Persecution in Egypt

Who would even call them pagans, much less Christians? Would anyone regard their habits and feelings as human, and not rather as those of wild beasts, seeing how cruel and savage they are? They are more worthless than public executioners, and bolder than all other heretics. They fall far below the pagans, and stand far apart and separate from them. I have heard from our fathers, and I believe their report is true, that long ago, when a persecution arose in the time of Maximian, the grandfather of Constantius, the pagans hid our brothers the Christians when they were being hunted. They often lost their own property and went to prison, simply so that they would not betray the fugitives. They protected those who fled to them for refuge as they would have protected themselves, and they were determined to run every risk on their behalf. But now these admirable people, the inventors of a new heresy, do exactly the opposite, and are distinguished for nothing but their treachery. They have appointed themselves executioners. They try to betray everyone alike, and they plot against those who hide others, counting the one who hides and the one who is hidden equally as their enemy. That is how murderous they are; that is how eagerly they copy the wickedness of Judas in their evil deeds. [a]

The crimes these men have committed cannot be described as they deserve. I will only say this. As I write and try to list all their wicked deeds, the thought comes to me whether this heresy is not the fourth daughter of the leech in the Proverbs. For after so many acts of injustice and so many murders, it has still not said, “It is enough.” No, it still rages, and goes about looking for those it has not yet found, while it is eager to injure again those it has already injured. After the night attack, after the evils that came of it, after the persecution brought about by Heraclius, they still do not stop accusing us falsely before the emperor, confident that, ungodly as they are, they will get a hearing. They want something more than banishment inflicted on us, and they want all who do not consent to their ungodliness to be destroyed from now on. And so, grown bold beyond all measure, that utterly depraved Secundus of the Pentapolis, and Stephanus his accomplice, knowing that their heresy would be a defense for any injustice they committed, found a presbyter at Barka who would not do what they wanted. His name was Secundus too: the same name as the heretic, but not the same faith. They kicked him until he died. While he was suffering this, he imitated the saint, and said: “Let no one avenge my cause before human judges. I have the Lord as my avenger, for whose sake I suffer these things at their hands.” But they were not moved to pity by these words, nor did they feel any awe of the sacred season; for it was during Lent that they kicked the man to death. [c]

O new heresy, you that have put on the whole devil in ungodliness and wicked deeds! For in truth it is an evil invented only lately. Some before it seem to have held its doctrines, but they hid them and were not known to hold them. But Eusebius and Arius, like snakes coming out of their holes, have vomited out the poison of this ungodliness: Arius daring to blaspheme openly, and Eusebius defending his blasphemy. Yet he was not able to hold up the heresy until, as I said before, he found a patron for it in the emperor. Our fathers called an ecumenical council, where three hundred of them, more or less, met together. They condemned the Arian heresy, and all declared that it was alien and foreign to the faith of the church. At this its supporters, seeing that they were disgraced and had no good argument left to press, devised another method, and tried to defend it by outside power. And here one may especially wonder at how new, and how wicked, their scheme is, and how they go beyond all other heresies. For the others support their madness by persuasive arguments designed to deceive the simple. The Greeks, as the apostle has said, make their attack with excellence and persuasiveness of speech, and with plausible fallacies. The Jews, leaving the divine Scriptures, now argue, as the apostle again has said, about “fables and endless genealogies.” And the Manichaeans and Valentinians with them, and others, corrupt the divine Scriptures and put out fables in terms of their own invention. But the Arians are bolder than all of them, and have shown that the other heresies are only their younger sisters. As I have said, they outdo them in ungodliness, rivaling them all, and especially the Jews, in wickedness. For just as the Jews, when they could not prove the charges they pretended to bring against Paul, at once led him to the commander and the governor, so these men, who outdo the Jews in their schemes, use only the power of the judges. If anyone so much as speaks against them, he is dragged before the governor or the general. [h]

