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IT is now proper to relate how the Iberians about the same time
became proselytes to the faith. A certain woman leading a devout and
chaste life, was, in the providential ordering of God, taken captive
by the Iberians. Now these Iberians dwell near the Euxine Sea,
and are a colony of the Iberians of Spain. Accordingly the woman in
her captivity exercised herself among the barbarians in the practice of
virtue: for she not only maintained the most rigid continence, but
Spent much time in fastings and prayers. The barbarians observing
this were astonished at the strangeness of her conduct. It happened
then that the king's son, then a mere babe, was attacked with
disease; the queen, according to the custom of the country, sent the
child to other women to be cured, in the hope that their experience
would supply a remedy. After the infant had been carried around by its
nurse without obtaining relief from any of the women, he was at length
brought to this captive. She had no knowledge of the medical art, and
applied no material remedy; but taking the child and laying it on her
bed which was made of horsecloth, in the presence of other females,
she simply said, 'Christ, who healed many, will heal this child
also'; then having prayed in addition to this expression of faith,
and called upon God, the boy was immediately restored, and continued
well from that period. The report of this miracle spread itself far
and wide among the barbarian women, and soon reached the queen, so
that the captive became very celebrated. Not long afterwards the queen
herself having fallen sick sent for the captive woman. Inasmuch as she
being a person of modest and retiring manners excused herself from
going, the queen was conveyed to her. The captive did the same to her
as she had done to her son before; and immediately the disease was
removed. And the queen thanked the stranger; but she replied, 'this
work is not mine, but Christ's, who is the Son of God that made
the world'; she therefore exhorted her to call upon him, and
acknowledge the true God. Amazed at his wife's sudden restoration to
health, the king of the Iberians wished to requite with gifts her whom
he had understood to be the means of effecting these cures; she however
said that she needed not riches, inasmuch as she possessed as riches
the consolations of religion; but that she would regard as the greatest
present he could offer her, his recognition of the God whom she
worshiped and declared. With this she sent back the gifts. This
answer the king treasured up in his mind, and going forth to the chase
the next day, the following circumstance occurred: a mist and thick
darkness covered the mountain tops and forests where he was hunting, so
that their sport was embarrassed, and their path became inextricable.
In this perplexity the prince earnestly invoked the gods whom he
worshiped; and as it availed nothing, he at last determined to implore
the assistance of the captive's God; when scarcely had he begun to
pray, ere the darkness arising from the mist was completely
dissipated. Wondering at that which was done, he returned to his
palace rejoicing, and related to his wife what had happened; he also
immediately sent for the captive stranger, and begged her to inform him
who that God was whom she adored. The woman on her arrival caused the
king of the Iberians to become a preacher of Christ: for having
believed in Christ through this devoted woman, he convened all the
Iberians who were under his authority; and when he had declared to
them what had taken place in reference to the cure of his wife and child
not only, but also the circumstances connected with the chase, he
exhorted them to worship the God of the captive. Thus, therefore,
both the king and the queen were made preachers of Christ, the one
addressing their male, and the other their female subjects.
Moreover, the king having ascertained from his prisoner the plan on
which churches were constructed among the Romans, ordered a church to
be built, and immediately provided all things necessary for its
erection; and the edifice was accordingly commenced. But when they
came to set up the pillars, Divine Providence interposed for the
confirmation of the inhabitants in the faith; for one of the columns
remained immovable, and no means were found capable of moving it; but
their ropes broke and their machinery fell to pieces; at length the
workmen gave up all further effort and departed. Then was proved the
reality of the captive's faith in the following manner: going to the
place at night without the knowledge of any one, she spent the whole
time in prayer; and by the power of God the pillar was raised, and
stood erect in the air above its base, yet so as not to touch it. At
daybreak the king, who was an intelligent person, came himself to
inspect the work, and seeing the pillar suspended in this position
without support, both he and his attendants were amazed. Shortly
after, in fact before their very eyes, the pillar descended on its own
pedestal, and there remained fixed. Upon this the people shouted,
attesting the truth of the king's faith, and hymning the praise of the
God of the captive. They believed thenceforth, and with eagerness
raised the rest of the columns, and the whole building was soon
completed. An embassy was afterwards sent to the Emperor
Constantine, requesting that henceforth they might be in alliance with
the Romans, and receive from them a bishop and consecrated clergy,
since they sincerely believed in Christ. Rufinus says that he learned
these facts from Bacurius, who was formerly one of the petty princes
of the Iberians, but subsequently went over to the Romans, and was
made a captain of the military force in Palestine; being at length
entrusted with the supreme command in the war against the tyrant
Maximus, he assisted the Emperor Theodosius. In this way then,
during the days of Constantine, were the Iberians also converted to
Christianity.
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