Eusebius Book 5, Section 1

5.1.1

I. Γαλλία μὲν οὗν ἡ χώρα ἢν, καθ’ ἢν τὸ τῶν δηλουμένων συνεκροτεῖτο στάδιον, ἦς μητροπόλεις ἐπίσημοι καὶ παρὰ τὰς ἄλλας τῶν αὐτόθι διαφέρουσαι βεβόηνται Λούγδουνος καὶ Βίεννα, δι’ ὧν ἀμφοτέρων τὴν ἅπασαν χώραν πολλῷ τῷ ῥεύματι περιρρέων ὁ Ῥοδανὸς ποταμὸς διέξεισιν. τὴν οὖν περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων γραφὴν αἱ τῇδε διαφανέσταται εκκλησίαι ταῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ Φρυγίαν διαπέμπονται, τὰ παρ’ αὐταῖς πραχθέντα τοῦτον ἀνιστοποῦσαι τὸν τρόπον, παραθήσομαι δὲ τὰς αὐτῶν φωνάς· “ οἱ ἐν Βιέννῃ καὶ Λουγδούνῳ τῆς Γαλλίας παροικοῦντες δοῦλοι χριστοῦ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀσίαν καὶ Φρυγίαν τὴν αὐτὴν τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως ἡμῖν πίστιν καὶ ἐλπίδα ἔχουαιν ἀδελφοῖς· εἰρήνη καὶ χάρις καὶ δόξα ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν.”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

1. Gaul was the country in which was prepared the stage for these events. Its capital cities, famous and more renowned than the others in the district, were Lyons and Vienne, through both of which passes the river Rhone, flowing in an ample stream through the whole district. The distinguished churches of this country sent the document about the martyrs to the churches in Asia and Phrygia, in this way recording what happened among them, and I will quote their words: “The servants sojourning in Vienne and Lyons in Gaul to the brethren in Asia and Phrygia, who have the same faith and hope of redemption as you. Peace, grace, and glory from God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

5.1.2

Εἶτα τούτοις ἑξῆς ἕτερα προοιμιασάμενοι, τὴν τοῦ λόγου καταρχὴν ποιοῦνται ἐν τούτοις· “ τὸ μὲν οὗν μέγεθος τῆς ἐνθάδε θλίψεως καὶ τὴν τοσαύτην τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους ὀργὴν καὶ δάα ὑπέμειναν οἱ μακάριοι μάρτυρες, ἐπ’ ἀκριβὲς οὔθ’ ἡμεῖς εἰπεῖν ἱκανοὶ οὔτε μὴν γραφῆ περιληφθῆναι δυνατόν. παντὶ γὰρ σθένει ἐωέσκηψεν ὁ ἀντικείμενος, προοιμιαζόμενος ἤδη τὴν ἀδεῶς μέλλουσαν ἔαεαθαι παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ διὰ πάντων διῆλθεν, ἐθίζων τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ καὶ προγυμνάξων κατὰ τῶν δούλων τοῦ θεοῦ, ὥατε μὴ μόνον οἰκιῶν καὶ βαλανείων καὶ ἀγορᾶς εἴργεαθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ καθόλου φαίνεαθαι ἡμῶν τινα αὐτοῖς ἀπειρῆσθαι ἐν ὁποίῳ δήποτε τόπῳ. ἀντεστρατήγει δὲ ἡ χάρις τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀσθενεῖς ἐρρύετο, ἀντιπαρέτασσε δὲ στύλους ἑδραίους δυναμένους διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς πᾶσαν τὴν ὁρμὴν τοῦ πονηροῦ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἑλκύσαι· οἳ καὶ ὁμόσε ἐχώρουν, πᾶν εἶδος ὀνειδισμοῦ καὶ κολάσεως ἀνεχόμενοι· οἳ καὶ τὰ πολλὰ ὀλίγα ἡγούμενοι ἔαπευδον πρὸς χριστόν, ὄντως ἐπιδεικνύμενοι ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀπο- καλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

Then after other prefatory remarks they begin their narrative thus: “ The greatness of the persecution here, and the terrible rage of the heathen against the saints, and the suffering of the blessed martyrs, are more than we can narrate accurately, nor can they be put down in writing. For with all his might the adversary attacked us, foreshadowing his coming which is shortly to be, and tried everything, practising his adherents and training them against the servants of God, so that we were not merely excluded from houses and baths and markets, but we were even forbidden to be seen at all in any place whatever. But against them the grace of God did captain us; it rescued the weak, and marshalled against them steadfast pillars of men able by patience to draw to themselves all the attack of the enemy. They came together and endured every kind of abuse and punishment, they counted many things as few in their zeal for Christ, and did indeed prove that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us.”

5.1.3

“Kαὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου πανδημεὶ σωρηδὸν ἐπιφερόμενα γενναίως ὑπέμενον, ἐπιβοήσεις καὶ πληγὰς καὶ συρμοὺς καὶ διαρπαγὰς καὶ λίθων βολὰς καὶ συγκΛείσεις καὶ πάνθ’ ὅσα ἠγριωμένῳ πλήθει ὡς πρὸς ἐχθροὺς καὶ πολεμίους φιλεῖ γίνεαθαι, καὶ δὴ ἀναχθέντες εἰς τὴν ἀγορὰν ὑπό τε τοῦ χιλιάρχου καὶ τῶν προεατηκότων τῆς πόλεως ἐξουσιῶν ἐπὶ παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους ἀνακριθέντες καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες , συνεκλείσθησαν εἰς τὴν εἱρκτὴν ἕως τῆς τοῦ ἡγεμόνος παρουσίας· μειέπειτα δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν ἡγεμόνα ἀχθέντων αὐτῶν κἀκείνου τῆ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὠμότητι χρωμένου, Οὐέττιος Ἐπάγαθος, εἷς ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, πλήρωμα ἀγάπης τῆς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον κεχωρηκώς , οὗ καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἠκρίβωτο ἡ πολιτεία, ὡς καίπερ ὄντα νέον ουνεξισοῦσθαι τῇ τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου Ζαχαρίου μαρτυρίᾳ· πεπόρευτο γοῦν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐντολαῖς καὶ δικαιώμασι τοῦ κυρίου ἄμεμπτος καὶ πάσῃ τῇ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον λειτουργίᾳ ἄοκνος, ζῆλον θεοῦ πολὺν ἔχων καὶ ξέων τῷ πνεύματι· τοιοῦτος δή τις ὤν, τὴν οὕτως καθ’ ἡμῶν ἀλόγως γινομένην κρίσιν οὐκ ἐβάστασεν, ἀλλ’ ὑπερηγανάκτησεν καὶ ἠξίου καὶ αὐτὸς ἀκουσθῆναι ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὅτι μηδὲν ἄθεον μηδὲ ἀσεβές ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν. τῶν δὲ περὶ τὸ βῆμα καταβοησάντων αὐτοῦ, καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἐπίσημος, καὶ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος μὴ ἀνασχομένου τῆς οὕτως ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ δικαίας προταθείσης ἀξιώσεως, ἀλλὰ μόνον τοῦτο πυθομένου εἰ καὶ αὐτὸς εἴη Χριστιανός, τοῦ δὲ λαμπροτάτη φωνῇ ὁμοΛογήσαντος , ἀνελήφθη καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς τὸν κλῆρον τῶν μαρτύρων, παράκλητος χριστιανῶν χρηματίσας, ἔχων δὲ τὸν παράκλητον ἐν ἑαυτῷ, τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Ζαχαρίου, ὃ διὰ τοῦ πληρώματος τῆς ἀγάπης ἐνεδείξατο, εὐδοκήσας ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἀπολογίας καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ θεῖναι Ψυχήν· ἦν γὰρ καὶ ἔστιν γνήσιος χριστοῦ μαθητής, ἀκολουθῶν τῷ ἀρνίῳ ὅπου ἄν ὑπάγῃ.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

