A Christian Town Burned

Then too, soldiers surrounded a whole little town of Christians in Phrygia, men and all, set fire to it, and burned them up together with the little children and the women as they called upon the God over all. They did this because all the inhabitants of the town together, the curator himself and the magistrates with all the officials and the whole people, confessed themselves Christians and would not in any way obey those who ordered them to worship idols. [a] Another man, who held Roman rank, Adauctus by name, from a distinguished Italian family, had advanced through every honor under the emperors, so that he had filled without reproach even the general administrative posts of what they call the magistracy and the catholicate. On top of all this he was distinguished for his deeds of godliness and his confessions of the Christ of God, and he was adorned with the diadem of martyrdom, enduring the contest for godliness while still carrying out the duties of the catholicate. [c]