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. I. Concerning Procopius, Alphaeus, and Zacchaeus, Martyrs.

a 1.1 PRocopius therefore, the first of the Martyrs of Palestine, b 1.2 before he had experienced a con∣finement in prison, was c 1.3 immediately upon his very first Arrival brought before the Presidents Seat of Judicature: and being commanded to offer sacrifice to those [by the Gentiles] stiled Gods, he said that he knew but one onely God, to whom sa∣crifice was to be offered, according to that manner which he himself had appointed. But when he was bidden to sacrifice to the four Emperours, ha∣ving uttered a sentence which was in no wise plea∣sing to them (that which he said, was these words of the Poet [Homer;] It is not good [to have] many Lords, let there be one Lord, one King) he

was forthwith beheaded, d 1.4 on the eighth day of the moneth e 1.5 Desius, that is (as the Romans stile it) before the seventh of the Ides of June, on the f 1.6 fourth day of the week. This was the * 1.7 first Martyrdom that was consummated at Cae∣sarea in Palestine: but after him, very many Pre∣lates of Churches in that Province, having at the same City chearfully undergone most grievous tortures, exhibited to the Spectatours a relation of illustrious Combats. But others, dis-spirited by reason of their fear, were immediately discou∣raged at the very first attaque made against them. Every one of the rest underwent various and inter∣changeable sorts of tortures: one was scourged with innumerable stripes, another was racked, had the flesh of his sides scraped off with iron nails, and was loaded with an insupportable burthen of

bonds, by reason of which some happened to have [the sinews] of their hands weakened and made feeble. Nevertheless they all endured whatever befell them agreeable to the secret judgment of God. For one being taken by the hand by some others, who led him to the Altar and thrust the impure and detestable sacrifice into his right hand, was dismissed, as if he had sacrificed. Another, who had not in any wise touched [the sacrifice,] yet when others affirmed that he had sacrificed, went silently away. A third, taken up half dead, was cast forth as if he had been so really, and being loosed from his bonds, was computed amongst their number who had offered sacrifice. A fourth, crying out, and making protestation that he would not perform what he was enjoyned by them to do, was stricken on the mouth, and being silenced by a great company of persons purposely appointed upon that account, was forcibly thrust out, al∣though he had not sacrificed. * 1.8 So highly did they every way esteem their being thought to have perfected what they desired! Of all these there∣fore, who were so numerous, onely Alphaeus and * 1.9 Zacchaeus obtained the crown of holy Martyr∣dom. Who, after they were scourged, and had had their flesh scraped off with torturing irons, when they had endured most grievous bonds and cruciating pains therein, after various other tor∣tures they were put into the stocks, where for four and twenty hours space their feet were distended to the fourth hole, and having confest that there was but one only God, and one King Jesus Christ, as if they had uttered something that was blasphe∣mous and impious, they underwent the same sort of punishment with the first Martyr [Procopius,] and were beheaded on the seventeenth day of the month Dius, which day amongst the Romans is be∣fore the fifteenth of the Calends of December.

Notes

• a 1.1

  The same Relation is in the Acts of the passion of Procopius the Martyr, which be∣gin thus, The first of the Martyrs that appeared in Palestine was Pro∣copius, &c. From whence 'tis evident, that those Acts were tran∣slated out of the Greek Copy of Eusebius into Latine. To make this more manifestly apparent, it will in no wise be unusefull, to insert here the entire Acts. For many things worth our knowledge are contained in them, which neither Baronius nor Molanus happened to have a sight of▪ We have transcribed them from a most ancient M. S. belonging to the Musciacensian Monastery, which is now in the hands of that lear∣ned person Claudius Joly Canon of the Church at Paris. Their Con∣tents are these;

  The Passion of S. Procopius the Martyr, who suffered under Fabianus the President, on the fourth of the Nones of August.

