Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History 7.12.1
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/113
Text
Οὐαλεριανοῦ διωγμὸν τρεῖς ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Παλαιστίνης τῇ κατὰ Χριστὸν διαλάμψαντες ὁμολογίᾳ θείῳ κατεκοσμήθησαν μαρτυρίῳ, θηρίων γενόμενοι βορά. τούτων ὁ μὲν Πρίσκος ἐκαλεῖτο, ὁ δὲ Μάλχος, τῷ δὲ τρίτῳ Ἀλέξανδρος ὄνομα ἦν. τούτους φασὶ κατ’ ἀγρὸν οἰκοῦντας πρότερον μὲν ἑαυτοὺς ὡς ἀμελεῖς καὶ ῥᾳθύμους κακίσαι, ὅτι δὴ βραβείων, τοῦ καιροῦ τοῖς πόθου γλιχομένοις οὐρανίου διανέμοντος, ὀλιγωροῖεν αὐτοὶ μὴ οὐχὶ προαρπάζοντες τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου στέφανον· ταῦτα δὲ βουλευσαμένους ὁρμῆσαι ἐπὶ τὴν Καισάρειαν, ὁμόσ’ ἑ τε χωρῆσαι ἐπὶ τὸν δικαστὴν, καὶ τυχεῖν τοῦ προδεδηλωμένου τέλους. ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις γύναιόν τι κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν διωγμὸν ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ πόλει τὸν ὅμοιον ἱστοροῦσιν ἀγῶνα διηθληκέναι. τῆς δὲ Μαρκίωνος αὐτὴν αἱρέσεως γενέσθαι κατέχει λόγος.1
Translation
But during the persecution of Valerian, of which we are speaking, three persons at Caesarea in Palestine, conspicuous for their confession of Christ, were adorned with a divine martyrdom, becoming food for wild beasts. Of these one was called Priscus, the second Malchus, and the name of the third was Alexander. It is said that these men, who were living in the country, at first reproached themselves for their carelessness and sloth, because instead of hastening to secure the crown of martyrdom, they were proving contemptuous of prizes, though the present opportunity was bestowing them upon such as yearned with a heavenly desire. But that when they had taken counsel on this, they started for Caesarea, appeared before the judge, and met the abovementioned end. Moreover they relate besides these that a certain woman during the same persecution and in the same city endured to the end a similar conflict. But it is recorded that she belonged to the heresy of Marcion.2
Translation Note
Translation corrected and adapted from its source.Works Cited
- 1 Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia ecclesiastica: Machine Readable Text, ed. Wilhelm Dindorfius (Leipzig: University of Leipzig, 2014), section: 7.12.1.
- 2 Eusebius of Caesarea, Historia ecclesiastica [English Translation]: Machine Readable Text, trans. Kirsopp Lake (Leipzig: University of Leipzig, 2014), section: 7.12.
Additional Bibliography
- Eusebius of Caesarea, Eusebii Caesariensis opera, ed. Wilhelm Dindorf, vol. 4, Bibliotheca scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana (Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1867), section: 7.12.1.
- Eusebius of Caesarea, The Ecclesiastical History: Books 1-5, trans. Kirsopp Lake, vol. 1, 2 vols., Loeb Classical Library 153 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1926), section: 7.12.
How to Cite This Entry
Eliana Yonan et al., “Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History 7.12.1,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 19, 2020, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/113.
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Bibliography:
Eliana Yonan et al., “Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History 7.12.1.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2020. Entry published June 19, 2020. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/113.About this Entry
Entry Title: Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History 7.12.1
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editors, “Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History 7.12.1”
- Eliana Yonan and Joseph L. Rife, entry contributors, “Eusebius of Caesarea, Church History 7.12.1”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by William L. Potter
- Electronic text added by Eliana Yonan
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife