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THOSE of them that were conspicuous in Palestine we know, as also
those that were at Tyre in Phoenicia. Who that saw them was not
astonished at the numberless stripes, and at the firmness which these
truly wonderful athletes of religion exhibited under them? and at their
contest, immediately after the scourging, with bloodthirsty wild
beasts, as they were cast before leopards and different kinds of bears
and wild boars and bulls goaded with fire and red-hot iron? and at the
marvelous endurance of these noble men in the face of all sorts of wild
beasts?
We were present ourselves when these things occurred, and have put on
record the divine power of our martyred Saviour Jesus Christ, which
was present and manifested itself mightily in the martyrs. For a long
time the man-devouring beasts did not dare to touch or draw near the
bodies of those dear to God, but rushed upon the others who from the
outside irritated and urged them on. And they would not in the least
touch the holy athletes, as they stood alone and naked and shook their
hands at them to draw them toward themselves, for they were commanded
to do this. But whenever they rushed at them, they were restrained as
if by some diviner power and retreated again. This continued for a
long time, and occasioned no little wonder to the spectators. And as
the first wild beast did nothing, a second and a third were let loose
against one and the same martyr. One could not but be astonished at
the invincible firmness of these holy men, and the enduring and
immovable constancy of those whose bodies were young. You could have
seen a youth not twenty years of age standing unbound and stretching out
his hands in the form of a cross, with unterrified and untrembling
mind, engaged earnestly in prayer to God, and not in the least going
back or retreating from the place where he stood, while bears and
leopards, breathing rage and death, almost touched his flesh. And
yet their mouths were restrained, I know not how, by a divine and
incomprehensible power, and they ran back again to their place. Such
an one was he.
Again you might have seen others, for they were five in all, cast
before a wild bull, who tossed into the air with his horns those who
approached from the outside, and mangled them, leaving them to be
token up half dead; but when he rushed with rage and threatening upon
the holy martyrs, who were standing alone, he was unable to come near
them; but though he stamped with his feet, and pushed in all
directions with his horns, and breathed rage and threatening on account
of the irritation of the burning irons, he was, nevertheless, held
back by the sacred Providence. And as he in nowise harmed them, they
let loose other wild beasts upon them. Finally, after these terrible
and various attacks upon them, they were all slain with the sword; and
instead of being buried in the earth they were committed to the waves of
the sea.
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