ON THE HOLY EGYPTIAN MARTYRS
PATERMUTHIUS, COPRES, AND ALEXANDER.
Under Julian.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
Patermuthius, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
Copres, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
Alexander, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR J. B. S.
§ I. A more distinct notice of the Saints; ancient cult among the Greeks; more recent among the Latins.
[1] Illustrious is the name of Patermuthius among the Palestinian Martyrs in Eusebius, chapter 13, where he commemorates his glorious combat with Peleus and Nilus the Bishops and an anonymous priest, who elsewhere is called Helias, and calls him a man most well known to all for his prolix benevolence toward all. Patermuthius celebrated by Eusebius, And this is he who with the aforesaid companions is honored by the Greeks on the 17th of September, omitted by the Latins on the 19th of the same month, when three others are reported. The same is he whom Photius praises in the Bibliotheca, of Schott's edition column 299, where he is called chief among those who, condemned to the mines, were exercised; and who, after the departure of Pamphilus by martyrdom, a short time being interposed, was himself also driven from life by the flames together with others. In the Lives of the Fathers there is celebrated also another Patermuthius or Pater Mutius in Rufinus, book 2, chapter 9, as one who, from a very great robber, a violator of tombs, and most notorious in all crimes, converted in the very act of robbery, wrought marvelous and stupendous things, there narrated at sufficient length by an old presbyter, named Copres, who in Palladius chapter 54 is alone praised, as also in Sozomen book 6, chapter 28, among the holy men who flourished in Egypt under the Emperors Valentinian and Valens. From Sozomen Nicephorus Callistus received the things which he records of him in book 11, chapter 34. Another thou wilt find in the notes in Rosweyde, page 488.
[2] And these indeed are nearly synonymous with the two first and chief today's Martyrs; but either our Acts from head to heel are fictitious, and another in the Lives of the Fathers, to be distinguished from today's, or the Egyptian Martyrs are different from the former Palestinian Martyr, and the two Rufinian confessors, as having attained the crown so many years before under Julian. I will not deny that the Greek history, which I shall exhibit endowed with a new translation, is on various grounds suspect, and adorned in such a way that anyone might not with difficulty suppose that the names were taken from the Lives of the Fathers, and a narration feigned onto them, which, if it be exacted to the standard of just criticism, wavers wholly in nearly all things, as we shall afterward intimate in its place. Here it is meanwhile to be supposed from the Greek tables, that a wholly other class of Martyrs is designated on this day, which has nothing in common with the Patermuthius and Copres of Rufinus, distinguished also by a third companion, Alexander the soldier, who, converted to the faith by their fortitude and example, attained the same glory of martyrdom, as everywhere hand down the printed Menaea, Maximus Bishop of Cythera, the Menology translated by Sirletus, the Menology of Basil, edited by us, the Mazarine, the Chifflet, and others, as also the Arabic-Egyptian Martyrology, given to Latinity by Gratia Simonius.
[3] who with his companions in the Basilian Menology, In all these the Martyrs are announced individually on this very day, or the combat of Patermuthius and his companions is set down, so that there can be no doubt that the same are everywhere consigned: which is even more plain when the elogia of some are weighed, which are plainly conformable to our Acts, as thou wilt be able to make a conjecture about the rest from one or another. The month of July of the Greek Basilian Menology thou hast in the first volume of July, where, when thou shalt find the Greek elogium, here rendered into Latin: Patermuthius and his companions under the tyranny of Julian the Apostate led a solitary life in the desert of Egypt. But as the Apostate was departing to the war against the Persians, they were betrayed by the idolaters, and, when they had been apprehended, were brought before him. Now Patermuthius was seventy-five years old, but Copres forty-five; and, being separated, they were compelled to deny Christ. Copres therefore, persuaded by the blandishments of the Apostate, denied. When Patermuthius had understood this, weeping he prayed God for him. Being therefore himself brought in, and seeing Copres clad in splendid garments, he wept: and Copres, knowing that he wept on his account, crying out said: I am no longer a Julianite, but a servant of Christ. When therefore his tongue had been cut off, he was cast into the fire with Patermuthius; and a certain Alexander, seeing them in no way harmed, believing in Christ, was beheaded with them.
[4] in the Sirletian, These agree so manifestly with our Acts that the whole history of the passion could not be more neatly contracted; unless someone should wish to suspect that that elogium is older than the Acts themselves, and so that some orator, an imitator of the Metaphrast, took from it the material which he adorned with long digressions and commonplaces. Nor do the things much differ which are had in the Menology of Sirletus, in these words: On the same day the combat of the holy Fathers Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander, who, under the Emperor Julian the Apostate, leading a quiet life in the solitude of Egypt, were delated as being Christians. When, by the crafty flatteries of the Apostate, Copres, deceived, had denied Christ, Patermuthius more freely rebuked the Emperor Julian, and calls Copres back from his lapse to the faith, so that he who a little before had denied Christ was made a confessor. A furnace therefore being kindled, both were cast into it, in which, when they had remained unharmed, they converted Alexander the soldier to the faith of Christ, who with them also entered the furnace, out of which, coming forth, they were beheaded. And these two specimens will suffice, lest the same or similar things be repeated too often, which everywhere designate one and the same fountain. The verse which exists in the supplement to the printed Menaea, I know not whether it here pertains properly enough: Ἀγῶνος Ἀλέξανδρε διπλοῦ Ἀσκήσεως τομῆς τε τὰ διπλᾶ στέφη. Having discharged a double combat, of asceticism and of the sword, thou dost deservedly, Alexander, receive double crowns.
[5] For the rest, constant is the opinion of the Greeks concerning the holy Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander, consigned on this day in all their Fasti; and is praised in other Greek Fasti: although in the Acts themselves it is most expressly read that on the tenth of the month of December they were beheaded with the sword, and received the crown from the Lord, which it is strange that John Baptist Marius, the Roman interpreter of the Acts, did not note, concerning whom more below. In the printed Menaea another festivity of theirs is kept on the 17th of December; but neither do I sufficiently understand the reason of this second commemoration on such a day. In no Latin Martyrologies does the name of Patermuthius recur, where nevertheless with better right that glorious Palestinian Martyr, celebrated by Eusebius, would have been joined to the three companions on the 19th of September, than this new announcement, taken from the Menology of Sirletus, has been ascribed to the Roman Martyrology, in these words: At Alexandria, of the holy Martyrs Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander, who under Julian the Apostate were slain. Nor indeed did Baronius closely adhere to those Greek tables: for among them no certain arena of martyrdom, not even in the very history of the passion, is consigned, nor is anything else at all drawn from them, than that the Martyrs suffered in Egypt, but no more at Alexandria than in any other place whatever.
[6] whence these Martyrs were carried over into the Roman. How great was the authority of Cardinal Sirletus in the revision and reformation both of the Roman Martyrology and of the ecclesiastical Offices, I remember to have learned at Rome from authentic monuments; but I have often confessed, that which our Predecessors also indicated in various places, that our Latin Fasti were not greatly enriched by those Greek accessions. Some more celebrated Saints could indeed have been received from that Menology with some selection, on account of reasons sometimes occurring, such as here could have been, that the sacred bodies of SS. Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander, or a great part of them, had been carried to Rome, where in the very metropolis of the Catholic world they had been honored from time immemorial, and indeed in some parish church, dedicated to their names, concerning which John Baptist Marius, cited above, Canon of St. Angelo in the fish-market, treats at length, in the preface to the Acts of the Saints of these Martyrs, rendered by him into Latin and published at Rome in the year 1645; from whom and other Roman writers, who have recounted the temples of the City and the relics of the Saints deposited there, some things are to be examined in the following paragraph.
§ II. The Roman cult of the Saints in a parish church, dedicated to their names.
[7] From Marius must the beginning be taken, who, giving the reason of his little lucubration, among other things thus prefaces: The testimony of J. B. Marius But what cause, he says, impelled us to write this history among so many others singly, receive in few words. The first and chief was, that, since we discharge the office of canon in the church of St. Angelo in the fish-market, it seemed to pertain to the honor of our church, that we should recall to the memory of the ancient cult the sacred relics of these Saints, solemnly translated from the old church, and their images. Receive the history of the translation thus. When, many years ago, the spaces of the City having been enlarged for the sect and nation of the Hebrews, certain temples of the Christians had to be demolished, among these was the most ancient parish church of St. Patermuthius and his companions, whose several sacred treasures, and the aforesaid images of the Saints, together with the relics of the same Saints, as we said, which lay open at the high altar, together with all parochial rights, by solemn pomp, by a singular benefit came to our church, in which afterward, for a long space of time, in memory of the aforesaid old church, an altar dedicated in honor of St. Patermuthius flourished, adorned, however, with the aforesaid sacred relics and ancient images.
[8] But afterward, when it had pleased Pope Clement VIII of happy memory kindly to apply the revenues and emoluments of the place to the Reverend Fathers of the Congregation of the Oratory, it does not agree in every part following the most holy footsteps of St. Philip Neri their founder, treading in most celebrated examples, the memory of the former church being almost obliterated, the festivity of these Saints began to be more splendidly celebrated among the said Reverend Fathers, as it is celebrated even today, to whom moreover the ancient images of the said Martyrs, for memory's sake, in the higher years were yielded by the gift of our chapter, to be placed in a more illustrious place; there being left nevertheless a few relics of the same Saints to preserve the ancient memory. These things Marius, neither clearly enough nor distinctly enough, which impelled me to investigate the matter further among other Roman writers treating of the same argument: and lo, there occurs Floravantes Martinellus, in the Rome sacred, published there in 1653, where on page 377 he thus has. Mutus and Cupus; that is, Patermuthius and Copres, of whom in the Martyrology on the 9th of July, in the region of St. Angelo, the tax of Leo X makes mention. It was within the enclosure of the Hebrews, and, the temple being leveled or profaned, the rights were translated to St. Angelo of the fish-market, a chapel being erected there, which is taxed by the said Leo at ten scudi. It was parochial, as in the anniversary book of the most holy Savior. Nor do these things seem in their times to be divided clearly enough.
[9] Octavius, or rather our Hippolytus Pancirolus, older than Marius and Martinellus, with the opinions of other writers, whose Hidden Treasures were published in 1625, found neither in the Vallicellan temple, nor in St. Angelo in the fish-market, anything of relics which could be referred to Mutus and Cupus, or SS. Patermuthius and Copres. But abbot Bartholomew Piazza, later than all, in the sacred Hemerology thus left written in Italian on the 9th of July: The holy Patermuthius and Copres, Alexandrian Martyrs, to whom, in the place where the Hebrews now dwell, a church was dedicated; whose rights were partly translated to St. Angelo in the fish-market, where there exists an altar under their invocation, partly to St. Mary in Vallicella, where the office of these Saints is performed with the semi-double rite, and in the upper vault or apse of the altar of the Ascension their images are painted. Will it never be permitted to obtain that they explain their matters more openly and accurately? Of Vallicella Martinellus knows nothing; but Piazza supposes the rights of the old church divided, which nevertheless is established to have passed wholly to the Fathers of the Oratory, as will more clearly appear below.
