deceit, even if it
should seem that he is what he is not--a god. And in Christ there is all
excellent victory through God and through man,(1) which that
incomprehensible glory assumed which through man deigned to come to the
assistance of men. But in this Simon there are two essences, of man and of
devil, who through man endeavours to ensnare men.

   Simon said: I wonder, O good emperor, that you reckon this man of any
consequence--a man uneducated, a fisherman of the poorest, and endowed with
power neither in word nor by rank. But, that I may not long endure him as
an enemy, I shall forthwith order my angels to come and avenge me upon him.
Peter said: I am not afraid of thy angels; but they shall be much more
afraid of me in the power and trust of my Lord Jesus Christ, whom thou
falsely declarest thyself to be.

   Nero said: Art thou not afraid, Peter, of Simon, who confirms his
godhead by deeds? Peter said: Godhead is in Him who searcheth the hidden
things of the heart.(2) Now then, tell me what I am thinking about, or what
I am doing. I disclose to thy servants who are here what my thought is,
before he tells lies about it, in order that he may not dare to lie as to
what I am thinking about. Nero said: Come hither, and tell me what thou art
thinking about. Peter said: Order a barley loaf to be brought, and to be
given to me secretly. And when he ordered it to be brought, and secretly
given to Peter, Peter said: Now tell us, Simon, what has been thought
about, or what said, or what done.

   Nero said: Do you mean me to believe that Simon does not know these
things, who both raised a dead man, and presented himself on the third day
after he had been beheaded, and who has done whatever he said he would do?
Peter said: But he did not do it before me, Nero said: But he did all these
before me. For assuredly he ordered angels to come to him, and they came.
Peter said: If he has done what is very great, why does he not do what is
very small? Let him tell what I had in my mind, and what I have done. Nero
said: Between you, I do not know myself. Simon said: Let Peter say what I
am thinking of, or what I am doing. Peter said: What Simon has in his mind
I shall show that I know, by my doing what he is thinking about. Simon
said: Know this, O emperor, that no one knows the thoughts of men, but God
alone. Is not, therefore, Peter lying? Peter said: Do thou, then, who
sayest that thou art the Son of God, tell what I have in my mind; disclose,
if thou canst, what I have just done in secret. For Peter, having blessed
the barley loaf which he had received, and hawing broken it with his right
hand and his left, had heaped it up in his sleeves. Then Simon, enraged
that he was not able to tell the secret of the apostle, cried out, saying:
Let great dogs come forth, and eat him up before Caesar. And suddenly there
appeared great dogs, and rushed at Peter. But Peter, stretching forth his
hands(3) to pray, showed to the dogs the loaf which he had blessed; which
the dogs seeing, no longer appeared. Then Peter said to Nero: Behold, I
have shown thee that I knew what Simon was thinking of, not by words, but
by deeds; for he, having promised that he would bring angels against me,
has brought dogs, in order that he might show that he had not god-like but
dog-like angels.

   Then Nero said to Simon: What is it, Simon? I think we have got the
worst of it. Simon said: This man, both in Judaea and in all Palestine and
Caesarea, has done the same to me;(4) and from very often striving with me,
he has learned that this is adverse to them. This, then, he has learned how
to escape from me; for the thoughts of men no one knows but God alone. And
Peter said to Simon: Certainly thou feignest thyself to be a god; why,
then, dost thou not reveal the thoughts of every man?

   Then Nero, turning to Paul, said: Why dost thou say nothing, Paul? Paul
answered and said: Know this, O emperor, that if thou permittest this
magician to do such things, it will bring an access of the greatest
mischief to thy country, and will bring down thine empire from its
position. Nero said to Simon: What sayest thou? Simon said: If I do not
manifestly hold myself out to be a god, no one will bestow upon me due
reverence. Nero said: And now, why dost thou delay, and not show thyself to
be a god, in order that these men may be punished? Simon said: Give orders
to build for me a lofty tower of wood, and I, going up upon it, will call
my angels, and order them to take me, in the sight of all, to my father in
heaven; and these men, not being able to do this, are put to shame as(5)
uneducated men. And Nero said to Peter: Hast thou heard, Peter, what has
been said by Simon? From this will appear how much power either he or thy
god has. Peter said: O most mighty emperor, it thou wert willing, thou
mightst perceive that he is full of demons. Nero said: Why do you make to
me roundabouts of circumlocutions? To-morrow will prove you.

   Simon said: Dost thou believe, O good emperor, that I who was dead, and
rose again, am a magician? For it had been brought about by his own
cleverness that the unbelieving Simon had said to Nero: Order me to be
beheaded in a dark place, and there to be left slain; and if I do not rise
on the third day, know that I am a magician; but if I rise again, know that
I am the Son of God.

   And Nero having ordered this, in the dark, by his magic art he managed
that a ram should be beheaded. And for so long did the ram appear to be
Simon until he was beheaded. And when he had been beheaded in the dark, he
that had beheaded him, taking the head, found it to be that of a ram; but
he would not say anything to the emperor, lest be should scourge him,
having ordered this to be done in secret. Thereafter, accordingly. Simon
said that he had risen on the third day, because he took away the head of
the ram and the limbs--but the blood had been there congealed--and on the
third day he showed himself to Nero, and said: Cause to be wiped away my
blood that has been poured out; for, behold, having been beheaded, as I
promised, I have risen again on the third day. And when Nero said, To-
morrow will prove you, turning to Paul, he says: Thou Paul, why dost thou
say nothing? Either who taught thee, or whom thou hast for a master, or how
thou hast taught in the cities, or what things have happened through thy
teaching? For I think that thou hast not any wisdom, and art not able to
accomplish any work of power. Paul answered: Dost thou suppose that I ought
to speak against a desperate man. a magician, who has given his soul up to
death, whose destruction and perdition will come speedily? For he ought to
speak who pretends to be what he is not, and deceives men by magic art. If
thou consentest to hear his words, and to shield him, thou shalt destroy
thy soul and thy kingdom, for he is a most base man. And as the Egyptians
Jannes and Jambres led Pharaoh and his army astray until they were
swallowed up in the sea, so also he, through the instruction of his father
the devil, persuades men to do many evils to themselves, and thus deceives
many of the innocent, to the peril of thy kingdom. But as for the word of
the devil, which I see has been poured out through this man, with groanings
of my heart am dealing with the Holy Spirit, that it may clearly shown what
it is; for as far as he seems to raise himself towards heaven, so far will
he be sunk down into the depth of Hades, where there is weeping and
gnashing of teeth. But about the teaching of my Master, of which thou
didst ask me, none attain it except the pure, who allow faith to come into
their heart.(1) For as many things as belong to peace and love, these have
I taught. Round about from Jerusalem, and as far as Illyricum,(2) I have
fulfilled the word of peace. For I have taught that in honour they should
prefer one another;(3) I have taught those that are eminent and rich not to
be lifted up, and hope in uncertainty of riches, but to place their hope in
God;(4) I have taught those in a middle station to be content with food and
covering;(5) I have taught the poor to rejoice in their own poverty; I have
taught fathers to teach their children instruction in the fear of the Lord,
children to obey their parents in wholesome admonition;(6) I have taught
wives to love their own husbands, and to fear them as masters, and husbands
to observe fidelity to their wives; I have taught masters to treat their
slaves with clemency, and slaves to serve their own masters faithfully;(7)
I have taught the churches of the believers to reverence one almighty,
invisible, and incomprehensible God. And this teaching has been given me,
not from men, nor through men, but through Jesus Christ,(8) who spoke to me
out of heaven, who also has sent me to preach, saying to me, Go forth, for
I will be with thee; and all things, as many as thou shalt say or do, I
shall make just.

   Nero said: What sayest thou, Peter? He answered and said: All that Paul
has said is true. For when he was a persecutor of the faith of Christ, a
voice called him out of heaven, and taught him the truth; for he was not an
adversary of our faith from hatred, but from ignorance. For there were
before us false Christs, like Simon, false apostles, and false prophets,
who, contrary to the sacred writings, set themselves to make void the
truth; and against these it was necessary to have in readiness this man,
who from his youth up set himself to no other thing than to search out the
mysteries of the divine law, by which(10) he might become a vindicator of
truth and a persecutor of falsehood. Since, then, his persecution was not
on account of hatred, but on account of the vindication of the law, the
very truth out of heaven held intercourse with him, saying, I am the truth
which you persecutest; cease persecuting me. When, therefore, he knew that
this was so, leaving off that which he was vindicating, he began to
vindicate this way of Christ which he was persecuting.

   Simon said: O good emperor, take notice that these two have conspired
against me; for I am the truth, and they purpose evil against me. Peter
said: There is no truth in thee; but all thou sayest is false.

   Nero said: Paul, what sayest thou? Paul said: Those things which thou
hast heard from Peter, believe to have been spoken by me also; for we
purpose the same thing, for we have the same Lord Jesus the Christ. Simon
said: Dost thou expect me, O good emperor, to hold an argument with these
men, who have come to an agreement against me? And having turned to the
apostles of Christ, he said: Listen, Peter and Paul: if I can do nothing
for you here, we are going to the place where I must judge you. Paul said:
O good emperor, see what threats he holds out against us. Peter said: Why
was it  necessary to keep from laughing outright at a foolish man, made the
sport of demons, so as to suppose that he cannot be made manifest?

   Simon said: I spare you until I shall receive my power. Paul said: See
if you will go out hence safe. Peter said: If thou do not see, Simon, the
power of our Lord Jesus Christ, thou wilt not believe thyself not to be
Christ. Simon said: Most sacred emperor, do not believe them, for they are
circumcised knaves. Paul said: Before we knew the truth. we had the
circumcision of the flesh; but when the truth appeared, in the circumcision
of the heart we both are circumcised, and circumcise. Peter said: If
circumcision be a disgrace, why hast thou been circumcised, Simon?

   Nero said: Has, then, Simon also been circumcised? Peter said: For not
otherwise could he have deceived souls, unless he reigned himself to be a
Jew, and made a show of teaching the law of God. Nero said: Simon, thou, as
I see, being carried away with envy, persecutest these men. For, as it
seems, there is great hatred between thee anti their Christ; and I am
afraid that thou wilt be worsted by them, and involved in great evils.
Simon said: Thou art led astray, O emperor. Nero said: How am I led astray?
What I see in thee, I say. I see that thou art manifestly an enemy of Peter
anti Paul and their master.

   Simon said: Christ was not Paul's master. Paul said: Yes; through
revelation He taught me also. But tell me what I asked thee--Why wast thou
circumcised? Simon said: Why have you asked me this? Paul said: We have a
reason for asking you this. Nero said: Why art thou afraid to answer them?
Simon said: Listen, O emperor. At that time circumcision was enjoined by
God when I received it. For this reason was I circumcised.

   Paul said: Hearest thou, O good emperor, what has been said by Simon?
If, therefore, circumcision be a good thing, why hast thou, Simon, given up
those who have been circumcised, and forced them, after being condemned, to
be put to death? Nero said: Neither about you do I perceive anything good.
Peter and Paul said: Whether this thought about us be good or evil has no
reference to the matter; but to us it was necessary that what our Master
promised should come to pass. Nero said: If I should not be willing? Peter
said: Not as thou willest, but as He promised to us.

   Simon said: O good emperor, these men have reckoned upon thy clemency,
and have bound thee. Nero said: But neither hast thou yet made me sure
about thyself. Simon said: Since so many excellent deeds and signs have
been shown to thee by me, I wonder how thou shouldst be in doubt. Nero
said: I neither doubt nor favour any of you; but answer me rather what I
ask.

   Simon said: Henceforward I answer thee nothing. Nero said: Seeing that
thou liest, therefore thou sayest this. But if even I can do nothing to
thee, God, who can, will do it. Simon said: I no longer answer thee. Nero
said: Nor do I consider thee to be anything: for, as I perceive, thou art a
liar in everything. But why do I say so much? The three of you show that
your reasoning is uncertain; and thus in all things you have made me doubt,
so that I find that I can give credit to none of you.(1)

   Peter said: We preach one God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
has made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that therein is, who
is the true King; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.(2) Nero said:
What king is lord? Paul said: The Saviour of all the nations. Simon said: l
am he whom you speak of. Peter and Paul said: May it never be well with
thee, Simon, magician, and full of bitterness.

   Simon said: Listen, O Caesar Nero, that thou mayst know that these men
are liars, and that I have been sent from the heavens: to-morrow I go up
into the heavens, that I may make those who believe in me blessed, and show
my wrath upon those who have denied me. Peter and Paul said: Us long ago
God called to His own glory; but thou, called by the devil, hastenest to
punishment. Simon said: Caesar Nero, listen to me. Separate these madmen
from thee, in order that when I go into heaven to my father, I may be very
merciful to thee. Nero said: And whence shall we prove this, that thou
goest away into heaven? Simon said: Order a lofty tower to be made of wood,
and of great beams, that I may go up upon it, and that my angels may find
me in the air; for they cannot come to me upon earth among the sinners.
Nero said: I will see whether thou wilt fulfil what thou sayest.

   Then Nero ordered a lofty tower to be made in the Campus Martins, and
all the people and the dignities to be present at the spectacle. And on the
following day, all the multitude having come together, Nero ordered Peter
and Paul to he present, to whom also he said: Now the truth has to be made
manifest. Peter and Paul said: We do not expose him, but our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, whom he has falsely declared himself to be.

   And Paul, having turned to Peter, said: It is my part to bend the knee,
and to pray to God; and thine to produce the effect, if thou shouldst see
him attempting anything, because thou wast first taken in hand(1) by the
Lord. And Paul, bending his knees, prayed. And Peter, looking stedfastly
upon Simon, said: Accomplish what thou hast begun; for both thy exposure
and our call is at hand: for I see my Christ calling both me and Paul. Nero
said: And where will you go to against my will? Peter said: Whithersoever
our Lord has called us. Nero said: And who is your lord? Peter said: Jesus
the Christ, whom I see calling us to Himself. Nero said:  Do you also then
intend to go away to heaven?  Peter said: If it shall seem good to Him that
calls us. Simon said: In order that thou mayst know, O emperor, that these
are deceivers, as soon as ever I ascend into heaven, I will send my angels
to thee, and will make thee come to me. Nero said: Do at once what thou
sayest.

   Then Simon went up upon the tower in the face of all, and, crowned with
laurels, he stretched forth his hands, and began to fly. And when Nero saw
him flying, he said to Peter: This Simon is true; hut thou and Paul are
deceivers. To whom Peter said: Immediately shalt thou know that we are true
disciples of Christ; but that he is not Christ, but a magician, and a
malefactor. Nero said: Do you still persist? Behold, you see him going up
into heaven. Then Peter, looking stedfastly upon Paul, said: Paul, look up
and see. And Paul, having looked up, full of tears, and seeing Simon
flying, said: Peter, why art thou idle? finish what thou hast begun; for
already our Lord Jesus Christ is calling us. And Nero hearing them, smiled
a little, and said: These men see themselves worsted already, and are gone
mad. Peter said: Now thou shalt know that we are not mad. Paul said to
Peter: Do at once what thou doest.

   And Peter, looking stedfastly against Simon, said: I adjure you, ye
angels of Satan, who are carrying him into the air, to deceive the hearts
of the unbelievers, by the God that created all things, and by Jesus
Christ, whom on the third day He raised from the dead, no longer from this
hour to keep him up, but to let him go. And immediately, being let go, he
fell into a place called Sacra Via, that is, Holy Way, and was divided into
four parts, having perished by an evil fate.

   Then Nero ordered Peter and Paul to be put in irons, and the body of
Simon to be carefully kept three days, thinking that he would rise on the
third day. To whom Peter said: He will no longer rise, since he is truly
dead, being condemned to everlasting punishment. And Nero said to him: Who
commanded thee to do such a dreadful deed? Peter said: His reflections and
blasphemy against my Lord Jesus Christ have brought him into this gulf of
destruction. Nero said: I will destroy you by an evil taking off. Peter
said: This is not in thy power, even if it should seem good to thee to
destroy us; but it is necessary that what our Master promised to us should
he fulfilled.

   Then Nero, having summoned Agrippa the propraetor, said to him: It is
necessary that men introducing mischievous religious observances should
die. Wherefore I order them to take iron clubs,(2)and to be killed in the
sea-fight. Agrippa the propraetor said: Most sacred emperor, what thou hast
ordered is not fitting for these men,since Paul seems innocent beside
Peter. Nero said: By what fate, then, shall they die? Agrippa answered and
said: As seems to me, it is just that Paul's head should be cut off, and
that Peter should be raised on a cross as the cause of the murder. Nero
said: Thou hast most excellently judged.

   Then both Peter and Paul were led away from the presence of Nero.And
Paul was beheaded on the Ostesian road.(3)

   And Peter, having come to the cross, said: Since my Lord Jesus Christ,
who came down from the heaven upon the earth, was raised upon the cross
upright,(4) and He has deigned to call to heaven me, who am of the earth,
my cross ought to be fixed head downmost, so as to direct my feet towards
heaven; for I am not worthy to be crucified like my Lord. Then, having
reversed the cross, they nailed his feet up.