The other heresies, too, when the truth itself has refuted them with the clearest evidence, usually fall silent, simply put to confusion by being proven wrong. But this new and accursed heresy, when it is overthrown by argument, when it is thrown down and covered with shame by the truth itself, at once tries to force by violence, beatings and prison those it could not persuade by argument. By doing so it admits that it is anything but godly. For it belongs to true godliness not to compel but to persuade, as I said before. So our Lord himself, not using force but leaving it to their free choice, said to all, “If anyone will follow after me,” and to his disciples, “Do you also want to go away?” This heresy, however, is altogether foreign to godliness. How else, then, should it act than against our Savior, seeing that it has also enlisted that enemy of Christ, Constantius, as if he were Antichrist himself, to be its leader in ungodliness? For its sake he has worked hard to rival Saul in savage cruelty. For when the priests gave food to David, Saul gave the order and they were all destroyed, three hundred and five of them. And this man, now that everyone shuns the heresy and confesses a sound faith in the Lord, sets aside a council of a full three hundred bishops, banishes the bishops themselves, and keeps the people from the practice of godliness and from their prayers to God by preventing their public assemblies. And as Saul overthrew Nob, the city of the priests, so this man, going even further in wickedness, has handed the churches over to the ungodly. And as Saul honored Doeg the accuser above the true priests, and persecuted David, listening to the Ziphites, so this man prefers heretics to the godly, and still persecutes those who flee from him, listening to his own eunuchs, who falsely accuse the orthodox. He does not see that whatever he does or writes on behalf of the Arian heresy is an attack on the Savior. [k]

Ahab himself did not deal so cruelly with the priests of God as this man has dealt with the bishops. Ahab at least was stung in his conscience when Naboth had been murdered, and was afraid at the sight of Elijah. But this man neither respected the great Hosius, nor grew weary, nor felt any sting of conscience after banishing so many bishops. Like another Pharaoh, the more he is afflicted, the harder he becomes, and he plots greater wickedness day by day. And the most extraordinary example of his wickedness was this. It happened that when the bishops were sentenced to banishment, certain other people also received their sentences, on charges of murder or rebellion or theft, each according to his offense. After a few months he released these men when he was asked to, as Pilate released Barabbas. But the servants of Christ he not only refused to set free; he even sentenced them to harsher punishment in the place of their exile, proving himself “an undying evil” to them. To the others he became a friend, because they were like him in character; but to the orthodox he was an enemy, because of their true faith in Christ. Is it not plain to everyone from this that the Jews of old, when they demanded Barabbas and crucified the Lord, were only playing the part that these present enemies of Christ are playing together with Constantius? Indeed, he is even more bitter than Pilate. For Pilate, when he saw the injustice of the deed, washed his hands; but this man, while he banishes the saints, gnashes his teeth at them more and more. [n]

But what wonder is it if, once he has been led into ungodly errors, he is so cruel to the bishops, when even the common feelings of humanity could not move him to spare his own family? He killed his uncles; he did away with his cousins; he had no pity for the sufferings of his father-in-law, though he had married his daughter, or of his other relatives. He has always broken his oaths to everyone. In the same way he treated his brother in an unholy manner. And now he pretends to build his brother’s tomb, although he handed over to the barbarians Olympias, his brother’s betrothed, whom his brother had protected until his death and had brought up to be his wife. He has even tried to set aside his brother’s wishes, though he boasts that he is his heir; for that is what he writes, in terms that anyone with even a little sense would be ashamed of. But when I compare his letters, I find that he does not have ordinary understanding. His mind is guided only by what others suggest to him, and he has no mind of his own at all. Now Solomon says, “If a ruler listens to lies, all his servants are wicked.” This man proves by his actions that he is such an unjust ruler, and that those around him are wicked. [p]