[10] For the rest, thou hearest here everywhere two Saints, and indeed Alexandrian Martyrs, without any doubt confused with the Saints of today's Roman Martyrology, who do not explain the matter. although nowhere does the third, Alexander, appear, nowhere are the ancient indications expressed, from which it may more manifestly be established that either Mutus and Cupus, or Patermuthius and Copres were rather Egyptian Martyrs, than mere monk confessors, which certainly ought to have been demonstrated by some approved document, lest otherwise anyone should urge and not without foundation contend, that the Rufinian solitaries could there equally be understood as today's Martyrs, of whom no certain memory at all was found in the Latin tables of the Saints or the ecclesiastical Offices, before their names, received from the Sirletian Menology, were inserted into the Roman Martyrology. It is not my mind to call into doubt things received now for so many years; which Castellanus does clearly enough in his Universal Martyrology, page 830, and again page 967; this alone I miss in those writers, that they, as it were of set purpose, involve matters which it is most difficult for us, from the defect of documents, to render clearer, or to illustrate suitably enough, as we would wish, although the institution and plan of our work chiefly requires it.
[11] To the difficulties proposed Moreover a difficulty by no means small tormented me in these matters, that the parish church of the holy Patermuthius and Copres is said to have existed in that place where now are the enclosures of the Hebrews, and to have been overthrown for the sake of these, whether first to be erected or to be enlarged. Thus I argued with myself: The first who wished the Jews, before dispersed through the City and wandering more freely, to be distinguished from the Christians by some mark, and, gathered into one region, to be shut up in enclosures, was Pope Paul IV in the year 1555, as is in Ciaconius and other Roman writers, and most recently from coins reports Bonannius volume 1, page 268: whence it seems to follow, that in the time of Paul IV that parish temple of the holy Patermuthius and Copres must still have existed,
if it ever existed in the said place. But above Floravantes said that already under Leo X a chapel erected in St. Angelo had been taxed at ten scudi, in which chapel relics were even then preserved, translated thither from a temple long before destroyed. It must therefore be said, either that the Jews were shut up in enclosures long before the year 1555, which the Roman history of that time contradicts; or it must be confessed, that there lies hidden here something which those writers either neglected, or could not, explain more laboriously.
[12] a recent reply Seeking a wedge for these knots, I had some time ago run back to Rome, that thence some light might be shed on these various darknesses, which, however, as I most greatly desired, I could not obtain. Being therefore consulted, our Philip Bonannius, already mentioned above, most well known for his erudite works, and not unskilled in Roman matters, replied only these things, which I here make Latin from his Italian letters: I have tried to draw out whatever could here be known of the holy Mutus and Cupus. At St. Mary in Vallicella there is no memory of names of this kind; nor are there preserved relics of the holy Patermuthius and Copres. It is indeed true, that in the upper vault or dome of the altar of the Ascension three images of Martyrs are painted: but whose they are, is unknown. There is performed there the office of the holy Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander, because a benefice founded once in the church of the holy Patermuthius and Copres, situated in the enclosures of the Hebrews, was given to Antonio Gallonio, presbyter of the Oratory of St. Philip, after whose death it was united to the temple of the Oratory, which enjoys it even today, which is the cause why the office is celebrated there. These things I had from the Reverend Fathers of the Oratory and from the most eminent Cardinal Colloredo. At St. Angelo nothing at all is known; not even whether the same Saints are the same as Mutus and Cupus, of whom Martinellus speaks; whence it is fitting to suspend judgment, and only to believe this, that there were holy Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander.
[13] These things, although they did not wholly resolve the various objections proposed by me, which brings light with the writing of Ciampinus, at least afforded this much of explanation, that we now more clearly perceive on what occasion there came to the Fathers of the Oratory both the prebend and the obligation of reciting the office of SS. Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander. Now from another document some other things too will be a little more elucidated. By chance I lit upon a certain manuscript sent by the most clear and illustrious John Ciampinus to Papebroch on the 14th of the Kalends of July 1690, containing a bull of Pope Urban III, in which sixty-six daughter churches of the mother church of St. Laurence are enumerated, which Ciampinus describes in that charter. Further, he thus has at the church thirty-third in order, which in the bull is corruptly called St. Patermunerius: Rather, says Ciampinus, Patermutius; for I find the church of St. Patermutius, in the notes which are preserved in the archive of St. Laurence, to have been near the gate of the region of the Hebrews, verging toward the square of the same Hebrews, and suppressed by order of Pius V, if I mistake not, and united to the church of St. Angelo in the fish-market. Its revenues were converted into a simple benefice, which afterward by Clement VIII was united to the Congregation of the Oratory, and therefore the same congregation possesses certain houses built where once was the church.
[14] And here at last was I to stop, since I perceived that I should seek elsewhere in vain. to which the rest are to be referred. Thou hast here a somewhat more distinct site of the old church, if not in the region of the Hebrews, at least near their enclosures: but it itself does not seem to have been destroyed or suppressed before the times of Paul IV, or, as Ciampinus, of Pius V. As to whatever tax of Leo X, it could have been, for some cause I know not, in St. Angelo, the parochial temple itself still existing. Suppose therefore that all the rights of the aforesaid church were translated to St. Angelo by the authority of St. Pius V, and there remained to the times of Clement VIII, by him reduced into a simple benefice in favor of Gallonius, who afterward remained perpetual among his companions, the Fathers of the Oratory, with the burden of reciting the office of the Saints, patrons of the old temple. Moreover that they are the same who are painted in the vault of the altar of the Ascension, I for my part do not doubt; such nearly did Marius represent in his little work, namely two monks and a soldier, bearing in the hand the palm of martyrdom. For the rest, it ought not to seem so very strange, if today among the Fathers of the Oratory the memory of the Saints be not so recent as it was in the time of Marius and Martinellus. The things which have here been more laboriously investigated by us will not, I think, displease.
[15] But indeed there remained also other things which I could have wished more explained. And first indeed it was most worthy to be known, The translation of the Saints, when and how the cult of those Egyptian Martyrs came to Rome. Then why only one, or two by name, were called patrons of the said church. Finally, how it came about that the names of Patermuthius and Copres were transformed into Mutus and Cupus. But these are incumbent on us to resolve, not indeed from certain notices, but at least from probable conjecture, by which we shall not fear to opine, that the relics of today's Saints were brought to Rome at about the same time in which thither were led from Egypt the remains of SS. Cyrus and John, the Saracens occupying those regions, as see on the 31st of January in the Commentary number 16. A temple then was erected to them, which Ciampinus shows to have existed in the 12th century, namely in the time of Pope Urban III, although the name in the bull is somewhat corrupted. Perhaps our conjectures will rouse some curious and erudite Roman to inquire further into things which may explain the whole matter a little more clearly. But that Patermuthius is sometimes placed alone, more often with Copres, Alexander being for the most part excluded, this plainly happened for the sake of abbreviating the appellation, as everywhere happens in the names of temples dedicated to several Saints, as experience teaches and Castellanus shows by examples in his first Bimester of notes on the Roman Martyrology from page 469.
[16] Nor is the third doubt, concerning the transformation of the names of Patermuthius and Copres into Mutus and Cupus, to be resolved from another head. and the explanation of the name of Patermuthius. Castellanus observes in the same place, that the temple at Rome dedicated to SS. Cyrus and John began by degrees to be indicated by the name Abbacyrus alone, which little by little declined into Appacyrus, Appacarus, then Appassarus, hence into holy Apassarus, whence holy Passarus, and at last holy Passara, as it is called even today; which is so great a metamorphosis, that the name of a holy man passed into a feminine one. If the corruption of common speech carried the matter so far, how easily could it have happened, that the names of Patermuthius and Copres, unusual among the Romans and rougher in pronunciation, were thus by degrees smoothed and abbreviated, that at last nothing remained but Mutus and Cupus, which nevertheless are truly to be taken for the other two. Here from the same Castellanus thou wilt note in passing, that the name of Patermuthius is not improbably composed of the Egyptian Pa for Father, and Termuthis, just as from Pa and Chomis Pachomius, from Pa and Phnutis Paphnutius, as if thou shouldst say Father Termuthis, Father Chomius, and Father Phnutius, which the Syrians explain by their Abba, most well known in the Gospel, as also above in Abbacyrus. Let these things suffice for the cult of the Saints, whose Acts we justly lament to be no more genuine: from the things which we shall now discuss, it will not be difficult to judge of their slight value.
§ III. The suspect Acts, to be corrected sufficiently by no censure or emendation.
[17] They were once in the West, or in the Latin Church, wholly unknown, Marius giving the reason of his version until Marius, cited above more than once, John Baptist Marius, Canon of the church of St. Angelo in the fish-market, first turned them into Latin and brought them to light in the year 1645, who in the preface, pages 5 and 6, thus addresses the reader: But the history of their passion exists in an ancient manuscript Lectionary, which they call of the Vatican Basilica, of which Baronius makes mention in the notes of the month of July on the 9th day, on the Martyrology. And Rosweyde in the notes to the Lives of the Fathers by Rufinus, book 2, chapter 9, reports that others of the same name are found, but that they are different from these, whose history we here intend to write, since those are designated in the common manner confessors, these crowned with martyrdom; as their deeds seem openly to indicate in the Menaea and Menology, as we have said. About to hand down therefore the deeds of these, we premise, that we shall render not word for word, but the sense of the whole history: inasmuch as in the said Lectionary of St. Peter it is recorded, when thou canst scarcely draw out anything except confusedly and interruptedly; so that therefore Baronius prudently noted, that that history needs emendation and correction, not as to the argument of truth, but as to the style of the impeded narration, published in no perfect sense, which therefore it pleased to form by imitation of most learned men, among whom may be reckoned Laurence Surius, the true sense being nowhere changed, nay, as far as could be done, the same words being retained, but only illustrated from various readings of the histories, and rendered more clearly; those things however being removed which disturbed the series of the history, concerning the Chronology of times, for which the history of the martyrdom was not to be repudiated.
[18] These things Marius, with the formulas of writing usual to him, where some entangled things recur, he adduces many things for the unraveling of which precisely, a more certain notice would be needed. I will weigh his words, adding here and there the difficulties which occur. And first indeed he says, That the history of the Passion exists in an ancient Lectionary, which they call of the Vatican Basilica, of which Baronius makes mention. Who, hearing these things, would not straightway form for himself the idea of some most celebrated Lectionary, which by antonomasia everywhere goes under the name of the Lectionary of the Vatican Basilica. To us a Lectionary of this kind is hitherto unknown, nor does Baronius mention a Lectionary, whose words are these: I read the Acts of these in an old codex of the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, but which need censure and emendation. Further, whether that codex is wholly Greek, or mixed with Latin, is left ambiguous: yet Marius does not doubt, but openly supposes, that the same apograph came into his hands which Baronius testifies himself to have read; as if one single exemplar of those Acts had existed at Rome, of which perhaps several are found, and those without doubt not a little discrepant, at least from that which Marius interpreted, as I shall soon say.