  The first of the Martyrs that appeared in Palestine was Procopius: a person [full] of celestial grace, who before his Martyrdom ordered his life so, as that from his very childhood he applied his mind to chastity, and a virtuous converse. He so macerated his body, that 'twas judged to be almost dead. But he comforted his mind with such divine words, that he infused strength and courage into his body, by this refection of his mind. Bread and water was his food and drink: he fed onely on these: which he would forsake for two, or three, sometimes for seven days together, and then return to that his food again. Also, a meditation on divine expressions had bound up his mind so fast, that he continued indefatigable in it night and day. He made himself an high example of courtesie and meekness, looking on himself to be inferiour to others, so great was his studiousness in divine matters: he had also attained to a competency in external accomplishments. His original extract he had at Aelia [i. e. Jerusalem;] but by converse and habitation he was a Scythopolitan. He served in three Offices in that Church; one was that of a Reader, another consisted in his interpretation of the Syrian Tongue; and the third was an im∣position of hands, to cast out devils. And when he (together with his companions) was sent from Scythopolis to Caesarea, he was led from the very Gates to the President▪ and before he had experienced the miseries of imprisonment and bonds, he was upon his very first Arrival commanded by Flavianus the President, to offer sacrifice to the Gods. But with a loud voice he attested that there was not a multiplicity of Gods, but one Maker and Framer of all things. The President, smitten with that ex∣pression of his, and being wounded in his own conscience, assented to what he said. And, betaking himself to other arguments, [perswaded him] to sacrifice at least but to the Emperours. But the holy Martyr of God, despising what he said, repeated that passage of Homer—It is not good [to have] many Lords, let there be one Lord, one King. Which words being heard, it being supposed that he spoke something that was of ill consequence to the Emperours, by the Presidents command he was led to execution; and being beheaded, had an entrance into a celestial life, or found a compendious way into heaven, on the seventh day of Desius, that is, the moneth July, which amongst the Romans is called the Nones of July, in the first year of the Persecution against us. This was the first Martyrdom that was consummated in Caesarea, our Lord Jesus Christ Reigning, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen. These Acts are also extant in two M. SS. belonging to the Library of Saint Germans. Vales.
• b 1.2

  The foregoing Acts of the passion of Saint Procopius render this passage almost word for word, thus; Priusquam carceris vel vinculorum experiretur angustias, before he had experienced the miseries of imprison∣ment and bonds. By which words the cruelty of the Judge is signified. For the Roman Presidents were wont first to imprison those offenders that were apprehended and brought before them, and to interrogate them afterwards at their leisure. Vales.
• c 1.3

  The foregoing Acts word this passage thus; in ipso ingressu suo •• Judice Flaviano ut Diis sacrificaret impellitur; i. e. he was upon his very first arrival, commanded by Flavianus the President, to offer sacrifice to the Gods. Many things are here omitted in the Greek Text of Euse∣bius, which must be made prefect by those Acts in Latine (the tran∣slation whereof we have before inserted.) For when Eusebius had here said expresly, that Procopius upon his first arrival was brought before the Judge, he adds nothing concerning the place from whence he came, where he was apprehended, or to what place he was brought: nothing of which ought to have been omitted. Besides, Eusebius does accu∣rately relate the descent and country of other Martyrs mentioned in this book; and if any of them had attained any degree of Ecclesiastick honour, he does usually take notice of that also. But of this person (who was the chief, and Leader of all the Palestine Martyrs) we see no such remarks made. This, 'tis probable, was not the fault of Euse∣bius, but of his Excribers. For, in the Latine Acts, which, as we be∣fore evidenced, were translated out of Eusebius, all these circumstances are manifestly declared. See the translation of the Latine Acts, in note (a.) in this chapter. Vales.
• d 1.4

  The La∣tine Copies of these Acts doe vary a little here: in Claudius Joly's Copy (the translation of which you have in note (a.) in this chapter,) the words are, Defii Septima Julii mensi••, quae nonas Julias dicitur apud Latinos, i. e. on the seventh day of Desius [that is the] moneth July, which amongst the Romans is called the Nones of July: in the two M. S. Copies belonging to the Library of S. Germans, the reading is thus, Dies erat Septima Julii mensis, quae 7. Idus Julii dicitur apud Latinos, i. e. it was the seventh day of the Month July, which amongst the Ro∣mans is called the seventh of the Ides of July. In the greek Text of our Eusebius here, the words are these, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, on the eighth day of the moneth Desius, that is (as the Romans stile it) before the seventh of the Ides of June. By these words in the Latine Copies of the M. SS. in Saint Germans Library, the title before Claudius Joly's Copy of these Acts is to be amended, where 'tis said Procopius suffered on the fourth of the Nones of August. Notwithstanding, in all the Martyrologies, the Martyrdom of Procopius is set on the eighth of the Ides of July. The Greeks also celebrate the memory of the great Martyr Procopius on the same day, as may be seen in their Menaeum. But that Procopius is a different person from ours, although he was born at Jerusalem, and suffered at the same time almost, and in the same City, that our Pro∣copius did. For our Procopius was a Reader, and an-Exorcist, as Eu∣sebius attests. But the other was a Captain of Egypt. The first Pro∣copius was a Christian from his Childhood, the second was at first a worshipper of Daemons. Our Procopius was beheaded, having suffered no tortures, and so obtained the Crown of Martyrdom by a most com∣pendious and easie kind of death. The other Procopius suffered a tedious and most cruel Martyrdom, having undergone most horrid tor∣tures under two Presidents of Palestine, Justus and Flavianus. Upon which account he is reckoned by the Greeks amongst the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Great Martyrs: See book 6. chap. 32. note (b.) Lastly, our Procopius was taken at Scythopolis, brought to Caesarea in Palestine, and there beheaded. The other was apprehended in Egypt, and Martyred in Caesarea a City of Phoenicia (which was also called Paneas) if we may believe Simcon Metaphrastes. Vales.
• e 1.5