First they endured nobly all that was heaped upon them by the mob, howls and stripes and dragging about, and rapine and imprisonment and stoning, and all things which are wont to happen at the hands of an infuriated populace against its supposed enemies and foes; then they were dragged into the market-place by the tribune and by the chief authorities of the city, were indicted and confessed, and at last they were shut up until the coming of the governor. Then they were brought before the governor, and when he used all his cruelty against them, then intervened Vettius Epagathus, one of the brethren, filled with love towards God and towards his neighbour, the strictness of whose life had gone so far that in spite of his youth his reputation was equal to that of the elder Zacharias. He walked in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless and was unwearied in all ministrations to his neighbours, having much zeal toward God and being fervent in spirit. His character forbade him to endure the unreasonable judgement given against us, and, overcome with indignation, he asked to be heard himself in defence of the brethren to the effect that there was nothing atheistic or impious among us. He was howled down by those around the judgement-seat, for he was a man of position, and the governor would not tolerate the just requests which he had put forward but merely asked if he were a Christian himself. He then confessed in clear tones and was himself taken into the ranks of the martyrs. He was called the ‘Comforter of Christians,’ but had the Comforter in himself, the spirit of Zacharias, which he had shown by the fullness of his love when he chose to lay down even his own life for the defence of the brethren, for he was and he is a true disciple of Christ, and he follows the Lamb wheresoever he goes.

5.1.4

“Ἐντεῦθεν δὴ διεκρίνοντο οἱ λοιποί, καὶ φανεροὶ καὶ ἕτοιμοι ἐγίνοντο πρωτομάρτυρες , οἳ καὶ μετὰ πάσης προθυμίας ἀνεπλήρουν τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς μαρτυρίας, ἐφαίνοντο δὲ καὶ οἱ ἀνέτοιμοι καὶ ἀγύμναστοι καὶ ἔτι ἀσθενεῖς, ἀγῶνος μεγάλου τόνον ἐνεγκεῖν μὴ δυνάμενοι· ὧν καὶ ἐξέτρωσαν ὡς δέκα τὸν ἀριθμόν· οἳ καὶ μεγάλην λύπην καὶ πένθος ἀμέτρητον ἐνεποίησαν ἡμῖν καὶ τὴν προθυμίαν τῶν λοιπῶν τῶν μὴ αυνειλημμένων ἐνέκοψαν· οἳ καίπερ πάντα τὰ δεινὰ πάσχοντες, δμὼς συμπαρῆσαν τοῖς μάρτυσιν καὶ οὐκ ἀπελείποντο αὐτῶν, τότε δὲ οἱ πάντες μεγάλως ἐπτοήθημεν διὰ τὸ ἄδηλον τῆς ὁμολογίας, οὐ τὰς ἐπιφερομένας κολάσεις φοβούμενοι, ἀλλὰ τὸ τέλος ἀφορῶντες καὶ τὸ ἀποπεσεῖν τινα δεδιότες. συνελαμβάνοντο μέντοι καθ’ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν οἱ ἄξιοι τὸν ἐκείνων ἀναπληροῦντες ἀριθμόν, ἓστε συλλεγῆναι ἐκ τῶν δύο ἐκκλησιῶν πάντας τοὺς σπουδαίους καὶ δι’ ὧν μάλιστα συνεστήκει τὰ ἐνθάδε· συνελαμβάνοντο δὲ καὶ ἐθνικοί τινες οἰκέται τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἐπεὶ δημοσίᾳ ἐκέλευσεν ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἀναζητεῖσθαι πάντας ἡμᾶς· οἳ καὶ κατ’ ἐνέδραν τοῦ σατανᾶ, φοβηθέντες τὰς βασάνους ἃς τοὺς ἁγίους ἔβλεπον φοβηθέντες τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐπὶ τοῦτο παρορμώντων αὐτούς, κατεψεύσαντο ἡμῶν Θυέστεια δεῖπνα καὶ Οἰδιποδείους καὶ δάα μήτε λαλεῖν μήτε νοεῖν θέμις ἡμῖν, ἀλλὰ μηδὲ πιστεύειν εἴ τι τοιοῦτο πώποτε παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἐγένετο. τούτων δὲ φημισθέντων, πάντες ἀπεθηριώθησαν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ὥστε καὶ εἴ τινες τὸ πρότερον δι’ οἰκειότητα ἐμετρίαζον , τότε μεγάλως ἐχαλέπαινον καὶ διεπρίοντο ἐφ’ ἡμῖν· ἐπληροῦτο δὲ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν εἰρημένον ὃτι ἐλεύσεται καιρὸς ἐν ᾧ πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας ὑμᾶς δόξει λατρείαν προσφέρειν τῷ θεῶ. ἐνταῦθα λοιπὸν ὑπεράνω πάσης ἐξηγήσεως ὑπέμενον κολάσεις οἱ ἅγιοι μάρτυρες, φιλοτίμου μένου τοῦ σατανᾶ καὶ δι’ ἐκείνων ῥηθῆναί τι τῶν βλααφήμων· ὑπερβεβλημένως δὲ ἐνέσκηψεν ἡ ὀργὴ πᾶσα καὶ ὄχλου καὶ ἡγεμόνος καὶ στρατιωτῶν εἰς Σάγκτον τὸν διάκονον ἀπὸ Βιέννης καὶ εἰς Μάτουρον, νεοφώτιστον μέν, ἀλλὰ γενναῖον ἀγωνιστήν, καὶ εἰς Ἄτταλον Περγαμηνὸν τῷ γένει, στῦλον καὶ ἑδραίωμα τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀεὶ γεγονότα, καὶ εἰς Βλανδῖναν, δι’ ἧς ἐπέδειξεν ὁ χριστὸς ὅτι τὰ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις εὐτελῆ καὶ ἀειδῆ καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητα φαινόμενα μεγάλης καταξιοῦται παρὰ θεῷ δόξης διὰ τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγάπην τὴν ἐν δυνάμει δείκνυ· μένην καὶ μὴ ἐν εἴδει καυχωμένην. ἡμῶν γὰρ πάντων δεδιότων καὶ τῆς σαρκίνης δεσποίνης αὐτῆς, ἥτις ἦν καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν μαρτύρων μία ἀγωνίστρια, ἀγωνιώσης μὴ οὐδὲ τὴν ὁμολογίαν δυνήσεται παρρησιάσασθαι διὰ τὸ ἀσθενὲς τοῦ σώματος, ἢ Βλανδῖνα τοσαύτης ἐπληρώθη δυνάμεως, ὣστε ἐκλυθῆναι καὶ παρεθῆναι τοὺς κατὰ διαδοχὰς παντὶ τρόπῳ βασανίζοντας αὐτὴν ἀπὸ ἑωθινῆς ἕως ἑσπέρας, καὶ αὐτοὺς ὁμολογοῦντας ὅτι νενίκηνται μηδὲν ἔχοντες μηκέτι ὃ ποιήσωσιν αὐτῇ, καὶ θαυμάζειν ἐπὶ τῷ παραμένειν ἔμπνουν αὐτήν, παντὸς τοῦ σώματος περιερρωγότος καὶ ἠνεῳγμένου, καὶ μαρτυρεῖν ὅτι ἓν εἶδος στρεβλώσεως ἱκανὸν ἢν πρὸς τὸ ἐξαγαγεῖν τὴν Ψυχήν, οὐχ ὅτι γε τοιαῦτα καὶ τοσαῦτα. ἀλλ’ ἡ μακαρία ὡς γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς ἀνενέαζεν ἐν τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ, καὶ ἦν αὐτῆς ἀνάληψις καὶ ἀνάπαυσις καὶ ἀναλγησία τῶν συμβαινόντων τὸ λέγειν ὅτι ‘ Χριστιανή εἰμι καὶ παρ’ ἡμῖν οὐδὲν φαῦλον γίνεται.’