   And the multitude was assembled reviling Caesar, and wishing to kill
him. But Peter restrained them, saying:(1) A few days ago, being exhorted
by the brethren, I was going away; and my Lord Jesus Christ met me, and
having adored Him, I said, Lord, whither art Thou going? And He said to me,
I am going to Rome to be crucified. And I said to Him, Lord, wast Thou not
crucified once for all? And the Lord answering, said, I saw thee fleeing
from death, and I wish to be crucified instead of thee. And I said, Lord, I
go; I fulfil Thy command. And He said to me, Fear not, for am with thee.(2)
On this account, then, children, do not hinder my going; for already my
feet are  going on the road to heaven. Do not grieve, therefore, but rather
rejoice with me, for to-day I receive the fruit of my labours. And thus:
speaking, he said: I thank Thee, good Shepherd, that the sheep which Thou
hast entrusted to me, sympathize with me; I ask, then, that with me they
may have a part in Thy kingdom.(3) And having thus spoken, he gave up the
ghost.

   And immediately there appeared men glorious and strange in appearance;
and they said: We are here, on account of the holy and chief apostles, from
Jerusalem. And they, along with Marcellus, an illustrious man, who, having
left Simon, had believed in Peter, took up his body secretly, and put it
under the terebinth near the place for the exhibition of sea-fights in the
place called the Vatican.(4)

   And the men who had said that they came from Jerusalem said to the
people: Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, because you have been deemed worthy
to have great champions. And know that Nero himself, after these not many
days, will be utterly destroyed, and his kingdom shall be given to another.

   And after these things the people revolted against him; and when he
knew of it, he fled into desert places, and through hunger and cold he gave
up the ghost, and his body became food for the wild beasts.

   And some devout men of the regions of the East wished to carry off the
relics of the saints, and immediately there was a great earthquake in the
city;(5) and those that dwelt in the city having become aware of it, ran
and seized the men, but they fled. But the Romans having taken them, put
them in a place three miles froth the city, and there they were guarded a
year and seven months, until they had built the place in which they
intended to put them. And after these things, all having assembled with
glory and singing of praise, they put them in the place built for them.

   And the consummation of the holy glorious Apostles Peter and Paul was
on the 29th of the month of June--in Christ Jesus our Lord, to  whom be
glory and strength.

THE STORY OF PERPETUA.

   AND as Paul was being led away to be beheaded at a place about three
miles from the city, he was in irons. And there were three soldiers
guarding him who were of a great family. And when they had gone out of the
gate about the length of a bow-shot, there met them a God-fearing woman;
and she, seeing Paul dragged along in irons, had compassion on him, and
wept bitterly. And the name of the woman was called Perpetua; and she was
one-eyed. And Paul, seeing her weeping, says to her: Give me thy
handkerchief, and when I turn back I shall give it to thee. And she, having
taken the handkerchief, gave it to him willingly. And the soldiers laughed,
and said to the woman: Why dost thou wish, woman, to lose thy handkerchief?
Knowest thou not that he is going away to be beheaded? And Perpetua said to
them: I adjure you by the health of Caesar to bind his eyes with this
handkerchief when you cut off his head. Which also was done. And they
beheaded him at the place called Aquae Salviae, near the pine tree. And as
God had willed, before the soldiers came back, the handkerchief, having on
it drops of blood, was restored to the woman. And as she was carrying it,
straightway and immediately her eye was opened.

CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF PERPETUA.

   And the three soldiers who had cut off the head of Saint Paul, when
after three hours they came on the same day with the BULLA bringing it to
Nero, having met Perpetua, they said to her: What is it, woman? Behold, by
thy confidence thou hast lost thy handkerchief. But she said to them: I
have both got my handkerchief, and my eye has recovered its sight. And as
the Lord, the God of Paul, liveth, I also have entreated him that I may be
deemed worthy to become the slave of his Lord. Then the soldiers who had
the BULLA, recognising the handkerchief, and seeing that her eye had been
opened, cried out with a loud voice, as if from one mouth, and said: We too
are the slaves of Paul's master. Perpetua therefore having gone away,
reported in the palace of the Emperor Nero that the soldiers who had
beheaded Paul said: We shall no longer go into the city, for we believe in
Christ whom Paul preached, and we are Christians. Then Nero, filled with
rage, ordered Perpetua, who had informed him of the soldiers, to be kept
fast in irons; and as to the soldiers, he ordered one to be beheaded
outside of the gate about one mile from the city, another to be cut in two,
and the third to be stoned. And Perpetua was in the prison; and in this
prison there was kept Potentiana, a noble maiden, because she had said: I
forsake my parents and all the substance of my father, and I wish to become
a Christian. She therefore joined herself to Perpetua, and ascertained from
her everything about Paul, and was in much anxiety about the faith in
Christ. And the wife of Nero was Potentiana's sister; and she secretly
informed her about Christ, that those who believe in Him see everlasting
joy, and that everything here is temporary, but there eternal: so that also
she fled out of the palace, and some of the senators' wives with her. Then
Nero, having inflicted many tortures upon Perpetua, at last tied a great
stone to her neck, and ordered her to be throw  over a precipice. And her
remains lie at the Momentan(1) gate. And Potentiana also underwent many
torments; and at last, having made a furnace one day, they burned her.


ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA

   As Paul was going up to Iconium after the flight from Antioch, his
fellow-travellers were Demas and Ermogenes, full of hypocrisy; and they
were importunate with Paul,(1) as if they loved him. But Paul, looking only
to the goodness of Christ, did them no harm, but loved them exceedingly, so
that he made the oracles of the Lord sweet to them in the teaching both of
the birth and the resurrection of the Beloved; and he gave them an account,
word for word, of the great things of Christ, how He(2) had been revealed
to him.

   And a certain man, by name Onesiphorus, hearing that Paul had come to
Iconium, went out to meet him with his children Silas and Zeno, and his
wife Lectra, in order that he might entertain him: for Titus had informed
him what Paul was like in appearance: for he had not seen him in the flesh,
but only in the spirit. And he went along the road to Lystra, and stood
waiting for him, and kept looking at the passers by according to the
description of Titus. And he saw Paul coming, a man small in size, bald-
headed, bandy-legged, well-built,(3) with eyebrows meeting, rather long-
nosed, full of grace. For sometimes he seemed like a man, and sometimes he
had the countenance of an angel. And Paul, seeing Onesiphorus, smiled; and
Onesiphorus said: Hail, O servant of the blessed God! And he said: Grace be
with thee and thy house. And Demas and Ermogenes were jealous, and showed
greater hypocrisy; so that Demas said: Are not we of the blessed God, that
thou hast not thus saluted us? And Onesiphorus said: I do not see in you
the fruit of righteousness; but if such you be, come you also into my house
and rest yourselves.

   And Paul having gone into the house of Onesiphorus, there was great
joy, and bending of knees, and breaking of bread, and the word of God about
self-control and the resurrection; Paul saying: Blessed are the pure in
heart, for they shall see God:(4) blessed are they that have kept the flesh
chaste, for they shall become a temple of God:(5) blessed are they that
control themselves, for God shall speak with them: blessed are they that
have kept aloof from this world, for they shall be called upright:(6)
blessed are they that have wives as not having them, for they shall receive
God for their portion:(7) blessed are they that have the fear of God, for
they shall become angels of God:(8) blessed are they that have kept the
baptism, for they shall rest beside the Father and the Son: blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy,(9) and shall not see the bitter day
of judgment: blessed are the bodies of the virgins, for they shall be well
pleasing to God, and shall not lose the reward of their chastity; for the
word of the Father shall become to them a work of salvation against the day
of His Son, and they shall have rest for ever and ever.(10)

   And while Paul was thus speaking in the midst of the church in the
house of Onesiphorus, a certain virgin Thecla, the daughter of Theocleia,
betrothed to a man named Thamyris, sitting at the window close by, listened
night and day to the discourse of virginity and prayer, and did not look
away from the window, but paid earnest heed to the faith, rejoicing
exceedingly. And when she still saw many women going in beside Paul, she
also had an eager desire to be deemed worthy to stand in the presence of
Paul, and to hear the word of Christ; for never had she seen his figure,
but heard his word only.

   And as she did not stand away from the window, her mother sends to
Thamyris; and he comes gladly, as if already receiving her in marriage. And
Theocleia said: I have a strange story to tell thee, Thamyris; for
assuredly for three days and three nights Thecla does not rise from the
window, neither to eat nor to drink; but looking earnestly as if upon some
pleasant sight, she is so devoted to a foreigner teaching deceitful and
artful discourses, that I wonder how a virgin of such modesty is so
painfully put about. Thamyris, this man will overturn the city of the
Iconians, and thy Thecla too besides; for all the women and the young men
go in beside him, being taught to fear God and to live in chastity.
Moreover also my daughter, tied to the window like a spider, lays hold of
what is said by Paul with a strange eagerness and awful emotion; for the
virgin looks eagerly at what is said by him, and has been captivated. But
do thou go near and speak to her, for she has been betrothed to thee.

   And Thamyris going near, and kissing her, but at the same time also
being afraid of her overpowering emotion, said: Thecla, my betrothed, why
dost thou sit thus? and what sort of feeling holds thee overpowered? Turn
round to thy Thamyris, and be ashamed. Moreover also her mother said the
same things: Why dost thou sit thus looking down, my child, and answering
nothing, but like a mad woman? And they wept fearfully, Thamyris indeed for
the loss of a wife, and Theocleia of a child, and the maidservants of a
mistress: there was accordingly much confusion in the house of mourning.(1)
And while these things were thus going on, Thecla did not turn round, but
kept attending earnestly to the word of Paul.

   And Thamyris starting up, went forth into the street, and kept watching
those going in to him and coming out. And be saw two men bitterly
contending with each other; and he said: Men, tell me who this is among
you, leading astray the souls of young men, and deceiving virgins, so that
they do not marry, but remain as they are. I promise, therefore, to give
you money enough if you tell me about him; for I am the first man(2) of the
city. And Demas and Ermogenes said to him: Who this is, indeed, we do not
know; but he deprives young men of wives, and maidens of husbands, saying,
There is for you a resurrection in no other way, unless you remain chaste,
and pullute not the flesh, but keep it chaste. And Thamyris said to them:
Come into my house, and rest yourselves. And they went to a sumptuous
dinner, and much wine, and great wealth, and a splendid table; and Thamyris
made them drink, from his love to Thecla, and his wish to get her as his
wife.  And Thamyris said during the dinner: Ye men, what is his teaching,
tell me, that I also may know; for I am no little distressed about Thecla,
because she thus loves the stranger, and I am  prevented from marrying.

   Demas and Ermogenes said: Bring him before the governor Castelios on
the charge of persuading the multitudes to embrace the new teaching of the
Christians, and he will speedily destroy him, and thou shalt have Thecla as
thy wife. And we shall teach thee that the resurrection of which this man
speaks has taken place, because it has already taken place in the children
which we have;(3) and we rose again when we came to the knowledge of the
true God.

   And Thamyris, hearing these things, being filled with anger and rage,
rising up early, went to the house of Onesiphorus with archons and public
officers, and a great crowd with batons, saying: Thou hast corrupted the
city of the Iconians, and her that was betrothed to me, so that she will
pot have me: let us go to the governor Castelios. And all the multitude
said: Away with the magician; for he has corrupted all our wives, and the
multitudes have been persuaded to change their opinions.

   And Thamyris, standing before the tribunal, said with a great shout: O
proconsul, this man, who he is we know not, who makes virgins averse to
marriage; let him say before thee on what(4) account he teaches these
things. And Demas and Ermogenes said to Thamyris: Say that he is a
Christian, and thus thou wilt do away with him. But the proconsul stayed
his intention, and called Paul, saying: Who art thou, and what dost thou
teach? for they bring no shall charges against thee. And Paul lifted up his
voice, saying: Since I am this day examined as to what I teach, listen, O
proconsul: A living God, a God of retributions, a jealous God, a God in
need of nothing, consulting for the salvation of men, has sent me that I
may reclaim them from corruption and uncleanness, and from all pleasure,
and from death, that they may not sin. Wherefore God sent His own Son, whom
I preach, and in whom I teach men to rest their hope, who alone has had
compassion upon a world led astray, that they may be no lover trader
judgment, O proconsul, but may, have faith, and the fear of God, and the
knowledge of holiness, and the love of truth. If, therefore, I teach what
has been revealed to me by God, wherein do I do wrong? And the proconsul
having heard, ordered Paul to be bound, and sent to prison, until, said he,
I, being at leisure, shall hear him more attentively.

   And Thecla by night having taken off her bracelets, gave them to the
gatekeeper; and the door having been opened to her, she went into the
prison; and having given the jailor a silver mirror, she went in beside
Paul, and, sitting at his feet, she heard the great things of God. And Paul
was afraid of nothing, but ordered his life in the confidence of God. And
her faith also was increased, and she kissed his bonds.

   And when Thecla was sought for by her friends, and Thamyris, as if she
had been lost, was running up and down the streets, one of the gatekeeper's
fellow-slaves informed him that she had gone out by night. And having gone
out, they examined the gatekeeper; and he said to them: She has gone to the
foreigner into the prison. And having gone, they found her, as it were,
enchained by affection. And having gone forth thence, they drew the
multitudes together, and informed the governor of the circumstance. And he
ordered Paul to be brought to the tribunal; but Thecla was wallowing on the
ground(1) in the place where he sat and taught her in the prison; and he
ordered her too to be brought to the tribunal. And she came, exulting with
joy. And the crowd, when Paul had been brought, vehemently cried out: He is
a magician! away with him! But the proconsul gladly heard Paul upon the
holy works of Christ. And having called a council, he summoned Thecla, and
said to her: Why dost thou not obey Thamyris, according to the law of the
Iconians? But she stood looking earnestly at Paul. And when she gave no
answer, her mother cried out, saying: Burn the wicked wretch; burn in the
midst of the theatre her that will not marry, in order that all the women
that have been taught by this man may be afraid.

   And the governor was greatly moved; and having scourged Paul, he cast
him out of the city, and condemned Thecla to be burned. And immediately the
governor went away to the theatre, and all the crowd went forth to the
spectacle of Thecla. But as a lamb in the wilderness looks round for the
shepherd, so she kept searching for Paul. And having looked upon the crowd,
she saw the Lord sitting in the likeness of Paul, and said: As I am unable
to endure my lot, Paul has come to see me. And she gazed upon him with
great earnestness, and he went up into heaven. But the maid-servants(2) and
virgins brought the faggots, in order that Thecla might be burned. And when
she came in naked, the governor wept, and wondered at the power(3) that was
in her. And the public executioners arranged the faggots for her to go up
on the pile. And she, having made the sign of the cross, went up on the
faggots; and they lighted them. And though a great fire was blazing, it did
not touch her; for God, having compassion upon her, made an underground
rumbling, and a cloud overshadowed them from above, full of water and hail;
and all that was in the cavity of it was poured out, so that many were in
danger of death. And the fire was put out, and Thecla saved.

   And Paul was fasting with Onesiphorus and his wife, and his children,
in a new tomb, as they were going from Iconium to Daphne. And when many
clays were past, the fasting children said to Paul: We are hungry, and we
cannot buy loaves; for Onesiphorus had left the things of the world, and
followed Paul, with all his house. And Paul, having taken off his cloak,
said: Go, my child, buy more loaves, and bring them. And when the child was
buying, he saw Thecla their neighbour, and was astonished, and said:
Thecla, whither art thou going? And she said: I have been saved from the
fire, and am following Paul. And the boy said: Come, I shall take thee to
him; for he is distressed about thee, and is praying six days. And she
stood beside the tomb where Paul was with bended knees, and praying, and
saying: O Saviour Christ, let not the fire touch Thecla, but stand by her,
for she is Thine. And she, standing behind him, cried out: O Father, who
hast made the heaven and the earth, the Father of Thy holy Son, I bless
Thee that Thou hast saved me that I may see Paul. And Paul, rising up, saw
her, and said: O God, that knowest the heart, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, I bless Thee that Thou, having heard me, hast done quickly what I
wished.

   And they had five loaves, and herbs, and water; and they rejoiced in
the holy works of Christ. And Thecla said to Paul: I shall cut my hair, and
follow thee whithersoever thou mayst go. And he said: It is a shameless
age, and thou art beautiful. I am afraid lest another temptation come upon
thee worse than the first, and that thou withstand it not, but be cowardly.
And Thecla said: Only give me the seal(4) in Christ, and temptation shall
not touch me. And Paul said: Thecla, wait with patience, and thou shalt
receive the water.

   And Paul sent away Onesiphorus and all his house to Iconium; and thus,
having taken Thecla, he went into Antioch. And as they were going in, a
certain Syriarch, Alexander by name, seeing Thecla, became enamoured of
her, and tried to gain over Paul by gifts and presents. But Paul said: I
know not the woman whom thou speakest of, nor is she mine. But he, being of
great power, himself embraced her in the street. But she would not endure
it, but looked about for Paul. And she cried out bitterly, saying: Do not
force the stranger; do not force the servant of God. I am one of the chief
persons of the Iconians; and because I would not have Thamyris, I have been
cast out of the city. And taking hold of Alexander, she tore his cloak, and
pulled off his crown, and made him a laughing-stock. And he, at the same
time loving her, and at the same time ashamed of what had happened, led her
before the governor; and when she had confessed that she had done these
things, he condemned her to the wild beasts. And the women were struck with
astonishment, and cried out beside the tribunal: Evil judgment! impious
judgment! And she asked the governor, that, said she, I may remain pure
until I shall fight with the wild beasts. And a certain Tryphaena,(1) whose
daughter was dead, took her into keeping, and had her for a consolation.

