ON THE HOLY SOLDIER MARTYRS LEONTIUS, HYPATIUS, AND THEODULUS,
AT TRIPOLI IN PHOENICIA.
TOWARD EVENING.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
On the cult of the saint and the churches dedicated to him, and on the time of the martyrdom and its writers.
Leontius, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (St.)
Hypatus the Tribune, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (St.)
Theodulus, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (St.)
AUTHOR. G. H. & D. P.
Among the very many Saints, and especially Martyrs, called by the name of Leontius, most celebrated is the memory of this holy Martyr of Tripoli, Greek and Latin Acts who suffered on the eighteenth of June. We found his Greek Acts at Rome in the Vatican library, and indeed in two manuscript codices, under the numbers 821 and 1667. The same texts William Sirletus, afterward Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, rendered into Latin from them, and Aloysius Lipomanus, Bishop of Verona, published them in part 2 of volume 7 of the Lives of the Holy Fathers; and from him Laurentius Surius took them. We give both the Greek and the Latin Acts collated with them. Near their end one reads: A certain Cyrus, a Commentariensis (Sirletus does not translate the word well as "scribe," since it signifies the keeper of the prison), writing these memorials of the blessed Martyr Leontius on leaden tablets, composed from the memorials left by Cyrus the keeper of the prison placed them beside the monument of the holy Martyr, that he might leave a good memorial to the generations to come. By these words the author does not seem to indicate this — that the custody of the holy captive had been entrusted to him, he being secretly a Christian, or afterward converted by the saint's example, and that he himself (as, the matter not yet fully examined, we once judged) wrote down what he had seen; or that another man, after peace had been granted to the Christians through Constantine the Great, being set over the custody of that same prison, wrote the Acts as they stand from the report of his elders, and adorned the monument with leaden tablets thus engraved. Rather, the meaning is that one or the other of these two wrote down and left the substance of the things here narrated, that is, a summary of the several questions, which another expanded in rhetorical style in this manner; adding of his own such words as could have been spoken on either side; and inserting, as fitting, angelic consolations of which there had been no witness. Therefore I leave the Author unnamed, and am content to have indicated him from whom he took the matter of his writing.
[2] The arena of the martyrdom and the dwelling-place is called Τριπολιτῶν πόλις (the city of the Tripolitans), but where that city is, The arena: Tripoli in Phoenicia is not added. In the Roman Martyrology these things are read about both the city and St. Leontius and his companions: At Tripoli in Phoenicia, of St. Leontius the soldier, who under the President Hadrian, together with the Tribune Hypatius and Theodulus, whom he converted to Christ, came through bitter torments to the crown of martyrdom. There his church is Baronius adds in the Notes that at Tripoli in Phoenicia mention is made of Leontius the Martyr of noble memory, in the Fifth Synod, in the first session; and because the Acts say that he was buried in the harbor of Tripoli itself, his church seems to have been there; and therefore in a certain Syriac Calendar St. Leontius is named "at the sea." On the 20th of January we set forth the Life of St. Euthymius the Great, Hegumen in the desert of the Holy City in the sixth century of Christ, in which the said Synod was held; in which Life Cyril the Monk, a contemporary author, relates at no. 129 that a certain young man named Leontius another monastery in the Jerusalem desert took up the monastic life in the monastery of the great Euthymius, and that the care of the monastery was entrusted to him, which had been founded in honor of the great Martyr Leontius. Why not of this Leontius, crowned by martyrdom in nearby Phoenicia? In the same way Procopius of Caesarea, in book 5 of the Buildings of the Emperor Justinian, chapter 9, asserts and at Damascus that the church of St. Leontius at Damascus was built by him; nor do we doubt that Phoenicia is near to Damascus.
[3] Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, also seems to have had regard to the same Leontius, when, against the Gentiles, in his eighth discourse on the Martyrs concerning the truth of the Gospel, he concludes thus: Why do I mention philosophers and emperors? when they have blotted out from the mind of men the memory even of those who were everywhere accounted gods? For the temples of these have been so destroyed that not even the appearance of their figures remains, and the men of this age do not know their form. But all their material has been dedicated to the shrines of the Martyrs. The Lord our God has even brought His own dead into the temples in place of your gods; and those indeed He has rendered empty and vain, while to these He has assigned the honor of those gods. For in place of the Pandia and the Diasia and the Dionysia and your other festivals, the solemnities of Peter and Paul and Thomas, and of Sergius and Marcellus, and of Leontius, and of Panteleemon, and of Antoninus and Mauritius, reckoned by Theodoret among the foremost martyrs and of the other Martyrs are celebrated; and in place of that ancient pomp and the base obscenity of deeds and words, modest festivals are kept, displaying not drunkenness and jests and laughter, but divine songs and the hearing of sacred discourses and prayers adorned with praiseworthy tears. And St. Leontius is reckoned among the chief Patrons of Syria.