How then, being such a man, and taking pleasure in such companions, can he ever plan anything just or reasonable, tangled as he is in the wickedness of his followers, men who truly bewitch him, or rather who have trampled his brains under their heels? That is why he now writes letters, then regrets writing them, and after regretting is stirred to anger again, and then again bewails his fate. Not knowing what to do, he shows a soul empty of understanding. Since that is his character, one must honestly pity him, because under the appearance and name of freedom he is the slave of those who drag him along to satisfy their own ungodly pleasure. In a word, through his folly and fickleness, as the Scripture says, he is willing to go along with the desires of others, and so he has given himself up to condemnation, to be consumed by fire in the judgment to come. He at once consents to do whatever they want, and gratifies them in their designs against the bishops and in their exercise of authority over the churches. For look: he has now again thrown into confusion all the churches of Alexandria, Egypt and Libya, and has publicly ordered that the bishops of the catholic church and faith be thrown out of their churches, and that the churches all be handed over to those who profess the Arian doctrines. The general began to carry out this order. At once bishops were sent off in chains, and presbyters and monks were bound with iron after being beaten almost to death. Disorder reigns everywhere. All Egypt and Libya are in danger. The people are indignant at this unjust command, seeing in it the preparation for the coming of Antichrist, and watching their property plundered by others and handed over to the heretics. [r]

When was such wickedness ever heard of? When was such an evil deed ever done, even in times of persecution? Those who persecuted in former times were pagans, but they did not bring their idols into the churches. Zenobia was Jewish and a supporter of Paul of Samosata, but she did not hand the churches over to the Jews to be synagogues. This is a new kind of wickedness. It is not simply persecution, but more than persecution: it is a prelude and preparation for the coming of Antichrist. Even granting that they invented false charges against Athanasius and the rest of the bishops they banished, what does that have to do with what they have done since? What charges can they bring against the whole of Egypt and Libya and the Pentapolis? For they no longer plot against individuals, where they might be able to make up a lie against them. They have attacked everyone together, so that if they merely choose to invent accusations against them, they must be condemned. So their wickedness has blinded their understanding. Without giving any reason, they have demanded that the whole body of bishops be expelled. By doing so they show that the charges they made up against Athanasius and the rest of the bishops they banished were false, invented for no other purpose than to support the accursed heresy of the Arian enemies of Christ. This is no longer hidden, but has become perfectly clear to everyone. He ordered Athanasius to be expelled from the city, and handed the churches over to them. The presbyters and deacons who were with him, who had been appointed by Peter and Alexander, were also expelled and driven into banishment. And the real Arians have taken possession of the churches: those who had been expelled at the very beginning, together with Arius himself, by Bishop Alexander, not because of any suspicion arising from circumstances, but because of the heresy. These are Secundus in Libya; in Alexandria, Euzoius the Canaanite, Julius, Ammon, Marcus, Irenaeus, Zosimus, and Sarapion, surnamed Pelycon; and in Libya, Sisinnius and the younger men with him, his partners in ungodliness. [s]

The general Sebastian wrote to the governors and military officers everywhere. The true bishops were persecuted, and those who professed ungodly doctrines were brought in in their place. They banished bishops who had grown old in their office and had been bishops for many years, having been ordained by Bishop Alexander. Ammonius, Hermes, Anagamphus and Marcus they sent to the Upper Oasis; Muis, Psenosiris, Nilammon, Plenes, Marcus and Athenodorus to Ammoniaca, with no other intention than that they should die on their way through the deserts. They had no pity on them, though they were ill. In fact the bishops made the journey with such difficulty because of their weakness that they had to be carried in litters, and their sickness was so dangerous that the things needed for their burial went along with them. One of them did die, but they would not even let his body be given to his friends for burial. With the same purpose they also banished Bishop Dracontius to the desert places around Clysma, Philo to Babylon, Adelphius to Psinabla in the Thebaid, and the presbyters Hierax and Dioscorus to Syene. They likewise drove into exile Ammonius, Agathus, Agathodaemon, Apollonius, Eulogius, Apollos, Paphnutius, Gaius and Flavius, aged bishops, and also the bishops Dioscorus, Ammonius, Heraclides and Psais. Some of these they gave up to work in the stone quarries; others they persecuted, meaning to destroy them; and many others they plundered. They also banished forty of the laity, along with certain virgins whom they had earlier exposed to the fire. They beat them so severely with rods cut from palm trees that some of them died after lingering five days, and others had to have surgery because of the thorns left in their limbs, from which they suffered torments worse than death. But what is most dreadful to any person of sound mind, though typical of these villains, is this. When the virgins called on the name of Christ during the scourging, they gnashed their teeth at them with greater fury. Worse still, they would not give the bodies of the dead to their friends for burial, but hid them, so that they might seem to know nothing of the murder. Yet they did not escape detection. The whole city saw it, and everyone shunned them as executioners, criminals and robbers. They also tore down monasteries and tried to throw monks into the fire. They plundered houses, and broke into the house of certain free citizens where the bishop had left a treasure for safekeeping, and plundered it and carried it off. They beat the widows on the soles of their feet, and kept them from receiving their alms. [v]