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

The rest were then divided, and the first martyrs were obviously ready, and they fulfilled the confession of martyrdom with all readiness, but some others appeared not to be ready, and failed in training and in strength, unable to endure the strain of a great conflict, and about ten in number failed, as those born out of due time. They caused us great grief and immeasurable mourning, and hindered the zeal of the others who had not been arrested. Yet they, although suffering all the terrors, nevertheless remained with the martyrs and did not desert them. But at that point we were all greatly terrified by uncertainty as to their confession, not fearing the threatened punishments but looking towards the end and afraid lest some one should fall away. Yet day by day those who were worthy went on being arrested, completing their number, so as to collect from the two churches all the zealous and those through whom the life of the locality was kept together. There were also arrested certain heathen slaves of our members, since the governor had publicly commanded that we should all be prosecuted, and these, by the snare of Satan, fearing the tortures which they saw the saints suffering, when the soldiers urged them on to this, falsely accused us of Thyestean feasts and Oedipodean intercourse, and things which it is not right for us either to speak of or to think of or even to believe that such things could ever happen among men. When this rumour spread, all men turned like beasts against us, so that even if any had formerly been lenient for friendship's sake they then became furious and raged against us, and there was fulfilled that which was spoken by our Lord, that “the time will come when whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” Then at last the holy martyrs endured sufferings beyond all description, for Satan was striving to wring some blasphemy even from them, and all the fury of the mob and of the governor and of the soldiers was raised beyond measure against Sanctus, the deacon from Vienne, and against Maturus, who was a novice but a noble contender, and against Attalus, a Pergamene by race, who had always been a pillar and support of those there, and against Blandina, through whom Christ showed that things which are mean and obscure and contemptible among men are vouchsafed great glory with God because of the love towards him shown in power and not boasted of in appearance. For while we were all afraid, and her human mistress, who was herself one of the contenders among the martyrs, was in distress lest she should not be able, through the weakness of her body, to be bold enough even to make confession, Blandina was filled with such power that she was released and rescued from those who took turns in torturing her in every way from morning until evening, and they themselves confessed that they were beaten, for they had nothing left to do to her, and they marvelled that she still remained alive, seeing that her whole body was broken and opened, and they testified that any one of these tortures was sufficient to destroy life, even when they had not been magnified and multiplied. But the blessed woman, like a noble athlete, kept gaining in vigour in her confession, and found comfort and rest and freedom from pain from what was done to her by saying, “I am a Christian woman and nothing wicked happens among us.”

5.1.5

“Ὁ δὲ Σάγκτος καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπερβεβλημένως καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα ἄνθρωπον πάσας τὰς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων αἰκίας γενναίως ὑπομένων , τῶν ἀνόμων ἐλπιζόντων διὰ τὴν ἐπιμονὴν καὶ τὸ μέγεθος τῶν βασάνων ἀκούσεσθαι τι παρ’ αὐτοῦ τῶν μὴ δεόντων, τοσαύτῃ ὑποστάσει ἀντιπαρετάξατο αὐτοῖς, ὥστε μήτε τὸ ἴδιον κατειπεῖν ὄνομα μήτε ἔθνους μήτε πόλεως ὅθεν ἦν, μήτε εἰ δοῦλος ἢ ἐλεύθερος εἴη· ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντα τὰ ἐπερωτώμενα ἀπεκρίνατο τῆ Ῥωμαϊκῇ φωνῇ ἴ’ ‘ Χριστιανός εἰμι ’ · τοῦτο καὶ ἀντὶ ὀνόματος καὶ ἀντὶ πόλεως καὶ ἀντὶ γένους καὶ ἀντὶ παντὸς ἐπαλλήλως ὡμολόγει, ἄλλην δὲ φωνὴν οὐκ ἢκουσαν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔθνη · ὅθεν δὴ καὶ φιλονεικία μεγάλη τοῦ τε ἡγεμόνος καὶ τῶν βασανιστῶν ἐγένετο πρὸς αὐτόν, ὣστε ὁπότε μηκέτι μηδὲν εἶχον ὃ ποιήσωσιν αὐτῷ, τὸ τελευταῖον χαλκᾶς λεπίδας διαπύρους προσεκόλλων τοῖς τρυφερωτάτοις μέλεαι τοῦ σώματος καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκαίετο, αὐτὸς δὲ παρέμενεν ἀνετίκαμπτος καὶ ἀνένδοτος, στερρὸς πρὸς τὴν ὁμολογίαν , ὑπὸ τῆς οὐρανίου πηγῆς τοῦ ὕδατος τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ ἐξιόντος ἐκ τῆς νηδύος τοῦ Χριστοῦ δροσιζόμενος καὶ ἐνδυναμούμενος· τὸ δὲ σωμάτιον μάρτυς ἢν τῶν συμβεβηκότων , ὅλον τραῦμα καὶ μώλωφ καὶ συνεσταμένον καὶ ἀποβεβληκὸς τὴν ἀνθρώπειον ἔξωθεν μορφήν, ἐν ᾧ πάσχων Χριστὸς μεγάλας ἐπετέλει δόξας, καταργῶν τὸν ἀντικείμενον καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν λοιπῶν ὑποτὐπωσιν ὑποδεικνύων ὅτι μηδὲν φοβερὸν ὅπου πατρὸς ἀγάπη, μηδὲ ἀλγεινὸν ὅπου χριστοῦ δόξα. τῶν γὰρ ἀνόμων μεθ’ ἡμέρας πάλιν στρεβλούντων τὸν μάρτυρα καὶ νομιζόντων ὅτι οἰδούντων καὶ φλεγμαινόντων τῶν σωμάτων , εἰ τὰ αὐτὰ προσενέγκοιεν κολαστήρια, περιέσοιντο αὐτοῦ, ὁπότε οὐδὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν ἁφὴν ἠνείχετο, ἢ ὅτι ἐναποθανὼν ταῖς βασάνοις φόβον ἐμποιήσειεν τοῖς λοιποῖς, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν περὶ αὐτὸν τοιοῦτο συνέβη, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρὰ πᾶσαν δόξαν ἀνθρώπων ἀνέκθψεν καὶ ἀνωρθώθη τὸ σωμάτιον ἐν ταῖς μετέπειτα βασάνοις, καὶ τὴν ἰδέαν ἀπέλαβεν τὴν προτέραν καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν τῶν μελῶν, ὣστε μὴ κόλασιν, ἀλλ’ ἴασιν διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ χριστοῦ τὴν δευτέραν στρέβλωσιν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

Sanctus also himself endured nobly, beyond measure or human power, all the ill-treatment of men; for though the wicked hoped through persistence and the rigour of his tortures to wring from him something wrong, he resisted them with such constancy that he did not even tell his own name, or the race or the city whence he was, nor whether he was slave or free, but to all questions answered in Latin, ‘I am a Christian.’ This he said for and city and race and for everything else, and the heathen heard no other sound from him. For this reason the governor and the torturers were very ambitious to subdue him, so that when they had nothing left at all to do to him at last they fastened plates of heated brass to the tenderest parts of his body. His limbs were burning, but he continued himself unbending and unyielding, firm in his confession, refreshed and strengthened by the heavenly spring of the water of life which proceeds forth from the body of Christ. His body was a witness to his treatment; it was all one wound and bruise, wrenched and torn out of human shape, but Christ suffering in him manifested great glory, overthrowing the adversary and showing for the example of the others how there is nothing fearful where there is the love of the Father, nor painful where there is the glory of Christ. For when the wicked, after some days, again tortured the martyr, they thought that they might overcome him, when his body was swollen and inflamed, if they applied the same tortures, seeing that he could not even endure to be touched by the hand, or that by dying under torture he would put fear into the rest. Yet not only did nothing of this kind happen, but, beyond all human expectation, he rose up and his body was straightened in the subsequent tortures, and he regained his former appearance and the use of his limbs, so that through the grace of Christ the second torturing became not torment but cure.