   And when the beasts were exhibited, they bound her to a fierce lioness;
and Tryphaena accompanied her. But the lioness, with Thecla sitting upon
her, licked her feet; and all the multitude was astonished. And the charge
on her inscription was: Sacrilegious. And the women cried out from above:
An impious sentence has been passed in this city! And after the exhibition,
Tryphaena again receives her. For her daughter Falconilla had died, and
said to her in a dream: Mother, thou shaft have this stranger Thecla in my
place, in order that she may pray concerning me, and that I may be
transferred to the place of the just.

   And when, after the exhibition, Tryphaena received her, at the same
time indeed she grieved that she had to fight with the wild beasts on the
day following; and at the same time, loving her as much as her daughter
Falconilla, she said: My, second child Thecla, come and pray for my child,
that she may live for ever; for this I saw in my sleep. And she, nothing
hesitating, lifted up her voice, and said: God most high,(2) grant to this
woman according to bet wish, that her daughter Falconilla may live for
ever. And when Thecla had thus spoken, Tryphaena lamented, considering so
much beauty thrown to the wild beasts.

   And when it was dawn, Alexander came to take her, for it was he that
gave the hunt,(3) saying: The governor is sitting, and the crowd is in
uproar against us. Allow me to take away her that is to fight with the wild
beasts. And Tryphaena cried aloud, so that he even fled, saying: A second
mourning for my Falconilla has come upon my house and there is no one to
help; neither child, for she is dead, nor kinsman, for I am a widow. God of
Thecla, help her!

   And immediately the governor sends an order that Thecla should be
brought. And Tryphaena, taking her by the hand, said: My daughter Fal-
conillia, indeed, I took away to the tomb; and thee, Thecla, I am taking to
the wild-beast fight. And Thecla wept bitterly, saying: O Lord, the God in
whom I believe, to whom I have fled for refuge, who deliveredst me from the
fire, do Thou grant a recompense to Tryphaena, who has had compassion on
Thy servant, and because she has kept me pure. Then a tumult arose, and a
cry of the people, and the women sitting together, the one saying: Away
with the sacrilegious person! the others saying: Let the city be raised(4)
against this wickedness. Take off all of us, O proconsul! Cruel sight! evil
sentence!

   And Thecla, having been taken out of the hand of Tryphaena, was
stripped, and received a girdle,(5) and was thrown into the arena, and
lions and bears and a fierce lioness were let loose upon her; and the
lioness having run up to her feet, lay down; and the multitude of the women
cried aloud. And a bear ran upon her; but the lioness, meeting the bear,
tore her to pieces. And again a lion that had been trained against men,
which belonged to Alexander, ran upon her; and she, the lioness,
encountering the lion, was killed along with him. And the women made great
lamentation, since also the lioness, her protector, was dead.

   Then they send in many wild beasts, she standing and stretching forth
her hands, and praying. And when she had finished her prayer, she turned
and saw a ditch full of water, and said: Now it is time to wash myself. And
she threw herself in, saying: In the name of Jesus Christ I am baptized on
my last day. And the women seeing, and the multitude, wept, saying: Do not
throw thyself into the water; so that also the governor shed tears, because
the seals were going to devour such beauty. She then threw herself in the
name of Jesus Christ; but the seals having seen the glare of the fire of
lightning, floated about dead. And there was round her, as she was naked, a
cloud of fire; so that neither could the wild beasts touch her, nor could
she be seen naked.

   And the women, when other wild beasts were being thrown in, wailed. And
some threw sweet-smelling herbs, others nard, others cassia, others amomum,
so that there was abundance of perfumes. And all the wild beasts that had
been thrown in, as if they had been withheld by sleep, did not touch her;
so that Alexander said to the governor: I have bulls exceedingly terrible;
let us bind to them her that is to fight with the beasts. And the governor,
looking gloomy, turned, and said: Do what thou wilt. And they bound her by
the feet between them, and put red-hot irons under the privy parts of the
bulls, so that they, being rendered more furious, might kill her. They
rushed about, therefore; but the burning flame consumed the ropes, and she
was as if she had not been bound. But Tryphaena fainted standing beside the
arena, so that the crowd said: Queen Tryphaena is dead. And the governor
put a stop to the games, and the city was in dismay. And Alexander
entreated the governor, saying: Have mercy both on me and the city, and
release this woman. For if Caesar hear of these things, he will speedily
destroy the city also along with us, because his kins-  woman Queen
Tryphaena has died beside the ABACI.(1)

   And the governor summoned Thecla out of the midst of the wild beasts,
and said to her: Who art thou? and what is there about thee, that  not one
of the wild beasts touches thee? And she said: I indeed am a servant of the
living God; and as to what there is about me, I have  believed in the Son
of God, in whom He is well pleased; wherefore not one of the beasts has
touched me. For He alone is the end(2) of salvation, and the basis of
immortal life; for He is a refuge to the tempest-tossed, a solace to the
afflicted, a shelter to the despairing; and, once for all, whoever shall
not believe on Him, shall not live for ever.

   And the governor having heard this, ordered her garments to be brought,
and to be put on. And Thecla said: He that clothed me naked among the wild
beasts, will in the day of judgment clothe thee with salvation. And taking
the garments, she put them on. The governor therefore immediately issued an
edict, saying: I release to you the God-fearing Thecla, the servant of God.
And the women shouted aloud, and with one mouth returned thanks to God,
saying: There is one God, the God of Thecla; so that the foundations of the
theatre were shaken by their voice. And Tryphaena having received the good
news, went to meet the holy Thecla, and said: Now I believe that the dead
are raised: now I believe that my child lives. Come within, and I shall
assign to thee all that is mine. She therefore went in along with her, and
rested eight days, having instructed her in the word of God, so that most
even of the maid-servants believed.And there was great joy in the house.

   And Thecla kept seeking Paul; and it was told her that he was in Myra
of Lycia. And taking young men and maidens, she girded herself; and having
sewed the tunic so as to make a man's cloak, she came to Myra, and found
Paul speaking the word of God. And Paul was astonished at seeing her, and
the crowd with her, thinking that some new trial was coming upon her. And
when she saw him, she said: I have received the baptism, Paul; for He that
wrought along with thee for the Gospel has wrought in me also for baptism.
And Paul, taking her, led her to the house of Hermaeus, and hears
everything from her, so that those that heard greatly wondered, and were
comforted, and prayed over Tryphaena. And she rose up, and said: I am going
to Iconium. And Paul said: Go, and teach the word of God. And Tryphaena
sent her much clothing and gold, so that she left to Paul many things for
the service of the poor.

   And she went to Iconium. And she goes into the house of Onesiphorus,
and fell upon the pavement where Paul used to sit and teach her, and wept,
saying: God of myself and of this house, where Thou didst make the light to
shine upon me, O Christ Jesus, the Son of the living God, my help in the
fire, my help among the wild beasts, Thou art glorified for ever. Amen. And
she found Thamyris dead, but her mother alive. And having sent for her
mother, she said: Theocleia, my mother, canst thou believe that the Lord
liveth in the heavens? For whether thou desirest wealth, God gives it to
thee through me; or thy child, I am standing beside thee. And having thus
testified, she departed to Seleucia, and dwelt in a cave seventy-two years,
living upon herbs and water. And she enlightened many by the word of God.

   And certain men of the city, being Greeks by  religion, and physicians
by profession, sent to her insolent young men to destroy(3) her. For they
said: She is a virgin, and serves Artemis, and from this she has virtue in
healing. And by the providence of God she entered into the rock alive, and
went under ground. And she departed to Rome to see Paul, and found that he
had fallen asleep.(4) And after staying there no long time, she rested in a
glorious sleep; and she is buried about two or three stadia from the tomb
of her master Paul.

   She was cast, then, into the fire when seventeen years old, and among
the wild beasts when eighteen. And she was an ascetic in the cave, as has
been said, seventy-two years, so that all the years of her life were
ninety. And having accomplished many cures, she rests in the place of the
saints, having fallen asleep on the twenty-fourth of the month of September
in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and strength for ever and ever.
Amen.

   Instead of the last two sections, the MS. which Dr. Grabe used has the
following:--

   And a cloud of light guided her. And having come into Seleucia, she
went forth outside of the city one stadium. And she was afraid of them
also, for they worshipped idols. And it guided her to the mountain called
Calamon or Rhodeon; and having there found a cave, she went into it. And
she was there many years, and underwent many and grievous trials by the
devil, and bore them nobly, being assisted by Christ. And some of the well-
born women, having learned about the virgin Thecla, went to her, and
learned the oracles of God. And many of them bade adieu to the world, and
lived an ascetic life with her. And a good report was spread everywhere
concerning her, and cures were done by her. All the city, therefore, and
country round, having known this, brought their sick to the mountain; and
before they came near the door they were speedily released from whatever
disease they were afflicted by; and the unclean spirits went out shrieking,
and all received their own in health, glorifying God, who had given such
grace to the virgin Thecla. The physicians, therefore, of the city of the
Seleucians were thought nothing of, having lost their trade, and no one any
longer had regard to them; and being filled with envy and hatred, they
plotted against the servant of Christ, what they should do to her. The
devil then suggests to them a wicked device; and one day, being  assembled,
and having taken counsel, they consult with each other, saying: This virgin
is a priestess of the great goddess Artemis; and if she ask anything of
her, she hears her as being a virgin, and all the gods love her. Come,
then, let us take men of disorderly lives, and make them drunk with much
wine, and let us give them much gold, and say to them, If you can corrupt
and defile her, we shall give you even more money. The physicians therefore
said to themselves, that if they should be able to defile her, neither the
gods nor Artemis would listen to her in the case of the sick. They
therefore did so. And the wicked men, having gone to the mountain, and
rushed upon the cave like lions, knocked at the door. And the holy martyr
Thecla opened, emboldened By the God in whom she believed; for she knew of
their plot beforehand. And she says to them: What do you want, my children?
And they said: Is there one here called Thecla? And she said: What do you
want with her? They say to her: We want to sleep with her. The blessed
Thecla says to them: I am a humble old woman, but the servant of my Lord
Jesus Christ; and even though you want to do something to me out of place,
you cannot. They say to her: It is impossible for us not to do to thee what
we want. And having said this, they laid fast hold of her, and wished to
insult her. And she says to them with mildness: Wait, my children, that you
may see the glory of the Lord. And being laid hold of by them, she looked
up into heaven, and said: God, terrible and incomparable, and glorious to
Thine adversaries, who didst deliver me out of the fire, who didst not give
me up to Thamyris, who didst not give me up to Alexander, who didst deliver
me from the wild beasts, who didst save me in the abyss, who hast
everywhere worked with me, and glorified Thy name in me, now also deliver
me from these lawless men, and let me not insult my virginity, which
through Thy name I have preserved till now, because I love Thee, and desire
Thee, and adore Thee, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost for ever.
Amen. And there came a voice out of the heaven, saying: Fear not, Thecla,
my true servant, for I am with thee. Look and see where an opening has been
made before thee, for there shall be for thee an everlasting house, and
there thou shalt obtain shelter. And the blessed Thecla regarding it, saw
the rock opened as far as to allow a man to enter, and did according to
what had been said to her: and nobly fleeing from the lawless ones entered
into the rock; and the rock was straightway shut together, so that not even
a joining appeared. And they, beholding the extraordinary wonder, became as
it were distracted; and they were not able to detain the servant of God,
but only caught hold of her veil, and were able to tear off a certain part;
and that by the permission of God for the faith of those seeing the
venerable place, and for a blessing in the generations afterwards to those
that believe in our Lord Jesus Christ out of a pure heart.

   Thus, then, suffered the first martyr of God, and apostle, and virgin,
Thecla, who came from Iconium at eighteen years old; and with the
journeying, and the going round, and the retirement in the mountain, she
lived other seventy-two years. And when the Lord took her, she was ninety
years old. And thus is her consummation. And her holy commemoration is on
the twenty-fourth of the month of September, to the glory of the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.


THE ACTS OF BARNABAS

THE JOURNEYINGS AND MARTYRDOM OF ST. BARNABAS THE APOSTLE.

   SINCE from the descent of the presence of our Saviour Jesus Christ, the
unwearied and benevolent and mighty Shepherd and Teacher and Physician, I
beheld and saw the ineffable and holy and unspotted mystery of the
Christians, who hold the hope in holiness, and who have been sealed; and
since I have zealously served Him, I have deemed it necessary to give
account of the mysteries which I have heard and seen.

   I John, accompanying the holy apostles Barnabas and Paul, being
formerly a servant of Cyrillus the high priest of Jupiter, but now having
received the gift of the Holy Spirit through Paul and Barnabas and Silos,
who were worthy of the calling, and who baptized me in Iconium. After I was
baptized, then, I saw a certain man standing clothed in white raiment; and
he said to me: Be of good courage, John, for assuredly thy name shall be
changed to Mark, and thy glory shall be proclaimed in all the world. the
darkness in thee has passed away from thee, and there has been given to
thee understanding to know the mysteries of God.

   And when I saw the vision, becoming greatly terrified, I went to the
feet of Barnabas, and related to him the mysteries which I had seen and
heard from that man. And the Apostle Paul was not by when I disclosed the
mysteries. And Barnabas said to me: Tell no one the miracle which thou hast
seen. For by me also this night the Lord stood, saying, Be of good courage:
for as thou hast given thy life for my name to death and banishment from
thy nation, thus also shall thou be made perfect. Moreover, as for the
servant who is with you, take him also with thyself; for he has certain
mysteries. Now then, my child, keep to thyself the things which thou hast
seen and heard; for a time will come for thee to reveal them.(1)

   And I, having been instructed in these things by him, remained in
Iconium(2) many days; for there was there a holy man and a pious, who also
entertained us, whose house also Paul had sanctified. Thence, therefore, we
came to Seleucia, and after staying three days sailed away to Cyprus; and I
was ministering to them until we had gone round all Cyprus. And setting
sail from Cyprus, we landed in Perga of Pamphylia. And there I then stayed
about two months, wishing to sail to the regions of the West; and the Holy
Spirit did not allow me. Turning, therefore, I again sought the apostles;
and having learned that they were in Antioch, I went to them.

   And I found Paul in bed in Antioch from the toil of the journey, who
also seeing me, was exceedingly grieved on account of my delaying in
Pamphylia. And Barnabas coming, encouraged him, and tasted bread, and he
took a little of it. And they preached the word of the Lord, and
enlightened many of the Jews and Greeks. And I only attended to them, and
was afraid of Paul to come near him, both because he held me as having
spent much time in Pamphylia, and because be was quite enraged against me.
And I gave repentance on my knees upon the earth to Paul, and he would not
endure it. And when I remained for three Sabbaths in entreaty and prayer on
my knees, I was unable to prevail upon him about myself; for his great
grievance against me was on account of my keeping several parchments in
Pamphylia.

   And when it came to pass that they finished teaching in Antioch, on the
first of the week they took counsel together to set out for the places of
the East, and after that to go into Cyprus, and oversee all the churches in
which they had spoken the word of God. And Barnabas entreated Paul to go
first to Cyprus, and oversee his own in his village; and Lucius(3)
entreated him to take the oversight of his city Cyrene. And a vision was
seen by Paul in sleep, that he should hasten to Jerusalem, because the
brethren expected him there. But Barnabas urged that they should go to
Cyprus, and pass the winter, and then that they should go to Jerusalem at
the feast. Great contention, therefore, arose between them.(4) And Barnabas
urged me also to accompany them, on account of my being their servant from
the beginning, and on account of my having served them in all Cyprus until
they came to Perga of Pamphylia; and I there had remained many days. But
Paul cried out against Barnabas, saying: It is impossible for him to go
with us. And those who were with us there urged me also to accompany them,
because there was a vow upon me to follow them to the end. So that Paul
said to Barnabas: If thou wilt take John who also is surnamed Mark with
thee, go another road; for he shall not come with us. And Barnabas coming
to himself, said: The grace of God does not desert(1) him who has once
served the Gospel and journeyed with us. If, therefore, this be agreeable
to thee, Father Paul, I take him and go. And he said: Go thou in the grace
of Christ, and we in the power of the Spirit.

   Therefore, bending their knees, they prayed to God. And Paul, groaning
aloud, wept, and in like manner also Barnabas, saying to one another: It
would have been good for us, as at first, so also at last, to work in
common among men; but since it has thus seemed good to thee, Father Paul,
pray for me that my labour may be made perfect to commendation: for thou
knowest how I have served thee also to the grace of Christ that has been
given to thee. For I go to Cyprus, and hasten to be made perfect;(2) for I
know that I shall no more see thy face, O Father Paul. And failing on the
ground at his feet, he wept long. And Paul said to him: The Lord stood by
me also this night, saying, Do not force Barnabas not to go to Cyprus, for
there it has been prepared for him to enlighten many; and do thou also, in
the grace that has been given to thee, go to Jerusalem to worship in the
holy place, and there it shall be shown thee where thy martyrdom has been
prepared. And we saluted one another, and Barnabas took me to himself.

