Artemius the Commander, and Publia the Deaconess and Her Divine Boldness

Artemius commanded the troops in Egypt. He had received this command in the time of Constantine, and he had destroyed most of the idols. For this reason Julian not only confiscated his property but ordered him to be beheaded. [a] These, and deeds like these, were the doings of the man whom the ungodly describe as the mildest and least passionate of men.

I will now include in my history the noble story of a most excellent woman; for even women, armed with divine zeal, despised Julian’s mad fury. In those days there was a woman named Publia, highly respected and famous for her virtuous deeds. For a short time she wore the yoke of marriage, and she had offered its finest fruit to God. For from this good soil sprang John, who was for a long time chief presbyter at Antioch, and who was often elected to the apostolic see but time after time declined the honor. She kept a company of virgins vowed to virginity for life, and spent her time praising God, who had made her and saved her. One day the emperor was passing by. Since they held the Destroyer in contempt and scorn, they struck up their music all the louder, chanting above all those psalms that mock the helplessness of idols. They sang in the words of David, “The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands”; and after describing how senseless the idols are, they added, “May those who make them be like them, and all who trust in them.” Julian heard them and was very angry, and told them to be quiet while he was passing. But she paid not the slightest attention to his orders. She put still more energy into their chant, and when the emperor passed by again, she told them to strike up, “Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered.” At this Julian in a rage ordered the leader of the choir to be brought before him. Though he saw that her old age deserved respect, he neither pitied her gray hairs nor respected her high character, but told some of his escort to strike her on both sides of her face and by their violence make her cheeks red. She, however, took the outrage as an honor and went back home, where, as was her habit, she kept up her attack on him with her spiritual songs, just as the composer and teacher of the song had calmed the evil spirit that troubled Saul. [b]