5.1.6

“Καὶ Βιβλίδα δέ, μίαν τῶν ἠρνημένων, ἤδη δοκῶν ὁ διάβολος καταπεπωκέναι, θελήσας δὲ καὶ διὰ βλασφημίας κατακρῖναι, ἦγεν ἐπὶ κόλασιν, ἀναγκάζων εἰπεῖν τὰ ἄθεα περὶ ἡμῶν, ὡς εὔθραυοτον ἤδη καὶ ἄνανδρον· ἢ δὲ ἐν τῆ στρεβλώσει ἀβλενηψεν καὶ ὡς ἂν εἰπεῖν ἐκ βαθέος ὕπνου ἀνεγρηγόρησεν, ὑπομνησθεῖσα διὰ τῆς προσκαίρου τιμωρίας τὴν αἰώνιον ἐν γεέννῃ κόλασιν, καὶ ἐξ ἐναντίας ἀντεῖπεν τοῖς βλασφήμοις, φήσασα πῶς ἂν παιδία φάγοιεν οἱ τοιοῦτοι, οἷς μηδὲ ἀλόγων ζῴων αἷμα φαγεῖν ἐξόν ; ’ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦδε Χριστιανὴν ἑαυτὴν ὡμολόγει καὶ τῷ κλήρῳ τῶν μαρτύρων προσετέθη.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

Biblis, too, one of those who had denied, did the devil bring to torture (thinking that he had already swallowed her up and wishing to condemn her through blasphemy as well), to force her to say impious things about us, as though she were already broken and weak. But she recovered under torture, and, as it were, woke up out of a deep sleep, being reminded through this transitory punishment of the eternal torments in hell, and contradicted the blasphemers, saying, ‘How would such men eat children, when they are not allowed to eat the blood even of irrational animals?’ And after this she confessed herself a Christian and was added to the ranks of the martyrs.

5.1.7

“Καταργηθέντων δὲ τῶν τυραννικῶν κόλα. στηρίων ὑπὸ τοῦ Χπιστοῦ διὰ τῆς τῶν μακαρίων ὑπομονῆς, ἑτέρας μηχανὰς ὁ διάβολος ἐπενόει, τὰς κατὰ τὴν εἱρκτὴν ἐν τῷ σκότει καὶ τῷ χαλεπωτάτῳ χωρίῳ συγκλείσεις καὶ τὰς ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ διατάσεις τῶν ποδῶν, ἐπὶ πέμπτον διατεινομένων τρύπημα, καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς αἰκίας, δάας εἰώθασιν ὀργιζόμενοι ὑπουργοὶ καὶ ταῦτα διαβόλου πλήρεις διατιθέναι τοὺς ἐγκλειομένους· ὥστε ἀποπνιγῆναι τοὺς πλείστους ἐν τῇ εἱρκτῇ, ὅσους γε ὁ κύριος οὕτως ἐξελθεῖν ἠθέλησεν, ἐπιδεικνύων τὴν αὐτοῦ δόξαν. οἱ μὲν γὰρ βασανισθέντες πικρῶς ὣστε δοκεῖν μηδὲ τῆς πάσης θεραπείας τυχόντας ἔτι ζῆσαι δύνασθαι, παρέμενον ἐν τῇ εἱρκτῇ, ἔρημοι μὲν τῆς παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιμελείας, ἀναρρωννύμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ κυρίου καὶ ἐνδυναμούμενοι καὶ σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς παρορμῶντες καὶ Παραμυθούμενοι· μενοι· οἱ δὲ νεαροὶ καὶ ἄρτι συενιλημμένοι, ὧν μὴ προκατῂκιστο τὰ σώματα, τὸ βάρος οὐκ ἔφερον τῆς συγκλείσεως, ἀλλ’ ἔνδον ἐναπέθνησκον.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

“But when the tyrant's torments had been brought to naught by Christ through the endurance of the blessed saints, the devil thought of other devices: imprisonment in the jail, in darkness and in the most horrible place, and stretching their feet in the stocks, separated to the fifth hole, and the other outrages which angry warders, filled with the devil, are accustomed to inflict on the prisoners. Thus most of them were strangled in the prison, being all those whom the Lord had chosen thus to depart, manifesting his glory. Some were tortured so cruelly that it seemed impossible for them to live even if they had had every care, yet remained in the prison, bereft of human attention but strengthened by the Lord and given power in body and soul, and looking after and comforting the rest; but the younger ones, who had lately been arrested, whose bodies had not become accustomed to it, did not endure the burden of confinement but died in prison.

5.1.8

Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Ποθεινός, ὁ τὴν διακονίαν τῆς ἐπιακοπῆς ἐν Λουγδούνῳ πεπιστευμένος, ὑπὲρ τὰ ἐνενήκοντα ἔτη τῆς ἡλικίας γεγονὼς καὶ πάνυ ἀσθενὴς τῷ σώματι, μόλις μὲν ἐμπνέων διὰ τὴν προκειμένην σωματικὴν ἀσθλένειαν, ὑπὸ δὲ πρὸ. θυμίας πνεύματος ἀναρρωννύμενος διὰ τὴν ἐγκει- μένην τῆς μαρτυρίας ἐπιθυμίαν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα ἐσύρετο, τοῦ μὲν σώματος καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ γήρως καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς νόσου λελυμένου, τηρουμένης δὲ τῆς Ψυχῆς ἐν αὐτῷ, ἵνα δι’ αὐτῆς χριστὸς θραμβεύσῃ· ὃς ὑπὸ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα κομισθείς, παραπεμπόντων αὐτὸν τῶν πολιτικῶν ἐξουσιῶν καὶ παντὸς τοῦ πλήθους, ἐπιβοήσεις παντοίας ποιουμένων ὡς αὐτοῦ ὄντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἀπεδίδου τὴν καλὴν μαρτυρίαν. ἀνεταζόμενος δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος τίς εἴη χριστιανῶν ὁ θεός, ἔφη ἐὰν ᾖς ἄξιος, γνώση ’ · ἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἀφειδῶς ἐσύρετο καὶ ποικίλας ἔπασχε πληγάς, τῶν μὲν σύνεγγυς χερσὶν καὶ ποσὶν ἐνυβριζόντων παντοίως, μηδὲ τὴν ἡλικίαν αἰδουμένων αὐτοῦ, τῶν δὲ μακράν, ὃ μετὰ χεῖρας ἕκαστος εἶχεν, εἰς αὐτὸν ἀκοντιζόντων, πάντων δὲ ἡγουμένων μεγάλως πλημμελεῖν καὶ ἀσεβεῖν, εἴ τις ἀπολειφθείη τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀσελγείας· καὶ γὰρ τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν ᾤοντο οὕτως ἐκδικήσειν. καὶ μόγις ἐμπνέων ἐρρίφη ἐν τῆ εἱρκτῇ καὶ μετὰ δύο ἡμέρας ἀπέψθξεν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

“The blessed Pothinus, who had been entrusted with the ministry of the bishopric at Lyons, was over ninety years old and very weak physically. He was scarcely breathing through the physical weakness which had already come upon him, but was strengthened by zeal of spirit through urgent desire for martyrdom. He was dragged before the judgment-seat, and although his body was weakened by old age and disease, his soul was kept in him in order that through it Christ might triumph. He was brought by soldiers to the judgment-seat; the local authorities accompanied him, and all the populace, uttering all kinds of howls at him as though he was Christ himself, but he gave noble testimony. When asked by the governor, Who was the God of the Christians, he said, ‘If you are worthy, you will know.’ And then he was dragged about without mercy, and suffered many blows; for those who were near ill-treated him with feet and hands and in every way, without respecting even his old age, and those who were at a distance each threw at him whatever he had at hand, and all thought that it would be a great transgression and impiety to omit any abuse against him. For they thought that in this way they would vindicate their gods. And he was thrown into prison scarcely breathing and after two days died.”