   And having come down to Laodiceia,(3) we sought to cross to Cyprus; and
having found a ship going to Cyprus, we embarked. And when we had set sail,
the wind was found to be contrary. Anti we came to Corasium;(4) and having
gone down to the shore where there was a fountain, we rested there, showing
ourselves to no one, that no one might know that Barnabas had separated
from Paul. And having set sail from Corasium, we came to the regions of
Isauria, and thence came to a certain island called Pityusa;(5) and a storm
having come on, we remained there three days; and a certain pious man
entertained us, by name Euphemus, whom also Barnabas instructed in many
things in the faith, with all his house.

   And thence we sailed past the Aconesiae,(6) and came to the city of
Anemurium; and having gone into it, we found two Greeks. And coming to us,
they asked whence and who we were. And Barnabas said to them: If you wish
to know whence and who we are, throw away the clothing which you have, and
I shall put on you clothing which never becomes soiled; for neither is
there in it anything filthy, but it is altogether splendid. And being
astonished at the saying, they asked us: What is that garment which you are
going to give us? And Barnabas said to them: If you shall confess your
sins, and submit yourselves to our Lord Jesus Christ, you shall receive
that garment which is incorruptible for ever. And being pricked at heart by
the Holy Spirit, they fell at his feet, entreating and saying: We beseech
thee, father, give us that garment; for we believe in the living and true
God whom thou proclaimest. And leading them down to(7) the fountain, he
baptized them into the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost. And they
knew that they were clothed with power, and a holy robe. And having taken
from me one robe, he put it on the one; and his own robe he put on the
other. And they brought money to him, and straightway Barnabas distributed
it to the poor. And from them also the sailors were able to gain many
things.(8)

   And they having come down to the shore, he spoke to them the word of
God; and he having blessed them, we saluted them, and went on board the
ship. And the one of them who was named Stephanus wished to accompany us,
and Barnabas did not permit him. And we, having gone across, sailed down to
Cyprus by night; anti having come to the place called Crommyacita,(9) we
found Timon and Ariston the temple Servants, at whose house also we were
entertained.

   And Timon was afflicted by much fever. And having laid our hands upon
him, we straightway removed his fever, having called upon the name of the
Lord Jesus. And Barnabas had received documents from Matthew, a book of the
word(10) of God, and a narrative of miracles and doctrines. This Barnabas
laid upon the sick in each place that we came to, and it immediately made a
cure of their sufferings.

   And when we had come to Lapithus,(11) and an idol festival(12) being
celebrated in the theatre, they did not allow us to go into the city, but
we rested a little at the gate. And Timon, after he rose up from his
disease, came with us. And having gone forth from Lapithus, we travelled
through the mountains, and came to the city of Lampadistus, of which also
Timon was a native; in addition to whom, having found also that Heracleius
was there, we were entertained by him. He was of the city of Tamasus,(1)
and had come to visit his relations; and Barnabas, looking stedfastly at
him, recognised him, having met with him formerly at Citium with Paul; to
whom also the Holy Spirit was given at baptism, and he changed his name to
Heracleides. And having ordained him bishop over Cyprus, and having
confirmed the church in Tamasus, we left him in the house of his brethren
that dwelt there.

   And having crossed the mountain called Chionodes,(2) we came to Old
Paphos, and there found Rhodon, a temple servant, who also, having himself
believed, accompanied us. And we met a certain Jew, by name Barjesus,
coming from Paphos, who also recognised Barnabas, as having been formerly
with Paul. He did not wish us to go into Paphos; but having turned away, we
came to Curium.(3)

   And we found that a certain abominable race was being performed(4) in
the road near the city, where a multitude of women and men naked were
performing the race. And there was great deception and error in that place.
And Barnabas turning, rebuked it; and the western part fell, so that many
were wounded, and many of them also died and the rest fled to the temple of
Apollo, which was close at hanoi in the city, which was called sacred.(5)
And when we came near the temple, a great multitude of Jews who were there,
having been put up to it by Barjesus. stood outside of the city, and did
not allow us to go into the city; but we spent the evening under a tree
near the city, and rested there.

   And on the following day, we came to a certain village where
Aristoclianus dwelt. He being a leper, had been cleansed in Antioch, whom
also Paul and Barnabas sealed to be a bishop, and sent to his village in
Cyprus, because there were many Greeks there. And we were entertained in
the cave by him in the mountain, and there we remained one day. And thence
we came to Amathus and there was a great multitude of Greeks in the temple
in the mountain, low women and men pouring libations. There also Barjesus,
getting the start of as, gained over the nation of the Jews, and did not
allow us to enter into the city; but a certain widow woman. eighty years
old. being outside of the city, and she also not worshipping the idols,
coming forward to us, took us into her house one hour. And when we came out
we shook the dust off our feet over against that temple where the libation
of the abominable took place.

   And having gone out thence, we came through desert places, and Timon
also accompanied us. And having come to Citium, and there being a great
uproar there also in their hippodrome, having learned this, we came forth
out of the city, having all shaken the dust off our feet; for no one
received us, except that we rested one hour in the gate near the aqueduct.

   And having set sail in a ship from Citium, we came to Salamis, and
landed in the so-called islands, where there was a place full of idols; and
there there took place high festivals(6) and libations. And having found
Heracleides there again, we instructed him to proclaim the Gospel of God,
and to set up churches, and ministers in them. And having gone into
Salamis. we came to the synagogue near the place called Biblia; and when we
had gone into it, Barnabas, having unrolled the Gospel which he had
received from Matthew his fellow-labourer, began to teach the Jews.

   And Barjesus, having arrived after two days, after not a few Jews had
been instructed, was enraged, and brought together all the multitude of the
Jews; and they having laid hold of Barnabas, wished to hand him over to
Hypatius, the governor of Salamis. And having bound him to take him away to
the governor, and a pious Jebusite,(7) a kinsman of Nero, having count to
Cyprus, the Jews, learning this, took Barnabas by night, and bound him with
a rope by the neck; and having dragged him to the hippodrome from the
synagogue, and having gone out of the city, standing round him, they burned
him with fire, so that even his bones became dust. And straightway that
night, having taken his dust, they cast it into a cloth; and having se
cured it with lead. they intended to throw it into the sea. But I, finding
an opportunity in the night, anti being able along with Timon and Rhodon to
carry it. we came to a certain place, and having found a cave, put it down
there, where the nation of the Jebusites formerly dwelt. And having found a
secret place in it, we put it away, with the documents which he had
received from Matthew. And it was the fourth hour of the night of the
second of the week.(8)

   And when we were hid in the place. the Jews made no little search after
us; and having almost found us, they pursued us as far as the village of
the Ledrians; and we, having found there also a cave near the village, took
refuge in it, and thus escaped them. And we were hid in the cave three
days; and the Jews having gone away, we came forth and left the place by
night. And taking with us Ariston and Rhodon, we came to the village of
Limnes.(1)

   And having come to the shore, we found an Egyptian ship; and having
embarked in it, we landed at Alexandria. And there I remained, teaching the
brethren that came the word of the Lord, enlightening them, and preaching
what I had been taught by the apostles of Christ, who also baptized me into
the name of Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost; who also changed my name to
Mark in the water of baptism, by which also I hope to bring many to the
glory of God through His grace; because to Him is due honour and
everlasting glory. Amen.

   The journeyings and martyrdom of the holy apostle Barnabas have been
fulfilled through God.


THE ACTS OF PHILIP

OF THE JOURNEYINGS OF PHILIP THE APOSTLE.

FROM THE FIFTEENTH ACT UNTIL THE END, AND AMONG THEM THE MARTYRDOM.(1)

   About the time when the Emperor Trajan received the government of the
Romans, after Simon the son of Clopas, who was bishop of Jerusalem, had
suffered martyrdom in the eighth year of his reign, being the second bishop
of the church there after James who bore the name of brother of the
Lord,(2) Philip the apostle, going through the cities and regions of Lydia
and Asia, preached to all the Gospel of Christ.

   And having come to the city of Ophioryma, which is called Hierapolis of
Asia, he was entertained by a certain believer, Stachys by name. And there
was with him also Bartholomew, one of the seventy disciples of the Lord,
and his sister Mariamine, and his disciples that followed him. All the men
of the city therefore, having left their work, ran to the house of Stachys,
hearing about the works which Philip did. And many men and women having
assembled in the house of Stachys, Philip along with Bartholomew taught
them the things of Jesus.

   And Philip's sister Mariamme, sitting in the entry of the house of
Stachys, addressed herself to those coming, persuading them to listen to
the apostles, saying to them: Our brethren, and sons of my Father in
heaven, ye are the excellent riches, and the substance of the city above,
the delight of the habitation which God has prepared for those that love
Him. Trample under foot the snares of the enemy, the writhing serpent. For
his path is crooked, since he is the son of the wicked one, and the poison
of wickedness is in him; and his father is the devil, the author of death,
and his mother corruption; rage in his eyes and destruction in his mouth,
and his path is Hades. Wherefore flee from him that has no substance, the
shapeless one that has no shape in all the creation, whether in the heaven
or in the earth, whether in the flying creatures or the beasts. For
everything is taken away from his shape; for among the beasts of the earth
and the fowls of the heaven is the knowledge of him, that the serpent
trails his belly and his breast; and Tartarus is his dwelling-place, and he
goes in the darkness, since he has confidence in nothing.(3) Flee therefore
from him, that his poison may not be poured out into your mouth. But be
rather believing. holy, of good works, having no deceit. Take away from
yourselves the wicked disposition, that is, the evil desires through which
the serpent, the wicked dragon, the prince of evil, has produced the
pasture of destruction and death for the soul, since all the desire of the
wicked has proceeded from him. And this is the root of iniquity, the
maintenance of evils, the death of souls: for the desire of the enemy is
armed against the believers, and comes forth from the darkness, and walks
in the darkness, taking in hand to war with those who are in the light. For
this is the beginning of concupiscence.(4) Wherefore you who wish to come
to us, and the rather that God has come through us to you as a father to
his own children, wishing to have mercy upon you, and to deliver you from
the wicked snare of the enemy, flee from the evil lusts of the enemy, and
cast them completely out of your mind, hating openly the father of evils,
and loving Jesus, who is light, and life, and truth, and the Saviour of all
who desire Him. Having run, therefore, to Him, take hold of Him in love,
that He may bring you up out of the pit of the wicked, and having cleansed
you, set you blameless, living in truth, in the presence of His Father.

   And all these things Philip said to the multitudes that had come
together to worship as in old times the serpents and the viper, of which
also they set up images and worshipped them. Wherefore also they called
Hierapolis Ophioryma.(5) And these things having been said by Philip,
Bartholomew and Mariamme and his disciples, and Stachys being along with
him, all the people gave ear, and a great multitude of them fleeing from
the enemy were turned to Jesus, and were added to Philip and those about
him. And the faithful were the more confirmed in the love of Christ.

   And Nicanora, the wife of the proconsul, lying in bed under various
diseases, especially of the eyes, having heard about the Apostle Philip and
his teaching, believed in the Lord. For she had even before this heard
about Him; and having called upon His name, she was released from the
troubles that afflicted her. And rising up, she went forth out of her house
through the side door, carried by her own slaves in a silver litter, and
went into the house of Stachys, where the apostles were.

   And when she came before the gate of the house, Mariamme, the sister of
Philip the apostle, seeing her, spoke to her in the Hebrew tongue before
Philip and Bartholomew, and all the multitude of those who had believed,
saying: Alemakan, Ikasame, Marmare, Nachaman,(1) Mastranan, Achaman; which
is, Daughter of the father, thou art my mistress, thou hast been given as a
pledge to the serpent; but Jesus our Redeemer has come to deliver thee
through us, to break thy bands, and cut them, and to remove them from thee
from their root, because thou art my sister, one mother brought us forth
twins. Thou hast forsaken thy father, thou hast forsaken the path leading
thee to the dwelling-place of thy mother, being in error; thou hast left
the temple of that deception, and of the temporary glory, and hast come to
us, fleeing from the enemy, because he is the dwelling-place of death.
Behold, now thy Redeemer has come to redeem thee; Christ the Sun of
righteousness has risen upon thee, to enlighten thee.(2)

   And when Nicanora, standing before the door, heard these things, she
took courage before all, crying out, and saying: I am a Hebrew, and a
daughter of the Hebrews; speak with me in the language of my fathers. For,
having heard the preaching of my fathers, I was straightway cured of the
disease and the troubles that encompassed me. I therefore adore the
goodness of God who has caused you to be spoiled even to this city, on
account of His true stone(3) held in honour, in order that through you we
may receive the knowledge of Him, and may live with you, having believed in
Him.

   Nicanora having thus spoken, the Apostle Philip, along with Bartholomew
and Mariamme and those with them, prayed for her to God, saying: Thou who
bringest the dead to life, Christ Jesus the Lord, who hast freed us through
baptism from the slavery of death,(4) completely deliver also this woman
from the error, the enemy; make her alive in Thy life, and perfect her in
Thy perfection, in order that she may be found in the country of her
fathers in freedom, having a portion in Thy goodness, O Lord Jesus.

   And all having sent up the amen along with the Apostle Philip, behold,
there came the tyrant, the husband of Nicanora, raging like an unbroken
horse; and having laid hold of his wife's garments, he cried out, saying: O
Nicanora, did not I leave thee in bed? how hadst thou so much strength as
to come to these magicians? And how hast thou been cured of the
inflammation of thine eyes? Now, therefore, unless thou tell me who thy
physician is, and what is his name, I shall punish thee with various
punishments, and shall not have compassion upon thee. And she answering,
says to him: O tyrant, cast out from thee this tyranny of thine, forsake
this wickedness of thine; abandon this life lasting only for a season; run
away from the brutality of thy worthless disposition; flee from the wicked
dragon and his lusts; throw from thee the works and the dart of the man-
slaying serpent; renounce the abominable and wicked sacrifices of the
idols, which are the husbandry of the enemy, the hedge of darkness; make
for thyself a life chaste and pure, that being in holiness thou mayst be
able to know my Physician, and to get His name. If therefore thou wishest
me to be beside thee, prepare thyself to live in chastity and self-
restraint, and in fear of the true God, and I shall live with thee all my
life; only cleanse thyself from the idols, and from all their filth.

   And when the gloomy tyrant her husband heard these words of hers, he
seized her by the hair of her head, and dragged her along, kicking her, and
saying: It will be a fine thing for thee to be cut off by the sword, or to
see thee from beside me committing fornication with these foreign
magicians; for I see that thou hast fallen into the madness of these
deceivers. Thee first of them, therefore, I shall cut off by an evil death;
and then, not sparing them, I shall cut their sinews, and put them to a
most cruel death. And having turned, he said to those about him: Bring out
for me those impostors of magicians. And the public executioners having run
into the house of Stachys, and laid hold of the Apostle Philip, and
Bartholomew and Mariamme, dragged them along, leading them to where the
proconsul was. And the most faithful Stachys followed, and all the
faithful.

   And the proconsul seeing them, gnashed his teeth, saying: Torture these
deceivers that have deceived many women, and young men and girls, saying
that they are worshippers of God, while they are an abomination. And he
ordered thongs of raw hide to be brought, and Philip and Bartholomew and
Mariamme to be beaten; and after they had been scourged with the thongs, he
ordered their feet to be tied, and them to be dragged through the streets
of the city as far as the gate of their temple. And a great crowd was
assembled, so that scarcely any one stayed at home; and they all wondered
at their patience, as they were being violently and inhumanly dragged
along.

   And the proconsul, having tortured the Apostle Philip and the saints
who were with him, ordered them to he brought, and secured in the temple of
the idol of the viper by its priests, until he should decide by what death
he should destroy each of them. And many of the crowd believed in the grace
of Christ, and were added to the Apostle Philip, and those with him, having
renounced the idol of the viper, and were confirmed in the faith being
magnified by the endurance of the saints; and all together with their voice
glorified God, saying the amen.

   And when they were shut up in the temple of the viper--both Philip the
Apostle, and Bartholomew and Mariamme--the priests of the viper assembled
in the same place, and a great crowd, about seven thousand men; and having
run to the proconsul, they cried out, saying: Avenge us of the foreigners,
and magicians, and corrupters and seducers of men. For ever since they came
to us, our dry has been filled with every evil deed; and they have also
killed the serpents, the sons of our goddess; and they have also shut the
temple, and the altar has been desolated; and we have not found the wine
which had been brought in order that the viper, having drunk of it, might
go to sleep. But if thou wishest to know that they are really, magicians,
look and see how they wish to bewitch us, saying, Live in chastity and
piety, after believing in God; and how also they have come into the city;
and bow also the dragons have not struck them blind, or even killed them;
and how also they have not drunk their blood; but even they who keep our
city from every foreigner have been cast down by these men.

   And the proconsul, having heard these things, was the more inflamed
with rage, and filled with wrath and threatening; and he was exceedingly
enraged, and said to the priests: Why need you speak, when they have
bewitched my own wife? And from that time she has spoken to me with strange
words; and praying all the night through, she speaks in a strange tongue
with a light shining round her; and groaning aloud, she says, Jesus the
true light has come to me. And I, having gone forth from my chamber, wished
to look down through the window and see Jesus, the light which she spoke
of; and like lightning it came upon me, so that I was within a little of
being blinded; and from that time forth I am afraid of my wife, on account
of her luminous Jesus. Tell me, ye priests, what I am to do. And they said
to him: O proconsul, assuredly we are no longer priests; for ever since
thou didst shut them up, in consequence of them praying, not only has the
temple been shaken from the foundations, but it is also assuredly falling
down.

