Euplius, a Pious Christian, in the Year 303

On the 12th of August, in the year 303, a certain pious Christian called Euplius was surprised by the inquisitors of the Romans, in the city of Catana in Sicily, as he was engaged in reading the Gospel and instructing other Christians. They arrested him and brought him near the tribunal, where the clerk of the criminal court and the judge sat.

Meanwhile Euplius cried aloud: "I am a Christian, and wish to die for the name of Christ."

Calvisianus, the Proconsul, hearing this, said: "Bring in here the man who cried out like that."

When Euplius had entered the tribunal, carrying the Gospel books with him, one of the Proconsul's friends said: "It is not right for him to carry such papers with him, against the prohibition of the Emperors."

The Proconsul asked Euplius where he had these writings from, and whether he had brought them from his house.

Euplius answered: "I have no house. My Lord Jesus Christ knows that I have no house."

Then the Proconsul commanded him with a loud voice to read something out of the writings.

Euplius opened the book and read these words: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Also: "Whoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and so on.

When he had read these and similar passages, the Proconsul said: "What does all this mean?"

Euplius replied: "This is the law of my Lord, of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God."

The Proconsul, having heard this confession of Christ, said: "Let him be handed over to the executioners, put to the rack, and examined in that way."

He was then very grievously, indeed inhumanly, tormented, and commanded to give up the Scriptures he had with him, and to have them burned to the dishonor of Jesus Christ. All of this he steadfastly refused to do; moreover, he openly called upon the name of Jesus Christ, because he had been found worthy to suffer for His name's sake.

Then he was again led to the rack and dreadfully tormented in the same way as before. But he bore it patiently, and called upon the Lord, saying: "I thank You, O Christ! Help me, O Christ! For Your sake I suffer all this, O Christ!"

In short, the Proconsul, still more enraged by this, went into the tribunal and gave the sentence of death to the clerk of the criminal court, so that he might write it out against this good man. Then, coming out again from the tribunal and bringing with him the tablet that held the death sentence, he read it aloud, as follows: "I command that Euplius, the Christian, be slain with the sword, because he despises the gods of the Emperors, blasphemes the other gods, and does not repent." He further said: "Lead him away."

When this sentence had been read, the Gospel book he had with him when he was arrested was at once hung around his neck, and the crier went before him, crying out: "Euplius, the enemy of the gods and the Emperors, is led to death." Euplius went joyfully to the place where he was to be put to death, continually thanking Christ for His grace. When he had arrived at the place of execution, he bowed his knees with great reverence and prayed to the Lord his God. As soon as he had finished, he offered his neck to the sword and poured out his blood as a drink offering to the Lord. His dead body was afterwards taken away by the Christians and buried. This happened at Catana, in Sicily, in the year 303, after the twelfth day of the month of August had passed. Acta, manuscript, Proconsular. Baron., edition in Annals 1, 2, in the year 303. Alia per Metaphrastem, compared with A. Mell., 1st book, folio 117, columns 2 to 4. [n253-1]