Martin Pleads for the Accused

So all whom the case involved were brought before the king. The bishops Hydatius and Ithacius followed as accusers. I would by no means blame their zeal in overthrowing heretics, if they had not fought for victory more keenly than was fitting. And my own feeling, indeed, is that the accusers displeased me as much as the accused. [a]

I certainly hold that Ithacius had no worth or holiness about him. He was a bold, talkative, shameless and extravagant man, far too devoted to the pleasures of sensuality. He went so far in his folly as to charge all those men, however holy, who either loved reading or made it their aim to outdo one another in fasting, with being friends or disciples of Priscillian. The miserable wretch even dared to bring a disgraceful charge of heresy publicly against Martin, who was then a bishop, and a man plainly worthy to be compared with the apostles.

For Martin, who was then staying at Trier, never stopped pressing Ithacius to give up his accusations, or begging Maximus not to shed the blood of these unhappy people. He maintained that it was punishment enough that, having been declared heretics by a sentence of the bishops, they should be expelled from the churches; and that it was, besides, a foul and unheard-of outrage for a secular ruler to be judge in a case of the church. And in fact, as long as Martin was still there, the trial was put off. And when he was about to depart, he used his remarkable influence to obtain a promise from Maximus that no cruel measure would be decided on against the guilty.

But afterward the emperor was led astray by Magnus and Rufus and turned from the milder course Martin had advised. He entrusted the case to the prefect Evodius, a man of stern and severe character. Evodius tried Priscillian at two hearings and convicted him of evil conduct. In fact, Priscillian did not deny that he had given himself up to lewd teachings, that he had been in the habit of holding gatherings of vile women by night, and of praying naked. So Evodius pronounced him guilty and sent him back to prison until he had time to consult the emperor. Then the whole matter, in all its details, was reported to the palace, and the emperor decreed that Priscillian and his friends should be put to death.