5.1.9

“Ἐνταῦθα δὴ μεγάλη τις οἰκονομία θεοῦ ἐγίνετο καὶ ἔλεος ἀμέτρητον ἀνεφαίνετο Ἰησοῦ, σπανίως μὲν ἐν τῇ ἀδελφότητι γεγονός, μὴ ἀπολειπόμενον δὲ τῆς τέχνης χριστοῦ. οἱ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην σὐλληψιν ἔξαρνοι γενόμενοι συνεκλείοντο καὶ αὐτοὶ καὶ μετεῖχον τῶν δεινῶν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ ὄφελός τι αὐτοῖς ἡ ἐξάρνησις ἐγίνετο, ἀλλ’ οἱ μὲν ὁμολογοῦντες ὃ καὶ ἦσαν, συνεκλείοντο ὡς χριστιανοί, μηδεμιᾶς ἄλλης αἰτίας αὐτοῖς ἐπιφερομένης , οὗτοι δὲ λοιπὸν ὡς ἀνδροφόνοι καὶ μιαροὶ κατείχοντο, διπλότερον παρὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς κολαζόμενοι. ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ ἐπεκούφιζεν ἡ χαρὰ τῆς μαρτυρίας καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸν χριστὸν ἀγάπη καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πατρικόν, τούτους δὲ τὸ συνειδὸς μεγάλως ἐτιμωρεῖτο, ὥστε καὶ παρὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἃπασιν κατὰ τὰς παρόδους διαδήλους τὰς ὄφεις αὐτῶν εἶναι. οἳ μὲν γὰρ ἱλαροὶ προῂεσαν, δόξης καὶ χάριτος πολλῆς ταῖς ὄφεσιν αὐτῶν συγκεκρα- μένῃς, ὣστε καὶ τὰ δεσμὰ κόσμον εὐπρεπῆ πέρι. κεῖσθαι αὐτοῖς, ὡς νύμφῃ κεκοσμημένη ἐν κροσσωτοῖς χρυσοῖς πεποικιλμένοις , τὴν εὐωδίαν ὀδωδότες ἅμα τὴν Χριστοῦ, ὣστε ἐνίους δόξαι καὶ μύρῳ κοσμικῷ κεχρῖσθαι αὐτούς· οἳ δὲ κατηφεῖς καἰ ταπεινοὶ καὶ δυσειδεῖς καὶ πάσης ἀσχημοσύνης ἀνάπλεοι, προσέτι δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὀνειδιζόμενοι ὡς ἀγεννεῖς καὶ ἄνανδροι, ἀνδροφόνων μὲν ἐγκλήματα ἔχοντες, ἀπολωλεκότες δὲ τὴν πάντιμον καὶ ἔνδοξον καὶ ξωοποιὸν προσηγορίαν. ταῦτα δὴ οἱ λοιποὶ θεωροῦντες ἐστηρίχθησαν, καὶ οἱ συλλαμβανόμενοι ἀδιατάκτως ὡμολόγουν, μηδὲ ἔννοιαν ἔχοντες διαβολικοῦ λογισμοῦ.”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

Then a great dispensation of God was given, and the measureless mercy of Jesus was so manifested, as has rarely happened among the brethren, but is not beyond the skill of Christ. For those who at the first arrest had denied were imprisoned themselves and shared in the terrors; for this time not even their denial was any advantage to them, but those who confessed what they were were imprisoned as Christians, no other accusation being brought against them, the others however were held as murderers and foul persons and punished twice as much as the rest. For the burden of the former was lightened by the joy of martyrdom and the hope of the promises, and by love towards Christ and by the spirit of the Father; but the latter were greatly punished by their conscience, so that they were conspicuous among all the rest by their faces when they were taken out. For the one went forth gladly, glory and great grace were mingled on their faces, so that they wore even their fetters as a becoming ornament, like a bride adorned with golden lace of many patterns, and they were perfumed with the sweet savour of Christ, so that some supposed that they had been anointed with worldly unguents; but the others were depressed and humble and wretched and filled with every kind of unseemliness, and in addition were insulted by the heathen as ignoble and cowardly; they had gained the accusation of murder, but had lost the name which is full of honour and glory and gives life. When the others saw this they were strengthened, and those who were arrested confessed without hesitation and gave no thought to the arguments of the devil.

5.1.10

Τούτοις μεταξύ τινα ἐπειπόντες, αὗθις ἐπιφέρουσιν· “ μετὰ ταῦτα δὴ λοιπὸν εἰς πᾶν εἶδος διῃρεῖτο τὰ μαρτύρια τῆς ἐξόδου αὐτῶν. ἐκ διαφόρων γὰρ χρωμάτων καὶ παντοίων ἀνθῶν ἕνα πλέξαντες στέφανον προσήνεγκαν τῷ πατρί· ἐχρῆν δ’ οὖν τοὺς γενναίους ἀθλητὰς ποικίλον ὑπομείναντας ἀγῶνα καὶ μεγάλως νικήσαντας ἀπολαβεῖν τὸν μέγαν τῆς ἀφθαρσίας στέφανον. ὁ μὲν οὖν Μάτουρος καὶ ὁ Σάγκτος καὶ ἡ Βλανδῖνα καὶ Ἄτταλος ἤγοντο ἐπὶ τὰ θηρία εἰς τὸ δημόσιον καὶ εἰς κοινὸν τῶν ἐθνῶν τῆς ἀπανθρωπίας θέαμα, ἐπίτηδες τῆς τῶν θηριομαχίων ἡμέρας διὰ τοὺς ἡμετέρους διδομένης. καὶ ὁ μὲν Μάτουρος καὶ ὁ Σάγκτος αὖθις διῄεσαν ἐν τῷ ἀμφιθεάτρῳ διὰ πάσης κολάσεως, ὡς μηδὲν ὅλως προπεπονθότες , μᾶλλον δ’ ὡς διὰ πλειόνων ἤδη κλήρων ἐκβεβιακότες τὸν ἀντίπαλον καὶ περὶ τοῦ στεφάνου αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀγῶνα ἔχοντες, ὑπέφερον πάλιν τὰς διεξόδους τῶν μαστίγων τὰς ἐκεῖσε εἰθισμένας καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν θηρίων ἑλκηθμοὺς καὶ πάνθ’ ὃσα μαινόμενος ὁ δῆμος, ἄλλοι ἀλλαχόθεν, ἐπεβόων καὶ ἐπεκελεύοντο, ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τὴν σιδηρᾶν καθέδραν, ἐφ’ ἦς τηγανιξόμενα τὰ σώματα κνίσης αὐτοὺς ἐνεφόρει. οἱ δ’ οὐδ’ οὕτως ἔληγον, ἀλλ’ ἔτι καὶ μᾶλλον ἐξεμαίνοντο, βουλόμενοι νικῆσαι τὴν ἐκείνων ὑπομονήν, καὶ οὐδ’ ὣς παρὰ Σάγκτου ἕτερόν τι εἰσήκουσαν παρ’ ἢν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς εἴθιστο λέγειν τῆς ὁμολογίας φωνήν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

After a few more sentences they go on again: “After this the testimony of their death fell into every kind of variety. For they wove various colours and all kinds of flowers into one wreath to offer to the Father, and so it was necessary for the noble athletes to undergo a varied contest, and after great victory to receive the great crown of immortality. Maturus and Sanctus and Blandina and Attalus were led forth to the wild beasts, to the public, and to a common exhibition of the inhumanity of the heathen, for the day of fighting with beasts was specially appointed for the Christians. Maturus and Sanctus passed again through all torture in the amphitheatre as though they had suffered nothing before, but rather as though, having conquered the opponent in many bouts, they were now striving for his crown, once more they ran the gauntlet in the accustomed manner, endured the worrying of the wild beasts, and everything which the maddened public, some in one way, some in another, were howling for and commanding, finally, the iron chair, on which the roasting of their own bodies clothed them with its reek. Their persecutors did not stop even here, but went on growing more and more furious, wishing to conquer their endurance, yet gained nothing from Sanctus beyond the sound of the confession which he had been accustomed to make from the beginning.