These were the wicked deeds of the Arians. And as for their further acts of ungodliness, who could hear of them without shuddering? They had caused these venerable old men and aged bishops to be banished; now they appointed in their place immoral young pagans, whom they meant to raise at once to the highest rank, though they were not even catechumens. Others, who were accused of having two wives and of even worse crimes, they named bishops because of the wealth and civil power they had, and sent them out as if from a market, once they had paid them gold. And now still more dreadful calamities fell on the people. For when they rejected these hired men of the Arians, so foreign to themselves, they were beaten, they were outlawed, they were shut up in prison by the general (who did all this readily, being a Manichaean). The aim was that they should no longer seek their own bishops, but be forced to accept men they loathed, men who were now guilty of the same mockeries they had practiced earlier among their idols. [x]

Will not every just person break out into lamentation on seeing or hearing these things, on perceiving the arrogance and extreme injustice of these ungodly men? “The righteous mourn in the place of the ungodly.” After all this, now that the ungodliness has reached such a pitch of daring, who will any longer venture to call this Costyllius a Christian, and not rather the image of Antichrist? For what mark of Antichrist is still missing? How can he possibly fail to be taken for that one? Or how can that one fail to be thought such a man as he is? Did not the Arians and the pagans offer those sacrifices in the great church in the Caesareum, and utter their blasphemies against Christ, as if by his command? And does not the vision of Daniel describe Antichrist like this: that he will make war with the saints and prevail against them, and outdo all who were before him in evil deeds, and humble three kings, and speak words against the Most High, and think to change times and laws? Now who besides Constantius has ever tried to do these things? He is surely such a one as Antichrist would be. He speaks words against the Most High by supporting this ungodly heresy. He makes war against the saints by banishing the bishops, though indeed he holds this power only for a little while, to his own destruction. Moreover, he has outdone those before him in wickedness, having devised a new kind of persecution. And after he had overthrown three kings, namely Vetranio, Magnentius and Gallus, he at once took up the patronage of ungodliness, and like a giant he has dared in his pride to set himself up against the Most High. He has thought to change laws, by breaking the ordinance of the Lord given us through his apostles, by altering the customs of the church, and by inventing a new kind of appointment. For he sends bishops from strange places, fifty days’ journey away, escorted by soldiers, to people unwilling to receive them. And instead of being introduced to their people, they bring threatening messages and letters to the magistrates. So he sent Gregory from Cappadocia to Alexandria; he moved Germinius from Cyzicus to Sirmium; he moved Cecropius from Laodicea to Nicomedia. [y]

Again, he moved one Auxentius from Cappadocia to Milan, an intruder rather than a Christian, and ordered him to stay there, after he had banished Dionysius, the bishop of that place, a godly man, for his devotion to Christ. But this person did not yet even know the Latin language, and was unskilled in everything except ungodliness. And now one George, a Cappadocian, who had held a contract for supplies at Constantinople and had to flee after embezzling all the money he received, he ordered to enter Alexandria with military pomp, backed by the authority of the general. Next, finding one Epictetus, a recent convert, a bold young man, he loved him, seeing that he was ready for wickedness. Through him he carries out his designs against those of the bishops he wants to ruin, for Epictetus is prepared to do whatever the emperor wishes. Making use of his help, the emperor has done a strange thing at Rome, but one that truly resembles the malice of Antichrist. He made preparations in the palace instead of the church, and had some three of his own eunuchs attend instead of the people. Then he forced three wretched spies (for one cannot call them bishops) to ordain, if you please, one Felix as bishop, a man worthy of them, there in the palace. For the people, seeing the wicked doings of the heretics, would not let them enter the churches, and kept far away from them. [ae]

