The Martyrdom of Acepsimas and His Companions

About this time they arrested Acepsimas the bishop and many of his clergy. After consulting together, they contented themselves with hunting down the leader alone, and they let the rest go after taking away their property. But James, one of the presbyters, followed Acepsimas of his own accord. He obtained permission from the Magi to share his prison, and he served the old man with spirit, lightened his sufferings as far as he could, and dressed his wounds. For not long after his arrest the Magi had cruelly tortured him with rawhide thongs to force him to worship the sun, and when he refused, they had put him back in chains. Two presbyters named Aithalas and James, and two deacons named Azadanes and Abdiesus, after being cruelly scourged by the Magi, were forced to live in prison because of their beliefs. [a]

After a long time had passed, the great chief of the Magi reported to the king the facts about those who were to be punished. He received permission to deal with them as he pleased unless they agreed to worship the sun, and he made this decision of Sapor’s known to the prisoners. They answered openly that they would never betray the cause of Christ or worship the sun, and he tortured them without mercy. Acepsimas held firm in a manly confession of his faith until death put an end to his torments. Certain Armenians, whom the Persians were holding as hostages, secretly carried away his body and buried it. The other prisoners, though scourged no less, lived as if by a miracle; and since they would not change their minds, they were put in chains again. Among these was Aithalas. He was stretched out while he was beaten, and his arms were torn out of his shoulders by the violent wrench. He carried his hands about dead and dangling loosely, so that others had to put food into his mouth.

Under this rule a countless multitude of presbyters, deacons, monks, holy virgins, and others who served the churches and were set apart for its teaching ended their lives in martyrdom. These are the names of the bishops, as far as I have been able to learn them: Barbasymes, Paul, Gaddiabes, Sabinus, Mareas, Mocius, John, Hormisdas, Papas, James, Romas, Maares, Agas, Bochres, Abdas, Abdiesus, John, Abramins, Agdelas, Sapores, Isaac, and Dausas. Dausas had been taken prisoner by the Persians and brought from a place called Zabdaeus. He died about this time in defense of the doctrine; and Mareabdes, a chorepiscopus, and about two hundred and fifty of his clergy, who had also been captured by the Persians, suffered with him.