[4] Nor was his memory celebrated only in the said Eastern regions, but also at Constantinople, as in an ancient manuscript Synaxary of the Church of Constantinople, places dedicated to him at Constantinople after the encomium of which one reads below, in these Greek words: Τελεῖται δὲ ἡ αὐτοῦ σύναξις πέραν ἐν τῷ καμαριδίῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ τῷ ὄντι ἔγγιστα τῆς πόρτης τῆς πηγῆς. Which I explain thus: His solemnity is celebrated across the strait in the Camaridium, and in his oratory house, which is very near to the gate of the fountain. Charles du Fresne (Du Cange), in book 4 of Christian Constantinople, chapter 15, no. 13, asserts that a sacred building stood at the golden gate, built about one stadium from the city, where a fountain pours forth gentle and sweet water with a silent flow; and there is there a church dedicated to the Mother of God "at the fountain." It could be that very near to this gate of the fountain there stood the oratory of St. Leontius, to whom also another place across the strait in the Camaridium had been dedicated.
[5] For one of these Constantinopolitan Churches I should believe was composed the Encomium which we found in Greek in the Laurentian library of the Grand Duke of Etruria at Florence, and which we copied from Codex 33 of Pluteus IX, and an encomium was composed, which is also given here Μαρτύριον τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ πανενδόξου μεγαλομάρτυρος Λεοντίου — Martyrdom of the holy and all-glorious great Martyr Leontius. This Encomium, however, we append to the older Acts, likewise rendered into Latin, not as though to teach something new and fitting, but as a monument of Greek piety of the Middle Ages not to be despised.
[6] Furthermore, that the cult of St. Leontius was chiefly observed on this 18th of June among the Greeks, That the cult was chiefly observed is proved by the Ephemeris and after their example among the Ruthenians, is proved by our Greek-Muscovite Ephemerides, one of which marks this day with this verse:
Ὀγδοάτῃ δεκάτῃ πλήγαισι Λεόντιος ἐκπνεῖ.
On the eighteenth, beneath the blows, Leontius breathes his last.
To this purpose serves the whole Office of that day in the Menaea with the Canon; and by custom these distichs are prefixed to the Elogium:
Ἄκμων τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Λεοντίου τάχα, Ἄκμων σιδηροῦς πρὸς σφύρων τὰς αἰκίας.
Perhaps the body of Leontius is an anvil, an iron anvil against the blows of the hammers.
The same distich is found also in the Synaxary of Dijon, where for his two companions another is added thus:
Ἐλευθερόφρων Θεόδουλος πρὸς ξίφος, Τοιοῦτον ὄντα καὶ τὸν Ὕπατον βλέπω.
With a free mind Theodulus offers himself to the sword, and with like spirit I behold Hypatius standing there. and the Canon
Now the Acrostic of the aforesaid Canon is this:
Νίκη Θεός σοι καὶ γήρας, Λεόντιε,
which, with a few more letters, you might render into Latin thus:
Victory and God and old age are yours, Leontius.
[7] The name of the Poet is added, John the monk, whom we have no doubt was the Damascene; the one who, together with St. Sophronius the Patriarch, restored the sacred books and hymns nearly lost in the Holy Land, and increased them with new additions. the author being St. John Damascene Therefore we wonder the less that, two or three strophes being lost, fewer of them are found in the printed Menaea than there are letters in the Acrostic itself. By custom there are prefixed to the Canon the stichera, that is, similar little verses, the third of which testifies to the frequent miracles of the Saint, in this manner: Τίς σε οὐ θαυμάσειε Λεόντιε; ὅτι ἔνοικον λαβὼν τῆς ἀληθείας πηγὴν, ποταμοὺς εὐεργεσίας ἀναβλύζεις τοῖς πιστοῖς· καὶ πᾶσι ἀναργύρως ἀνεπίφθονον προφέρεις τοῖς διψῶσι τὰ δωρήματα· εὐφραίνεις δὲ τοὺς μετέχοντας τοῖς ὕδασι τῆς χρηστότητος· ἱκέτευε τοῦ σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν. Who would not marvel at you, Leontius? for he praises the Saint because of the grace of healings you who, receiving within you the fountain of truth as your indweller, pour forth rivers of beneficence to the faithful; and to all the thirsty you offer the gifts freely, without grudging; and you gladden those who partake of the waters of your kindness; intercede that our souls may be saved.
you offer your own gifts to all the thirsty without grudging and freely, and you gladden with the waters of your goodness those who enjoy them. Pray that our souls may be saved. But still more explicitly does the Tract, recited before the Elogium, denote the grace of healings, ending thus: ἴασιν τῶν νοσημάτων πιστοῖς παρέχεις· διὰ τοῦτό σου τὴν μνήμην τιμῶμεν πόθῳ, σοφὲ Λεόντιε. You grant to the faithful a cure of diseases, and therefore we honor your memory with longing, O wise Leontius.