5.1.11

“Οὗτοι μὲν οὗν, δι’ ἀγῶνος μεγάλου ἐπὶ πολὺ παραμενούσης αὐτῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, τοὔσχατον ἐτύθησαν, διὰ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης ἀντὶ πάσης τῆς ἐν τοῖς μονομαχίοις ποικιλίας αὐτοὶ θέαμα γενόμενοι τῷ κόσμῳ· ἡ δὲ Βλανδῖνα ἐπὶ ξύλου κρεμασθεῖσα προύκειτο βορὰ τῶν εἰσβαλλομένων θηρίων· ἢ καὶ διὰ του βλέπεσθαι σταυροῦ σχήματι κρεμαμένη διὰ τῆς εὐτόνου προσευχῆς πολλὴν προθυμίαν τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις ἐνεποίει, βλεπόντων αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ ἀγῶνι καὶ τοῖς ἔξωθεν ὀφθαλμοῖς διὰ τῆς ἀδελφῆς τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐσταυρωμένον , ἵνα πείσῃ τοὺς πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτὸν ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑπὲρ τῆς Χριστοῦ δόξης παθὼν τὴν κοινωνίαν ἀεὶ ἔχει μετὰ τοῦ ζῶντος θεοῦ. καὶ μηδενὸς ἁψαμένου τότε τῶν θηρίων αὐτῆς, καθαιρεθεῖσα ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου ἀνελήφθη πάλιν εἰς τὴν εἱρκτήν, εἰς ἄλλον ἀγῶνα τηρουμένη, ἵνα διὰ πλειόνων γυμνασμάτων νικήσασα, τῷ μὲν σκολιῷ ὄφει ἀπαραίτητον ποιήση τὴν καταδίκην, προτρέψηται δὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ἡ μικρὰ καὶ ἀσθενὴς καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητος μέγαν καὶ ἀκαταγώνιατον ἀθλητὴν χριστὸν ἐνδεδυμένη, διὰ πολλῶν κλήρων ἐκβιάσασα τὸν ἀντικείμενον καὶ δι’ ἀγῶνος τὸν τῆς ἀφθαρσίας στεψαμένη στέφανον.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

Thus after a long time, when their life still remained in them through the great contest, they were at last sacrificed, having been made a spectacle to the world throughout that day as a substitute for all the variations of gladiatorial contests; but Blandina was hung on a stake and offered as a prey to the wild beasts that were let in. She seemed to be hanging in the shape of a cross, and by her continuous prayer gave great zeal to the combatants, while they looked on during the contest, and with their outward eyes saw in the form of their sister him who was crucified for them, to persuade those who believe on him that all who suffer for the glory of Christ have for ever fellowship with the living God. Then, when none of the beasts would touch her, she was taken down from the stake and brought back into the jail, and was thus preserved for another contest, in order that by winning through more trials she might make irrevocable the condemnation of the crooked serpent, and might encourage the brethren; for small and weak and despised as she was, she had put on the great and invincible athlete, Christ; she had overcome the adversary in many contests, and through the struggle had gained the crown of immortality.

5.1.12

“Ὁ δὲ Ἄτταλος καὶ αὐτὸς μεγάλως ἐξαιτηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄχλου καὶ γὰρ ἢν ὀνομαστός), ἕτοιμος εἰσῆλθεν ἀγωνιάτης διὰ τὸ εὐαυνείδητον , ἐπειδὴ γνησίως ἐν τῆ Χπιστιανῇ συντάξει γεγυμνασμένος ἦν καὶ ἀεὶ μάρτυς ἐγεγόνει παρ’ ἡμῖν ἀληθείας. καὶ περιαχθεὶς κύκλῳ τοῦ ἀμφιθεάτρου, πίνακος αὐτὸν προάγοντος ἐν ᾧ ἐγέγραπτο Ρωμαϊστί ‘οὗτός ἐστιν Ἄτταλος ὁ Χριστιανός,’ καὶ τοῦ δήμου σφόδρα σφριγῶντος ἐπ’ αὐτῷ, μαθὼν ὁ ἡγεμὼν ὅτι Ῥωμαῖός ἐστιν, ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἀναληφθῆναι μετὰ καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τῶν ἐν τῇ εἱρκτὴ ὄντων, περὶ ὧν ἐπέστειλεν τῷ Καίσαρι καὶ περιέμενεν τὴν ἀπόφασιν τὴν ἀπ’ ἐκείνου.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

But Attalus was himself loudly called for by the crowd, for he was well known. He went in, a ready combatant, for his conscience was clear, and he had been nobly trained in Christian discipline and had ever been a witness for truth among us. He was led round the amphitheatre and a placard was carried before him on which was written in Latin, ‘This is Attalus the Christian,’ and the people were very bitter against him. But when the governor learnt that he was a Roman, he commanded him to be put back with the rest, who were in the jail, about whom he had written to the emperor and was waiting for his reply.

5.1.13

“Ὁ δὲ διὰ μέσου καιρὸς οὐκ ἀργὸς αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ ἄκαρπος ἐγίνετο, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς αὐτῶν τὸ ἀμέτρητον ἔλεος ἀνεφαίνετο χριστοῦ· διὰ γὰρ τῶν ζώντων ἐζωοποιοῦντο τὰ νεκρά, καὶ μάρτυρες τοῖς μὴ μάρτυσιν ἐχαρίζοντο, καὶ ἐνεγίνετο πολλὴ χαρὰ τῇ παρθένῳ μητρί, οὓς ὡς νεκροὺς ἐξέτρωσε, τούτους ζῶντας ἀπολαμβανούσῃ . δι’ ἐκείνων γὰρ οἱ πλείους τῶν ἠρνημένων ἀνεμετροῦντο καὶ ἀνεκυΐσκοντο καὶ ἀνεζωπυροῦντο καὶ ἐμάνθανον ὁμολογεῖν καὶ ζῶντες ἤδη καὶ τετονωμένοι προσῄεσαν τῷ βήματι, ἐγγλυκαίνοντος τοῦ τὸν μὲν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ μὴ βουλομένου, ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν μετάνοιαν χρηστευομένου θεοῦ, γα καὶ πάλιν ἐπερωτηθῶσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος . ἐπιστείλαντος γὰρ τοῦ Καίσαρος τοὺς μὲν ἀποτυμπανισθῆναι, εἰ δέ τινες ἀρνοῖντο, τούτους ἀπολυθῆναι, τῆς ἐνθάδε πανηγύρεως (ἔστιν δὲ αὕτη πολυάνθρωπος ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν συνερχομένων εἰς αὐτήν) ἀρχομένης συνεστάναι, ἀνῆγεν ἐπὶ τὸ βῆμα θεα- τρίζων τοὺς μακαρίους καὶ ἐμπομπεύων τοῖς ὄχλοις· δι’ ὃ καὶ πάλιν ἀνήταζεν, καὶ ὅσοι μὲν ἐδόκουν πολιτείαν ‘ Ρωμαίων ἐσχηκέναι, τούτων ἀπέτεμνε τὰς κεφαλάς, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἔπεμπεν εἰς θηρία. ἐδοξάζετο δὲ μεγάλως ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπὶ τοῖς πρότερον ἀρνησαμένοις, τότε παρὰ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν ὑπόνοιαν ὁμολογοῦσιν. καὶ γὰρ ἰδίᾳ οὗτοι ἀνητάζοντο ὡς δῆθεν ἀπολυθησόμενοι, καὶ ὁμο- λογοῦντες προσετίθεντο τῷ τῶν μαρτύρων κλήρῳ· ἔμειναν δὲ ἔξω οἱ μηδὲ ἴχνος πώποτε πίστεως μηδὲ αἴσθησιν ἐνδύματος νυμφικοῦ μηδὲ ἔννοιαν φόβου θεοῦ σχόντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀναστροφῆς αὐτῶν βλασφημοῦντες τὴν ὁδόν, τοῦτ’ ἐστὶν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας, οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ πάντες τῆ ἐκκλησίᾳ προσετέθησαν· ὧν καὶ ἀνεταζομένων, Ἀλέξανδρός τις, Φρὺξ μὲν τὸ γένος, ἰατρὸς δὲ τὴν ἐπιστήμην, πολλοῖς ἔτεσιν ἐν ταῖς Γαλλίαις διατρίψας καὶ γνωστὸς σχεδὸν πᾶσιν διὰ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν ἀγάπην καὶ παρρησίαν τοῦ λόγου ἦν γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἄμοιρος ἀποστολικοῦ χαρίσματος), παρεστὼς τῷ βήματι καὶ νεύματι προτρέπων αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν ὁμολογίαν , φανερὸς ἢν τοῖς περιεστηκόσιν τὸ βῆμα ὥσπερ ὠδίνων. ἀγανακτήσαντες δὲ οἱ ὄχλοι ἐπὶ τῷ τοὺς πρότερον ἠρνημένους μένους αὖθις ὁμολογεῖν, κατε- βόησαν τοῦ Ἀλεξάνδρου ὡς ἐκείνου τοῦτο ποιοῦντος, καὶ ἐπιστήσαντος τοῦ ἡγεμόνος καὶ ἀνετάσαντος αὐτὸν τίς εἴη, τοῦ δὲ φήσαντος ὅτι ‘ ἀνετάσαντος ἐν ὀργῇ γενόμενος κατέκρινεν αὐτὸν πρὸς θηρία. καὶ τῆ ἐπιούσῃ εἰσῆλθεν μετὰ καὶ τοῦ Ἀττάλου, καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸν Ἄτταλον τῷ ὄχλῳ χαριζόμενος ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἐξέδωκε πάλιν πρὸς θηρία· οἳ καὶ διὰ πάντων διελθόντες τῶν ἐν τῷ ἀμφιθεάτρῳ πρὸς κόλασιν ἐξηυρημένων ὀργάνων καὶ μέγιστον ὕπο, μείναντες ἀγῶνα, τοὔσχατον ἐτύθησαν καὶ αὐτοί, τοῦ μὲν Ἀλεξάνδρου μήτε στενάξαντος μήτε γρύξαντός τι ὅλως, ἀλλὰ κατὰ καρδίαν ὁμιλοῦντος τῷ θεῷ, ὁ δὲ Ἄτταλος, ὁπότε ἐπὶ τῆς σιδηρᾶς ἐπετέθη καθέδρας καὶ περιεκαίετο, ἡνίκα ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος κνῖσα ἀνεφέρετο, ἔφη πρὸς τὸ πλῆθος τῇ ‘ Ρωμαϊκῇ φωνῇ ‘ ἰδοὺ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀνθρώπους ἐσθίειν, ὃ ποιεῖτε ὑμεῖς· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὔτε ἀνθρώπους ἐσθίομεν οὔθ’ ἕτερόν τι πονηρὸν πράσσομεν.’ ἐπερωτώμενος δὲ τί ὄνομα ἔχει ὁ θεός, ἀπεκρίθη ’ὁ θεὸς ὄνομα οὐκ ἔχει ὡς ἄνθρωπος.’