Now what is still missing to make him Antichrist? Or what more could Antichrist do at his coming than this man has done? When Antichrist comes, will he not find that this man has already prepared the way for him to deceive the people easily? Again, he claims for himself the right to decide cases, which he refers to the court instead of the church, and he presides over them in person. And strange to say, when he sees the accusers at a loss, he takes up the accusation himself, so that the injured party can no longer defend himself because of the violence he shows. This is what he did in the proceedings against Athanasius. The bishops Paulinus, Lucifer, Eusebius and Dionysius spoke boldly. From the recantation of Ursacius and Valens they refuted those who spoke against the bishop, and advised that Valens and his party should no longer be believed, since they had already retracted what they were now asserting. When he saw this, he immediately stood up and said: “I am now the accuser of Athanasius. On my account you must believe what these men say.” Then they said: “But how can you be an accuser when the accused is not present? Even if you are his accuser, he is not present, and so he cannot be tried. And the case is not one that concerns Rome, so that you should be believed because you are the emperor. It is a matter that concerns a bishop, and the trial ought to be conducted on equal terms for the accuser and the accused. Besides, how can you accuse him? You could not have been present to witness the conduct of a man who lived so far away from you. If you are only repeating what you have heard from these men, you ought also to believe what he says. But if you will not believe him while you do believe them, it is plain that they say these things for your sake, and accuse Athanasius only to please you.” When he heard this, he took what they had so truly said as an insult to himself, and sent them into banishment. And being enraged against Athanasius, he wrote in a more savage tone, demanding that Athanasius should suffer what has now happened to him, that the churches should be handed over to the Arians, and that they should be allowed to do whatever they pleased. [ah]

Terrible indeed, and worse than terrible, are such proceedings; yet they are conduct fitting for one who takes on the character of Antichrist. Who, seeing him take the lead among his pretended bishops and preside over church cases, would not rightly cry out that this is “the abomination of desolation” spoken of by Daniel? For having put on the profession of Christianity, and entering the holy places and standing in them, he lays waste the churches, breaking their canons and enforcing obedience to his own decrees. Will anyone now dare to say that this is a peaceful time for Christians, and not a time of persecution? A persecution indeed, such as never arose before, and such as perhaps no one will stir up again except “the son of lawlessness,” is what these enemies of Christ are carrying on, and they already present a picture of him in their own persons. That is why we must be especially sober. This heresy has reached such a height of shamelessness, has spread abroad like “the poison of an adder,” as it is written in the Proverbs, and teaches doctrines contrary to the Savior. We must take care that it is not that “falling away” after which he will be revealed, of whom Constantius is surely the forerunner. Otherwise, why is he so furious against the godly? Why does he fight for it as his own heresy, and call everyone his enemy who will not go along with the madness of Arius? Why does he gladly accept the charges of the enemies of Christ, and dishonor so many venerable councils? Why did he order that the churches be handed over to the Arians? Was it not so that, when that other one comes, he may find a way to enter them by this means, and may take to himself the man who has prepared those places for him? For the old bishops who were ordained by Alexander, and by his predecessor Achillas, and by Peter before him, have been thrown out. And men have been brought in whom the companions of soldiers nominated; and they nominated only those who promised to adopt their doctrines. [ai]

This was an easy proposal for the Melitians to go along with. For most of them, or rather all of them, have never had a religious education. They do not know the “sound faith” in Christ, nor do they know at all what Christianity is, or what writings we Christians have. Some of them came from the worship of idols, others from the town council or from the chief civil offices, for the sake of the miserable exemption from public duties and for the patronage they gained. By bribing the Melitians who came before them, they were advanced to this rank even before they had been under instruction. And even if they pretended to have been under instruction, what kind of instruction is there to be had among the Melitians? But in fact, without even pretending to be under instruction, they came, and at once were called bishops, just as children are given a name. Being people of this kind, they thought the matter of no great importance, and did not even suppose that godliness was different from ungodliness. So from being Melitians they readily and quickly became Arians. And if the emperor should order them to take up any other profession, they are ready to change again to that as well. Their ignorance of true godliness quickly leads them to submit to whatever folly is in power, and to whatever they happen to be taught first. For it means nothing to them to be carried about by every wind and storm, so long as they are exempt from public duties and gain the patronage of men. They would probably not hesitate to change back again to what they were before, even to become what they were when they were pagans. At any rate, being men of such an easy temper, treating the church like a town council, and being idolaters at heart like the pagans, they put on the honorable name of the Savior, and under it they polluted the whole of Egypt, by making even the name of the Arian heresy known there. For until now Egypt has been the only country throughout which the profession of the orthodox faith was boldly maintained. That is why these misbelievers have tried to bring jealousy in there too, or rather not they, but the devil who stirred them up. He did it so that when his herald, Antichrist, comes, he may find that the churches in Egypt are his too, and that the Melitians have already been taught his principles, and may recognize himself as already formed in them. [aj]