[19] Then our interpreter warns, that he rendered not word for word, which thou mayest with difficulty understand, but the sense of the whole history, since, as he says, thou canst scarcely draw out anything except confusedly and interruptedly. I have at hand and have rendered into Latin the Greek manuscript of the martyrdom of the aforesaid Saints, which by the care of our Predecessors was described by abbot Porcius from the Vatican codex 866, folio 340, which I hold it most persuaded that Marius did not see, since it is at least by a third part shorter than that which he
used, unless he inserted many things at his own pleasure, which were not in the Greek. Nor does our exemplar agree with the Marian in this, that thou canst scarcely draw out anything except confusedly and interruptedly; for here most things are plain, in a style indeed common enough, but not so confused or interrupted that it cannot be drawn out and explained in Latin, which is said in a Greek phrase. Marius moreover confesses, that he formed his style by imitation of most learned men. He had certainly in this matter not a few guides, whom he could imitate; but by a most bad example, and pernicious even to the genuine Acts of the Saints: whence namely was born that confusion of the Acts, so that upon things often of themselves ambiguous enough, darkness more than Cimmerian is shed.
[20] But what Marius means by the various readings of the histories, not a faithful enough interpreter. by which he illustrated the sense of the Acts, and rendered it more clearly, I am mistaken, if anyone understands well enough. The Acts could certainly be illustrated, but separately by notes and observations, the original text being faithfully preserved, and nothing at all removed, although they disturb the series of the history otherwise concerning the chronology of times, or concerning any other things whatever. These are the true parts of a sincere interpreter, to whom it is not plainly permitted either to add anything to the prototype, or to take away. Marius, using this excessive liberty, contrived such a history, that to things of themselves suspect enough he added new and palpable moments of fabulosity, as anyone will easily perceive who shall compare the Acts edited by him with ours, which are indeed of little faith, but Marius so deformed his own, or found them deformed, that they deserve none at all, heaping up prodigies with great miracles and apparitions of the angels Michael and Gabriel, and at last a marvelous clause being adopted, by which he says the holy Martyrs obtained a glorious victory without the sword, and dares to defend it in his annotations against the most express opinion of the Greek tables, in which they are said to have been beheaded, and thus attained the glorious crown of martyrdom.
[21] Baronius acknowledged that the Acts are to be emended, Nor indeed was there need of so many colorings, to render the Acts suspect of falsity: for with however great integrity they be translated, they bear so many marks of forgery, that scarcely or not even scarcely can they be vindicated from fabulosity. 1, From beginning to end nothing but a perpetual series of dialogues, and explanations of the sacred Scriptures intruded merely at pleasure. 2, Julian is depicted as a most savage tyrant, who raged against the Christians everywhere only with sword and flames. 3, A scene is feigned before the Apostate in Egypt, whither it is established that Julian, at least while he reigned, never went. 4, Those frequent prodigious and sudden events suit a drama more than a sincere narration of martyrdom, especially since among the approved Writers of those times nothing at all is found by which portents of that kind may be confirmed even from afar. 5, The author of so wondrous a writing, and his age, and the other adjuncts wholly unknown, in no way commend the matter. The Acts themselves are variously augmented and amplified, so that more marks of falsity are contained in the Marian version, as I was just saying, than in the Acts described by Porcius from the Vatican codex cited above by us, which in both cases thou wilt in vain attempt to emend.
[22] Another cause of his version and edition Marius alleges, being not yet greatly practiced in handling matters of this kind, but how it could be done, we do not see. that the thing itself was worthy to be known, and had not hitherto been made public, which therefore moved his mind, that to this lucubration also, among other occupations, he should devote some time, which he most greatly esteemed would be pleasant to the reader, to delight his mind with the narration of so notable and scarcely known a history. I will not deny, that the narration in Marius is adorned pleasantly enough, swelling with several prodigies, not rashly to be admitted; but in all that pleasantness the truth is wanting, which adds the chief, nay the only value to a history, and which it is here most difficult to recognize, the Greek author being wholly unknown, whose composition, as it exists in Marius, is scarcely worthy of the Metaphrast. Most rightly therefore in the notes to the Martyrology Baronius observed, that the Acts of those Saints are such as need censure and emendation: nay, such censure, that the whole former part may be said to have been invented by the writer's wit, or received from I know not what dramatic fictions of that kind. The other part, moreover, which pertains to the martyrdom, this alone can be said probably enough to commemorate, that the holy Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander in the time of Julian, the idolaters growing insolent at Alexandria and in almost all Egypt, were there, either by the Apostate's order or connivance, slain; and this, from the above-said, may somehow be admitted, if anything at last is to be admitted safely enough.
[23] Concerning these most grave seditions of the pagans at that time in Egypt, By what reasoning the martyrdom may be salvaged. and concerning their rage against Artemius the Duke, and against George the Alexandrian intruded, and against the other Christians, are to be read Sozomen, Theodoret, and others. For us a few things from the third oration of Nazianzen will suffice, from which judgment may be made of the rest. The words of the Saint are: To whom at last is the cruelty of the Alexandrians unknown, who, besides many other things which they designed against us, abusing immoderately the license of the time, a plebs otherwise seditious and furious, are reported to have added this crown also to their impieties, that they filled our most sacred temple with a double gore, that is, of victims and of men. That a like cruelty was exercised also on the monks and anchorites of Egypt, is by no means doubtful (besides the vexations by the soldiers, of which Baronius at the year 362 from Evagrius and Palladius), so that consequently we not incongruously esteem, that the Saints of whom we treat were consumed by some similar whirlwind of raging idolaters, and afterward adorned by some metaphrast with those lessons, which cannot be so emended, that they be rendered tolerable on every side. To us certainly it did not seem such, as to deserve to be illustrated by annotations or observations, besides the things already said, into which, for I know not what cause, are inserted the names of SS. Eugenius and Macarius, who in Marius are ineptly called companions of the same martyrdom. Digressions of this kind we do not delay upon; it will suffice to subjoin the interpretation of the passion.
MARTYRDOM
From an old Greek manuscript codex of the Vatican Library under number 866, folio 340, Interpreter J. B. S.
Patermuthius, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
Copres, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
Alexander, Martyr in Egypt (S.)
FROM A MANUSCRIPT.
CHAPTER I.
The answers of St. Patermuthius to the various questions of his disciple St. Copres.
Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἰουλιανοῦ τοῦ παραβάντος τὸν Κύριον, καὶ κατὰ συγχώρησιν αὐτοῦ βασιεύοντος, ἐξορμήσας ἐπὶ τὸν τῶν Περσῶν πόλεμον, καὶ διοδεύων ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνατολὴν, πολλῶν ἁγίων αἷμα ἐξέχεεν. Ἅμα δὲ κατασχὼν Εὐγένιον καὶ Μακάριον, τοὺς δούλους τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπισκόπους ὄντας καὶ μάρτυρας, μετὰ πολλὰς μάστιγας καὶ τιμωρίας παρέπεμψεν τῇ Μαυριτανίᾳ, καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς ἐν ἄλλαις ἐξορίαις. Ἐν δὲ ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ὑπῆρχον δύο ἄνδρες ἐρημίται, ὁρμώμενοι ἐκ τῆς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων χώρας, πάνυ καλῶς καὶ θεοσεβῶς ἀνατρεφόμενοι, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα Πατερμούθιος καὶ Κοπρῆς. Ὁ δὲ Κοπρῆς ἐπιποθίαν ἔχων εἰς τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Χριστοῦ, λέγει τῷ Πατερμουθίῳ, πάτερ, ἐπιποθῶ τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ θέλω τὴν ἑρμενείαν αὐτῶν μαθεῖν. Παταρμούθιος εἶπεν, ὦ τέκνον πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ· οἱ γὰρ τὰ βάθη ζητοῦντες, εἰς βάθος ἐμπίπτουσιν πειρασμῶν. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, οὐκ ἔστιν κακὸν τὸ μαθεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀγαθὸν τὸ διδάσκεσθαι· ὁ γὰρ Εὐνοῦχος ἐκεῖνος ἐρωτήτας τὸν Φίλιππον, καὶ διδαχθεὶς παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὰ σωτήρια ῥήματα, ἀνεύρατο τὸν Χριστὸν, καταξιωθεὶς καὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος. Ἀγαθὸν οὖν καὶ τὸ διδάσκεσθαι, καὶ τὸ ἑρμηνεύειν γραφάς. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, ἀκούων ἑρμηνείαν, τήρει ἑαυτὸν, μή πως τὴν ἑρμηνείαν μαθὼν, τὴν ἀλήθειαν παραδράμεις. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, τῆς ἑρμηνείας ἐπερχομένης, τρέφεται ἡ ἀλήθεια. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, παρά τισι τρέφεται, παρὰ δέ τισιν στρέφεται. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, τὸ τρεπτικὸν οὐ τραφήσεται.
[2] Καὶ προσθεὶς εἶπεν. Ἐν πρώτοις τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐρωτῶ λόγον, φησὶν γὰρ· Ἐγὼ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτὲ, ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς, ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον, καὶ εὑρέθη μοι ἡ ἐντολὴ, ἡ εἰς ζωὴν, αὕτη εἰς θάνατον, περὶ τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν, δέομαί σου, περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ περὶ τινὸς ἑτέρου; Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, ὁ ταῦτα εἰπὼν, λέγει, ἐγώ εἰμι Ἑβραίος ἐξ Ἑβραίων, κατὰ νόμον φαρισαῖος. Εἰ οὖν Ἑβραίος ἐξ Ἑβραίων, ποτὲ ἔζησεν χωρὶς νόμου ὁ μέγας ἐκεῖνος Παῦλος; Τοῦτο οὖν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Ἀδὰμ εἴρηται τὸ λόγιον, καθώς ἐστιν, ἐγὼ δὲ ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτέ· πλάσας γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Ἀδὰμ, ἔθετο αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, δοὺς αὐτῷ ἐντολὴν καλοῦ τε καὶ κακοῦ, διὸ λέγει, ἔζων χωρὶς νόμου ποτὲ, τὸ δὲ ποτε, πρὸ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν τὴν ἐντολὴν, διὸ λέγει, ἐλθούσης δὲ τῆς ἐντολῆς, ἡ ἁμαρτία ἀνέζησεν, ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπέθανον, καὶ εὑρέθη μοι ἡ ἐντολὴ εἰς ζωὴν, αὕτη εἰς θάνατον. Παρακούσας γὰρ ὁ Ἀδὰμ, ἐγεύσατο τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ ἐξεβλήθη ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου. Ἦλθεν οὖν ἡ ἐντολὴ λέγουσα ἡ ἀμαρτία ἀνέζησεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἀπέθανεν. Ταῦτα οὖν ὁ Παῦλος περὶ τοῦ Ἀμὰμ ἐλάλησεν.
[3] Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, ἀναπέπαυμαι ἐν τούτῳ, οὕτως γὰρ ἔχει. Ἔτι δὲ προσθήσω τοῦ ἐπερωτᾷν. Εἵρηται ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, ὅτι γυνή τις, ἔχουσα δέξα δραγμὰς, καὶ ἀπολέσας μίαν ἐξ αὐτῶν, οὐχὶ ἅπτει λύχνον, καὶ ζητεῖ τὴν ἀπολομένην, ἕως οὗ εὕρῃ, καὶ εὑροῦσα συγκαλεῖ τὰς φίλας καὶ τοὺς γείτονας, λέγουσα, Συγχάρητέ μοι, ὅτι εὗρον τὴν δραγμὴν, ἣν ἀπόλεσα. Διασάφησόν μοι τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, ὅτι βραδέως ἔχω τοῦ νοῆσαι. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, ἡ διασάφησις τοῦ λόγου αὕτη ἐστίν. Αἱ δέκα δραγμαί εἰσιν αὕται, ἄγγελοι, ἀρχάγγελοι, θρόνοι, κυριότητες, δυνάμεις, ἀρχαὶ, ἐξουσίαι, Σεραφὴμ, Χερουβὴμ καὶ Ἀδὰμ ὁ πρωτόπλαστος· ἡ δὲ γυνὴ νοεῖται οὕτως, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ γέγραπται ἐν τῷ ἀποστόλῳ, Χριστὸς Θεοῦ δύναμις, καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία. Ἡ ἀληθὴ σοφία Χριστὸς καταλιπὼν τὰς ἐξουσίας, ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὴν δεκάτην δραγμὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἔκπτωσιν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ, καὶ ἅψας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τὸν σταυρὸν, ἀνεύρατο τὸ ἀπολόμενον διὰ τοῦ σωτηρίου αὐτοῦ πάθους.
[4] Κοπρῆς εἶπεν· Πεπληροφόρημαι καὶ ἐν τούτῳ· οὕτως γὰρ ἔχει, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι προσθήσω τοῦ ἐπερωτᾷν, δέομαί σου. Ἔρηται ἐν τῷ ἑβδομηκοστῷ δευτέρῳ ψαλμῷ, Ὡς ἀγαθὸς τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς εὐθέσι τῇ καρδίᾳ, ἐμοῦ δὲ παρὰ μικρὸν ἐσαλεύθησαν οἱ πόδες, παρ᾽ ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου, ὅτι ἐζήλωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις, εἰρήνην ἁμαρτωλῶν θεωρῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Διασάφησόν μοι, πάτερ, περὶ τίνος εἴρηται; Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, τοῦτον τὸν ψαλμὸν ἐν πρώτοις ἔψαλλεν Ἀσὰφ, οὗτος γὰρ ὁ προφήτης καταμένων ἐν ὄρει ὑψηλῷ καὶ κατακρύφῳ, διετήρει ἑαυτὸν ἐν πάσῃ ἀναστροφῇ ἀγαθῇ, καὶ πληγεὶς μεγάλην
ἀῤῥωστίαν ἐν τῷ σώματι, καὶ καθήμενος ἐν τῷ ὄρει, ἐσκόπει κατώτερον τοῦ ὄρους πόλιν κειμένην, καὶ κώμας, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐκπορευομένους ἀνθρώπους, τοὺς μὲν ἐφ᾽ ἵππων, τοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ ἁμαξῶν, ἄλλους διατρέχοντας, ἄλλους εὐφραινομένους καὶ πέζοντας, καὶ τούτους ζηλώσας, ἡθέλησεν κατελθεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους, καὶ οἰκῆσαι μετ᾽ αὐτῶν.
[5] Κατερχομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ, ἄγγελος Κυρίου, ὡς ἄνθρωπος φανεὶς, λέγει αὐτῷ, Ποῦ πορεύεις; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, Κατέμενον ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ χρόνους πολλοὺς, καὶ ἐτάκη τὸ σῶμά μου πολλῇ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ. Σκοπήσας οὖν τοὺς κατέναντί μου ἄνδρας, ἐκπορευομένους μετὰ συμφωνίας καὶ χορῶν, ἐζήλωσα οἰκεῖν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐθνηκοὶ μέν εἰσιν, εὔρωστοι δέ. Καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος, ἀποστράφητι εἰς τὸν τόπον σου, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ σοι σύνεσις παρὰ Κυρίου. Ὑποστρέψας δὲ ὁ προφήτης ὅπου ἦν αὐτοῦ τὸ κατάλυμα, ἀρύεται χάριν παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ λαβὼν ἔννοιαν εἰς τὴν ματαιότητα τῶν ἀνθρώπων, εὐθὺς μετὰ συνοχῆς καρδίας ἔψαλλεν, λέγων, Ὡς ἀγαθὸς τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς εὐθέσι τῇ καρδίᾳ· ἐμοῦ δὲ παρὰ μικρὸν ἐσαλεύτησαν οἱ πόδες, παρ᾽ ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου, ὃτι ἐζήλωσα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνόμοις, εἰρήνην ἁμαρτωλῶν θεωρῶν. Εἶτα ἐξουθενῶν αὐτοὺς, ἐπιφέρει, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνάνευσις ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ στερέωμα ἐν τῇ μάστιγι αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ διασάφησις τοῦ λόγου.
[6] Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, ἐν πᾶσιν εὔφρανάς με, δι᾽ ὅτι ἀνέθαλέν μου ἡ καρδία. Καὶ ἔτι ἐρωτῶν, οὐ παύομαι. Ἐν ἑτέρῳ ψαλμῷ γέγραπται· φησὶν ὁ παράνομος τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ, οὐκ ἔστιν φόβος Θεοῦ ἀπέναντι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ, ἀνομίαν διελογίσατο ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ, κακίαν δὲ οὐ προσώχθισεν. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, ἡ ἑρμηνεία τοῦ λόγου αὕτη ἐστίν. Αὐτὸς ὁ Δαυῒδ εἶχεν υἱοὺς καὶ θυγατέρας, ὁ οὖν πρῶτος υἱὸς αὐτοῦ Ἀμμὼν, ἰδὼν Θάμαρ, τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ, ἐσκανδαλίζετο εἰς αὐτὴν, καὶ προφασίζεται ἀῤῥωστίαν ἐρωτιῶν. Καὶ ἐπισκέπτεται αὐτὸν ὁ Δαυῒδ παραμυθούμενος, καὶ ὁ Ἀμμών φησιν, μή τις εἰσίτω ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ, εἰ μὴ Θάμαρ ἡ ἀδελφὴ μου, καὶ αὕτη διακονοῦσα ἰάσεταί μου τὴν μαλακίαν. Ἐπιτρέψαντος δὲ τοῦ Δαυῒδ, εἰσέρχεται ἡ Θάμαρ τοῦ διακονῆσαι αὐτῷ, μὴ εἰδυῖα τὸν δόλον. Προσεγγισάσης δὲ τῇ κλίνῃ, ἐπισπᾶται ὁ Ἀμμὼν τῶν ἱματίων αὐτης, λέγων, κοιμήτητι μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ. Ἡ δὲ εἶπεν, Μὴ ἔστω τοῦτο, μὴ ποιήσῃς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τὴν μεγάλυν ταύτην, παροργίσαι κύριον τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἔσται ἡμῖν θάνατος. Ὁ δὲ ἰσχυροποιησάμενος, ἐταπείνωσεν αὐτὴν καὶ ποιήσας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, εὐθὺς ἐμίσησεν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐξέβαλεν αὐτὴν ἔξω τοῦ κοιτῶνος. Διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηται τοῦ εὑρεῖν τὴν ἀνομίαν ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης αὐτοῦ, καὶ [οὐ] μισῆσαι· περὶ τούτου οὖν λέλεκται ὁ ψαλμός.
[7] Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, πάνυ ἐμπείρως διησαφήνησας πάτερ. Ἔτι ἐρωτῶν δέομαί σου· εἴρηται ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, Οὐδεὶς βάλλει οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιοὺς, εἰ δὲ μήγε ῥήγνυνται οἱ ἀσκοὶ, καὶ ὁ οἶνος ἐκχεῖται … ἀλλ᾽ οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς καινοὺς συλλυθέον, καὶ ἀμφότεροι συντηροῦνται. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, Οἶνος νέος τὸ καινὸς τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ κήρυγμα· ἀσκοὶ παλαιοὶ οἱ Ἑβραῖοι, ἀσκοὶ νέοι ἡμεῖς, οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν συμπίνοντες τὸ νέον χάρισμα τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καθὼς εἴρηται· Οἶνον νέον οὐδεὶς βάλλει, φησὶν, εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιοὺς, εἰ δὲ μήγε ῥήγνυνται οἱ ἀσκοὶ, ὡς Καἳάφας ἐπερωτῶν ἔλεγεν τῷ Κυρίῳ· Εἰπέ ἡμῖν, εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. Καὶ ὁ κύριός φησιν. Συ εἶπας. Ὁ Καἳάφας μὴ δεξάμενος τὸ νέον τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ γλεῦκος, διέῤῥηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, οὗτός ἐστιν, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται, ἀσκὸς παλαιὸς, οὕτως οἱ Ἑβραῖοι μὴ δεξάμενοι τὸν Χριστὸν, διεῤῥάγησαν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ δεξάμενοι τὸ νέον τῆς παρουσίας κήρυγμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, διετηρήσαμεν, καὶ διετηρήθημεν. Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἑρμηνεία τοῦ λόγου.
[8] Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, Μεγάλως καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ὠφέλησάς με, πάτερ τίμιε. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, παῦσαι λοιπὸν τοῦ ἐπερωτᾷν, μή πως πολλὰ ἐρωτῶν, πολὺ πλανηθῇς. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, ἔτι ἅπαξ ἐρωτῶ σε, πάτερ, καὶ παύομαι. Ἐν τῷ Ἀμβακοὺμ τῷ προφήτῃ εἴρηται, ἐπεβίβασας εἰς θάλασσαν τοὺς ἵππους σου ταράσσοντας ὕδατα πολλὰ, τίνες οἱ ἵπποι; τίνα τὰ ὕδατα; Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, τὸ ἐπεβίβασας εἰς θάλασσαν τοὺς ἵππους σου ταράσσοντας ὕδατα πολλὰ, ὅτε ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς ἀποστόλους ὁ Κύριος ἐν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ κηρῦξαι τὴν πίστιν, ἐταράχθησαν ἔθνη, ἐσαλεύτησαν ἄρχοντες, ἐκινήτησαν εἰς ὀργὴν βασιλεῖς. Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἑρμηνεία τοῦ λόγου. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, ἐχαρωποίησάς μου τὴν ψυχὴν, δέομαί σου πλὴν μετὰ συνοχῆς καρδίας φθεγγόμενος λέγω σοι· ἴδον ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς ἀνεῳγμένους τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, καὶ ἔφθασεν ἕως ἐμοῦ ἄνθρωπος λευχημωνῶν, κατέχων ῥάβδον λαμπρὰν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔτι ἐθεώρουν, καὶ ἰδοῦ ἄνθρωπος μέλας, ἔχων καὶ αὐτὸς βακτηρίαν καὶ ἀπέναντι αὐτοῦ ἐκέκαυτο πῦρ καὶ καπνοῦ πλησμονὴ ἐπεπόλαζεν αὐτῷ.