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

But the intervening time was not idle or fruitless for them, but through their endurance was manifested the immeasurable mercy of Christ; for through the living the dead were being quickened, and martyrs gave grace to those who had denied. And there was great joy to the Virgin Mother, who had miscarried them as though dead, and was receiving them back alive. For through them the majority of those who had denied were again brought to birth and again conceived and quickened again, and learned to confess, and now alive and vigorous, made happy by God who wills not the death of the sinner, but is kind towards repentance, went to the judgment-seat, in order that they might again be interrogated by the governor. For Caesar had written that they should be tortured to death, but that if any should recant they should be let go, and at the beginning of the local feast (and this is widely attended by the concourse of all the heathen to it) the governor led them to the judgment-seat, making a show and spectacle of the blessed men to the mob. He accordingly examined them again, beheaded all who appeared to possess Roman citizenship, and sent the rest to the beasts. And Christ was greatly glorified by those who had formerly denied but then confessed contrary to the expectation of the people. For they were examined by themselves with the intention of then letting them go, but confessed and were added to the ranks of the martyrs. Those indeed remained without who had never had any vestige of faith, nor perception of the bridal garment, nor idea of the fear of God, but even through their behaviour blasphemed the Way — they are the sons of perdition — but all the rest were added to the church. When they too were being examined, a certain Alexander, a Phrygian by race and a physician by profession, who had lived in Gaul for many years and was known to almost every one for his love toward God and boldness of speech (for he was not without a share of the apostolic gift), stood by the judgment-seat and by signs encouraged them to confession, and seemed to those who were standing by as though he were in travail. But the crowd, angry that those who had formerly denied were confessing again, howled at Alexander as though he were responsible for this. The governor summoned him and asked him who he was, and when he said, 'A Christian,' he flew into a rage and condemned him to the beasts. And the next day he went into the arena together with Attalus; for to please the mob the governor had given Attalus back to the beasts. They passed through all the instruments of torture which were prepared in the amphitheatre, and endured a great contest. Finally they too were sacrificed. Alexander uttered neither groan nor moan at all, but conversed with God in his heart, and Attalus, when he was put on the iron chair and was being burned, and the reek arose from his body, said to the crowd in Latin, 'Lo, this which you are doing is to eat men; but we neither eat men nor do anything else wicked.' And when he was asked what name God has, he replied, 'God has not a name as a man has.'

5.1.14

Επὶ πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις τῆ ἐσχάτῃ λοιπὸν ἡμέρᾳ τῶν μονομαχίων ἢ Βλαωδῖνα πάλιν πεντεκαίδεκα μετὰ καὶ Ποντικοῦ, παιδαρίου ὡς πεντεκαίδεκα ἐτῶν, οἳ καὶ καθ’ ἡμέραν εἰσήγοντο πρὸς τὸ βλέπειν τὴν τῶν λοιπῶν κόλασιν· καὶ ἠναγκάζοντο ὀμνύναι κατὰ τῶν εἰδώλων αὐτῶν, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἐμμένειν εὐσταθῶς καὶ ἐξουθενεῖν αὐτοὺς ἠγριώθη πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸ πλῆθος, ὡς μήτε τὴν ἡλικίαν τοῦ παιδὸς οἰκτεῖραι μήτε τὸ γύναιον θῆναι, πρὸς πάντα δὲ τὰ δεινὰ παρέβαλλον αὐτοὺς καὶ διὰ πάσης ἐν κύκλῳ διῆγον κολάσεως, ἐπαλλήλως ἀναγκάζοντες ὀμόσαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ δυνάμενοι τοῦτο πρᾶξαι. ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ποντικὸς ὑπὸ τῆς ἀδελφῆς παρωρμημένος , ὡς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη βλέπειν ὅτι ἐκείνη ἢν προτρεπομένη καὶ στηρίζουσα αὐτόν, πᾶσαν κόλασιν γενναίως ὑπομείνας ἀπέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα· ἡ δὲ μακαρία Βλανδῖνα πάντων ἐσχάτη, καθάπερ μήτηρ εὐγενὴς παρορμήσασα τὰ τέκνα καὶ νικηφόρους πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, ἀναμετρουμένη καὶ αὐτὴ πάντα τὰ τῶν παίδων μετρουμένη ἔσπευδεν πρὸς αὐτούς, χαίρουσα καὶ ἀγαλλιωμένη ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξόδῳ, ὡς εἰς νυμφικὸν δεῖπνον κεκλημένη, ἀλλὰ μὴ πρὸς θηρία βεβλημένη· καὶ μετὰ τὰς μάστιγας, μετὰ τὰ θηρία, μετὰ τὸ τήγανον, τοὔσχατον εἰς γυργαθὸν βληθεῖσα ταύρῳ παρεβλήθη, καὶ ἱκανῶς ἀναβΛηθεῖσα πρὸς τοῦ ξῴου μηδὲ αἲσθησιν ἔτι τῶν συμβαινόντων ἔχουσα διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐποχὴν τῶν πεπιστευμένων καὶ ΕUsΕBIUs ὁμιλίαν πρὸς Χριστόν, ἐτύθη καὶ αὐτή, καὶ αὐτῶν ὁμολογούντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ὅτι μηδεπώποτε παρ’ αὐτοῖς γυνὴ τοιαῦτα κοὶ τοσαῦτα ἔπαθεν.