[8] The Elogium, which is to be recited between the sixth and seventh Ode in place of the very Acts that were once recited, does not have the same authority. For the use of the Synaxaries, from which it is taken, is more recent, and not older than the tenth century; How Tripoli of Africa crept into the Synaxaries and the Elogium itself — whether the briefer one, in the collection which Basil Porphyrogenitus ordered to be made, or the other twice as long, in the printed Menaea — was taken directly from the Acts; but each is an abridgement of the more recent Encomium I mentioned, whose Author, having slipped into taking Tripoli of Africa for Tripoli in Phoenicia, transmitted this error into all the Synaxaries; and so in the Basilian one the Saint is said to have been διατρίβων ἐν Τριπόλει τῆς Ἀφρικῆς (dwelling in Tripoli of Africa); but in the Menaea, ἐν Τριπόλει κατὰ τὴν Ἀφρικήν (in Tripoli in Africa) — although the Saint is soon said to have been accused and brought before Hadrian, the President of Phoenicia; whence the error ought to have been noticed.
[9] What of this — that in the first centuries after Christ's birth, Tripoli of Phoenicia was most famous, but Tripoli of Africa was obscure, or even wholly unknown, at least under this name? There was then another Tripoli, of Phoenicia, more famous than this one Certainly Ptolemy and Stephanus make no mention of any Tripoli in Africa; some more recent writers think it was once Sabrata, others Oea. This opinion being set aside, those things which are read in the Greek Acts at no. 2 about the homeland of those who were the first discoverers of the higher disciplines are understood of themselves, though otherwise inexplicable. For if you make the homeland of these to be Tripoli of Africa, and wish it to have excelled first in letters and sciences, yet the Acts are more conveniently understood of the Phoenician Tripoli do you think there will be anyone to assent to so strange an opinion? Certainly that Tripoli is now everywhere called the Tripoli of Barbary. But all who have even lightly tasted of antiquity will assent, if you assign that glory to Phoenicia, and call it the first inventress of arts and letters. Pliny, in book 5, chapter 12, expressly asserts that the Phoenician nation is in great glory for the invention of letters, and of the stars, and of naval and military arts. And hence, in the very text of the Acts, for ἐν Ἀφρικῇ I substitute ἐν Φοινίκῃ Τρίπολις, with an Annotation added. I find Baronius alone to stand with us in the Martyrology, and to assert that Leontius underwent martyrdom at Tripoli in Phoenicia; although he nowhere in the Notes gives any reason for his assertion.
[10] So much concerning the place of the Martyrdom, against the opinion of the Synaxaries, which may seem to have been introduced by the error of a copyist, or built up by the boldness of an interpolator. For since those leaden tablets, which a certain Cyrus is read to have inscribed concerning St. Leontius and to have deposited beside his monument, seem to have been buried in the very tomb together with the holy Relics, it is credible that, hidden there for a good while, they were not brought to light until after the name and fame of African Tripoli became renowned. Whence the error could have crept in Whence it could come about that, if on the tablets only "Tripoli" was read, some interpolator added of his own brain the "of Africa," as though of the city then better known. But if on the tablets "Tripoli of Phoenicia" was expressed, why might not the lead, by the long lapse of time, have been so eaten away that it imperfectly represented the writing entrusted to it, and some copyist read for φοινίκη (Phoenicia) the word ἀφρίκη (Africa), where Tripoli was then better known?
[11] But what if the ambiguity of the name "Africa" cast darkness upon those writing these Acts — in the common sense indeed signifying a Province far removed from Phoenicia, what if it came from the encampment of an African Legion near Tripoli? but here to be taken for the Legion called "Africa" or "African," which, having its station in Phoenicia under the Tribune Leontius not far from Tripoli, gave a name to the very place of the encampment, but a transitory one — not one destined to last among posterity, as lasted the name of "Italica" in Spain, near Seville, left by the Italic Legion, the like of which had its own station also in Palestine, and among others the Centurion Cornelius, very well known from the Acts of the Apostles? Thus at Rome for several centuries, in the region across the Tiber, the settlement called "of the Ravennates" was famous, from the Ravennates who once dwelt there; and many other place-names of this kind can be brought forward as examples, and make it credible that far more had at some time a similar appellation for a short time, places which then resumed their old name, and therefore are nowhere found called by that temporary one — or, if they are found somewhere, they trouble the reader as spurious.
