The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. VII. Concerning those Egyptians [who suffered] in Phoenicia.

SOme of them, we knew, were famous [for their Martyrdoms] in Palestine; and others in Tyre a City of Phoenicia. Whom any one that had seen, could not but have been astonished at their innumerable stripes; at the courage and constancy of those truly a 1.1 ad∣mirable champions of piety in suffering them; at their combat with wild beasts, accustomed to devour the bloud of mankind, which immediately followed their tortures with scour∣ges; at their encounters in that combat with Leopards, * 1.2 huge wild bears, fierce wild bores, and bulls, which were incited against them with fire and red hot iron; and lastly at the admirable patience of those couragious [Martyrs] in en∣during [the Assaults] of each of those wild beasts. We our selves were present at the per∣formance of these things, when we saw the divine power of our Saviour Jesus Christ (whom the Martyrs then bore witness of) present, and evi∣dently manifesting it self to the Martyrs: [for▪] those ravenous beasts for a long time dared not to touch or approach the bodies of these [Mar∣tyrs] beloved by God. But they turned their fury upon others, to wit, those that were b 1.3 infidells, who instigated and provoked them: but the sacred cham∣pions onely, who stood na∣ked and by the motions of their hands irritated them a∣gainst themselves, (for this they were enjoyned to do,) they did not so much as touch. Sometimes indeed they assailed them; but, as it were by some divine power, they were stopt, and retired back again: which hapning for▪ a long time together, gave occasion of no small ad∣miration to the spectatours; so that because the first beast performed not its assault, a second and a third was let loose upon one and the same Martyr: you would have admired the in∣trepid stedfastness of those sacred persons at the sight of all this, and that firm and immoveable fortitude of mind, which was in young and tender bodies: for you might have seen a youth, who had not yet compleated the twentieth year of his age, standing still without being bound; and (having stretcht forth his hands, in form of a Cross,) in an undisturbed and fearless temper of mind con∣tending with the greatest earnestness in prayers to the divine Majesty, in no wise receding, or re∣moving from the place he stood on; when the Bears and the Leopards, breathing forth rage and death, almost toucht his very flesh with their jaws. But their mouths were (after what manner I know not) bound fast as it were by a divine and unspeakable power, and they ran backward again. After such a manner as this did this person behave himself. Again, you might have seen others (for they were in all five in number) cast to an enrag'd Bull, who tore some of the Infidels that approacht him, tossing them into the air with his horns, and leaving them to be taken up half dead. But when he should have assailed the sacred Mar∣tyrs onely with rage and menaces, he could not approach them; but stamping on the ground with his feet, tossing his horns this way and that way, and breathing forth rage and menaces by reason of his being irritated with red hot irons, he was notwithstanding drawn backward by the assistance of divine providence. When therefore none of them was at all hurt by him, they let loose other wild beasts upon them. In fine, after these various and horrid assaults of the wild

beasts; they were all e 1.4 killed with the sword, and, instead of being buried in the earth, were committed to the surges of the Sea.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, is the reading of the Maz. and Med. M. SS. accordingly we have rendered it of those truly admirable champions, &c. Those champions were termed paradoxi, who had gained many victories. See Peter Faber (in Agonistico) B. 3. pag. 603. Vales.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; ur∣sorum im∣manium; so Valesius▪ renders it; and we have tran∣slated it huge, i. e. terrible, outragious wild bears.
• b 1.3

  By [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] the term which here occurs, Nicephorus (B. 7. chap. 7.) thought those were meant, who stood without the Aren•• of the Amphitheatre▪ and incited the wild-beasts by their clamours. But Rufinus sup∣posed that the Arenarii were here spoken of, whose business it was to provoke the boasts: thus he ren∣ders the place; Verùm bestiae illos ipsos qui ad instegandum mittun∣tur, incredibili velocitate discer∣punt, But the beasts tare in pieces those with an incredible swiftness, who are sent in to provoke them. Christophorson thought that as well the Infidells, as those who stood without the arena were here meant. The same term occurs again in this chapter; we have rendred it in both places infidels. Vales.
• e 1.4

  It was the custom, that the confectors (concerning whom see B. 4. chap. 15. note n.) were sent in to slay, or cut the throats of offenders, in the Arena. We must not think these Martyrs were beheaded. Vales.