  It is, I perceive, taken for granted amongst all men, that the months of the Syro-Macedonians were wholly the same with the Julian months, from that time when Julius Caesar publisht his year. For Scaliger and our Petavius do in many places affirm this; and the only difference (as they say) was, that the Syro-Macedonians began their year from October. But, there are many things which make me dissent from their opinion. For first, Bede (in his Ephemeris, and in his book De ratione Temporum) says, that the months of the Greeks be∣gan from Apellaeus, which answers to December. But Marcus (in his Life of Porphyrius Bishop of Gaza) attests, that those of Gaza began their year from the month Dius. For these are his words at pag, 1090. Primo mense qui ab eis vocatur Dios, deinde etiam secundo, qui dicitur Apellaeos; i. e. in the first month which they call Dius, then also in the second which is termed Apellaeus. The Emperour Julianus (in An∣tiochico) confirms this, where he expresly says that Lous was the tenth month amongst the Syrians. Now, if they began their year from Octo∣ber, then Lous (which answers to August) would not have been the tenth, but the eleventh month. The same is manifested by Julianus (in Misopogone, pag. 70.) in these words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ i. e. The Calends of the Syrians were come, and Caesar goes to the Temple of Ju∣piter Philius again. Then came the Calends of January (For, in my notes on book 23. of Ammian. Marcellinus, pag. 252, I have shown that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was the same with the Calends of January.) and Caesar goes to the Temple of the God Genius. (Concerning the Temple of this God Genius at Antioch, See Evagrius's Hist. book 1. chap. 16.) Then passing by the ominous day, he renews his vows in the Temple of Jupiter Philius according to the custome of his Ancestours. Seeing therefore Julianus attests, that the New Moon of the Syrians year did a little precede the Calends of January; it is manifest that the beginning of the Roman and Syrian year was not the same. But, it may be plainly collected from the same place of Julian, that Dius was the first month of the year amongst the Antiochians: For Julian says, that on the Calends of the first month of the Syrians, he went to the Temple of Jupiter, to sacrifice, because their first month was sacred to Jupiter, and received its name from him. For it was called Dius 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, from Jupiter: and the first month was rightly called after his name, who was thought to be the principal cause, and origine of all things. Now, if October were the first month of the Syrian year, that passage in Julian would have been impertinent. For, when the Antiochians would deride Julian, for his assiduity in worship∣ing the Gods, they produce this example thereof [The Calends of the Syrians were come, and Caesar goes to the Temple of Jupiter Phi∣lius again: then came the Calends of January, and Caesar goes to the Temple of the God Genius.] There must therefore necessarily be some little space of time between the Calends of the Syrians, and the Romans, that so Julian might deservedly be derided by the Antiochians for his too frequent offering of sacrifice. It is therefore necessary, that either Apellaeus must have been the first month amongst the Syrians, (which is Bede's opinion,) or else Dius. Thus far concerning the beginning of the Syro-Macedonian year; which we have demonstrated to be dif∣ferent from the beginning of the Julian year. We will now inquire in∣to the Syro-Macedonian months, and see whether they began and ended at the same time that the Roman months did. Indeed, this place in Eusebius does plainly shew, that the beginning of the months amongst the Syrians and Romans was not the same: for it makes the eighth day of the month Desius to be the same with the seventh of the month June. Therefore the Syrian month Desius began one day before the Roman month June. Moreover, Marcus (in the life of Porphyrius) affirms, that the months of the inhabitants of Gaza preceded the Roman months five days. His words are these, Pluit autem Domi∣nus, &c. Our Lord sent a continued rain from the eighth day of the month Audynaeus to the tenth. Now Audynaeus amongst the Romans is January. For their months precede the Roman months five days. But on the eleventh day we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany, praising God. From which words 'tis apparent, that the beginning of the months amongst those of Gaza was almost the same with the beginning of them amongst the Egyptians. Further, Epiphanius (in his book De Pon∣derib. chap. 20.) makes the sixteenth day of May the same with the twenty third of the Grecian month Artemisius. The form of the months amongst the Tyrians was different from this; they made use of the Macedonian account of the months. For, in the Acts at Tyre (which are related in the ninth Action of the Council of Chalcedon) the tenth day of the month Peritius is confounded with the twenty fifth of February: and in the fifth Action Concil. Constantinop. sub▪ Mena, the twenty eighth day of the Tyrian month Lous is said to have been the sixteenth day of the Roman month September. From all this it may be concluded, that the account of the whole year, and of the months, was not of one and the same form amongst the Syrians. For those of Gaza computed them after one way, those of Tyre after another, and those of Caesarea after a third manner. But, I am fully perswaded, that the Caesareans used months, wholly composed according to the Julian form. For, in all places of this book of Eusebius's, concerning the Martyres of Palestine, wherever mention is made of the Macedonian months amongst the Caesarians, (the mention whereof does frequently occur in it;) the days of those months do always agree with the days of the Roman months; excepting this only place in this first Chapter. Therefore, I think, that the reading in the Text of Eusebius here should be thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, on the seventh day of the month Desius. Vales.
• f 1.6