Such is the effect of that wicked order issued by Constantius. On the part of the people there was shown a ready eagerness to suffer martyrdom, and a growing hatred of this most ungodly heresy. Yet there were lamentations for their churches, and groans broke from all, while they cried to the Lord: “Spare your people, O Lord, and do not give your heritage to your enemies for a reproach. Make haste to rescue us from the hand of the lawless. For see, they have not spared your servants, but are preparing the way for Antichrist.” For the Melitians will never resist him, nor will they care for the truth, nor will they think it an evil thing to deny Christ. They are men who have not come to the word sincerely. Like the chameleon they take on every kind of appearance; they are hirelings of anyone who will make use of them. They do not make the truth their aim, but put their present pleasure before it. They say only, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Such a profession and faithless temper is more fitting for Epicritian players than for Melitians. But the faithful servants of our Savior, and the true bishops who believe sincerely and live not for themselves but for the Lord, faithfully believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. They know, as I said before, that the charges brought against the truth were false, and plainly made up for the sake of the Arian heresy. For through the recantation of Ursacius and Valens they found out the slanders that were devised against Athanasius in order to get him out of the way and to bring the ungodliness of the enemies of Christ into the churches. These men, I say, seeing all this, as defenders and preachers of the truth, chose to be insulted and driven into banishment, and endured it, rather than sign against him and hold communion with the Arian madmen. They did not forget the lessons they had taught others. Indeed, they know well that great dishonor awaits the traitors, but the kingdom of heaven awaits those who confess the truth. They know that no good thing will come to the careless and to those who fear Constantius; but those who endure troubles here, as sailors reach a quiet harbor after a storm, and as wrestlers receive a crown after the contest, will obtain great and eternal joy and delight in heaven. Such joy Joseph obtained after his troubles; such the great Daniel had after his trials and the many plots of the courtiers against him; such Paul now enjoys, crowned by the Savior; such the people of God everywhere expect. Seeing these things, they did not waver in their purpose, but grew strong in faith and increased in zeal more and more. Fully convinced of the slanders and the ungodliness of the heretics, they condemn the persecutor, and in heart and mind run the same race with those who are persecuted, so that they too may obtain the crown of confession. [an]

One could say much more against this hateful and antichristian heresy, and could show by many arguments that what Constantius is doing is a prelude to the coming of Antichrist. But as the prophet has said, from the feet even to the head there is no reasonableness in it; it is full of all filthiness and all ungodliness, so that even its name ought to be avoided like a dog’s vomit or the poison of snakes. And Costyllius openly displays the image of the adversary. And so, to keep our words from being too many, it will be well to be content with the divine Scripture, and for all of us to obey the command it has given us, both about the other heresies and especially about this one. That command is this: “Depart, depart, go out from there, touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of them, and be separate, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.” This should be enough to instruct us all. So if anyone has been deceived by them, let him go out from them as from Sodom, and not return to them again, so that he does not suffer the fate of Lot’s wife. And if anyone has kept himself pure from this ungodly heresy from the beginning, let him glory in Christ and say: “We have not stretched out our hands to a strange god, nor have we worshiped the works of our own hands, nor served the creature more than you, the God who created all things through your Word, the only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, to you the Father, together with the same Word, in the Holy Spirit, be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.” [aq]

