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. XVI. Concerning the holy Presbyters who were burnt in a Ship, and concerning the Famine, which by the wrath of God hapned in Phrygia upon that account.

FOr, when some choice pious persons, who were Ecclesiasticks, being eighty in number, (the principal men amongst whom were Urba∣nus, Theodorus, and Menedemus,) were arrived at Nicomedia, and had presented a Supplicatory Libel to the Emperour, informing him of the vio∣lence and calamitous sufferings which were inflicted on them [by the Arians:] the Emperour, highly incensed, concealed his anger, till such time as he had given a secret order to Modestus the Prae∣fect, for the apprehending of these persons, and putting of them to death. The manner of their death was new and unusual; therefore it shall be recorded. The Praefect being afraid, least if he should murder these men in publick, * 1.1 he might raise a tumult of the unthinking crowd against himself, pretends to send them away into banishment. [This news] being received by these persons with a couragiousness of mind, the Praefect orders them to be put aboard a Ship, as if [he designed] they should be carried away and banished: but he commanded the Sea men, that when they came to the middle of the Sea, they should set the Vessel on fire: that so, being de∣stroyed after this manner, they might be depri∣ved of a Burial. Thus therefore it was per∣formed. The Mariners sailed out of the Haven, and being arrived at the middle of the Astacum-Bay, do what they were ordered: and having set the Ship on fire, went aboard another small Vessel which followed them, and so came off. But, a very boysterous Easterly wind hapned to blow, whereby the burning Ship was fiercely driven: in so much that it sailed with a great deal of swiftness; and lasted till it came to a Sea-Port, the name whereof is a 1.2 Dacidizus, where it was wholly consumed together with the men in it. Many have reported, that this [horrid Villany] continued not unpunished. For there hapned so sore a b 1.3 Famine all over Phrygia immediately af∣ter, that many of the Inhabitants were forced to remove out of that Country for some time, and betake themselves, partly to Constantinople, and partly to other Provinces. For Constantinople, although it nourishes a vast multitude of people, yet always abounds with plenty, both because it has all manner of necessaries for provision im∣ported into it from all places by Sea, and also in regard the Euxine-Sea, lying near it, furnishes it with plenty of Bread-corn, as often as it wants.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or, be might raise an irratio∣nal tumult of the mul∣titude, &c.
• a 1.2

  Sozomen (book 6. chap. 14.) tells the same story: where he calls this place Daci∣byza, and says 'tis a Maritime-City of Bithynia. Cedrenus also terms it Daci∣byza. But Theophanes gives it the name of Dacidiza. Vales.
• b 1.3

  Concerning this Famine there is this Record, in the Old Fasti, with Sirmondus has published under the name of Idatius: Valentiniano III, and Valente III, &c. i. e. in the third Con∣sulate of Valentinianus and Valens there was a great Famine in the parts of Phrygia. Vales.