[9] Καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ὁ μέλας ἐκεῖνος, περιεπτύξατό με, καὶ ἤμην ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ καπνοῦ, καὶ ἐκυλίευσάν με πάντα τὰ κακά μου, καὶ ἀπέστη ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος ὁ λαμπρὸς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ φωνὴ ἐδόθη ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, λέγουσα, ἐκταλήσεται ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ πάλιν ἐπανθήσει μεταποιούμενος. Ταῦτα ἰδὼν, ἀναστὰς ἐταράχθην. Τί ἄρα ἔσται; ἀπάγγειλόν μοι. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, παρατροπῇ παρατραπήσῃ καὶ χορτομανήσει σου ἡ καρδία, καὶ ἀποστήσεις σὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῶντος, ὅρα, φοβοῦ τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα μὴ τὸ ὄναρ καταλήψεταί σε, ἰδοὺ γὰρ εἰς τοὺς χρόνους κατηντήσαμεν· ὁ γὰρ βασιλεὺς οὗτος παραβὰς τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, διωγμὸν ἄσπονδον ἤγειρεν ἐν τῇ ἀνατολῇ κατὰ τῶν Χριστιανῶν· ἥξει δὲ καιρὸς τοῦ ζητηθῆναι ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ᾽ ὅρα, ἀνδρίζου, μὴ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ ἀγῶνος ἐπιλάθῃ κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου, καὶ γένῃ τοῦ Βελίαλ γέλως, καὶ παίγνιον τῶν εἰδώλων.
While Julian the Apostate reigned, by the indulgence of Him whose law he had impiously violated, Copres, desiring to be instructed by his master, it happened that, borne by impulse into the Persian war, setting out to the East, he shed the blood of many Saints. Among these, having suffered various torments and punishments, Eugenius and Macarius, servants of God, Bishops and Martyrs, were banished into Mauritania; and many others deported into other exiles. At this very time there existed two men, hermits by profession, of the Egyptian nation, excelling in piety and virtues, whose names were Patermuthius and Copres. But this latter, eager to learn thoroughly the Christian doctrine, said to Patermuthius; Father, I greatly desire to hear thee discoursing on the sermons of Christ, and to understand their interpretation. To whom Patermuthius; Turn thy mind, son: for they who scrutinize the deep things fall into the deep of temptations. But Copres: It is not evil, he said, to learn, and it is best to be taught; for that Eunuch, interrogating Philip, and taught by him the words of salvation, acknowledged Christ, being afterward held worthy to receive baptism. It is good therefore both to be taught the Scriptures, and to inquire into their explanation. Then Patermuthius: Take heed, I beseech, lest perchance while thou occupiest thyself with interpretations, thou perceive the truth less. By no means, my Father; for, the interpretation supervening, the truth is nourished. Nay, said he, it nourishes some, it perverts others. The younger replied: What is born to profit cannot harm.
[2] Then continuing; Suffer me to ask the sense of the Apostle, he asks the sense of the Apostle, Rom. 7, 9. when he writes: I lived once without the law; but when the commandment came, sin revived. But I died, and the commandment was found unto me, which was unto life, to be unto death. I should like to know, whether he writes these things of himself or of some other? To which Patermuthius: He who utters these things, the same himself says; I am a Hebrew of the Hebrews, according to the law a Pharisee. Did that great Paul, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, ever live without the law? Not therefore of himself does he speak, but this oracle is spoken from the person of Adam, to whom it squares: I lived once without the law. For God, forming Adam, placed him in paradise, giving him the precept of good and evil, on account of which he says; I lived without the law once: namely, before the commandment came; whence he subjoins: But when the commandment came, sin revived; but I died: and the commandment was found unto me, which was unto life, to be unto death. For indeed Adam, neglecting to hear, tasted of the tree, and was cast out of paradise. There came therefore the commandment enjoining; sin revived, but he himself died. These things therefore Paul pronounced concerning Adam.
[3] The disciple, acquiescing in these things, thus went on to interrogate his master further. Likewise what is indicated, Luke 15, 8. It is said in the Gospel, that a certain woman, having ten drachmas, and losing one of them, does she not light a lamp, and seek the lost one, until she find it. And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying; Congratulate me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost. Do not think it a burden to expound the force of this sentence: for I, slower in wit, do not sufficiently understand it. The old man, tarrying not: The declaration of the sermon is this: The ten drachmas are; Angels, Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Powers, Principalities, Virtues, Seraphim and Cherubim, and Adam the first-formed. Refer the Woman to Christ, whom the Apostle calls the power of God and the wisdom of God. Christ, the true wisdom indeed, leaving the angelic choirs, descended to seek the tenth drachma, lost through the fall of Adam; and lighting a lamp; that is, offering his flesh as a holocaust of the cross, found and redeemed the human race through his most sacred passion.
[4] Thou hast said the thing most plainly, said Copres, but suffer me to subjoin yet another question. then Psalm 72, It is had in the seventy-second Psalm. How good is God to Israel, to those who are of a right heart! But my feet were almost moved, my steps had well-nigh slipped, because I was jealous over the wicked, seeing the peace of sinners: and what follows. Declare to me, Father, of whom is this discourse? Then Patermuthius: In the first place, Asaph sang this Psalm. The Prophet dwelt on a high mountain, sundered from the fellowship of men, keeping himself in all holy conversation. But when he was afflicted in his whole body with various stripes, and, sitting on the mountain, considered the city below and the villages lying round about, and the men going forth from them, some indeed on horses, others in chariots; some running to and fro, others indulging their pleasure and on foot; he felt a weariness of his former life, and wished to descend from the mountain and to dwell with them.
[5] But when he had descended, the Angel of the Lord, appearing in human form, interrogates him. Whither dost thou go? Who said; which Patermuthius explains. After I have now long dwelt
on the summit of this mountain, and my body has wasted away with much sickness; looking out opposite at men going forth with symphonies and choirs, I wished to dwell with them; because, although they are heathen, yet they are robust. Which when the Angel had heard, Return, he said, to thy place, until intelligence come to thee before the Lord. But the Prophet, returning to his former lodging, drew grace before the Lord, and, the vanity of men being more attentively perceived, straightway with anxiety of heart he sang, saying: How good is God to Israel, to those who are of a right heart! but my feet were almost moved, my steps had well-nigh slipped, because I was jealous over the wicked, seeing the peace of sinners. Then, despising them, he thus continues: Because there is no regard to their death, nor firmament in their stripe, etc. This is the interpretation which thou hast asked.
[6] Again Copres: I am gladdened by thy words, my Father, and my heart has flourished again; He asks again concerning Ps. 35, but again I will not cease to interrogate thee. In another Psalm it is written: The unjust said, that he might sin in himself; there is no fear of God before his eyes, he meditated iniquity on his bed, but hated not malice. Patermuthius answered; These things are thus to be understood. David had sons and daughters. Of these the eldest, Amnon, seeing Thamar his sister, burned for her with impure love, on account of which he feigned sickness. And when his parent had visited him to console him, Amnon asked that none of the servants should enter the house; But let there come, he said, Thamar my sister, and she, ministering, will heal the languor of my body. David assented to his son's request, whence a little after Thamar entered, ignorant of the guile, to serve her brother. Scarcely had she approached the bed, when Amnon, seizing her garments, solicited her to the crime. To whom she: Far be this, my brother, do not commit this great sin: we shall provoke to wrath the Lord God, and it will be death to us. But he, using force, committed incest; and, the crime perpetrated, straightway conceiving hatred of her, cast her out of the chamber. And therefore it is said that he meditated iniquity on his bed, but hated not malice.
[7] concerning Matthew 9, 17 Most skillfully hast thou expounded all things, my Father, but suffer me to be troublesome to thee again. It is said in the Gospel: No one puts new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the skins burst, and the wine is spilled … but new wine must be put into new skins, and both are preserved. Then the elder: Hear, son: The new wine is the new preaching of the coming of Christ. The old skins are the Hebrews. The new skins, we, who from the nations drink in the new gift of the presence of Christ: as it is said, No one puts new wine into old skins, otherwise the skins burst. In this manner Caiphas, interrogating the Lord, asked; Tell us, if thou art the Son of the living God; to whom, when the Lord had answered: Thou hast said: Caiphas, not receiving the new must of the coming of Christ, rent his garments, and this is he of whom it is said an old skin. So also the other Hebrews, not receiving Christ, were rent like old skins. But we, embracing the preaching of the coming of Christ, have kept it, and have been kept, as new skins. Thou hast the sense of the Gospel.
[8] concerning Habakkuk chapter 3. Honorable Father, says Copres, thou greatly helpest and kindlest me by thy instructions. Now therefore cease, says Patermuthius, and desist henceforth from interrupting me with thy questions, lest, when thou askest many things, thou perchance be much deceived. To whom Copres: Hear this last question, I will cease hereafter. It is read in the prophet Habakkuk: Thou didst send thy horses into the sea, troubling many waters. What, I beseech, are those horses, what the waters? The old man answered: Understand the horses sent into the sea, troubling many waters, when the Lord sent the Apostles into the whole world, to preach the faith; then namely, the Gentiles were troubled, the Princes shaken, the Kings moved to wrath. This is the explanation of that place. To this Copres: Thou affectest me with great joy, best Father: but there remains another thing, which I will anxiously set forth to thee. I saw in sleep the heavens opened, and a man descending to me, clad in white garments, and bearing a splendid staff in his hand. And while I was contemplating these things; behold another man, black, offered himself, having also himself a staff in his hand; but before him a fire was kindled, and a great abundance of smoke was rolled about.
[9] And that black one, stretching out his hand, embraced me in the midst; and I was in the midst of the smoke; The dream of Copres is explained and my evils and all my sins were whirling around me. But that splendid man departed from me, and a voice was given from heaven, saying: The fruit of man shall wither; but, being changed, shall again flourish. Seeing these things, rising, I was troubled; say; what shall this be? Patermuthius said: By a perverting thou shalt be perverted, and thy heart shall run wild with weeds: and thou shalt depart from the living God. See thou, fear the Lord, lest the dream lay hold of thee. For behold into what times we have come. For the Emperor, having transgressed the law of God, has stirred up an implacable persecution in the East against the Christians. The time will come, when we too shall be sought out. But see that thou act manfully; lest in the time of the combat thou forget the Lord thy God, and become a mockery to Belial, and a plaything of idols.
CHAPTER II.
Led away from the desert, they are brought before Julian; the lapse of Copres and his recovery; the martyrdom of both, with Alexander the soldier.
