An Old Man of Ninety Years, Called Photinus

In Eusebius' Church History, as well as in several other ancient writers, mention is made of a certain old man, more than ninety years old, called Photinus, a teacher of the church at Lyons, in France. It is stated of him that because of his great age he could not walk, but that, having such a burning desire to die for the name of Christ, he, as A. Mellinus has recorded, had himself carried before the judgment seat, in order to be sentenced to death with the other martyrs. When he was brought to the tribunal by the soldiers, the magistracy of the city of Lyons, and the whole multitude of the people followed him, and began to cry out that he was a Christian, with much slander and abusive language. Eusebius says that, as this old man stood before the judge at the tribunal, the common people began to cry "This is Christ Himself."

When the judge then asked him who the God of the Christians was, he answered with remarkable candor: "If you are worthy of it, you will know." This displeased the judge so greatly that he ordered this pious witness of Jesus to be struck in his face with fists. Then he was most unmercifully pushed, kicked, pulled, and beaten by the bystanders, and pelted with whatever they could get hold of, without regard to the feebleness of his age; indeed, they counted as his accomplices those who did not show enough diligence in assaulting and abusing this aged man in every way.

Photinus, having been thus maltreated, indeed, nearly beaten to death, so that life seemed almost gone, was taken from the tribunal back into prison, where, after two days of great misery, having commended his soul into the hands of God, he died, and so attained a blessed end. Compare Euseb., 5th book, 2nd chapter, folio 83, columns 1 and 2 with Joh. Gys., folio 17, column 1, on the name Photinus. Also, A. Mell., 1st book, folio 46, column 2, from various other authors. Also, Introduction, folio 38, column 1, erroneously called Photimus. [n161-1]