The people of the catholic church in Alexandria, which is under the government of the most reverend Bishop Athanasius, make this public protest through those whose names are written below. We have already protested against the night attack that was made on ourselves and on the Lord’s house, although in truth no protest was needed about things the whole city already knows. For the bodies of the slain that were found were laid out in public, and the bows and arrows and other weapons found in the Lord’s house loudly proclaim the crime. But after our protest had already been made, the most illustrious general Syrianus is trying to force everyone to agree with him, as though no riot had taken place and no one had died. In this there is no small proof that these things were not done according to the wishes of the most gracious emperor Augustus Constantius; for Syrianus would not have been so afraid of the consequences of this affair if he had acted on orders. And when we went to him and asked him not to do violence to anyone, nor to deny what had happened, he ordered us, Christians as we are, to be beaten with clubs, by this again giving proof of the night attack that was made against the church. We therefore make this present protest as well, since some of us are about to travel to the most religious emperor Augustus. We solemnly call on Maximus, the prefect of Egypt, and on the controllers, in the name of Almighty God and for the sake of the salvation of the most religious Augustus Constantius, to report all these things to the piety of Augustus and to the authority of the most illustrious prefects. We call also on the ship captains to make these things known everywhere, and to bring them to the ears of the most religious Augustus, and to the prefects and the magistrates in every place, so that it may be known that war has been made on the church, and that in the times of Augustus Constantius, Syrianus has caused virgins and many others to become martyrs.

As the fifth day before the Ides of February was dawning, that is, the 14th of the month Mechir, we were keeping vigil in the Lord’s house and were at our prayers, for there was to be a communion on the Preparation. Suddenly, about midnight, the most illustrious general Syrianus attacked us and the church with many legions of soldiers, armed with drawn swords and javelins and other weapons of war, and wearing helmets on their heads. While we were actually praying, and while the Scripture lessons were being read, they broke down the doors. When the doors had been burst open by the force of the crowd, he gave the command. Some of them were shooting; others were shouting, their weapons rattling and their swords flashing in the lamplight. At once virgins were being killed, and many men were trampled down, falling over one another as the soldiers came at them, and several were pierced by arrows and died. Some of the soldiers also turned to plunder, and were stripping the virgins, who were more afraid of even being touched by them than they were of death. The bishop stayed seated on his throne and urged everyone to pray. The general led the attack, having with him Hilarius the notary, whose part in the proceedings came out afterward. The bishop was seized and barely escaped being torn to pieces. He fell unconscious and seemed to be dead, and then he disappeared from among them, and has gone we do not know where. They were eager to kill him. When they saw that many had died, they ordered the soldiers to remove the bodies of the dead out of sight. But the most holy virgins who were left behind were buried in the tombs, having attained the glory of martyrdom in the times of the most religious Constantius. Deacons too were beaten even in the Lord’s house, and were shut up there.

Nor did matters stop even there. After all this had happened, anyone who pleased broke open any door he could, searched, and plundered what was inside. They went even into those places which not even all Christians are allowed to enter. Gorgonius, the commander of the city force, knows this, for he was there. And no small evidence of what kind of hostile attack this was is the fact that the armor and javelins and swords carried by those who broke in were left in the Lord’s house. They have been hung up in the church to this day, so that the attackers cannot deny it. And although they have sent Dynamius the soldier several times, and also the commander of the city police, wanting to take them away, we would not allow it until the matter was known to all. Now if an order has been given that we should be persecuted, we are all ready to suffer martyrdom. But if it is not by order of Augustus, we ask Maximus, the prefect of Egypt, and all the city magistrates to request of him that they may not again be allowed to attack us like this. And we ask also that this our petition be presented to him: that they not try to bring any other bishop in here. For we have resisted to the death, wanting to have the most reverend Athanasius, whom God gave us at the beginning, according to the succession of our fathers, and whom the most religious Augustus Constantius himself sent to us with letters and oaths. And we believe that when His Piety is told what has happened, he will be very displeased, and will do nothing contrary to his oaths, but will again order that our bishop Athanasius shall remain with us. To the consuls to be elected after the consulship of the most illustrious Arbetion and Lollianus, on the 17th of Mechir, which is the day before the Ides of February.