Ἔτι αὐτῶν ὄντων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐν ᾗ ᾤκουν τινὲς τν ἑλλήνων, διέβαλον αὐτοὺς τῷ Ἰουλιανῷ, ὅτι εἰσὶν δύο Γαλιλαῖοι, καὶ πολλοὺς ἀνατρέπουσιν τοῦ μὴ θύειν τοῖς θεοῖς. Φθάσαντος δὲ τοῦ Ἰουλιανοῦ εἰς τὰ μέρη τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἀποστείλας στρατιώτας, μετεστείλατο αὐτούς. Ἐρχομένων δὲ αὐτῶν, παρῄνει ὁ γέρων τῷ Κοπρῇ λέγων, Ἰδοὺ καιρὸς ἀγῶνος, στῶμεν γενναίως ἐν τῇ πίστει. Ἐλθόντες δὲ οἱ πεμφθέντες στρατιῶται, παρέστησαν τῷ βασιλεῖ τοὺς ἁγίους. Ὁ δὲ κελεύσας αὐτοὺς εἰσαχθῆναι, καὶ λέγει τῷ Πατερμουθίῳ· Πόσα ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς σου πρεσβύτα; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ἑβδομήκοντα πέντε ἔτη εἰσὶν, ἀφ᾽ οὗ γινώσκω καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν. Καὶ ἀποβλέψας πρὸς τὸν Κοπρῆν, λέγει· καὶ σὺ νεανίσκε εἰπὲ πόσα ἔτη τῆς ζωῆς σου. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, μέ εἰσίν, ἀφ᾽ οὗ πατοῦσιν αἱ πτέρναι μου γῆν. Λέγει ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἐκβληθήτω ὁ πρεσβύτης, καὶ ἐκπερωτάσθω [] ὁ νεανίας. Ἐκβληθέντος f. ἐπερωθήτω δὲ τοῦ γέροντος, ἤρξατο ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπερωτᾷν τὸν Κοπρῆν, λέγων, Θῦσον τοῖς θεοῖς νεανίσκε, γινώσκων, ὅτι προάγω σου ἐν ἡμέραις, κᾀγὼ γάρ ποτε τοῦ Γαλιλαίου ὑπῆρχον, καὶ ἐν ταπεινώσει διῆγον, νῦν δὲ ἐπεγνωκὼς τοὺς μεγάλους θεοὺς, ὁρᾶς τὰς δωρεὰς, ἃς παρεῖχόν μοι, πλοῦτον καὶ δόξαν μεγάλην.
[11] Συμβουλεύω οὖν σοι συμβουλίαν καλὴν, ἵνα θύσας τοῖς θεοῖς, ἔσῃ ἔνδοξος ἐν τῷ ἐμῷ παλατίῳ. Τότε πληγεὶς ἐκ διαβολικῆς ἐνεργείας ὁ Κοπρῆς, μεταβληθεὶς εἰς πικρίαν, καὶ ἀποδυσάμενος πᾶσαν σύνεσιν, ἐκήδετο τοῦ βασιλέως χαίρων καὶ λέγων, Καλή μου ἡ συμβουλία σου, βασιλεῦ, ἀγαθὸν μοι, ὅτι ἐγενήθην σήμερον, καὶ ηὕρηκά σε λαμπρὸν ὁδηγόν· Ἰουλιανίτης εἰμὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ καὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ Χριστιανὸς, ὅσα ἐσφάλην τὸ πρότερον, νῦν διορθώσομαι, θύσας τοῖς θεοῖς. Ἐχάρη δὲ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπεν, Μακάριος εἶ σὺ παρὰ πάντας ἀνθρώπους, διότι ἔγνως τοὺς θεοὺς, τοὺς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν σοι παρεχομένους. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα προσθεὶς ὁ τάλας Κοπρῆς, ἔθυσεν τῷ Ἀπόλλωνι, καὶ ἀπέστη ἀπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ περιεπτύξατο τὸν διάβολον, ἄγγελοι ἀπέστησαν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, καὶ δαίμονες ἐχόρευον ἐν αὐτῷ. Γνοὺς δὲ ὁ μακάριος Πατερμούθιος, ὅτι παρῆλθεν τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ Κοπρῆς, κλίνας τὰ γόνατα, προσηύξατο πρὸς Κύριον, λέγων. Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς μηδαμῶς ἀπολέσῃς τὸν παραβάντα τὴν ἐντολὴν σου, μνήσθητι ἔργων νεότητος αὐτοῦ, καὶ μὴ ἀποποιήσῃ, ὃν ἐσάλευσαν ῥήματα παρανόμου, ὅτι ἔργον σόν ἐστὶν, τὸ ἐλεεῖν καὶ σώζειν τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου.
[12] Τῇ δὲ ἐπαύριον προκαθίσας ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος παρεστῶτος τοῦ Κοπρῆ λαμπρῷ προσώπῳ ἐν λευκοῖς ἱματίοις, προσέταξεν εἰσελθεῖν τὸν Πατερμούθιον. Εἰσερχομένου δὲ ἁγίου γέροντος, ὑποβλέπεται αὐτὸν ὁ Κοπρῆς λέγων, ἔρχεται ὁ γέρων ἐκεῖνος, ὁ ἐξ ἀρχῆς παρεμποδήσας με εἰς τὴν σωτηρίαν ταύτην. Καὶ ὡς ἤγγισεν ὁ ἅγιος γέρων πρὸς τὸ βῆμα, λέγει ὁ Κοπρῆς, τί ἐστιν Πατερμούθιε, ὁρᾷς με ἀγαλλιόμενον, καὶ σὺ πενθεῖς; ἐγὼ τοῦ λοιποῦ Ἰουλιανίτης εἰμὶ, καὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ Χριστιανός. Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν, ὁρῶ σε γελοιάζοντα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πενθῶ. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεὺς, μὴ πένθει, ἀλλὰ θῦσον καὶ αὐτὸς τοῖς θεοῖς, καὶ χάρηθι ἅμα Κοπρῇ. Ὁ ἅγιος γέρων εἶπεν, ἡ χαρὰ αὐτοῦ ἡ πρόσκαιρος, κτῆμα ἐπίγειόν ἐστιν· αὐτὸς χαίρει νῦν, εἰς δὲ τὸ μέλλον πενθήσει. Ἐγὼ δὲ κλαίω νῦν, καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἀγαλλιάσομαι· αὐτὸς νῦν αὔχει ἐν λαμπροῖς ἱματίοις, καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον αἰσχυνθήσεται, γυμνὸς ὑπάρχων. Ἐγὼ γυμνητεύω νῦν σώματι, καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον ἐνδύσομαι Πνεῦμα ἅγιον. Νῦν οὗτος χορτάζεται; καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον πεινάσει. Ἐγὼ δὲ νῦν λιμόττω, καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον χορτασθήσομαι. Νῦν οὗτος βασιλεῖ ἀνόμῳ παρίσταται, καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον ὑπὸ τοῦ μεγάλου βασιλέως ἐννόμως κριθήσεται. Νῦν οὗτος βασιλεῖ φθαρτῷ χοροστατεῖ, εἰς τὸ μέλλον δὲ χορεύσει ἐν γεέννῃ. Νῦν οὗτος ἐπαίνοις ἀνθρωπίνοις ἐπερείδεται, καὶ εἰς τὸ μέλλον ὁργὴν Θεοῦ ὑποστήσεται.
[13] Ταῦτα εἰπὼν, ἐμβλέπει εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Κοπρῆ, λέγων, οὐαί σοι, ἄθλιε Κοπρῆ, ὅτι οἱ δαίμονες χορεύουσιν ἔν σοι. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀγγέλους ἀπέστησας, καὶ δαίμονας ἀπεσπάσω, Θεοῦ ἐγυμνώθης, ἐνδυσάμενος τὸν διάβολον, ἀλήθειαν ἐψεύσω, καὶ ψευδῆ πολιτείαν διὰ κενῆς ἔδραμες. Μνήσθητι, ἄθλιε, ἔργων νεότητός σου, καὶ παῦσαι παραβαίνων τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Δεῦρο πρός με, ὦ τέκνον, ἀγάπησον τὸν Θεὸν, ἵνα σε περιπτύξηται· εἰς ὃν ἠσέβησας, εὐσέβησον, ἵνα μετανοῶν τὸ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἔνδυμα λάβῃς. Ταῦτα καὶ πλείονα τούτων εἰρηκότος τοῦ Ἁγίου μετὰ δακρύων, στενάξας ὁ Κοπρῆς λέγει, οἴμοι οἴμοι, πάτερ, καὶ ἀναζωπυρίσας τῷ πνεύματι, ἀνέβλεψεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ εἶπεν. Κύριε σὐκ εἰμὶ Ἰουλιανίτης, ἀλλά Χριστιανὸς, ἥμαρτον Κύριε, παρέβην τὴν ἐντολήν σου, ἠσέβησα, ἠνόμισα, καὶ τὸ πονηρὸν ἐνώπιόν σου ἐποίησα, ἐν τούτῳ γνωσθήτω ἡ σὴ ἀγαθωσύνη, ὅτ᾽ ἂν ἐλεήσῃς με τὸν παραβάντα, καὶ γενόμενον ξύλον ξηρὸν, οὗ ὁ καρπὸς ἐξέπεσεν, καὶ τὰ φύλλα ἐμαράνθη.
[14] Ἐλέησόν με Κύριε τὸν ξένον γενόμενον τῶν σῶν ἐντολῶν, ὂτι ῥήματα ἀνόμων ἔκαμψάν με καὶ καταγὶς διαβόλου κατεπόντησέ με, ἐσύρισεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ὁ δόλιος ὄφις, καὶ ἠγαλλιάσαντο ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ χοροὶ δαιμόνων, ἀστέρες οὐρανοῦ ἐδονήθησαν, καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ἐξέστη ἐν τῇ ἐμῇ παραβάσει, ἐσαλεύθησαν οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ, ὅταν ἠρνησάμην τὸν ποιητὴν Κύριον, καὶ
σχεδὸν πάντα τὰ στοιχεῖα ἐξεπλάγησαν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ παραβάσει τῆς ἀρνήσεως. Νῦν αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν συνδράμετέ μοι τῇ μετανοίᾳ, εἴπως ἐλεήσῃ με Κύριος. Κλαύσατε ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ πάντες ἄνθρωποι τὸν ἐκπεσόντα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ γενόμενον γέλως δαιμόνων. Στενάξατε ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ πάντες δίκαιοι, ὅτι παρέβλεψέν με ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ ἐσβέσθη ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ τὸ κάλλος τῆς πίστεως. Τίς ἄρα οἶδεν, εἰ ἐλέησέν με Κύριος ὁ Θεός μου μετανοοῦντα; θρηνοῦντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, συνεθρήνει καὶ ὁ μέγας Πατερμούθιος. Πάντες δὲ οἱ παρόντες Χριστιανοὶ ἐδάκρυον ἐπὶ τῷ στεναγμῷ τοῦ Κοπρῆ· ὁ δὲ Κοπρῆς ἐπιστραφεὶς εἶπεν, δι᾽ ἣν αἰτίαν ἡπάτησάς με διάβολε; διατί οὕτως ἐσύρισας κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ παρανόμως, ἀπολάμβανέ σου τὴν γηΐνην δόξαν, ἣν ἔδωκάς μοι. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἐλπίζω ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν χάριν, ἣν ἀπώλεσα. Θεὸν γὰρ ὢν ἀγαθὸς πιστεύω, ὅτι ποιήσει με ὡς ἕνα τῶν μισθίων αὐτοῦ, καὶ σώσει με.