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

“In addition to all this, on the last day of the gladiatorial sports, Blandina was again brought in with Ponticus, a boy of about fifteen years old, and they had been brought in every day to see the torture of the others, and efforts were made to force them to swear by the idols, and the mob was furious against them because they had remained steadfast and disregarded them, so that there was neither pity for the youth of the boy nor respect for the sex of the woman. They exposed them to all the terrors and put them through every torture in turn, trying to make them swear, but not being able to do so. For Ponticus was encouraged by the Christian sister, so that even the heathen saw that she was exhorting and strengthening him, and after nobly enduring every torture he gave up his spirit. But the blessed Blandina, last of all, like a noble mother who had encouraged her children and sent them forth triumphant to the king, having herself endured all the tortures of the children, hastened to them, rejoicing and glad at her departure as though invited to a marriage feast rather than cast to the beasts. And after scourging, after the beasts, after the gridiron, she was at last put in a net and thrown to a bull. She was tossed about a long time by the beast, having no more feeling for what happened to her through her hope and hold on what had been entrusted to her and her converse with Christ. And so she too was sacrificed, and the heathen themselves confessed that never before among them had a woman suffered so much and so long.”

5.1.15

“‘Αλλ’ οὐδ’ οὕτως κόρον ἐλάμβανεν αὐτῶν ἡ μανία καὶ ἡ πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους ὠμότης. ὑπὸ γὰρ ἀγρίου θηρὸς ἄγρια καὶ βάρβαρα φῦλα ταραχθέντα δυσπαύστως εἶχεν, καὶ ἄλλην ἰδίαν ἀρχὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς σώμασιν ἐλάμβανεν ἢ ὕβρις αὐτῶν· τὸ γὰρ νενικῆσθαι αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἐδυσώπει διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἀνθρώπινον ἐπιλογισμόν, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἐξέκαιεν αὐτῶν τὴν ὀργὴν καθάπερ θηρίου, καὶ τοῦ ἡγεμόνος καὶ τοῦ δήμου τὸ ὅμοιον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἄδικον ἐπιδεικνυμένων μῖσος, ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ ὁ ἄνομος ἀνομησάτω ἔτι, καὶ ὁ δίκαιος δικαιωθήτω ἔτι.’ καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἐναποπνιγέντας τῆ εἱρκτῇ παρέραλλον κυσίν, ἐπιμελῶς παραφυλάσσοντες νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ’ ἡμέραν μὴ κηδευθῇ τις ὑφ’ ἡμῶν· καὶ τότε δὴ προθέντες τά τε τῶν θηρίων τά τε τοῦ πυρὸς λείψανα, πῇ μὲν ἐσπαραγμένα, πῇ δὲ ἠνθρακευμένα, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τὰς κεφαλὰς σὺν τοῖς ἀποτμήμασιν αὐτῶν ὡσαύτως ἀτάφους παρεφύλαττον μετὰ στρατιωτικῆς ἐπιμελείας ἡμέραις συχναῖς. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐνεβριμοῦντο καὶ ἔβρυχον τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς, ζητοῦντές τινα περισσοτέραν ἐκδίκησιν παρ’ αὐτῶν λαβεῖν, οἱ δὲ ἐνεγέλων καὶ ἐπετώθαζον, μεγαλύνοντες ἅμα τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκείνοις προσάπτοντες τὴν τούτων τιμωρίαν, οἱ δὲ ἐπιεικέστεροι καὶ κατὰ ποσὸν συμπαθεῖν δοκοῦντες ὠνείδιζον πολύ, λέγοντες ποῦ ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν καὶ τί αὐτοὺς ὤνησεν ἡ θρησκεία, ἢν καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἑαυτῶν εἵλαντο ψυχῆς ;’ κοὶ τὰ μὲν ἀπ’ ἐκείνων τοιαύτην εἶχε τὴν ποικιλίαν , τὰ δὲ καθ’ ἡμᾶς ἐν μεγάλῳ καθειστήκει πένθει διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι τὰ σώματα κρύψαι τῇ γῆ· οὔτε γὰρ νὺξ συνεβάλλετο ἡμῖν πρὸς τοῦτο οὔτε ἀργύρια ἔπειθεν οὔτε λιτανεία ἐδυσώπει, παντὶ δὲ τρόπῳ παρετήρουν, ὡς μέγα τι κερδανοῦντες , εἰ μὴ τύχοιεν ταφῆς.”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

Not even thus was their madness and cruelty to the saints satiated, for, incited by a wild beast, the wild and barbarous tribes could scarcely be restrained, and their violence began again in a new way on the bodies; for that they had been conquered did not shame them, because they had no human reason, but it rather inflamed their wrath as of a wild beast, and the governor and the people showed the like unrighteous hatred against us, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, ‘Let him that is unlawful be unlawful still, and he that is righteous be righteous still.’ For those who had been strangled in the jail they threw to the dogs, and watched carefully night and day that none should be cared for by us. Then they threw out the remains left by the beasts and by the fire, torn and charred, and for many days watched with a military guard the heads of the rest, together with their trunks, all unburied. And some raged and gnashed their teeth at the remains, seeking some further vengeance from them, others laughed and jeered, glorifying their idols and ascribing to them the punishment of the Christians, and the gentler, who seemed to have a little sympathy, mocked greatly, saying, ‘Where is their God and what good to them was their worship, which they preferred before their own life?’ Their conduct thus varied, but in our circle great grief obtained, because we could not bury the bodies in the earth, for night did not avail us for this, nor did money persuade nor entreaty shame, but in every way they watched, as though they would make some great gain, that the bodies should not obtain burial.

5.1.16

Τούτοις ἑξῆς μεθ’ ἕτερά φασιν· “ τὰ οὖν σώματα τῶν μαρτύρων παντοίως παραδειγματισθέντα καὶ αἰθριασθέντα ἐπὶ ἡμέρας ἕξ, μετέπειτα καέντα καὶ αἰθαλωθέντα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνόμων κατεσαρώθη εἰς τὸν Ῥοδανὸν ποταμὸν πλησίον παραρρέοντα, ὅπως μηδὲ λείψανον αὐτῶν φαίνηται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔτι. καὶ ταῦτ’ ἔπραττον ὡς δυνάμενοι νικῆσαι τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἀφελέσθαι αὐτῶν τὴν παλιγγενεσίαν , ἵνα, ὡς ἔλεγον ἐκεῖνοι, μηδὲ ἐλπίδα σχῶσιν ἀναστάσεως, ἐφ’ ᾗ πεποιθότες ξένην τινὰ καὶ καινὴν εἰσάγουσιν ἡμῖν θρῃακείαν καὶ καταφρονοῦσι τῶν δεινῶν, ἕτοιμοι καὶ μετὰ χαρᾶς ἥκοντες ἐπὶ τὸν θάνατον· νῦν ἴδωμεν εἰ ἀναστήσονται καὶ εἰ δύναται βοηθῆσαι αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐξελέσθαι ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ἡμῶν.’”

AI English cleanup, gpt-5.4-mini, 2026-05-25

Further on they say: “Thus the bodies of the martyrs, after having been exposed and insulted in every way for six days, and afterwards burned and turned to ashes, were swept by the wicked into the river Rhone, which flows near by, that not even a relic of them might still appear upon the earth. And this they did as though they could conquer God and take away their rebirth, in order, as they said, ‘that they might not even have any hope of resurrection, through trusting in which they have brought in strange and new worship and despise terrors, going readily and with joy to death; now let us see if they will rise again, and if their God be able to help them and to take them out of our hands.’”