2.22.1
XXII. τούτου δὲ Φῆατος ὑπὸ Νέρωνος διάδοχος ] ; 27. 1 πέμπεται, καθ’ ὃν δικαιολογησάμενος ὁ Παῦλος δέαμιος ἐπὶ Ρώμης ἄγεται· Ἀρίσταρχος αὐτῷ συνῆν, ὃν καὶ εἰκότως συναιχμάλωτόν που ἐπιστολῶν ἀποκαλεῖ. καὶ Λουκᾶς, ὁ καὶ τὰς πράξεις τῶν ἀποστόλων γραφῇ παραδούς, ἐν τούτοις κατέλυαε τὴν ἱστορίαν, διετίαν ὅλην ἐπὶ τῆς Ρώμης τὸν Παῦλον ἄνετον διατρῖφαι καὶ τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον ἀκωλύτως κηρῦξαι ἐπισημηνάμενος. τότε μὲν οὖν ἀπολογησάμενον , αὗθις ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ κηρύγματος διακονίαν λόγος ἔχει στείλασθαι τὸν ἀπόατολον, δεύτερον δ’ τῆ αὐτῇ πόλει τῷ κατ’ αὐτὸν τελειωθῆναι μαρτυρίῳ· ἐν ῷ δεαμοῖς ἐχόμενος, τὴν πρὸς Τιμόθεον δευτέραν ἐπιατολὴν συντάττει, ὁμοῦ σημαίνων τε προτέραν αὐτῷ γενομένην ἀπολογίαν καὶ τὴν παρὰ πόδας τελείωσιν. δέχου δὴ καὶ : τούτων τὰς αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίας· “ ἐν τῆ πρώτῃ μου,’’ φηαίν, “ ἀπολογίᾳ οὐδείς μοι παρεγένετο , ἀλλὰ πάντες με ἐγκατέλιπον μὴ αὐτοῖς λογισθείη), ὁ δὲ κύριός μοι παρέατη καὶ ἐνεδυνάμωσέν με, ἵνα δι’ ἐμοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα πληροφορηθῇ καὶ ἀκούσωσι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἐρρύαθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος.’’ σαφῶς δὴ παρίστηαιν διὰ τούτων ὅτι δὴ τὸ πρότερον, ὡς ἂν τὸ κήρυγμα τὸ δι’ αὐτοῦ πληρωθείη, ἐρρύαθη ἐκ στόματος τὸν Νέρωνα ταύτῃ, ὡς ἔοικεν, διὰ τὸ ὠμό- θυμον προαειπών. οὔκουν ἑξῆς προατέθεικεν παραπλήσιόν τι τῷ “ ῥύσεταί με ἐκ στόματος λέοντος·’’ ἑώρα γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τὴν δάον οὔπω μέλλουααν αὐτοῦ τελευτήν, δι’ ὅ φησιν ἐπιλέγων τῷ “ καὶ ἐρρύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος ’’ ρύσεταί με ὁ κύριος ἄπο παντὸς ἔργου πονηροῦ καὶ σώσει εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν νιον, σημαίνων τὸ παραυτίκα μαρτύριον· ὃ καὶ σαφέστερον ἐν τῆ αὐτῇ προλέγει φάακων “ ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἐμῆς ἀναλύσεως ἐφέατηκεν.’’ 1 νῦν μὲν οὖν ἑ ἐπὶ τῆς δευτέρας ἐπιστολῆς τῶν πρὸς Τιμόθεον τὸν Λοῦκαν μόνον γράφοντι αὐτῷ συνεῖναι κατὰ δὲ τὴν προτέραν ἀπολογίαν οὐδὲ τοῦτον· ὅθεν εἰκότως τὰς τῶν ἀποατόλων Πραξεῖς ἐπ’ ἐκεῖνον ὁ Λουκᾶς περιέγραφε τὸν χρόνον, τὴν μέχρις ὅτε τῷ Παύλῳ συνῆν ἱστορίαν ὑφηγησάμενος. ταῦτα δ’ ἡμῖν εἴρηται παρισταμένοις ὅτι μὴ καθ’ ἢν ὁ Λουκᾶς ἀνέγραφεν ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥώμης ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ Παύλου τὸ μαρτύριον αὐτῷ οὑν. ἐπεράνθη· εἰκός γέ τοι κατὰ μὲν ἀρχὰς ἠπιώτερον τοῦ Νέρωνος διακειμένου, ῥᾷον τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ δόγματος τοῦ Παύλου καταδεχθῆναι ἀπολογίαν, προελθόντος δ’ εἰς ἀθεμίτους τόλμας, μετὰ τῶν ὤων καὶ τὰ κατὰ τῶν ἀποστόΛων ἐγχειρηθῆναι.
XXII. Festus was sent as his successor by Nero, and Paul was tried before him and taken as a prisoner to Rome; Aristarchus was with him, and he naturally called him his fellow-prisoner in a passage in the Epistles. Luke also, who committed the Acts of the Apostles to writing, finished his narrative at this point by the statement that Paul spent two whole years in Rome in freedom, and preached the word of God without hindrance. Tradition has it that after defending himself the Apostle was again sent on the ministry of preaching, and coming a second time to the same city suffered martyrdom under Nero. During this imprisonment he wrote the second Epistle to Timothy, indicating at the same time that his first defence had taken place and that his martyrdom was at hand. Notice his testimony on this point: “At my first defence,” he says, “no man was with me, but all deserted me (may it not be laid to their charge); but the Lord stood by me and strengthened me that the preaching might be fulfilled by me and all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered from the lion's mouth.” He clearly proves by this that on the first occasion, in order that the preaching which took place through him might be fulfilled, he was delivered from the lion's mouth, apparently referring to Nero thus for his ferocity. He does not go on to add any such words as “he will deliver me from the lion's mouth,” for he saw in the spirit that his death was all but at hand, wherefore after the words “And I was delivered from the lion's mouth,” he goes on to say, “The Lord will deliver me from all evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom,” indicating his impending martyrdom. And this he foretells even more clearly in the same writing, saying, “For I am already offered up and the time of my release is at hand.” Now in the second Epistle to Timothy, he states that only Luke was with him as he wrote, and at his first defence not even he; wherefore Luke probably wrote the Acts of the Apostles at that time, carrying down his narrative until the time when he was with Paul. We have said this to show that Paul's martyrdom was not accomplished during the sojourn in Rome which Luke describes. Probably at the beginning Nero's disposition was gentler and it was easier for Paul's defence on behalf of his views to be received, but as he advanced towards reckless crime the Apostles were attacked along with the rest.