   Then the proconsul ordered to bring Philip and those with him forth out
of the temple, and to bring them up to the tribunal, saying to the public
executioner: Strip Philip and Bartholomew and Mariamme, and search
thoroughly to try to find their enchantments. Having therefore first
stripped Philip, then Bartholomew, they came also to Mariamme; and dragging
her along, they said: Let us strip her naked, that all may see her, how she
follows men; for she especially deceives all the women. And the tyrant says
to the priests: Proclaim throughout the whole city round about that all
should come, men and women, that they may see her indecency, that she
travels about with these magicians, and no doubt commits adultery with
them. And he ordered Philip to be hanged, and his ankles to be pierced, and
to bring also iron hooks, and his heels also to be driven through, and to
be hanged head downwards, opposite the temple on a certain tree; and
stretch out Bartholomew opposite Philip, having nailed his hands on the
wall of the gate of the temple.

   And both of them smiled, seeing each other, both Philip and
Bartholomew; for they were as if they were not tortured: for their
punishments were prizes and crowns. And when also they had stripped
Mariamme, behold, straightway the semblance of her body was changed in the
presence of all, and straightway there was about her a cloud of fire before
all; and they could not longer look at all on the place in which the holy
Mariamme was, but they all fled from her.

   And Philip spoke with Bartholomew in the Hebrew tongue saying: Where is
our brother John? for, behold, I am being released from the body; and who
is he that has prayed for us? Because they have also laid hands on our
sister Mariamme, contrary to what is meet; and, behold, they have set fire
to the house of Stachys, sayings, Let us burn it, since he entertained
them. Dost thou wish then, Bartholomew, fire to come from heaven, and that
we should burn them up?

   And as Philip was thus speaking, behold, also John entered into the
city like one of their fellow-citizens; and moving about in the street, he
asked: Who are these men, and why are they punished? And they say to him:
It cannot be that thou art of our city, and askest about these men, who
have wronged many: for they have shut up our gods, and by their magic have
cut off both the serpents and the dragons; and they have also raised many
of the dead, who have struck us with amazement, detailing many punishments
against us, and they wish also, these strangers who are hanging, to pray
for fire out of heaven, and to burn up us and our city.

   Then says John: Let us go, and do you show me them. They led John,
therefore, as their fellow-citizen, to where Philip was; and there was
there a great crowd, and the proconsul, and the priests. And Philip, seeing
John, said to Bartholomew in Hebrew: Brother, John has come, who was in
Barek, where the living water is.(1) And John saw Philip hanging head
downwards both by the ankles and the heels;(2) and he also saw Bartholomew
stretched out on the wall of the temple; and he said to them: The mystery
of him that was hanged between the heaven and the earth shall be with you.

   And he said also to the men of that city: Ye men who dwell in Ophioryma
Hierapolis, great is the ignorance which is among you, for you have erred
in the path of error. The dragon breathing has breathed upon you, and
blinded you in three ways; that is, he has made you blind in body, and
blind in soul, and blind in spirit: and you have been struck by the
destroyer. Look upon the whole creation, whether in the earth, or in the
heaven, or in the waters, that the serpent has no resemblance to anything
above;(3) but he is of the stock of corruption, and has been brought to
nothing by God; and on this account he is twisted and crooked, and there is
no life in him; and anger, and rage, and darkness, and fire, and smoke are
in all his members. And now, therefore, why do you punish these men because
they have told you that the serpent is your enemy?

   And when they heard these words from John, they raised their hands
against him, saying: We thought thee to be a fellow-citizen, but now thou
hast shown thyself that thou art their companion. Like them, so also thou
shalt be put to death; for the priests have intended to squeeze out your
blood, and having mixed it with wine, to bring it to the viper to drink it.
When, therefore, the priests attempted to lay hold of John, their hands
were paralyzed. And John said to Philip: Let us not at all render evil for
evil. And Philip said to John: Behold now, where is my Lord Jesus, who told
me not to avenge myself? But for my part, I shall not endure it longer; but
I will accomplish upon them my threat, and will destroy them all(4).

   And John and Bartholomew and Mariamme restrained him, saying: Our
Master was beaten, was scourged, was extended on the cross, was made to
drink gall and vinegar, and said, Father, forgive them, for they know not
what they do.(5) And this He taught, saying: Learn of me, for I am meek and
lowly in heart.(6) Let us also therefore be patient. Philip says: Go away,
and do not mollify me; for I will not bear that they have hanged me head
down, and pierced my ankles and my heels with irons. And thou, John,
beloved of God, how much hast thou reasoned with them, and thou hast not
been listened to! Wherefore go away from me, and I will curse them, and
they shall be destroyed utterly to a man. And he began to curse them,
invoking, and crying out in Hebrew: ABALO, AREMUN, IDUTHAEL, THARSELEON,
NACHOTH, AIDUNAPH, TELETOLOI:(7) that is, O Father of Christ, the only and
Almighty God; O God, whom all ages dread, powerful and impartial Judge,
whose name is in Thy dynasty Sabaoth.(8) blessed art Thou for everlasting:
before Thee tremble dominions and powers of the celestials, and the fire-
breathing threats of the cherubic living ones; the King, holy in majesty,
whose name came upon the wild beasts of the desert, and they were tamed,
and praised Thee with a rational voice; who lookest upon us, and readily
grantest our requests; who knewest us before we were fashioned; the
Overseer of all: now, I pray, let the great Hades open its mouth; let the
great abyss swallow up these the ungodly, who have not been willing to
receive the word of truth in this city. So let it be, Sabaoth. And, behold,
suddenly the abyss was opened, and the whole of the place in which the
proconsul was sitting was swallowed up, and the whole of the temple, and
the viper which they worshipped, and great crowds, and the priests of the
viper, about seven thousand men, besides women and children, except where
the apostles were: they remained unshaken. And the proconsul was swallowed
up into the abyss; and their voices came up from beneath, saying, with
weeping: Have mercy upon us, O God of Thy glorious apostles, because we now
see the judgments of those who have not confessed the crucified One:
behold. the cross illumines us. O Jesus Christ, manifest Thyself to us,
because we are all coming down alive into Hades, and are being scourged
because we have unjustly crucified Thine apostles. And a voice was heard of
one, saying: I shall be merciful to you in the cross of light.

   And there remained both Stachys and all his house, and the wife of the
proconsul, and fifty other women who had believed with her upon the Lord,
and a multitude besides, both of men and women, and a hundred virgins who
had not been swallowed up because of their chastity, having been sealed
with the seal of Christ.

   Then the Lord, having appeared unto Philip, said: O Philip, didst thou
not hear: Thou shall not render evil for evil? and why hast thou inflicted
such destruction? O Philip, whosoever putteth his hand to the plough, and
looketh backwards,(1) is his furrow well set? or who gives up his own lamp
to another, and himself sits in darkness? or who forsakes his own dwelling-
place, and dwells on a dunghill himself? And who, giving away his own
garment in winter, goes naked? or what enemy rejoices in the joy of the man
that hates him? and what soldier goes to war without a full suit of armour?
and what slave who has fulfilled his master's order will not be commended?
and who in the race-coarse, having nobly run, does not receive the prize?
and who that has washed his garments willingly defiles them? Behold, my
bridechamber is ready; but blessed is he who has been found in it wearing
the shining garment:(2) he it is who receives the crown upon his head.
Behold, the supper is ready; and blessed is he who is invited, and is ready
to go to Him that has invited him. The harvest of the field is much,(3) and
blessed is the good labourer. Behold the lilies and all the flowers, and it
is the good husbandman who is the first to get a share of them. And how
hast thou become, O Philip, unmerciful, having cursed thine enemies in
wrath?

   Philip says: Why art Thou angry with me, Lord, because I have cursed
mine enemies? for why dost Thou not tread them under foot, because they are
yet alive in the abyss? And knowest Thou, Lord, that because of Thee I came
into this city, and in Thy name I have persecuted all the error of the
idols, and all the demons? The dragons have withered away, and the
serpents. And since these men have not received Thy light, therefore have I
cursed them, and they have gone down to Hades alive.

   And the Saviour says to Philip: But since thou hast disobeyed me, and
hast requited evil for evil, and hast not kept my commandment, on this
account thou shalt finish thy course gloriously indeed, and shalt be led by
the hand by my holy angels, and shalt come with them even to the paradise
of delight; and they indeed shall come beside me into paradise, but thee
will I order to be shut outside of paradise for forty days, in terror under
the flaming and turning sword, and thou shall groan because thou hast done
evil to those who have done evil to thee. And after forty days I shall send
my archangel Michael; and he, having taken hold of the sword guarding
paradise, shall bring thee into it, and thou shall see all the righteous
who have walked in their innocence, and then thou shall worship the glory
of my Father in the heavens. Nevertheless the sign of thy departure shall
be glorified in my cross. And Bartholomew having gone away into Lycaonia,
shall there also be himself crucified; and Mariamme shall lay her body in
the river Jordan. But I, O Philip, will not endure thee, because thou hast
swallowed up the men into the abyss; but, behold, my Spirit is in them, and
I shall bring them up from the dead; and thus they, seeing thee, shall
believe in the glory of Him that sent thee.

   And the Saviour having turned, stretched up His hand, and marked a
cross in the air coming down from above even to the abyss, and it was full
of light, and had its form after the likeness of a ladder. And all the
multitude that had gone down from the city into the abyss came up on the
ladder of the luminous cross; but there remained below the proconsul, and
the viper which they worshipped. And when the multitude had come up, having
looked upon Philip hanging head downwards, they lamented with a great
lamentation at the lawless action which they had done. And they also saw
Bartholomew, and Mariamme having her former appearance. And. behold, the
Lord went up into the heavens in the sight of Philip, and Bartholomew and
Mariamme. and Stachys, and all the unbelieving people, and silently they
glorified God in fear and trembling. And all the multitudes cried out,
saying: He alone is God, whom these men proclaim in truth; He alone is God,
who sent these men for our salvation. Let us therefore truly repent for our
great error, because we are by no means worthy of everlasting life. Now we
believe, because we have seen great wonders, because the Saviour has
brought us up from the abyss. And they all fell upon their face, and adored
Philip, and entreated him, ready to flee: Do not do another miracle, and
again send us away into the abyss. And they prayed that they might become
worthy of the appearing of Christ.

   And Philip, yet hanging, addressed them, and said: Hear and learn how
great are the powers of my God, remembering what you have seen below, and
how your city has been overturned, with the exception of the house which
received me; and now the sweetness of my God has brought you up out of the
abyss, and I am obliged to walk round paradise for forty days on your
account, because I was enraged against you into requiting you. And this
commandment alone I have not kept, in that I did not give you good in
return for evil. But I say unto you, From this time forth, in the goodness
of God, reject the evil, that you may become worthy of the thanksgiving(1)
of the Lord.

   And some of the faithful ran up to take down Philip, and take off him
the iron grapnels, and the hooks out of his ankles. But Philip said: Do
not, my children, do not come near me on account of this, for thus shall be
my end. Listen to me, ye who have been enlightened in the Lord, that I came
to this city, not to make any merchandise, or do any other thing; but I
have been destined to go out of my body in this city in the case in which
you see me. Grieve not, then, that I am hanging thus; for I bear the
stamp(2) of the first man, who was brought to the earth head downwards, and
again, through the wood of the cross brought to life out of the death of
the transgression. And now I accomplish that which hath been enjoined upon
me; for the Lord said to me, Unless you shall make that of you which is
down to be up, and that which is on the left to be on the right, you shall
not enter into my kingdom. Be ye not therefore likened to the unchanged
type, for all the world has been changed, and every soul dwelling in a body
is in forgetfulness of heavenly things; but let not us possessing the glory
of the heavenly seek that which is without, which is the body and the house
of slavery. Be not unbelieving, but believing, and forgive each other's
faults. Behold, I hang six days, and I have blame from the true Judge,
because I altogether requited you evil, and put a stumbling-block in the
way of my rectitude. And now I am going up on high; be not sorrowful, but
rather rejoice, because I am leaving this dwelling-place, my body, having
escaped from the corruption of the dragon, who punishes every soul that is
in sins.

   And Philip, having looked round upon the multitudes, said: O ye who
have come up out of the dead from Hades, and the swallowing up of the
abyss,--and the luminous cross led you up on high, through the goodness of
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost,--He being God became man,
having been made flesh out of the Virgin Mary, immortal, abiding in flesh;
and having died, He raised the dead, having had pity on mankind, having
taken away the sting of sin. He was great, and became small for our sake,
until He should enlarge the small, and bring them into His greatness. And
He it is who has sweetness; and they spat upon Him, giving Him gall to
drink, in order that He might make those who were bitter against Him to
taste of His sweetness. Cleave then to Him, and do not forsake Him, for He
is our life to everlasting.

   And when Philip had finished this announcement, he says to them, Loose
Bartholomew; and having gone up, they loosed him. And after loosing him,
Philip says to him: Bartholomew, my brother in the Lord, thou knowest that
the Lord has sent thee with me to this city, and thou hast shared with me
in all the dangers with our sister Mariamme; but I know that the going
forth from thy body has been appointed in Lycaonia, and it has been decreed
to Mariamme to go forth from the body in the river Jordan. Now therefore I
command you, that when I have gone forth from my body, you shall build a
church in this place; and let the leopard and the kid of the goats(3) come
into the church, for a sign to those that believe; and tot Nicanora provide
for them until they shall go forth from the body; and when they shall have
gone forth, bury them by the gate of the church. And lay your peace upon
the house of Stachys, as Christ laid His peace on this city. And let all
the virgins who believe stand in that house each day, watching over the
sick, walking two anti two; but let them have no communication with young
men, that Satan may not tempt them:(4) for he is a creeping serpent, and he
caused Adam by menus of Eve to slip into death. Let it not be so again in
this time as in the case of Eve. But do thou, O Bartholomew, look to them
well:(5) and thou shalt give these injunctions to Stachys, and appoint him
bishop. Do not entrust the place of the bishopric to a young man, that the
Gospel of Christ may not he brought to shame; and let every one that
teacheth have his works equal to his words. But I am going to the Lord, and
take my body and prepare it for burial with Syriac sheets of paper; and do
not put round me flaxen cloth, because the body of my Lord was wrapped in
linen. And having prepared my body for burial in the sheets of paper, bind
it tight with papyrus reeds, anti bury it m the church; and pray for me(6)
forty days, in order that the Lord may forgive me the transgression wherein
I transgressed, in requiting those who did evil to me. See, O Bartholomew,
where my blood shall drop upon the earth, a plant shall spring up from my
blood, and shall become a vine, and shall produce fruit of a bunch of
grapes; and having taken the cluster, press it into the cup; and having
partaken of it on the third day, send up on high the Amen, in order that
the offering may be complete.

   And Philip, having said these things, prayed thus: O Lord Jesus Christ,
Father of the ages, King of the light, who hast made us wise in Thy wisdom,
and hast given us Thine understanding, and hast bestowed upon us the
counsel of Thy goodness, who hast never at any time left us, Thou art He
who taketh away the disease of those who flee to Thee for refuge; Thou art
the Son of the living God, who hast given us Thy presence of wisdom, who
hast given us signs and wonders, and hast turned those who have gone
astray; who crownest those who overcome the adversary, Thou excellent
Judge.(1) Come now, Jesus, and give me the everlasting crown of victory
against every adverse dominion and power, and do not let their dark air
hide me when I shall cross the waters of fire and all the abyss. O my Lord
Jesus Christ, let not the enemy have ground to accuse me at Thy tribunal:
but put on me Thy glorious robe, Thy seal of light that ever shines, until
I shall pass by all the powers of the world, and the wicked dragon that
lieth in wait for us. Now therefore, my Lord Jesus Christ, make me to meet
Thee in the air, having forgiven me the recompense which I recompensed to
my enemies; and transform the form of my body into angelic glory, and give
me rest in Thy blessedness; and let me receive the promise from Thee which
Thou hast promised to Thy saints to everlasting.

   And having thus spoken, Philip gave up the ghost, while all the
multitudes were looking upon him, and weeping, and saying: The life of this
spirit has been accomplished in peace. And they said the Amen.

   And Bartholomew and Mariamme took down his body, and did as Philip had
commanded them, and buried it in that place. And there was straightway a
voice out of the heavens: Philip the apostle has been crowned with an
incorruptible crown by Jesus Christ, the Judge of the contest. And all
shouted out the Amen.

   And after the three days the plant of the vine sprouted up where the
blood of the holy Philip had dropped. And they did all that had been
commanded them by him, offering an offering for forty days, praying without
ceasing. And they built the church in that place, having appointed Stachys
bishop in the church. And Nicanora and all the faithful assembled, and did
not cease, all of them, glorifying God on account of the wonders that had
happened among them. And all the city believed in the name of Jesus. And
Bartholomew commanded Stachys to baptize those who believed into the name
of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

   And after the forty days, the Saviour, having appeared in the form of
Philip, said to Bartholomew and Mariamme: My beloved brethren, do you wish
to rest in the rest of God? Paradise has been opened to me, and I have
entered into the glory of Jesus. Go away to the place appointed for you;
for the plant that has been set apart and planted in this city shall bear
excellent fruit. Having therefore saluted the brethren, and prayed for each
of them, they departed from the city of Ophioryma, the Hierapolis of Asia;
and Bartholomew departed into Lycaonia, and Mariamme proceeded to the
Jordan; and Stachys and those with him remained, maintaining the church in
Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and strength for ever and ever.
Amen.