[12] As concerns the time of the Martyrdom, endured together with his companions Sts. Hypatius (or Hypatus) and Theodulus: the time of the martyrdom Vespasian (under whom St. Leontius is said to have suffered) was raised to the empire in the year 69, and in the following year, through his son Titus, took Jerusalem by storm. Since he did not sufficiently distinguish the Christians from the Jews, he could easily have been persuaded to grant some power against the Christians to Hadrian — perhaps incited by the Jews — especially under the pretext of deserted military service; yet it is not known that Vespasian issued any decree against them, as the Acts suppose, which are adorned with phrases of the fourth century — which it suffices here to have noticed. Now Vespasian departed this life in the year of Christ 79.
ENCOMIUM OF ST. LEONTIUS THE MARTYR.
From the Medicean Manuscript of the Laurentian Library at Florence.
ΜΑΡΤΥΡΙΟΝ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΛΕΟΝΤΙΟΥ (MARTYRDOM OF SAINT LEONTIUS)
Written by an uncertain Author from the memorials of Cyrus the Commentariensis,
and rendered into Latin from the Vatican Manuscripts by G. Sirletus.
Leontius, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (St.)
Hypatus the Tribune, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (St.)
Theodulus, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (St.)
TRANSLATOR: SIRLETUS
CHAPTER ONE.
The Saint, sought for death, receives those who seek him hospitably,
and, revealing himself, converts them and baptizes them.
[1] When Vespasian reigned over the empire of the Romans, a certain man of the senate, Hadrian by name, cruel and harsh in disposition, and an inventor of every wicked device, having heard that there are certain people called Christians, and that they turn away from all who sacrifice to the gods, and are eager to dishonor them, and persuade men to depart from familiar intercourse with the gods by their magical teaching and flattery, and say that there are no gods, but one God — being seized with wrath, he went to the Emperor and asked that power against them be given to him. And the Emperor straightway gave all power to Hadrian, charging him: "All those who undertake to be persuaded of my decree and to worship our gods, deem them worthy of great honor and send them to me; but those who resist, subject to most dreadful tortures and deliver over to death."
[2] When, therefore, Hadrian had gone out from the great city of Rome, it was made known to him by certain men, who said that in the city of the Tripolitans there is a certain man, a soldier, Leontius by name, and that he rejects the gods, and turns away those who sacrifice to them from holding to their worship, and overthrows our ancient custom. And Hadrian, hearing about him, became overjoyed, and sent forward a multitude of soldiers, that Leontius, who does such things, might be seized. And when they reached the region of the city, the Tribune of the same cohort — Hypatus by name — and he himself being a friend of the demonic worship, and devoted to the idols, was seized by a most sudden fever and was wholly inflamed; and he said to the soldiers under him: "By the favor of the great gods, I know whence this burning has come upon me; the gods were angry with me; for when I was about to come here, I did not offer them the customary sacrifice." So all the soldiers, seeing Hypatus thus burning up for three days, and partaking of nothing, but being kindled the more by the fevers, were in great distress.
[3] But on that night an Angel of the Lord appeared to him saying, "Hypatus, if you wish to become well, when the soldiers have come together with you, cry out three times: 'O God of holy Leontius, help me,' and you shall immediately be saved." And Hypatus, falling into a trance, and then reviving, saw the Angel like a young man clothed in white, and the form of his countenance terrible; then he says to him: "I was sent together with these soldiers, that, having seized Leontius, I might keep him until the return of Hadrian the Governor; and do you say to me that I should cry, 'O God of holy Leontius, help me,' and you shall be saved?" And while he was conversing with the Angel, the Angel became invisible from before him, and astonishment seized Hypatus. And calling the soldiers, while still lying on his bed, he says to them: "Hear, brothers; in my first sleep there comes a certain shining man, and says to me, 'Hypatus, if you wish to become well, cry out three times: O God of holy Leontius, help me,' and he became invisible from before me." And while he was speaking, a certain Theodulus, a man of the soldiers, having heard, was sitting beside his Tribune Hypatus, keeping in mind the things said to him by him; and when the time of their drinking had come, the soldiers also called Theodulus, saying to him, "Come and feast together with us, brother, as always"; for Theodulus himself too was of the foremost of the Greeks, beside whom there was no other such man. But when he had driven them all away, not wishing to taste anything, he arose and laid himself down and slept on the ground, being one who fasted much. So, having awakened, he says to his fellow-soldiers: "Tomorrow Hadrian the Governor comes, and Leontius has not been seized; but if it seems good to your whole company, let me take the Tribune Hypatus, and going into the city, seek out who Leontius is, and, having taken him, we shall secure him with the Centurions until the return of the Governor Hadrian"; for Hypatus too had, from that vision, in a little while become well of the fever.