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; that is, on the fourth feria, or, (to render it word for word) on the fourth day of the Sabbath, or, of the week. For the ancient Christians having received a set account of the seven days of the week from the Jews, named them as they did. Therefore they called them the first of the Sabbath, the second of the Sabbath, &c. See Tertullian in his Book De jejuniis. Sometimes they called them feriae: Feria is the same with Sabbath. Therefore, as the Jews termed the week-days the first, the second, the third of the Sabbath; and so on to the Seventh∣day, which they called the Sabbath: so the antient Christians termed them the first, second, and third feria, &c. making an alteration only in this, that they did not keep the Sabbath-day holy, as did the Jews; but observed their Sabbath 〈…〉〈…〉 the first day of the Sabbath▪ which they also called Sunday, or The Lord's Day. So Isidorus in his Book, De Na∣tura Rerum, Chap. 3. Bede (in his Book De Ratione Temporum) says the week-days were called feriae, because the Clergy-men, by the decree of Pope Sylvester, were ordered to keep every day holy. But this opinion cannot be true; for the days of the week were called feriae long before Pope Sylvester's time, as Tertullian informs us. Moreover, not only the Christians, but the Gentiles also received the computation of the week from the Jews, as Josephus informs us, in the close of his se∣cond book against Apion. But the Gentiles called the days of the week by the names of the seven Planets; which names continue still in use amongst most Nations, being as it were certain reliques of the ancient errour of the Gentiles. See Tertullian in his Book Ad Nationes. Vales. The Ecclesiastical year of old began at Easter, the first week whereof was all Holyday, the days being distinguished by prima, secunda, tertia, &c. added unto feria. From thence the days of any other week began to be called feria prima, secunda, &c. See M^r Jo. Gregory of Oxford, in his Tract De Aeris & Epochis, Chap. 5. The original of the names, which we in England give to the days of the week, may be seen in Verstegan's Antiquities, pag. 68, &c. Edit. Antwerp. 1605.
• * 1.7

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we render primum Martyrium, the first Martyr∣dom: so the Latine Acts render it▪ whence it appears, the Transla∣tor thereof did read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Vales.
• * 1.8

  See B. 8. Chap. 3.
• * 1.9

  He was a Deacon of the Church of Gadara; Concer∣ning whom we have this passage in the M••∣••ologi•• at the 18^th of Novem∣ber: The commemo∣ration of the holy Martyrs Michaeus, Zacchaeus, Deacon of Gadara, and Alphaeus. The blessed Zacchaeus was led before the tribunal, having an heavy iron-chain about his neck. Vales.