Golauduch, a Christian Woman of Persia, Much Tortured, in the Year 598

About the year 598, in the time of the Emperor Mauritius, Golauduch, a woman of Persia, who had once been an adherent of the Persian religion, but afterward became converted to Christ, and, therefore, had been baptized upon her faith, and remained steadfast in the confession of the Christian religion, even to death. Of this, Evagrius makes mention, whom we take to be the same one of whom we have spoken elsewhere, and shown that he has described and commended as something praiseworthy the baptism of candidates, that is, of those who were baptized upon confession of faith.

He writes the following of said Golauduch: "At that time (namely, in the reign of Mauritius), there lived among us the godly martyr Golauduch, who, having suffered many and severe torments at the hands of the magi or Persian priests, finally obtained the martyr's crown. Of her life old Stephen, Bishop of Hierapolis, has written an account." [n313-3] Compare Evagr., book 6, chapter 19; also, Nicephor., book 18, chapter 25, ex Act. Sabulosis, with A. Mell., 1619; folio 301, column 1.

Abraham Mellinus and J. Mehrning, however, differ in regard to the supposed time in which Evagrius (who, it appears, wrote the above account of the martyrdom of Golauduch) is said to have lived, J. Mehrning referring him to the middle of the fifth century, while Abraham Mellinus, on the other hand, places him almost at the close of the sixth. This difference of chronology we leave to them, holding, nevertheless, that they both wrote of one and the same person, who was a good historian and well versed in ecclesiastical affairs.