[4] And when they had reached the edge of the city, behold, Leontius also met them, saying: "Rejoice in the Lord, brothers." For the two soldiers, Hypatus and Theodulus, having heard him, said to him: "Rejoice you also, O comrade." And Leontius said to them: "Brothers, whom do you seek, that you have come to this region?" And the soldiers said to him: "A certain man, Leontius, wise in word and faithful in deeds, has been reported to the Emperor Vespasian as dwelling here, and we deem it worthy to become his companions, as having been sent ahead; for in these days Hadrian the Governor too is about to arrive here, that he himself also may behold him, and will deem him worthy of great honor as being a friend of the gods, and will lead him to the Emperor; for the whole senate of the Romans desires to behold him, having heard of his achievements, which he accomplishes for the gods, and that he is a soldier,
…and of the leading men of the city of the Tripolitans. And when Leontius heard this, he said: As I see, you are strangers to this region. Come therefore with me and take your rest, and I will point out to you the Leontius whom you say is a friend of the gods; for that man is not a friend of the gods whom you worship, but he is a Christian and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. And those who heard his words said among themselves: Who is this man who says that Leontius is a Christian? Is he perhaps one of his kinsmen? Then Theodulus says: What is your name? And Leontius says to him: My name is written by God; for it is written in the divinely inspired Scriptures: You shall tread upon the asp and the basilisk, and you shall trample down the lion and the dragon. I must therefore trample down the lion and the dragon: the lion, the unseen enemy, and the dragon, the governor and his counselors. And when Hypatius the Tribune heard this, he said to Theodulus: Who is this man, that he says, I must trample down the lion and the dragon, and the counselors of the governor? Then bewilderment and amazement seized them, and they did not wish to make their own intention known to the man, because he had said to them: Come to me, and I will give you rest; and again, dreading the harshness of the governor, they nevertheless made their way to the man's house.
[5] Then they say to him: Behold, good man, we have arrived at your house, and we shall enjoy all that is yours; hasten therefore to point out to us Leontius, that you may also be deemed worthy of the greatest honor at the coming of Adrianus the governor, and may become a great friend of those who hold power in the palace. When they had said these things, the Martyr of Christ says to them: I am Leontius whom you seek; I am the soldier of Christ; I am he whom Adrianus pursues through you. And when they heard from him the words, I am he, they fell upon their faces and began to cry out: Servant of God the Most High, forgive us this sin; hasten to entreat your God, that He may rescue us from the defilement of the idols, and deliver us from that savage beast Adrianus; for we too are Christians. And when they had said these things, the holy one of God, Leontius, threw himself upon the ground, weeping and saying: Lord God, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, who has given us examples of salvation: look upon us in this hour, You who have made those who came against me to be for me, that You may save me, the lost sheep, and together with me enlighten these men with the light of Your mercy, and pour out upon them the grace of Your Holy Spirit, and show within them a pure heart, and seal them with Your seal, and reveal them as unconquered soldiers against the enemy, granting them power and weapons through Your tender mercy, a shield and a spear through Your wisdom; You who accepted a three-day burial, who trod down the head of the malicious dragon, grant that this Hypatius and Theodulus may tread down the head of the cunning governor Adrianus, and strengthen them in the grace of Your might; for You call the despairing to knowledge; You recall the wandering by Your tender mercy; You, the knower of hearts and the Creator of all human nature, receive the supplication of me, a sinner; show also to these that You are God and no other; show to those who believe in the senseless gods that they are vain; and enlighten with Your knowledge the men who are in ignorance. Yes, O God, my Savior, for Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of the ages. Amen.
[6] And when he had said the Amen, a cloud of water came down upon Theodulus and Hypatius and enlightened them. And when the holy Leontius saw what had happened, he cried out with a loud voice, saying: Glory to You, my God, who does not cast away the purposes of those who seek You; and he clothed them in white robes and had candles carried before them. Now when certain of the Greeks saw that such a wonder had been wrought through Leontius, they began to make an uproar in the city, crying out thus: Let those who reject our gods perish by destroying fire; and there was no small tumult in the city.
[1] Adrianus dispatched by Vespasian to seize the saint. At the time when Vespasian held the empire of the Romans, a certain man of the senatorial order, Adrianus by name, cruel and exceedingly savage in spirit and an inventor of all the worst arts, when he had heard that certain Christians were utterly averse to all those who offer sacrifices to the gods themselves, and despised the gods themselves, and by magic arts and disciplines and flatteries drew other men away from familiarity with the gods—since indeed they said that there were no gods but one God only—being stirred up with fury, he approached the Emperor and asked of him that he might be given authority against the Christian men. The Emperor indeed at once conferred all authority upon Adrianus and commanded him that whoever should be willing to obey his edict and offer sacred rites to the gods should be honored with great honor and sent to him; but those who refused, he sends a Tribune ahead to Tripoli with soldiers: should be subjected to the most grievous torments and condemned to death.