ACTS OF SAINT PHILIP THE APOSTLE WHEN HE WENT TO UPPER HELLAS.

   AND it came to pass in those days, when Philip entered into the city of
Athens called Hellas, there assembled to him three hundred philosophers,
saying: Let us go and see what his wisdom is; for they say about the wise
men of Asia, that their wisdom is great. For they thought that Philip was a
philosopher, since he was travelling in the dress of a recluse; and they
did not know that he was an apostle of Christ. For the dress which Jesus
gave to His disciples was a mantle only, and a linen cloth.(1) Thus, then,
Philip was going about. On this account, therefore, when the philosophers
of Hellas saw him, they were afraid. They assembled therefore into one
place, and said to each other: Come, let us look into our books, lest
somehow this stranger overcome us, and put us to shame.

   And having done so, they came together to the same place, and say to
Philip: We have doctrines of our fathers in which we are pleased, seeking
after knowledge; but if thou hast anything new, O stranger, show it to us
without envy boldly: for we have need of nothing else, but only to hear
something new.(2)

   And Philip answering, said to them: O philosophers of Hellas, if you
wish to hear some new thing, and are desirous of something new, you ought
to throw away from you the disposition of the old man; as my Lord said, It
is impossible to put new wine into old bottles, since the bottle is burst,
and the wine spilled, and the bottle destroyed.(3) But they put new wine
into fresh bottles, so that both may be preserved. And these things the
Lord said in parables, teaching us in His holy wisdom, that many will love
the new wine, not having a bottle fresh and new. And I love you, 0 men of
Hellas, and I congratulate you for having said, We love something new. For
instruction really new and fresh my Lord has brought into the world, in
order that He might sweep away all worldly instruction.

   The philosophers say: Who is it that thou callest thy Lord? Philip
says: My Lord is Jesus in heaven. And they said to him: Show him to our
comprehension without envy, that we also may believe in him. And Philip
said: He with whom I am about to make you acquainted as Lord, is above
every name; here is no other.(1) And this only I say: As you have said, Do
not refuse us through envy, let it not be that I should refuse you; but
rather in great exultation and in great joy I have to reveal to you that
name, for I have no other work in this world than this proclamation.(2) For
when my Lord came into this world, He chose us, being twelve in number,
having filled us with the Holy Spirit; from His light He made us know who
He was, and commanded us to preach all salvation through Him, because there
is no other name named out of heaven than this.(3) On this account I have
come to you, to make you fully assured, not in word only, but also in the
showing forth of wonderful works in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

   And when the philosophers heard this, they say to Philip: This name
that has been heard of by us froth thee we have never found in the books of
our fathers; now, therefore, how can we know about thy words? And moreover,
in addition, they say to him: Allow us three days, that we may consult with
each other about this name; for we lay no little stress upon this--to
apostatize from our fathers' religion. Philip therefore says to them:
Consult as you wish; for there is no deceit in the matter.

   And the three hundred philosophers having assembled, spoke with each
other, saying: You know that this man has brought a strange philosophy, and
the words spoken by him bring us to distraction. What, then, shall we do
about him, or about the name of him who is called Jesus, the king of the
ages, whom he speaks of? And moreover they say to each other: Assuredly we
cannot reason with him, but the high priest of the Jews can. If therefore
it seem good, let us send to him, in order that he may stand up to this
stranger, and that we may learn accurately the name that is preached.

   They wrote therefore to Jerusalem after this manner:--The philosophers
of Hellas to Ananias, the great high priest of the Jews in Jerusalem. There
being between thee and us at all times great(4) ... as thou knowest that we
Athenians are searchers after truth. A certain foreigner has come to
Hellas, Philip by name; and, in a word, he has disturbed us exceedingly,
both by words and by extraordinary miracles, and he introduces a glorious
name, Jesus, professing himself to be his disciple. And he does also
wonders of which we write to you, in that he has cast out demons that have
been long in men, and makes the deaf hear, the blind see; and what is more
wonderful--which also we should have first mentioned--he has raised up men
after they were dead, that have fairly completed the number of their
days.(5) And the fame of him has gone abroad into all Hellas and Macedonia;
and there are many coming to him from the cities round about, bringing
those who are ill with various diseases, and he heals them all through the
name of Jesus. On this account, therefore, come to us without any
reluctance, that thou thyself mayst announce to us what Jesus, this name
which be teaches, means. For on this account also we have sent this letter
to thee, O high priest.

   And when he had read, he was filled with great wrath, and rent his
clothes, and said: Has that deceiver gone even to Athens, among the
philosophers, to lead them astray? And the Mansemat--that is, Satan--
entered into Ananias unawares, and filled him with anger and rage; and he
said: If I allow that Philip himself, and those with him, to live, the law
will be entirely destroyed, and their teaching will likely fill the whole
earth. And the high priest went into his own house, and the teachers of the
law, and the Pharisees; and they consulted with each other, saying: What
shall we do about these things?(6) And they say to the high priest Ananias:
Stand up and arm thyself, and five hundred able men out of the people, and
go away to Athens, and by all means kill Philip, and thus thou shall
overturn his teaching.

   And having put on the high priest's robe, he came to Hellas in great
pomp, with the five hundred men. And Philip was in the house of a certain
chief man of the city, with the brethren who had believed. And the high
priest and those with him, and the three hundred philosophers, went up to
the gateway of the house where Philip was; and it was told Philip that they
were outside. And he rose up anti went out. And when the high priest saw
him, he says to him: 0 Philip, sorcerer and magician, for I know thee, that
in Jerusalem thy master the deceiver called thee Son of Thunder.(7) Was not
the whole of Judaea sufficient for you, but you have come here also to
deceive men who are searchers after wisdom? And Philip said: Would that, O
Ananias, thy covering of unbelief were taken away from thy heart, that thou
mightst know my words, and from them learn whether I am a deceiver, or
thou!

   Ananias having heard this, said to Philip: I shall give answer to all.
And Philip said: Speak. The high priest says: O men of Hellas, this Philip
believes in a man called Jesus, who was born among us, who also taught this
heresy, and destroyed the law and the temple, and brought to nought the
purification through Moses, and the new moons, because he says, These have
not been commanded by God. And when we saw that he thus destroyed the law,
we stood up against him, and crucified him, that his teaching might not be
fulfilled. For many changes were brought in by him; and he gave an evil
testimony, for he ate all things in common, and mixed with blood, after the
manner of the Gentiles.(1) And having given him up, we put him to death,
and buried him in a tomb; and these disciples of his having stolen him,
have proclaimed everywhere that he has risen from the dead, and have led
astray a great multitude by professing that he is at the right hand of God
in heaven.(2) But now these men, themselves having the circumcision as we
also have, have not followed it, since they began to do many deeds of power
in Jerusalem through the name of Jesus; and having been cast out of
Jerusalem, they go about the world, and deceive all men by the magic of
that Jesus, as also now this Philip has come to you to deceive you by the
same means. But I shall carry him away with myself to Jerusalem, because
Archelaus the king is also searching for him to kill him.

   And when the multitude standing round heard this, those indeed who had
been confirmed in the faith were not shaken nor made to waver; for they
knew that Philip would conquer in the glory of Jesus. Philip therefore
stated his case in the power of Christ with great boldness, exulting and
saying: I, O men of Athens, and those of you who are philosophers, have
come to you, not to teach you with words, bat by the showing forth of
miracles; and in part you have quickly seen(3) the things that have come to
pass through me, in that name by which the high priest himself is cast
off.(4) For, behold, I shall cry to my God, and teach you, and you will
prove the words of both.

   The high priest having heard this, ran to Philip, wishing to scourge
him, and that same hour his whole hand was dried up, and his eyes were
blinded; and in like manner also the five hundred who were with him were
also themselves blinded. And they reviled and cursed the high priest,
saying: Coming oat of Jerusalem we said to thee Refrain: for, being men, we
cannot fight against God(5) But we entreat thee, O Philip, apostle of the
God Jesus, give us the light that is through him, that we also may truly be
his slaves.

   And Philip, having seen what had come to pass, said: O weak nature!
which has thrown itself upon as, but straightway has been brought down low
into itself; O bitter sea! which rouses its warts against us, and thinks to
cast us out, bat which by itself lulls its waves to rest. Now therefore, O
our good steward Jesus, the holy light, Thou hast not overlooked us who are
all together crying up to Thee in all good works, but hast come to finish
them through us. Now therefore come, Lord Jesus; reprove the folly of these
men.

   The high priest says to Philip: Dost thou then think to turn us away
from the traditions of our fathers, and the God of the desert, and Moses;
anti dost thou imagine that thou wilt make us followers of Jesus the
Nazarene? Then Philip says to him: Behold, I shall pray to my God to come
and manifest Himself before thee and the five hundred, and before all here;
for perhaps thou will change thy mind, and believe. But if even to the end
thou remain in unbelief, there is coming upon thee an extraordinary thing.
which shall be spoken of to generations of generations--that also thou
shall go down alive, down into Hades, before the face of all seeing thee,
because thou yet abidest in unbelief, because also thou seekest to turn
away this multitude from the true life. And Philip prayed, saying: O holy
Father of the holy Son Jesus Christ, who hast granted to me to believe in
Him, send Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ to reprove the unbelieving high
priest, that Thy name may be glorified in Christ the Beloved.

   And while Philip was yet crying oat this, suddenly the heavens were
opened, and Jesus appeared coming down in most excellent glory, and in
lightning; and His face was shining sevenfold more than the sun, and His
garments were whiter than snow, so that also all the idols of Athens fell
suddenly to the ground. And the people fled in anguish; and the demons
dwelling among them cried out: Behold, we also flee because of Him who has
appeared to the city, Jesus the Son of God. Then Philip says to the high
priest: Hearest thou the demons crying out because of Him who has been
seen, and believest thou not in Him who is present that He is Lord of all?
The high priest says: I have no other God than the one in the desert.

   And as Jesus was going up into heaven there happened a very great
earthquake, so that the place on which they stood was cleft; and the crowds
ran and fell at the feet of the apostle, crying out: Have mercy upon us, O
man of God! In like manner also the five hundred men cried out themselves
also again: Have mercy upon us, O Philip, that we may know time, and
through thee Jesus the light of life: for we said to this unbelieving high
priest, Being sinful men, we cannot fight against God.

   Then Philip says: There is no hatred in us, but the grace of Christ
will make you receive your sight; but I will make the high priest receive
his sight before you, that at this you may the more believe. And a voice
out of heaven was brought to Philip: O Philip, son once of thunder, but now
of meekness, whatever thou mayst ask of my Father, He shall do for thee.
And all the crowd was terror-struck at the voice, for the sound of it was
greater than that of thunder. Then Philip says to the high priest: In the
name of the power of the voice of my Lord, receive thy sight, Ananias. And
immediately he received his sight, and looked round, and said: What is
there in the magic of Jesus, that this Philip within a short time has made
me blind, and again within a short time has made me receive my sight? Dost
thou then, said Philip, believe in Jesus? The high priest says: You do not
think, do you, that you can bewitch me, and persuade me? And the five
hundred who were with him, having heard that their high priest, having
received his sight, was yet unbelieving, said to the bystanders to pray
Philip that he. should make them receive their sight, that, sad they, we
may cut off this unbelieving high priest.

   And Philip said: Do not avenge yourselves upon the wicked. And he says
to the high priest: There will be a certain great sign upon thee. He says
to Philip: I know that thou art a sorcerer and a disciple of Jesus: thou
dost not bewitch me. And the apostle said to Jesus: SABARTHAN, SABATHABT,
BRAMANUCH, come quickly. And immediately the earth was cleft in the place
where Ananias was, and swallowed him up as far as the knees. And Ananias
cried out: O great is the power of the true witchcraft, because it has
cleft the earth, when Philip threatened it in Hebrew, and adjured it; and
it holds me even to the knees, and by the heels some hooks as it were drag
me downwards, that I may believe in Philip; but he cannot persuade me, for
from Jerusalem I know his magic tricks.

   And Philip, enraged, said: O earth, lay fast hold of him, even to the
navel. And immediately it dragged him down. And he said: The one of my feet
underneath is turned into ice, and the other is frightfully hot; but by thy
magic, Philip, I will not be overcome. Except, therefore, that I am sore
tortured underneath, I do not believe at all. And the crowds wished to
stone him. And Philip says: Not so; for this has in the meantime happened,
that he has been swallowed up as far as the navel, that the salvation of
your souls may be effected, because he would almost have drawn you by his
wicked words into unbelief. But if even he repented, I should bring him up
out of the earth to the salvation of his soul; but assuredly he is not
worthy of salvation. If, then, he remain in unbelief, you shall see him
sunk down into the abyss, unless the Lord intends to raise those who are in
Hades, that they may confess that Jesus is Lord. For in that day every
tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord,(1) and that there is one glory of
the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Spirit for evermore.

   And Philip, having said this, extended his right band, stretching it
through the air over the five hundred men in the name of Jesus. And their
eyes were opened, and they all praised God with one mouth, saying: We bless
Thee, O Christ Jesus, the God of Philip, that thou hast driven the
blindness away from us, and hast given us Thy light, the Gospel. And Philip
rejoiced exceedingly at their words, because they were thus confirmed in
the faith. And after this, Philip, having turned to the high priest, said:
Confess thou also in a pure heart that Jesus is Lord, that thou mayst be
saved, like those with thee. But the high priest laughed at Philip, and
remained in unbelief.

   Philip then, seeing that he remained in unbelief, having looked at him,
says to the earth: Open thy mouth, and swallow him up as far as his neck in
the presence of those who have believed in Christ Jesus. And in the same
hour the earth, having opened its mouth, received him as far as the neck.
And the multitude communed with each other on account of the wonders that
had happened.

   A certain chief man of the city came crying out, and saying: O blessed
apostle, a certain demon has assailed my son, and cried out, saying to me,
Since thou hast allowed a foreigner to come into your city, thou who hast
been the first to do away with(2) our worship and our sacrifices, what
shall I do for thee, except to kill this thine only begotten son? And after
he said this, he strangled my son. Now therefore, I beseech thee, O apostle
of Christ, do not allow my joy to be turned into sorrow, because I also
have believed thy words.

   And the apostle, having heard this, said: I wonder at the activity of
the demons, that it is active in every place, and dares to assail those to
whose help I have not been able to come,(1) as now they have tried you,
wishing to cause you to offend. And he says to the man: Bring me thy son,
and I will give him to thee alive, through my Christ. And rejoicing, he ran
to bring his son. And when he came near his house, he cried out, saying: My
son, I have come to thee to carry thee to the apostle, so that he may
present thee to me living. And he ordered his slaves to carry the bed; and
his son was twenty-three years old. And when Philip saw him, he was moved;
and he turned to the high priest, and said: This has happened as a chance
for thee: if, therefore, I shall raise him up, wilt thou henceforth
believe? And he says: I know your magic arts, that thou wilt raise him up;
but I will not believe thee. And Philip, enraged, said: A curse upon thee!
then go down altogether into the abyss before the face of all these. And at
the same hour he went down into Hades alive, except that the high priest's
robe flew off from him; and because of this, from that day, no one knew
what became of the priest's robe. And the apostle turned round and prayed
for the boy; and having driven the demon away from him, he raised him up,
and set him beside his father alive.

   And the multitude having beheld this, cried out: The God of Philip is
the only God, who has punished the unbelief of the high priest, and driven
away the demon front the young man, and raised him up from the dead. And
the five hundred having seen the high priest swallowed up into the abyss,
and the oilier miracles. besought Philip, and he gave them the seal in
Christ. And Philip abode in Athens two years; and having founded a church,
appointed a bishop and a presbyter, and so went away to Parthia, preaching
Christ. To whom be glory for ever. Amen.

ADDITION TO ACTS OF PHILIP.

(From a Paris Ms.)(2)

   And he taught them thus: My brethren, sons of my Father--for you are of
my family as to Christ, substance of my city, the Jerusalem above, the
delight of my dwelling-place--why have you been taken captive by your enemy
the serpent, twisted, crooked, and perverse, to whom God has given neither
hands nor feet? And crooked is his going, since he is the son of the wicked
one; for his father is death, and his mother corruption, and ruin is in his
body. Do not go then into his destruction; for you are in bondage by the
unbelief and deception of his son, who is without order, and has no
substance;(3) formless, and has no form in the whole creation, either in
the heaven or in the earth, or among the fishes that are in the waters. But
if you see him, flee from him, since he has no resemblance to men: his
dwelling is the abyss, and he walks in darkness. Flee, then, from him, that
his venom may not be poured out upon you: if his venom be poured out upon
your body, you walk in his wickedness. But remain rather in the true
worship, being faithful, reverent, and good, without guile. Flee from Satan
the dragon, and remove from you his wicked seed, namely desire, by which he
begets disease in the soul, which is the venom of the serpent. For desire
is of the serpent from the beginning, and she it is who arms herself
against the faithful; for she came forth out of the darkness, and returns
to the darkness. You ought therefore, after coming to us, or rather through
us to God, to throw out the venom of the devil from your bodies.

