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. VI. Concerning them that suffered Martyrdom in those Times.

BUt not long after, this Captain was his own Executioner, suffering a condign punish∣ment for his malicious wickedness. And now

banishments and most horrid Persecutions were a fresh raised against us; the Presidents in every Pro∣vince renewing their cruel insurrections against us: in so much that some of the most eminent asserters of the divine faith were apprehended, and without any commiseration had the sentence of death pro∣nounc't against them. Three of them having professed themselves Christians, were cast to the wild beasts and devoured by them at Emesa, a City of Phoenicia: amongst them there was a Bishop, one a 1.1 Silvanus, a very old man, who had born that Office forty years compleat. At the same time also, b 1.2 Peter, that most eminent Prelate of the Alexandrian Church, (the chiefest ornament and glory of the Bishops, both for his virtuous life, and his study and knowledge in the sacred Scriptures) being apprehended for no crime at all, was beheaded (contrary to every bodies expectation) by Maximins order on a sud∣den, and without any specious pretence. Like∣wise many other Aegyptian Bishops suffered the same death that he did. c 1.3 Lucianus also, Presbyter of the Church at Antioch, a very pious man, much famed for his continency, and his knowledge in the sacred Scriptures, was brought to the City of Nicomedia, d 1.4 where the Emperour then kept his Court; and after he had made his Apology, in defence of that Doctrine which he asserted, before the President he was committed to prison and murthered. In fine, Maximin, that professed Enemy of all virtue, did in a short time load us with such burthens of afflictions, that this latter storm of Persecution raised by him seemed to us far more grievous then the former.

Notes

• a 1.1

  This Sil∣vanus is a different person from that Silvanus which Eu∣sebius men∣tions in his book con∣cerning the Martyrs of Palestine, chap. the last. For this was Bishop of Emesa▪ the other was Bishop of Gaza. The first was beheaded in the Mines at Palestine with 39 other Mar∣tyrs; in the eighth year of the Persecution. But this Silvanus was cast to the wild beasts at Emesa, on the ninth year of the Persecution. Concerning this man's Martyrdom Eusebius has said something before, in his eighth book, although not in its proper place; see B. 8. Chap. 13. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Eusebius mentioned this man's Martyrdom before in the eighth book chap. 13. but not in its proper place. For the eighth book does not go beyond the eighth year of the Persecution. But Peter Bishop of Alexandria was Martyr'd in the ninth year of the Persecution (which Eusebius expresly affirmeth in the end of the seventh book) upon the seventh of the Calends of December, as we read in the Excerpta Chrono∣logica published by Scaliger. Usuardus says the same; and so does Ado, and the old Roman Martyrology. The Greeks celebrate his birth day on the 14^th of November. The Acts of his Passion are extant in a M. S. in Greek, which the Reverend Father Franciscus Combesisius has, and will shortly publish, with many other things. Vales.
• c 1.3

  Eusebius has mentioned this man's Martyrdom at book 8. chap. 13. though not in its due place. But here he remarks the time more distinctly, wherein Peter and Lucianus suffered; to wit, under Maximin; not in the Reign of Galerius Maximianus, as Baro∣nius would have us believe, at the year of Christ 311. cap. 3. Also, Baronius is mistaken in placing the Martyrdom of Peter Bishop of Alexandria on the year of Christ 310. for he suffered in the year of our Lord 311, on the ninth year current of the Persecution. Ba∣ronius's errour arose from his beginning the Persecution a year too soon; which mistake we have sufficiently confuted before, at book 8. chap. 2. note (c.) Moreover, in regard Lucianus's Martyrdom hap∣pened under Maximin, the Martyrdom of Anthimus Bishop of Ni∣comedia should, in my judgment, be placed under Maximin also. Indeed, Anthimus suffered a little before Lucianus, as Lucianus in∣forms us in his Epistle to the Antiochians▪ which I made mention of in Book 8. chap. 13. note (a.) we may also make the same conclusion from the Acts of Lucianus the Martyr; where, instead of Maximinus, we read Maximianus, which is a common errour in the Greeks. Vales.
• d 1.4

  When Galerius was dead, Maximinus took possession of Asia and Bithynia; which Provinces (together with Illyricum, and Thracia) were governed by Galerius. For Galerius kept these Provinces for himself, as Eutropius informs us; the same is asserted by the old Au∣thour of the Excerptions, which I published at the end of my Amm. Marcelinus. Maximinus therefore made his abode at Nicomedia, which was the chief City of Bithynia; where the Emperours had a pallace ever since Diocletions time. Further, the following words do evidently manifest, that by the term [Emperour] Maximinus must be meant. Wherefore I wonder at Baronius, for asserting that Lucianus suffered under Galerius, not under Maximin; when as Eu∣sebius, contemporary with Lucianus, affirms he was killed by Maxi∣min. Vales.