[2] When therefore Adrianus had departed from great Rome, it was made known to him by certain persons that in the city of Tripoli there was a certain soldier, Leontius by name, who rejected the gods themselves and turned away from their worship those who offered sacred rites to them, and dissolved the ancestral laws. When Adrianus had heard these things about Leontius, he was affected with no small gladness, and sent ahead cohorts of soldiers, that Leontius, who did such things, might be apprehended. But when they had come near the city, their Tribune, Hypatius by name, who was himself also addicted to the superstition of demons and to idols, was suddenly seized all over with a fever, and said to his soldiers: So may the gods be favorable to me, that I know whence this evil has come upon me. The gods are angry against me; for when I was about to set out hither, I did not offer them a fitting victim. The soldiers therefore, when they saw their Tribune thus burning with fever for three days, taking no food, but laboring more and more under the fever, were pressed by many anxieties.
[3] But on that night an Angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying: Tribune, if you wish to be made well together with the soldiers who, seized with a fever: who are with you, cry out three times: You who are the God of Saint Leontius, bring me, I beseech you, help. If you say this, you will at once be made well. When the Tribune had come into such an ecstasy of mind, and was sober, he saw the Angel, like some youth, clothed in white garment and bearing a certain terrible appearance of aspect. Then he said: I have been sent together with these soldiers to apprehend Leontius, and was bidden by the Angel to invoke the God of Saint Leontius and to keep him until the return of Adrianus the Commander; and you tell me to cry out: God of Saint Leontius, bring me help, that I may be saved. When he said these things to the Angel, the latter vanished from him, and amazement seized the Tribune; who, while he still lay on his couch and was held by a violent fever, summoned the soldiers to himself and spoke thus: Hear, brothers. As soon as I had begun to sleep, a certain illustrious man came to me and said: If you wish to be made well, cry out three times: God of Saint Leontius, he tells the matter to his companions, one marveling above the rest: bring me aid; and having said these things, he vanished. When the Tribune had said these things, a certain soldier named Theodulus was astonished more than the rest, and asked the Tribune whether the garment of him whom he spoke of had been white and his appearance terrible; and he learned that it was so. The next day in the morning Theodulus himself was sitting beside the Tribune, keeping in mind what he had heard. But when the time of feasting had come, the soldiers called Theodulus, that together with them, as he had always been accustomed, he might enjoy himself; for Theodulus himself was most illustrious among the Greek men. Invited to the feast, with whom, now well, he refused all food, nor would he taste anything; but lying on the ground he remained fasting a long while, and at last he began to sleep. Awaking, he said to his fellow-soldiers: Adrianus the Governor will come tomorrow, and Leontius has not been captured? But if it pleases you all, I will set out for the city, taking the Tribune with me, and will inquire who this Leontius may be; whom, after we have apprehended him, we will order to be kept carefully until Adrianus the governor comes. Now the Tribune had already been made well and freed from the fever, when he had obeyed that vision.
[4] After, therefore, they had come to the highest point of the city, Leontius meets them; behold, Leontius himself met them, to whom he said: Hail in the Lord, brothers. When those two soldiers, the Tribune and Theodulus, had heard this, they say: Hail to you also, friend. Then Leontius said: What is it, brothers, that you have come here seeking? Then the soldiers say: It was made known to us that a certain man, Leontius by name, learned and approved, dwells in this place by command of the Emperor Vespasian; him therefore we desire to meet, as we have been ordered. For in these days Adrianus the Governor is to come hither, that he himself may both see Leontius and honor him, as a lover of the gods, with the greatest honor, and lead him to the Emperor; for the whole Senate of the Romans desires to see him, since it has heard of his illustrious deeds and his observance toward the gods, especially since he is one of the leading men who are in the city of Tripoli. When Leontius had heard these things, he said: As I see, you are foreigners and ignorant of this region. Come therefore, and rest together with me: I will show you that Leontius whom you say is a friend of the gods. But he is not a friend of those gods whom you worship, but I know that he is a Christian and holds the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. Having heard these things, they said among themselves: Who is this, Here he invites them to his dwelling: who says that Leontius is a Christian? Is he perhaps someone of his kindred? And so Theodulus said: What is your name? Then Leontius: Concerning the meaning of my name it is written in the divine Scriptures in these words: You shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk, and you shall trample down the lion and the dragon. Psalm 90 It is fitting therefore that the lion and the dragon be trampled down by me: the lion, I say, that enemy who is not discerned by bodily eyes; and the dragon, that is, the Governor himself, and his counselor. Then the Tribune, turning to Theodulus, said: And who is this, who says, It is fitting
that the lion and the dragon be trampled down by me, and the counselors of the Governor: Held back therefore by doubt, they wavered as to what they should do. For because they had been so kindly invited, they hesitated to reveal their wicked plan to that man. Nevertheless, since they had perceived the savagery of Adrianus and dreaded it, and were unwilling to return with their business unaccomplished, they made their way together to the house of Leontius, pretending friendship.