   And as the apostle was saying this, behold, Nicanora came forth from
her house, and went with her slaves into the house of Stachys. And when she
came near the door of the house, behold, Mariamme spoke to her in the
Syriac language: HELIKOMAEI, KOSMA, ETAA, MARIACHA. And she explained her
words, saying: O daughter of the Spirit, thou art my lady, who hast been
given in pledge to the serpent; but I have come to deliver thee: I shall
break thy bonds, and cut them from their root. Behold, the Deliverer that
frees thee has come: behold, the Sun of righteousness has risen to
enlighten thee.

   And when she was thus speaking, the gloomy tyrant came running and
panting. And Nicanora, who was before the door, heard this, and took
courage before them all, crying out and saying: I am a Hebrew, a daughter
of the Hebrews; speak with me in the language of my fathers, because I have
heard your preaching, and have been cured of this my disease. I reverence
and glorify the goodness of God, in that He hath made you to be utterly
spoiled in this earth.

   And when she said this, the tyrant came, and took hold of her garments,
and said: O Nicanora, did I not leave thee lying on the bed from thy
disease? Whence, then, hast thou found this power and strength, so as to be
able to come to these magicians? Unless, then, thou tell who is the healer,
I shall punish thee most severely. And Nicanora answered, and said: O
rearer of tyrants, cast away from thyself this tyranny, and forget thy
wicked works, and abandon this temporary life, and put away vainglory,
because it passes like a shadow: seek rather what is everlasting, and take
away from thyself the beastly and impious work of base desire, and reject
vain intercourse, which is the husbandry of death, the dark prison; and
overturn the middle wall of corruption, and prepare for thyself a life
chaste and spotless, that we may altogether live in sanctity. If, then,
thou wishest me to remain with thee, I will live with thee in continence.

   And when the tyrant heard these words, he seized her by the hair of the
head, and dragged her along, kicking her, and saying: It would be better
for thee to be put to death by my sword, than to be seen with these foreign
magicians and deceivers. I will punish thee, therefore, and put to death
those who have deceived thee. And he turned in a rage to the executioners
who followed him, and said: Bring me these impostors. And the executioners
ran to the house of Stachys, and laid hold of Philip, and Bartholomew, and
Mariamme, with the leopard and the kid of the goats, and dragged them
along, and brought them.

   When the tyrant saw them, he gnashed his teeth against them, and said:
Drag along these magicians and deceivers that have deceived many souls of
women by saying, We are worshippers of God. And he caused thongs to be
brought, and bound their feet. And he ordered them to be dragged along from
the gate as far as the temple. And great multitudes came together to that
place. And they wondered exceedingly at the leopard and the kid; for they
were speaking like men, and some of the multitude believed the words of the
apostles.

   And the priests said to the tyrant: These men are magicians. And when
he heard that, he burned with rage. and was filled with anger; and he
ordered Philip, and Bartholomew, and Mariamne to be stripped, saying:
Search them. Perhaps you will find their sorcery. And the executioners
stripped them, and laid hold of Mariamne, and dragged her along, saying:
Uncover her, that they may learn that it is a woman who follows them. And
he ordered to bring clubs and strong cords; and after piercing Philip's
ankles they brought hooks, and put the cords through his ankles, and hung
him head downwards on a tree that was before the door of the temple; and
they fixed pegs into the temple wall, and left him. And after binding
Bartholomew hand and foot, they extended him naked on the wall; and when
they had stripped Mariamne, the appearance of her body was changed, and
became a glass chest filled with light, and they could not come near her.

   And Philip spoke with Bartholomew in Hebrew: Where is John to-day, in
the day of our need? for, behold, we are being delivered froth our bodies.
And they have laid hands on Mariamne beyond what is seemly, and they have
scourged the leopard and the kid of the goats, and have set fire to the
house of Stachys, because he took us in. Let us therefore speak, that fire
may come down from heaven and burn them up.

   And as Philip was thus speaking, behold, John came into the city, and
walked about the street, and asked those in the city: What is the
commotion, and who are these men, and why are they punished? And they say
to him: Art thou not of this city? And dost thou not know about these men,
how they disturbed our houses, and the whole city? Moreover, they have even
persuaded our wives to go away from us on the pretence of religion,
proclaiming a foreign name, viz. Christ's; and they have also shut our
temples by the sorcery they have, and they have put to death the serpents
that are in the city by foreign names that we have never known. And they
have fixed their abode in the house of Stachys the blind man, whom they
made to recover his sight through the spittle of a woman who accompanies
them; and it is perhaps she who has all the sorcery: and there accompany
them a leopard and a kid, speaking like men. But if ever you have seen such
doings, you will not be put about by them. And John answered, and said to
them: Show me them. And they brought him to the temple where Philip was
hanging. And when Philip saw John, he said to Bartholomew: O my brother,
behold the son of Barega--that is the living water--has come. And John saw
Philip hanging head down, tied by his ankles; and saw Bartholomew also
bound to the temple wall.

   And he said to the men of the city: O children of the serpent, how
great is your folly! for the way of deceit has deceived you, the wicked
dragon breathing has breathed upon you: why do you punish these men for
saying the serpent is your enemy?

   And when they heard these words from John, they laid their hands union
him, saying: We called thee our fellow-citizen, but now thy speech has made
thee manifest that thou also art in communion with them. Thou also,
therefore, shalt be put to the same death as they, for the priests have
decided thus: Let us drain out their blood as they hang head downward, and
mix it with wine, and offer it to the viper.

   And when they were thus speaking, behold, Mariamne rose up from the
place in which she was, and came back to her former appearance.

   And the priests reached forth their hands towards John, wishing to lay
hold of him, and they could not. Then Philip with Bartholomew said to John:
Where is Jesus, who enjoins upon us not to take into our own hands
vengeance on those that torture us? for after this I will not endure them.
And Philip spoke in Hebrew, and said: My Father Uthael, i.e., O Christ,
Father of majesty, whose name all the ages(1) fear, who art powerful, and
the power of the universe, whose name goes forth in lordship,(2) Eloa:
Blessed art Thou to the ages; Thou whom dominions and powers fear,
trembling before Thy face; King of honour! Father of majesty! whose name
has gone forth to the wild beasts of the desert, and they have become quiet
because of Thee, and through Thee the serpents have departed from us: Hear
us before we ask. Thou who seest us before we call, who knowest our
thoughts, the All-surveyor(3) of all, who sends forth from Himself
unnumbered compassions; let the abyss open its mouth, and swallow up these
godless persons who will not accept the word of Thy truth.

   And in that very hour the abyss opened its mouth, and all that place
was violently shaken, from the proconsul to all the multitude along with
the priests; and they were all sunk down. And the places where the apostles
and all who were with them were remained unshaken, and the house of
Stachys, and Nicanora the tyrant's wife, and the twenty-four wives who fled
from their husbands, and the forty virgins who had not known men. These
alone did not go down into the abyss, because they had become servants, and
had received the word of God, and His seal; but all the rest of the city
were swallowed down into the abyss.

   And the Saviour having appeared at that hour, said to Philip: Who is it
that has put his hand to the plough, and has turned back from making the
furrow straight? or who gives his light to others, and himself remains
sitting in darkness? or who dwells in the dirt, and leaves his dwelling-
place to strangers? or who lays down his garment, and goes out in the days
of winter naked? or what slave that has done his master's service, shall
not be called by him to supper? or who runs with zeal in the racecourse,
anti does not get the prize? Philip, behold my bridal chamber is ready, and
blessed is he who has his own shining garment; for he it is who gets the
crown of joy upon his head. Behold, the supper is ready, and blessed is he
who is called by the bridegroom. Great is the harvest of the field; blessed
is the able workman.

   And when Philip heard these words from the Saviour, he answered and
said to him: Thou didst give us leave, O Jesus of Nazareth, and dost Thou
not enjoin us to smite those who do not wish Thee to reign over them? But
this we know, that Thy name has not been proclaimed in all the world, and
Thou hast sent us to this city. And I did not intend to come into this
city, and Thou didst send me, after giving me Thy true commandment, that I
should drive away all deceit, and bring to nothing every idol and demon,
and all the power of the unclean one. And when I came here, the demons lied
from our faces through Thy name, and the dragons and the serpents withered
away, but these men did not take to themselves Thy true light; and for this
reason I resolved to bring them low, according to their folly.

   And the Saviour said: O Philip, since thou hast forsaken this
commandment of mine, not to render evil for evil,(4) for this reason thou
shalt be debarred in the next world for forty years from being in tile
place of my promise: besides, this is the end of thy departure from the
body in this place; and Bartholomew has his lot in Lycaonia, and shall be
crucified there; and Mariamne shall lay down her body in the river Jordan.

   And the Saviour turned and stretched out His hand, and made the sign of
the cross in the air; and it was full of light, and had its form after the
likeness of a ladder. And all the multitude of the men of the city who had
gone down into the abyss came up upon the ladder of the cross of light and
none of them remained in the abyss, but only the tyrant and the priests,
and the viper which they worshipped. And when the multitudes came up from
the abyss, they looked and saw Philip hanging head down, and Bartholomew
upon the wall of the temple, and they also found Mariamne in her first
shape. And the Saviour went up into heaven in the sight of Philip and
Bartholomew and Mariamne, and the leopard and the kid of the goats, and
Nicanora and Stachys; and they all with a loud voice glorified God with
fear and trembling, crying out: There is one God who has sent us His
salvation, whose name these men proclaim: we repent therefore of the error
in which we were before yesterday, not being worthy of eternal life; and we
believe, having seen the wonderful things that have come to pass through
us. And some of them threw themselves on their faces, and worshipped the
apostles; and others made ready to flee, saying: There may be another
earthquake like the one that has just happened.

   And stretching out his hands, the Apostle Philip, hanging head down,
said: Men of the city, hear these words which I am going to say to you,
hanging head down. Ye have learned how great are the powers of God, and the
wonders which you saw when your city was destroyed by the earthquake which
came upon it. And this was manifest to you, that the house of Stachys was
not destroyed and that he did not go down into the abyss, because he
believed on the true God, and received us His servants. And I, having
fulfilled all the will of my God, am His debtor for what I requited to him
that did evil to me.

   And some of those who had been baptized ran to loose Philip hanging
head down. And he answered and said to them: My brethren, ...(1) those who
are virgins in the members of their flesh and commit fornication in their
hearts, and the fornication of their eyes, shall abound like the deluge.
And they grow immoderate from listening to persuasive pleasures, forgetting
the God of the knowledge of the Gospel; and their hearts are full of
arrogance, eating and drinking in their worship, forgetting the holy
commandment, and despising it. That generation is turned aside; but blessed
is he that retires into his retreat, for he shall obtain rest in his
departure. Knowest thou not, Bartholomew, that the word of our Lord is true
life and knowledge? for the Lord said to us in His teaching, Every one who
shall look upon a woman, and lust after her in his heart, has completed
adultery.(2) And on this account our brother Peter fled from every place in
which a woman was, and yet there was scandal on account of his own
daughter; and he prayed to the Lord, and she had paralysis of her side,
that she might not be deceived. Thou seest, brother, that the sight of the
eyes brings gainsaying, and the beginning of sin, as it is written,(3) She
looked, and saw the tree, that it was pleasing to her eyes, and good for
food, and she was deceived. Let the hearing, then, of the virgins be holy;
and in their going out let them walk two and two, for many are the wiles of
the enemy. Let their walk and conversation be well ordered, that they may
be saved; but if not, let their fruit be common.

   My brother Bartholomew, give these promises to Stachys, and appoint him
ruler and bishop in the Church, that he may be like thee, teaching well. Do
not entrust the office to a man too young: appoint not such a one to the
chair of the teachers, lest thou profane the witness of Christ. For he that
teaches should have his works corresponding to his words, that the word may
be ready on ever), occasion in its own glory. But I am being released from
my body, hanging head down. Take, then, my body, and prepare it for burial
in Syrian paper, and do not put about it linen cloth, since they put it
upon the body of our Lord, and wrap it close in paper and papyrus, and put
it in the vestibule of the holy church. And pray over me for forty days,
that God may forgive the transgression which I did, in that I requited evil
to him that did evil to me, and there may not be for me in the world to
come the forty years.

   And after thus speaking, Philip prayed, saying: My Lord Jesus Christ,
Father of the ages, King of all light, who makest us wise in Thy wisdom,
who hast given us the exalted knowledge, who hast graciously conferred upon
us the counsel of Thy goodness, who hast never departed from us; Thou who
takest away disease from those who take refuge in Thee; Thou who hast given
us the Word, to turn unto Thee those who have been led astray; Thou who
hast given us signs and wonders on behalf of those of little faith; Thou
who presentest the crown to those who have conquered; Thou who art the
judge of tim games, who hast given us the crown of joy, who speakest with
us, that we may be aide to withstand those that hurt us; Thou art He who
sows and reaps, and completes, and increases, and vivifies all Thine own
servants: reproaches and threats are to us help and power through those who
turn to Thee through us, who are Thy servants. Come, Lord, and give me the
crown of victory in the presence of men. Let not their dark air envelope
me, nor their smoke burn the shape of my soul, that I may cross the waters
of the abyss, and not sink in them. My Lord Jesus Christ, let not the enemy
find anything that he can bring against me in the presence of Thee, the
true Judge, but clothe me in Thy shining robe, and ... (The rest is
wanting.)


ACTS AND MARTYRDOM OF THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDREW

   WHAT we have all, both presbyters and deacons of the churches of
Achaia, beheld with our eyes, we have written to all the churches
established in the name of Christ Jesus, both in the east and west, north
and south. Peace to you, and to all who believe in one God, perfect
Trinity, true Father unbegotten, true Son only-begotten, true Holy Spirit
proceeding from the Father, and abiding in the Son, in order that there may
be shown one Holy Spirit subsisting in the Father and Son in precious
Godhead. This faith we have learned from the blessed Andrew, the apostle of
oar Lord Jesus Christ, whose passion also we, having seen it set forth
before our eyes, have not hesitated to give an account of, according to the
degree of ability we have. Accordingly the proconsul  AEgeates,(1) having
come into the city of Patras, began to compel those believing in Christ to
worship the idols; to whom the blessed Andrew, running up, said: It behoved
thee, being a judge of men, to acknowledge thy Judge who is in the heaven,
and having acknowledged Him, to worship Him; and worshipping Him who is the
true God, to turn away thy thoughts from those which are not true gods.

   To whom AEgeates said: Art thou Andrew, who destroyest the temples of
the gods, and persuadest men about the religion which, having lately made
its appearance, the emperors of the Romans have given orders to suppress?

   The blessed Andrew said: The emperors of the Romans have never
recognised the truth. And this the Son of God, who came on account of the
salvation of men, manifestly teaches--that these idols are not only not
gods, but also most shameful demons,(2) and hostile to the human race,
teaching men to offend God, so that, by being offended, He turns away and
will not  hearken; that therefore, by His turning away and not hearkening,
they may be held captive by the devil; and that they might work them to
such a degree, that when they go out of the body they may be found deserted
and naked, carrying nothing with them bat sins.

    AEgeates said: These are superfluous and vain words: as for your
Jesus, for proclaiming these things to the Jews they nailed him to the tree
of the cross.

   The blessed Andrew answering, said: Oh, if thou wouldst recognise the
mystery of the cross, with what reasonable love the Author(3) of the life
of the human race for our restoration endured this tree of the cross, not
unwillingly, but willingly!

   AEgeates said: Seeing that, betrayed by his own disciple, and seized by
the Jews, he was brought before the procurator, and according to their
request was nailed up by the procurator's soldiers, in what way dost thou
say that he willingly endured the tree of the cross?

   The holy Andrew said: For this reason I say willingly, since I was with
Him when he was betrayed by His disciple. For before He was betrayed, He
spoke to us to the effect that He should be betrayed and crucified for the
salvation of men, and foretold that He should rise again on the third day.
To whom my brother Peter said,(4) Far be it from thee, Lord; let this by no
means be. And so, being angry, He said to Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan;
for thou art not disposed to the things of God. And in order that He might
most fully explain that He willingly underwent the passion, He said to
us,(5) I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again.
And, last of all, while He was supping with us, He said,(6) One of you will
betray me. At these words, therefore, all becoming exceedingly grieved, in
order that the surmise might be free from doubt, He made it clear, saying,
To whomsoever I shall give the piece of bread out of my hand, he it is who
betrays me. When, therefore, He gave it to one of our fellow-disciples, and
gave an account of  things to come as if they were already present, He
showed that He was to be willingly betrayed. For neither did He run away,
and leave His betrayer at fault; but remaining in the place in which He
knew that he was, He awaited him

   AEgeates said: I wonder that thou, being a sensible man, shouldst wish
to uphold him on any terms whatever; for, whether willingly or
unwillingly, all the same, thou admittest that he was fastened to the
cross.

   The blessed Andrew said: This is what I said, if now thou apprehendest,
that great is the mystery of the cross, which, if thou wishest, as is
likely, to hear, attend to me.(1)

   AEgeates said: A mystery it cannot be called, but a punishment.

   The blessed Andrew said: This punishment is the mystery of man's
restoration. If thou wilt  listen with any attention, thou wilt prove it.