[15] Ταῦτα ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰουλιανὸς ἐταράχθη, καὶ εἶπεν, γενηθήτω ἐσχάρα, καὶ ὑποκαιέσθω ἱκανῶς, ὅπως ἐν αὐτῇ καυθῶσιν οἱ παράνομοι οὗτοι. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, καλῶς βασιλεῦ, ἔκκαιέ μου τὴν γλῶσσαν, δι᾽ ἧς τὰ φαῦλα ἐμελέτησα. Τέμνε σάρκας, καὶ κόπτε νεῦρα, σύνθλασόν μου τὰ ὀστᾶ, ὅπως διὰ πλειόνων βασάνων τὴν παράβασίν μου διορθώσημαι. Τότε ἐκέλευσεν ὀξυλαβὴν πεπυρωμένην προσφέρεσθαι τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Κοπρῆς ἐν τοιαύτῃ βασάνῳ ἐξεταζόμενος, ἔλεγεν τῷ ἁγίῳ γέροντι, πρόσευξαί μοι, πάτερ, ὅτι κάμνω ἐν τῇ βασάνῳ· ὁ δὲ μακάριος Πατερμούθιος ἔλεγεν, ὑπόμεινον, ὦ τέκνον, ὁ Χριστός σοι βοηθήσει, καὶ ἅμα τῷ λόγῳ ἡ ὀξυλαβὴ ἐψυχράνθη. Καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐκέλευσεν ἐπιβῆναι τοὺς Ἁγίους ἐπὶ τῆς ἐσχάρας. Ἀπιόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ἐπιβῆναι, ἐδειλίασεν ὁ Κοπρῆς, ἰδὼν τὴν ἐσχάραν φλογώδη οὖσαν, καὶ ὑπόφρικος γέγονεν, καὶ λέγει τῷ Πατερμουθίῳ, διδάσκαλε εὐξαί μοι, ὅτι ἐδειλίασα σφόδρα.
[16] Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ γέρων, Μὴ δειλαίνου, τέκνον, μνήσθητι τῆς ἐκπαιδόθεν πολιτείας σου, μνημόνευσον, ὅτι ἀπὸ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου ἐπεκαλοῦ τὸν Κύριον, πάντως παρίστατο, καὶ ἐβοήθει σοι, καὶ νῦν ἐπικαλεώμεθα τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, καὶ ῥύσεται ἡμᾶς ἐκ πάσης ἀνάγκης, καὶ προσηύξαντο ἀμφότεροι ἅμα λέγοντες, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς δεῖξον καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς τὴν δύναμίν σου, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων σου τριῶν παίδων, καὶ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς ἀπειλῆς τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ δεῖξον τούτῳ τῷ ἕλληνι τυράννῳ, ὅτι σὺ εἶ μόνος Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς, καὶ βασιλεὺς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Καὶ εὐξάμενοι, ἐσέβησαν τῇ ἐσχάρᾳ· καὶ Κύριος ἀπέστειλεν ἄγγελον, καὶ ἐχαλίνωσεν τὴν φλόγα, καὶ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῶν. Καὶ οἱ δύο ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεὸν ἀδιαλήπτως· γνοὺς δὲ ὁ αἱμοβόρος Ἰουλιανὸς, ὅτι ἐψυχράνθη ἡ ἐσχάρα, καὶ οὐκ ἐκυρίευσεν αὐτῶν, ἐκέλευσεν κατενεχθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐσχάρας, καὶ προστάσσει καῆναι κάμινον, κᾷκεῖ ἐμβληθῆναι τοὺς Ἁγίους.
[17] Τότε προσέρχεται εἷς τῶν στρατιωτῶν, ὀνόματι Ἀλέξανδρος, καὶ λέγει τῷ Κοπρῇ, ταλαίπωρε πρῶτον τέθυκας τοῖς θεοῖς, καὶ νῦν ὑπείκειν αὐτοῖς οὐ θέλεις· θῦσον ἵνα σωθῇς. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, τὸ πρότερόν μου ἁμάρτημα λήθῃ ὑπερεβλήθη. Εἰ γὰρ συναχθείη τὸ νᾶμα τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ πάντες οἱ ποταμοὶ, καὶ αἱ βρύσεις τῶν πηγῶν ἀποπλῦναι τὸν ῥύπον τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου οὐχ ἱκανοῦσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ βασιλεύς μου ὁ Κύριος τῶν ἁπάντων συνεχώρησέν μοι τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητι. Λέγει ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἤθελον κᾀγὼ τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐκείνῳ στρατευθῆναι. Κοπρῆς εἶπεν, εἰ θέλεις, οὐδέν ἐστιν τὸ ἐμποδίζον, ὁ γὰρ στρατολογῶν ἄφθονος, ἐπίστρεφε ἐξ ἀσεβείας τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς εὐσέβειαν, ἐξ ἀδικίας εἰς δικαιοσύνην, ἔξελθε ἐκ παρανόμων, εἴσελθε εἰς παραδόξους, ἵνα ἀσεβὴς ἀσεβῆ ἐπιστρέφῃ, ἵνα κοινῇ τὴν σωτηρίαν κομισώμεθα, καθὼς γέγραπται, Διδάξω ἀνόμους τὰς ὁδούς σου, καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐπὶ σε ἐπιστρέψουσιν. Πιστεύσας οὖν καὶ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, ἔχαιρε σὺν αὐτοῖς. Γνοὺς δὲ ταῦτα ὁ τύραννος, ἐκέλευσεν βληθῆναι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός. Ἀπαγομένων δὲ αὐτῶν, συνηκολούθει καὶ ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος λέγων, πορεύσομαι κᾀγὼ σὺν ὑμῖν μακάριοι. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Κοπρῆς, κατάσχε τῇ εὐωνύμῳ χειρὶ τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ ἁγίου γέροντος.
[18] Καὶ κατασχὼν τὰς χεῖρας τῶν δύο, λέγει κατέχουσίν με δύο πατέρες, κᾀγώ εἰμι μέσον αὐτῶν, καὶ θαῤῥῶν ταῖς εὐχαῖς αὐτῶν, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός· καὶ προσθεὶς, εἶπεν τοῖς Ἁγίοις, Δέομαι ὑμῶν, ἐὰν πορευθῶ μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰς τὴν κάμινον, δι᾽ ὑμᾶς κοπάσει τὸ πῦρ, καὶ ἐμοὶ τί τὸ ὄφελος; ἐὰν γὰρ δι᾽ ὑμᾶς μὴ ἅψηταί μου τὸ πῦρ, ἄρχομαι λέγειν, ὅτι οὐδέν εἰμι· ἀλλὰ στῆτε ἐνταῦθα, καὶ πορεύσομαι μόνος εἰς τὴν κάμινον, καὶ ἐὰν διασωθῶ, τότε γνώσομαι, ὅτι προσκέκληταί με ὁ Θεός. Ὁ γέρων λέγει, πιστῶς ἐλογίσω, πορεύου, ὁ Κύριος ἔσται μετά σου. Ἐγγίσας ὁ Ἀλέξανδρος, καὶ ἰδὼν φοβερὰν τὴν φλόγα τῆς καμίνου, ἐδέετο τοῦ Κυρίου, λέγων, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ὁ καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὺς καλῶν πρὸς μετάνοιαν, γινώσκω ἑμαυτὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν, ἀλλὰ θαῤῥῶν εἰς τὴν σὴν δυναστείαν, εἰσέρχομαι εἰς μέσον τῆς καμίνου, καὶ περιεπάτει, πάντων ὁρώντων. Οἱ δὲ Ἅγιοι εὔχοντο περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐκτενῶς· καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἀλέξανδρος εὔξατο, λέγων, εὐχαριστῶ σοι, κύριέ μου Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ, ὅτι ἠξίωσάς με διὰ τῶν Ἁγίων σου τῆς ὁμολογίας ταύτης, γινώσκω γὰρ, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς δικαίου οὐχ ἥψατό μου τὸ πῦρ, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἐφείσατό μου, πλὴν ὅτι προαιρέσεων ὑπάρχεις ἐξεταστὴς, καταξίωσόν με ἐν τῇ πίστει σου τελειωθῆναι. Καὶ ἔτι εὐχομένου αὐτοῦ, ἀπέδωκεν ἐν εἰρήνῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ μέσον τῆς καμίνου.
[19] Εἰσελθόντων δὲ τῶν Ἁγίων εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς, βλέπουσιν τὸν μακάριον Ἀλέξανδρον τελειωθέντα, κείμενον ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ ἀβλαβῆ, ἐν μηδενὶ φλογισθέντα, εὐωδίαν δὲ ἐκπέμποντα, ὥστε καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἔξωθεν περιεστῶτας ἐκπέμπεσθαι, ὡς μύρου ἐκκενωθέντος πολλοῦ. Ὡς δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο τῶν Ἁγίων τὸ πῦρ, ἐκέλευσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἑλκυσθῆναι ἔξω τοὺς Ἁγίους, ἅμα δὲ καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ μακαρίου Ἀλεξάνδρου. Ὀσφρανθεὶς δὲ τῆς εὐωδίας, καὶ θεασάμενος ὅτι οὐκ ἐκυρίευσεν αὐτῶν τὸ πῦρ, εἶπεν, ὄντως μέγας ὑπάρχει ὁ Χριστός. Καὶ κατὰ πέντε ἡμέρας προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς Ἁγίους, ἤρξατο ἀναγκάζειν αὐτοὺς, λέγων, θύσατε τοῖς θεοῖς, καὶ ἀπαλλάγητε τῶν μενουσῶν ὑμᾶς τιμωριῶν. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Πατερμούθιος εἶπεν τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἀνθ᾽ ὧν οὐκ ἐδόξασας τὸν Θεὸν, ἀπελεύσῃ εἰς πόλεμον, καὶ συνάψας καὶ συμπλακεὶς ἡττηθήσῃ, κᾀκεῖ ἀποθανῇ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδῃς ἔτι τὴν Ῥωμαίων γῆν.
[20] Τότε ἀγανακτήσας ὁ Ἰουλιανὸς ἐκέλευσεν αὐτοὺς τὴν διὰ τοῦ ξίφους τιμωρίαν ὑποβληθῆναι. Ἐκβληθέντων δὲ τῶν Ἁγίων ἐκ τῆς πόλεως, ἐπὶ τῷ τελειωθῆναι, φωνὴ ἠκούσθη λέγουσα, δεῦρο Πατερμούθιε ὁ ἐξ ἀρχῆς εὐαρεστήσας ἐνώπιόν μου, ἀπολάμβανε τοὺς κόπους σου, ἀφήσω δὲ καὶ Κοπρῇ διά σε τὸ ἁμάρτημα· δεῦτε λοιπὸν καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε· καὶ εὐχαριστήσαντες τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐτελειώθησαν διὰ τοῦ ξίφους μηνὶ Δεκεμβρίῳ δέκα, καὶ ἀπέλαβον τὸν στέφανον παρὰ Κυρίου. Ἐτελειώθησαν δὲ οἱ ἅγιοι μάρτυρες Πατερμούθιος καὶ Κοπρῆς καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος βασιλεύοντος Ἰουλιανοῦ τοῦ παραβάτου τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς βασιλείαν, κατὰ δὲ ἡμᾶς βασιλεύοντος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ᾽ οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, τιμὴ, κράτος, προσκύνησις, μεγαλωσύνη, καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Hitherto the Saints were dwelling in the desert; but certain heathens living there denounced them to Julian, that they were two Galileans and were turning many away from the sacrifices of the gods. Both are led to Julian, So he, having advanced into Egypt, at once sent soldiers and summoned them. When the rumor of the coming soldiers reached Patermuthius, he admonished his disciple in a few words: Behold, my son, the time of the contest; let us stand nobly in the faith. And the soldiers that were sent, coming, presented the Saints. The Emperor, gazing on them as they were brought in, questioned Patermuthius: How many are the years of thy life, old man? He answering, They are seventy-five years, since I have had the knowledge of good and evil; turning to Copres: And thou, he said, younger man, tell how many are the years of thy life? He answered: They are forty-five years, since my feet tread the earth. Having heard these things, he bade the old man be led away, keeping Copres, whom by flatteries he invited to the sacrifices of the gods; Acknowledge, said he, that I go before thee in age and am riper in counsel. Know that I too once followed the party of the Galilean, and was in low estate. But after I gave myself to the worship of the immortal gods, thou seest with what gifts they have heaped me, with riches, glory, and the highest dignity.