[5] and he betrays himself: Then they say: Behold, excellent man, we have reached your house, and we enjoy all your possessions. Hasten therefore to show us Leontius, that when Adrianus the Governor comes, he may be deemed worthy of the greatest honor, and may dwell as a most beloved friend of the Emperors in their palace. When they had said these things, then the Martyr of Christ said: I am that Leontius whom you seek; I am that soldier of Christ; I am he whom Adrianus pursues through you. When they had heard what he said, "I am he," prostrate upon their faces they began to cry out: Servant of God the Most High, forgive us this sin; hasten to appease your God, that He may snatch us from the foulness of idols, and from that savage beast Adrianus; for we too are Christians. When they had said these things, the holy servant of God, Leontius, cast himself down upon the earth, weeping and saying: Lord God, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, who has given us the pledges of salvation, look upon us, I beseech You, in this hour; You who have brought it about that those who had come against me should be for me, I pray You to save me, that lost sheep, and together with me to enlighten these men with the lights of Your mercy, by which You may both pour out the grace of Your Holy Spirit, and create a pure heart, and—marked with Your sign—make them unconquered soldiers against the enemy, the devil, granting them power and weapons, on account of the depths of Your mercy. For shield and spear let Your wisdom be to them. You who willed to be in the tomb for three days, who trod down the head of the malicious dragon, grant, I beseech, that this Tribune and Theodulus may crush the head of the malicious dragon, the Governor Adrianus, and He prays for them, now converted to the faith, and confirm them by the grace of Your strength. For You invite the despairing to knowledge and hope; You recall the wandering by Your mercy into the way; since indeed You know the secrets of the heart, and are the Creator of all human nature. Receive, I beseech, the prayers of the sinner Leontius: show also to these that there is no other God beside You: make those who have faith in lifeless and mute gods to recognize that those gods are empty and vain; and with the light of Your knowledge illumine those who do not know the truth. So, I beseech, may You do, O God our Savior, for Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
[6] and he baptizes them. When he had said Amen, a cloud of water came down upon Theodulus and the Tribune, and enlightened them. When Saint Leontius had seen this done, crying out with a loud voice he said: Glory be to You, my God, who does not despise the will of those who seek You. Then he clothed them in white garments and ordered lighted candles to be carried before them. But when certain ones of the number of the Greeks had seen so wondrous a thing done through Leontius, they began to riot through the city and to cry out thus: Let those who reject our gods be burned with destroying fire. And so that city was thrown into no small tumult.
ANNOTATIONS OF D. P.
CHAPTER II.
[7] Two days afterward Adrianus arrived, and all those with him; and standing before the gates of the city he said: What is this disturbance of shouting, what are the executioners crying out about? And the leading men of the city said to him: A certain man, Leontius by name, called a Christian, drives all away from our god, deceiving men by certain acts of magic, and magnifying the one crucified by men, whom Pilate examined and scourged, and whom the Jews struck; and moreover by his magic he led astray the soldiers of our King and drew them to the Galilean, and keeps these men dressed in white—behold, it is three days now—and he rejects our greatest gods. And the governor, filled with rage, gives orders, saying to the soldiers following him: Seize these three and put them under guard, that I may bring them before the tribunal. And the soldiers, doing what was commanded and laying hold of them, put them away in the prison. But throughout the whole day the holy Leontius did not cease teaching them the mighty works of God, and saying to them: Brothers, the torment is little and temporary, but great and eternal is the joy and the bodyguard of honor; there let us find our rest. And when night had come on, he began to sing thus: Our God in heaven and on earth, all things whatsoever He willed, He has done; and again: God who girds me with strength, and has made my way blameless.
[8] When morning had come, the Governor, taking his seat upon the tribunal, ordered Leontius to be brought to him, and the two soldiers. When they had been brought before the tribunal, the Ruler said: Are you Leontius? And the Martyr: I am. And the Governor said: Of what fortune are you, I ask, and how did you, by your wicked magic, despoil the soldiers of the King, who were always in attendance upon him, and make them believe in the one you call God? Leontius said: I am a son of the light, of the true light, which enlightens every man coming into the world; and everyone who comes to the light does not stumble. So then both Hypatius and Theodulus came to know what is the beginning of the light, and the fullness, who is Christ; and they forsook your gods, made of wood and stone and bones, which can be broken to pieces. And when the Governor heard Leontius speaking these things with boldness, he became enraged, and says: Crush this unholy man with cudgels as he stands. But while Leontius was being beaten, he kept his eye toward heaven; and he said to Adrianus: You think you are bringing torment upon me, but you are torturing yourself. And when Adrianus saw him being tortured and yet unmoved in his confession, he ordered him to be led away to the prison.