   AEgeates said: I indeed will hear patiently; but thou, unless thou
submissively obey me, shalt receive(2) the mystery of the cross in thyself.

   The blessed Andrew answered: If I had been afraid of the tree of the
cross, I should not have proclaimed the glory of the cross.

   AEgeates said: Thy speech is foolish, because thou proclaimest that the
cross is not a punishment, and through thy foolhardiness thou art not
afraid of the punishment of death.

   The holy Andrew said: It is not through foolhardiness, but through
faith, that I am not afraid  of the punishment of death; for the death of
sins(3) is hard. And on this account I wish thee to hear the mystery of the
cross, in order that thou perhaps, acknowledging it, mayst believe, and
believing, mayst come somehow or other to the renewing of thy soul.

   AEgeates said: That which is shown to have perished is for renewing. Do
you mean that my soul has perished, that thou makest me come to the
renewing of it through the faith, I know not what, of which thou hast
spoken?

   The blessed Andrew answered: This it is which I desired time to learn,
which also I shall teach and make manifest, that though the souls of men
are destroyed, they shall be renewed through the mystery of the cross. For
the first man through the tree of transgression brought in death; and it
was necessary for the human race, that through the suffering of the tree,
death, which had come into the world, should be driven out. And since the
first man, who brought death into the world through the transgression of
the tree, had been produced from the spotless earth, it was necessary that
the Son of God should be begotten a perfect man from the spotless virgin,
that He should restore eternal life, which men had lost through Adam, and
should cut off(4) the tree of carnal appetite through the tree of the
cross. Hanging upon the cross, He stretched out His blameless hands for the
hands which had been incontinently stretched out; for the most sweet food
of the forbidden tree He received gall for food; and taking our mortality
upon Himself, He made a gift of His immortality to us.

   AEgeates said: With these words thou shalt be able to lead away those
who shall believe in thee; but unless thou hast come to grant me this, that
thou offer sacrifices to the almighty gods, I shall order thee, after
having been scourged, to be fastened to that very cross which thou
commendest.

   The blessed Andrew said: To God Almighty, who alone is true, I bring
sacrifice day by day not the smoke of incense, nor the flesh of bellowing
bulls, nor the blood of goats, but sacrificing a spotless lamb day by day
on the altar of the cross; and though all the people of the I faithful
partake of His body and drink His blood, the Lamb that has been sacrificed
remains after this entire and alive. Truly, therefore, is He sacrificed,
andtruly is His body  eaten by the people, and His blood is likewise drunk;
nevertheless, as I have said, He remains entire, and spotless, and alive.

   AEgeates said: How can this be?

   The blessed Andrew said: If thou wouldest  know, take the form of a
disciple, that thou mayst learn what thou art inquiring after.

   AEgeates said: I will exact of thee through tortures the gift of this
knowledge.

   The blessed Andrew declared: I wonder that thou, being an intelligent
man, shouldest fall into(5) the folly of thinking that thou mayst be able
to persuade me, through thy tortures, to disclose to thee the sacred things
of God. Thou hast heard the mystery of the cross, thou hast heard the
mystery of the sacrifice. If thou believest in Christ the Son of God, who
was crucified, I shall altogether disclose to thee in what manner the Lamb
that has been slain may live,  after having been sacrificed and eaten,
remaining in His kingdom entire and spotless.

   AEgeates said: And by what means does the lamb remain in his kingdom
after he has been slain and eaten by all the people, as thou hast said?

   The blessed Andrew said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou
shalt be able to learn: but if thou believest not, thou shalt not by any
means attain to the idea of such truth.

   Then AEgeates, enraged, ordered him to be shut up in prison, where,
when he was shut up,  a multitude of the people came together to him from
almost all the province, so that they wished to kill AEgeates, and by
breaking down the doors of the prison to set free the blessed Andrew the
apostle.

   Them the blessed Andrew admonished in these words, saying: Do not stir
up the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ into seditious and devilish uproar.
For my Lord, when He was betrayed, endured it with all patience; He did not
strive, He did not cry out, nor in the streets did any one hear Him crying
out.(1) Therefore do ye also keep silence, quietness, and peace; and hinder
not my martyrdom, but rather get yourselves also ready beforehand as
athletes to the Lord, in order that you may overcome threatenings by a soul
that has no fear of man, and that you may get the better of injuries
through the endurance of the body. For this temporary fall is not to be
feared; but that should be feared which has no end. The fear of men, then,
is like smoke which, while it is raised and gathered together, disappears.
And those torments ought to be feared which never have an end. For these
torments, which happen to be somewhat light, any one can bear; but if they
are heavy, they soon destroy life. But those torments are everlasting,
where there are daily weepings, and mournings, and lamentations, and never-
ending torture, to which the proconsul AEgeates is not afraid to go. Be ye
therefore rather prepared for this, that through temporary afflictions ye
may attain to everlasting rest, and may flourish for ever, and reign with
Christ.(2)

   The holy Apostle Andrew having admonished the people with these and
such like words through the whole night, when the light of day dawned,
AEgeates having sent for him, ordered the blessed Andrew to be brought to
him; and having sat down upon the tribunal, he said: I have thought that
thou, by thy reflection during the night, hast turned away thy thoughts
from folly, and given up thy commendation of Christ that thou mightst be
able to be with us, and not throw away the pleasures of life; for it is
folly to come for any purpose to the suffering of the cross, and to give
oneself up to most shameful punishments and burnings.

   The holy Andrew answered: I shall be able to have joy with thee, if
thou wilt believe in Christ, and throw away the worship of idols; for
Christ has sent me to this province, in which I have acquired for Christ a
people not the smallest.

   AEgeates said: For this reason I compel thee to make a libation, that
these people who have been deceived by thee may forsake the vanity of thy
teaching, and may themselves offer grateful libations to the gods; for not
even one city has remained in Achaia in which their temples(3) have not
been forsaken and deserted. And now, through thee, let them be again
restored to the worship of the images, in order that the gods also, who
have been enraged against thee, being pleased by this, may bring it about
that thou mayst return to their friendship anti ours. But if not, thou
awaitest varied tortures, on account of the vengeance of the gods; and
after these, fastened to the tree of the cross which thou commendest, thou
shall die.

   The holy Andrew said: Listen, O son of death and chaff made ready for
eternal burnings,(4) to me, the servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ.
Until now I have conversed with thee kindly about the perfection of the
faith, in order that thou, receiving the exposition of the truth, being
made perfect as its vindicator, mightst despise vain idols, and worship
God, who is in the heavens; but since thou remainest in the same
shamelessness at last, and thinkest me to be afraid because of thy threats,
bring against me whatever may seem to thee greater in the  way of tortures.
For the more shall I be well pleasing to my King, the more I shall endure
in tortures for the confession of His name.

   Then the proconsul AEgeates, being enraged, ordered the apostle of
Christ to be afflicted by tortures. Being stretched out, therefore, by
seven times three(5) soldiers, and beaten with violence, he was lifted up
and brought before the impious AEgeates. And he spoke to him thus: Listen
to me, Andrew, and withdraw thy thoughts from the outpouring of thy blood;
but if thou wilt not hearken to me, I shall cause thee to perish on the
tree of the cross.

   The holy Andrew said: I am a slave of the cross of Christ, and I ought
rather to pray to attain to the trophy of the cross than to be afraid; but
for thee is laid up eternal torment, which, however, thou mayst escape
after thou hast tested my endurance, if thou wilt believe in my Christ. For
I am afflicted about thy destruction, and I am not disturbed about my own
suffering. For my suffering takes up a space of one day, or two at most;
but thy torment for endless ages shall never come to a close. Wherefore
henceforward cease from adding to thy miseries, and lighting up everlasting
fire for thyself.

   AEgeates then being enraged, ordered the blessed Andrew to be fastened
to the cross.(6) And he having left them all, goes up to the cross, and
says to it with a clear voice: Rejoice, O cross, which has been consecrated
by the body of Christ, and adorned by His limbs as if with pearls.
Assuredly before my Lord went up on thee, thou hadst much earthly fear; but
now invested with heavenly longing, thou art fitted up(1) according to my
prayer. For I know, from those who believe, how many graces thou hast in
Him, how many gifts prepared beforehand. Free from care, then, and with
joy, I come to thee, that thou also exulting mayst receive me, the disciple
of Him that was hanged upon thee; because thou hast been always faithful to
me, and I have desired to embrace thee. O good cross, which hast received
comeliness and beauty from the limbs of the Lord; O much longed for, and
earnestly desired, and fervently sought after, and already prepared
beforehand for my soul longing for thee, take me away from men, and restore
me to my Master, in order that through thee He may accept me who through
thee has redeemed me.

   And having thus spoken, the blessed Andrew, standing on the ground, and
looking earnestly upon the cross, stripped himself and gave his clothes to
the executioners, having urged the brethren that the executioners should
come and do what had been commanded them; for they were standing at some
distance. And they having come up, lifted him on the cross; and having
stretched his body across with ropes, they only bound his feet, but did not
sever his joints,(2) having received this order from the proconsul: for he
wished him to be in distress while hanging, and in the night-time, as he
was suspended, to be eaten up alive by dogs.(3)

   And a great multitude of the brethren stood by, nearly twenty thousand;
and having beheld the executioners standing off, and that they had done to
the blessed one nothing of what those who were hanged up suffer, they
thought that they would again hear something from him; for assuredly, as he
was hanging, he moved his head smiling. And Stratocles inquired of him: Why
art thou smiling, Andrew, servant of God? Thy laughter makes us mourn and
weep, because we are deprived of thee. And the blessed Andrew answered him:
Shall I not laugh at all, my son Stratocles, at the empty stratagem of
AEgeates, through which he thinks to take vengeance upon us? We have
nothing to do with him and his plans. He cannot hear; for if he could, he
would be aware, having learned it by experience, that a man of Jesus is
unpunished.(4)

   And having thus spoken, he discoursed to them all in common, for the
people ran together enraged at the unjust judgment of AEgeates: Ye men
standing by me, and women, and children, and elders, bond and free, and as
many as will hear; I beseech you, forsake all this life, ye who have for my
sake assembled here; and hasten to take upon you my life, which leads to
heavenly things, and once for all despise all temporary things, confirming
the purposes of those who believe in Christ. And he exhorted them all,
teaching that the sufferings of this transitory life are not worthy to be
compared with the future recompense of the eternal life.

   And the multitude hearing what was said by him, did not stand off from
the place, and the blessed Andrew continued the rather to say to them more
than he had spoken. And so much was said by him, that a space of three days
and nights was taken up, and no one was tired and went away from him. And
when also on the fourth day they beheld his nobleness, and the
unweariedness of his intellect, and the multitude of his words, and the
serviceableness of his exhortations, and the stedfastness of his soul, and
the sobriety of his spirit, and the fixedness of his mind, and the
perfection of his reason, they were enraged against AEgeates; and all with
one accord hastened to the tribunal, and cried out against AEgeates, who
was sitting, saying: What is thy judgment, O proconsul? Thou hast judged
wickedly; thy awards are impious. In what has the man done wrong; what evil
has he done? The city has been put in an uproar; thou grievest us all; do
not betray Caesar's city. Grant willingly to the Achaians a just man; grant
willingly to us a God-fearing man; do not put to death a godly man. Four
days he has been hanging, and is alive; having eaten nothing, he  has
filled us all. Take down the man from the cross, and we shall all seek
after wisdom; release the man, and to all Achaia will mercy be shown. It is
not necessary that he should suffer this, because, though hanging, he does
not cease proclaiming the truth.

   And when the proconsul refused to listen to them, at first indeed
signing with his hand to the crowd to take themselves off, they began to be
emboldened against him, being in number about twenty thousand. And the
proconsul having beheld that they had somehow become maddened, afraid that
something frightful would befall him, rose up from the tribunal and went
away with them, having promised to set free the blessed Andrew. And some
went on before to tell the apostle the cause for which they came to the
place.

   While all the crowd, therefore, was exulting that the blessed Andrew
was going to be set free, the proconsul having come up, and all the
brethren rejoicing along with Maximilla,(1) the blessed Andrew, having
heard this, said to the brethren standing by: What is it necessary for me
to say to him, when I am departing to the Lord, that will I also say. For
what reason hast thou again come to us, AEgeates? On what account dost
thou, being a stranger to us,(2) come to us? What wilt thou again dare to
do, what to contrive? Tell us. Hast thou come to release us, as having
changed thy mind? I would not agree with thee that thou hadst really
changed thy mind. Nor would I believe thee, saying that thou art my friend.
Dost thou, O proconsul, release him that has been bound? By no means. For I
have One with whom I shall be  for ever; I have One with whom I shall live
to countless ages. To Him I go; to Him I hasten, who also having made thee
known to me, has said to me, Let not that fearful man terrify thee; do not
think that he will lay hold of thee, who art mine: for he is thine enemy.
Therefore, having known thee through him who has turned towards me, I am
delivered from thee. But if thou wishest to believe in Christ, there will
be opened up for time, as I promised thee, a way of access; but if thou
hast come only to release me, I shall not be able after this to be brought
down from this cross alive in the body. For I and my kinsmen depart to our
own, allowing thee to be what thou art, and what thou dost not know about
thyself. For already I see my King, already I worship Him, already I stand
before Him, where the fellowship(3) of the angels is, where He reigns the
only emperor, where there is light without night, where the flowers never
fade, where trouble is never known, nor the name of grief heard, where
there are cheerfulness and exultation that have no end. O blessed cross!
without the longing for thee, no one enters into that place. But I am
distressed, AEgeates, about thine own miseries, because eternal perdition
is ready to receive thee. Run then, for thine own sake, O pitiable one,
while yet thou canst, lest perchance thou shouldst wish then when thou
canst not.

   When, therefore, he attempted to come near the tree of the cross, so as
to release the blessed Andrew, with all the city applauding him, the  holy
Andrew said with a loud voice: Do not suffer Andrew, bound upon Thy tree,
to be released, O Lord; do not give me who am in Thy mystery to the
shameless devil. O Jesus Christ, let not Thine adversary release me, who
have been hanged by Thy favour; O Father, let this insignificant man no
longer humble him who has known Thy greatness. The executioners, therefore,
putting out their hands, were not able at all to touch him. Others, then,
and others endeavoured to release him, and no one at all was able to come
near him; for their arms were benumbed.

   Then the blessed Andrew, having adjured the people, said: I entreat you
earnestly, brethren, that I may first make one prayer to my Lord. So then
set about releasing me. All the people therefore kept quiet because of the
adjuration. Then the blessed Andrew, with a loud cry, said: Do not permit,
O Lord, Thy servant at this time to be removed from Thee; for it is time
that my body be committed to the earth, and Thou shalt order me to come to
Thee. Thou who givest eternal life, my Teacher whom I have loved, whom on
this cross I confess, whom I know, whom I possess, receive me, O Lord; and
as I have confessed Thee and obeyed Thee, so now in this word hearken to
me; and, before my body come down from the cross, receive me to Thyself,
that through my departure there may be access to Thee of many of my
kindred, finding rest for themselves in Thy majesty.

   When, therefore, he had said this, he became in the sight of all glad
and exulting; for an exceeding splendour like lightning coming forth out of
heaven shone down upon him, and so encircled him, that in consequence of
such brightness mortal eyes could not look upon him at all. And the
dazzling light remained about the space of half an hour. And when he had
thus spoken and glorified the Lord still more, the light withdrew itself,
and he gave up the ghost, and along with the brightness itself he departed
to the Lord in giving Him thanks.

   And after the decease of the most blessed Andrew the apostle, Maximilla
being the most powerful of the notable women,(4) and continuing among those
who had come, as soon as she learned that the apostle had departed to the
Lord, came up and turned her attention to the cross, along with Stratocles,
taking no heed at all of those standing by, and with reverence took down
the body of the most blessed apostle from the cross. And when it was
evening, bestowing upon him the necessary care, she prepared the body for
burial with costly spices, and  aid it in her own tomb. For she had been
parted from AEgeates on account of his brutal disposition and lawless
conduct, having chosen for herself a holy and quiet life; and having been
united to the love of Christ, she spent her life blessedly along with the
brethren.

   AEgeates had been very importunate with her, and promised that he would
make her mistress of his wealth; but not having been able to persuade her,
he was greatly enraged, and was determined to make a public charge against
all the people, and to send to Caesar an accusation against both Maximilla
and all the people. And while he was arranging these things in the presence
of his officers, at the dead of night he rose up, and unseen by all his
people, having been tormented by the devil, he fell down from a great
height, and rolling into the midst of the  market-place of the city,
breathed his last.

   And this was reported to his brother Stratocles; and he sent his
servants, having told them that they should bury him among those who had
died a violent death. But he sought nothing of his substance, saying: Let
not my Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I have believed, suffer me to touch
anything whatever of the goods of my brother, that the condemnation of him
who dared to cut off the apostle of the Lord may not disgrace me.

   These things were done in the province of Achaia, in the city of Patras
on the day before the kalends of December,(1) where his good deeds are kept
in mind even to this day, to the glory and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.(2)


Taken from "The Early Church Fathers and Other Works" originally published
by Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. in English in Edinburgh, Scotland, beginning in
1867. (ANF 8, Roberts and Donaldson). The digital version is by The
Electronic Bible Society, P.O. Box 701356, Dallas, TX 75370, 214-407-WORD.

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