[11] I therefore suggest to thee good counsel, that thou sacrifice to the gods, who seduces Copres with flatteries: and by that agreement thou shalt be illustrious in my palace. Then Copres, seized by diabolical fraud, suddenly changed for the worse, as though bereft of his mind, assented to the Emperor, and full of joy: Good, said he, O Emperor, is thy counsel to me; good for me that I was born this day, when I found thee a signal guide of the way. Henceforth I am a Julianist, not a Christian. Now will I correct those things wherein before I erred, offering sacrifices to the immortal gods. Julian, greatly delighted at these words, pronounced Copres the most blessed of mortals, in that he had acknowledged the immortal gods, who would give him eternal life. The wretched Copres, going on then and falling away from Christ, sacrificed to Apollo, embracing the worship of the devil; whence the Angels also departed from him, and he was made a prey to the demons. But after the blessed Patermuthius knew the treachery of his disciple, on bended knees he thus besought the Lord: O Lord my God, permit not the transgressor of thy commandments to perish. Remember the works of his youth; and reject not him whom the flatteries of the Apostate have perverted: for it is thy work to have mercy, and to preserve the works of thy hands.
[12] On the day after this, Julian, sitting openly before the tribunal, But here by the admonitions of Patermuthius with Copres standing by, of serene face and clothed in white garments, ordered Patermuthius also to be brought. When Copres had gazed upon him as he entered, with eyes as it were cast down, turning to Julian: Behold, here is that old man, my guide, who hindered me from entering upon this way of salvation. But to him now drawing near to the tribunal, Copres said: What is this, Patermuthius; thou seest me exulting, and thou dost mourn? Now I am a Julianist, and not a Christian. To whom Patermuthius: I see thee laughing, and therefore I mourn. Then Julian: Mourn not, said he, but sacrifice thou also to the gods, and rejoice with Copres. The holy old man replied: His joy is temporary, an earthly possession. He rejoices now, to be sad in the time to come: but I weep now, to rejoice in the time to come. He now glories, splendidly
adorned with garments: but afterward he shall be suffused with shame, reduced to nakedness; whereas I am already naked in body, but then it shall come to pass that I be clothed with the Holy Spirit. Now he here is sated, and afterward shall hunger: I now suffer hunger, to be sated for eternity. He now attends upon an impious King, and afterward shall be lawfully judged by the great King: now he sets up a dance for a corruptible King, thereafter to hold his revel in hell: now he is propped up by human praises, as by allurements, to be subjected afterward to divine vengeance.
[13] repenting of the deed Meanwhile, looking upon Copres: Woe to thee, wretched man, that the demons lead a dance over thee. For behold, deserting the Angels, thou hast drawn the demons to thee, and, bereft of the grace of God, thou hast put on the devil. Thou hast betrayed the truth, cleaving in vain to a lie. Remember, wretch, the works of thy youth, and cease to transgress the commandment of God. Come hither to me, O son; love God, that He may embrace thee: toward whom thou wast impious, now be thou pious, that, coming to thyself, thou mayest receive the garment of piety. As the Saint said these and many more things of the same kind with tears, Copres groaned: Alas for me, alas for me, Father! And, roused by a new spirit, he looked up to heaven, saying: Lord, I am not a Julianist, but a Christian. I have sinned, Lord, I have violated thy commandment; I was impious, I was iniquitous, and I have done evil in thy sight. In this, I pray, let thy goodness appear, that thou have mercy on me, a transgressor, like a dry wood, from which no fruit is plucked, but the withered leaves fall away.
[14] Have mercy on me, Lord, a faithless prevaricator, because the words of the impious have bent me aside, he comes to himself from apostasy, and the cunning of the devil has plunged me down. The crafty serpent hissed over me, and the choirs of demons rejoiced over me. The stars of heaven were shaken, and the sun was stupefied, the witness of my apostasy. Heaven and earth were shaken when I denied the Lord my Creator; and on account of my fall, well-nigh all the elements were struck. Now, ye powers of heaven, succor me as I repent, if ever the Lord may have mercy on me. Weep over me, all ye men, because I have fallen away from God and am become the mockery of the demons. Groan over me, ye just, because the sun has looked upon me grimly, and the beauty of faith has been defaced in me. Who knows whether the Lord my God may have mercy on me, repenting? And as he lamented, the great Patermuthius also wept: and all the Christians present were shedding tears because of the groaning of Copres. He therefore, turning, said: For what cause hast thou deceived me, O devil? Why hast thou thus hissed after me, impious one? Take back thy earthly glory, which thou gavest me. I now hope to receive again the grace which I lost; for God is good; I am confident it shall be that He make me as one of His hired servants, and save me.
[15] Hearing these things, Julian was troubled, and ordered a fire to be built and sufficiently kindled, and he is cast into the fire with Patermuthius; that those impious men might be burned. To him Copres undauntedly: Excellent, said he, O Emperor; burn out my tongue, by which I spoke unspeakable things. Cut my flesh, sever my sinews, break my bones, that through more torments my apostasy may be washed away. Then he ordered a red-hot pincer to be applied to his tongue. By which torment Copres, nearly bereft of life, invoking the holy Old Man, Pray for me, Father, said he, for I am failing in this torment. But the blessed Patermuthius, comforting him, Endure, said he, O son, Christ will help thee. Scarcely had he uttered these words when at once the pincer grew cold. But Julian ordered both forthwith to mount the brazier. As they proceeded thither, Copres, seeing the kindled fire, terrified, began to shudder and to be much distressed; and he said to Patermuthius: Master, entreat God for me, for I greatly dread.
[16] The Old Man in reply: Fear not, son; remember thy manner of life from boyhood. but they remain unharmed. Recall to memory that with thy whole mind thou didst call upon the Lord, whose helps thou hast so often experienced. Now also let us call upon our Lord Jesus Christ, and He will preserve us from every affliction. So they both prayed together, saying: Lord God, show thy power upon us sinners also, as upon thy three holy children; and free us from the threatenings of the flames, showing that tyrant idolater that thou art the only God in heaven and on earth, who reignest unto the ages of ages. Praying thus, they blessed the brazier: and at once the Lord sent an Angel, who restrained the flame, so that it touched them not: wherefore they glorified God without ceasing. But the bloodthirsty Julian, perceiving that the fire, in a manner growing cold, had not harmed the Saints, ordered them to be drawn thence, a furnace to be lit, and the Martyrs to be cast into it.
[17] Meanwhile one of the soldiers, by name Alexander, coming to Copres, Alexander converted at these sights, thus addressed him: Wretched man, thou didst first sacrifice to the gods, and now thou refusest to obey them. Sacrifice, that thou mayest be saved. To whom Copres: So great is my sin that it cannot be blotted out by oblivion. For if the water of the sea were gathered together, and all the rivers, and the gushings of the fountains, they would not suffice to wash away the filth of my sin. Yet my King the Lord will remit it to me for His goodness. Alexander said: I too would fain serve that King. If thou wilt, said Copres, there is nothing to hinder: for He gathers His army without grudging. Turn thy soul from impiety to piety, from injustice to justice: come forth from iniquity to equity, that the impious may convert the impious, and so together we may win salvation: as it is written, I will teach the wicked thy ways, and the impious shall be converted unto thee. Believing therefore, Alexander also rejoiced with them. At which Julian, the more provoked, ordered the Saints to be cast into the furnace of fire. When Alexander saw them being led away, he followed, saying: I too will go with you, blessed ones. Copres says to him, Take hold with thy left hand of the hand of the holy Old Man.
[18] And so, in the midst between the Saints, holding the hands of both, in the furnace of fire he is calmly extinguished: he cried out: Two Fathers hold me, and I am in the midst of them; and, trusting in their prayers, I shall not fear to enter the furnace of fire. And again addressing the Saints, he asked that they would halt; For if I go with you into the furnace, said he, on your account the fire will be deprived of its force, and what profit is that to me? For if on your account the fire touch me not, I shall say that I am nothing. But stand ye here, and I will go alone into the furnace: and if I be preserved, then shall I know that God has called me. To which the Old Man: Faithfully hast thou considered; go: the Lord will be with thee. Alexander, drawing near and seeing the terrible flame of the furnace, thus besought the Lord: Lord God, who callest even sinners to repentance, I know myself a sinner, but relying on thy power I enter the furnace; and forthwith he walked in the midst of the fire, all looking on, and the Saints meanwhile most earnestly praying for him. And the blessed Alexander himself was praying, saying: I give thee thanks, my Lord Jesus Christ, that thou hast deemed me worthy through thy Saints of this confession; for I know that, since I am not just, the fire has not touched me, but has spared me as a sinner: yet because thou art the weigher of intentions, make me worthy to be consummated in thy faith. Amid such prayers, he rendered up his soul in peace in the midst of the furnace.
[19] The Saints also, having entered, see the blessed Alexander lying in the furnace unharmed, but they, untouched by the flames, fragrant with a sweet odor, so that it was sent forth even to those standing round without, like poured-out ointment. But Julian, perceiving that the Saints were not injured by the fire, ordered them to be drawn out together with the body of the blessed Alexander. Then, smelling the sweet fragrance and perceiving the impotence of the fire against the Saints, he was compelled to confess the power of Christ. Meanwhile, five days having passed, the Emperor, summoning the Martyrs again to himself, began anew to force them to apostasy, saying: Sacrifice to the gods, and I will dismiss you free from the remaining torments that await you. Patermuthius answered him: And why hast thou not glorified God? Thou shalt hasten to war, in which, contending with the enemy and joining hands, thou shalt be overcome; there shalt thou die, and shalt see no more the land of the Romans.
[20] Then Julian, indignant, ordered them to be visited with the last penalty by the sword. they are beheaded with the sword. When the Saints had been cast out of the city to consummate their martyrdom, a voice was heard, saying: Come hither, Patermuthius, who from the beginning hast been pleasing in my sight; receive the reward of thy labors. And on thy account I will remit to Copres also his sin. Come, and be filled with everlasting joys. Meanwhile, giving thanks, they were beheaded with the sword, on the tenth of the month of December, and received the crown from the Lord. And so with a glorious end the holy Martyrs Patermuthius, Copres, and Alexander fell asleep, Julian the Apostate reigning over the earth, but our Lord Jesus Christ reigning in the heavens, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, honor, power, adoration, majesty, magnificence, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Annotation* Perhaps ἐπερωθήτω.