[9] And he said to Hypatius and Theodulus: Why have you forsaken your ancestral bread, and your military service, and brought grief to the Emperor? And they said to the Governor: To us has been given bread that is not consumed, having come down from heaven, and wine, the cup of the side of the Most High; and instead of corruptible flesh, the body of the spotless Lamb. Adrianus the Governor said to them: The evil-minded Leontius prompted you to say these things. Be willing, then, to do what is commanded you by the King; or do you not know that the Emperor has sent forth such a decree, that those who sacrifice to the gods shall be deemed worthy of the greatest honors and of higher military rank, but that those who do not obey shall be most wretchedly removed from life? And Hypatius and Theodulus say to him: Our military service is in the Heavens; do what you wish to do; for being an avenger of misshapen idols you set yourself in battle against us, but your whole life shall be desolate, and the span of your days shall be cut short. When Adrianus heard these things, he ordered Hypatius to be hung upon a stake and scraped, and Theodulus to be beaten with sword-blades. And while they were being wounded, there was no voice from them, except only: Save me, Lord, for the holy man has failed. So then Adrianus, seeing the unchangeable nature of their resolve, ordered their heads to be cut off. And the two, being led away, sang, saying: For You are our protector, Lord; into Your hands we commit our spirits. And having said the prayer, they were struck by the executioner, and they gave up their own souls in a good confession.
[10] After these things, Adrianus orders the holy Leontius to be brought. And he, being led in, stood before the tribunal, and Adrianus says to him: Leontius, have pity on yourself, and do not make trial of dreadful torments, like Hypatius and Theodulus, who were deceived by you; but hear me, and sacrifice to the gods, and you will receive the greatest honors from me, and from the Emperor, and from all
the Senate; for the King and those with him greatly desire to behold your form. Leontius says: May it never be mine to see the defiled face of a King and an enemy of God; but if it seems good to you, Adrianus, become yourself a friend of Christ, and I will show you of how great salvation and help and eternal riches you may be deemed worthy by Him. And Adrianus, smiling with a bitter smile, said: As great salvation as Hypatius and Theodulus found, so great do you wish me too to find? O defiled head! Do you not know with what punishment they were destroyed? Leontius said: Do not call it punishment, what those men endured, but rather life, and peace, and joy. For now they rejoice and exult, and have become fellow-dwellers with the Angels. And Adrianus: Attend to what is said to you by me, O Leontius. What man, master of his reason, has hastened to abandon the unconquered light of the sun, and the greatest gods—Zeus, and Apollo, and Poseidon, and Aphrodite, and the rest—and to depart from life by a dreadful death, except those who were led astray by you? The holy Leontius said: . . . . Have you not heard, O Governor, that it is written: The gods of the nations are demons; let those who make them become like them, and all who trust in them? Who then among the right-minded would make himself like to such voicelessness and inactivity as belongs to your gods, much less sacrifice to them?
[11] While the Saint was still speaking, the judge, breaking in, ordered him to be spread out upon the ground and beaten with cudgels by four men, and the herald to cry out thus: Those who hold our gods cheap, and reject the decrees of the King, shall perish in this way. So when he had been beaten for a long time, and the torturers had grown weary, the holy Leontius says to the Governor: Even if you destroy my body, most wicked one, yet you shall not have lordship over my soul. And Adrianus ordered him to be hung upon a stake and his shins scraped. And when he had been scraped for a long time, and did not answer at all, but only prayed and said: O God, in You have I hoped, save me; and while he was looking up to heaven, Adrianus said to his attendants: Take him down from the stake; for I know that, looking up to heaven, he is calling upon the gods, so as to obtain relief. The holy Leontius said: May you perish together with your gods, most wretched one; for I beseech my God that He may strengthen me to endure your torments. So then, when Adrianus had for a long time seen the unchangeableness of his resolve, he orders him again to be hung upon the stake head downward, and a great stone to be bound upon his neck, and so to be tortured. But the holy Martyr nobly endured the torments, and looking up to heaven, he said: Lord Jesus Christ, who strengthened Your servants Hypatius and Theodulus unto Your confession, confirm also me, Your servant and a sinful suppliant, to endure these torments, and put me not to shame, away from my expectation.
[12] And Adrianus said to him: Leontius, I know that you will become a friend of the gods. But the holy Leontius said to him: I indeed am a servant of God the Most High, but you of your gods; may you therefore perish together with them and with all your army. And he ordered him to be led away to the prison and kept for another examination. And entering into the prison and kept for another examination. And entering into the prison, throughout the whole night he sang, saying: The Lord is my light and my Savior; whom shall I fear? And while he was singing, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him, saying: Be strong and play the man, Leontius, for I am with you. The Lord your God has sent me, the One whom you seek.
[13] When morning had come, Adrianus sought for him again. And the holy Martyr, being brought, stood before the tribunal, and Adrianus says to him: Leontius, have you considered what is profitable for you? The holy Martyr said: Knowing always what is profitable for me, I set myself against your empty words both once and twice, and again I say to you, that I do not forsake Him who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them, Jesus Christ the Son of God, who for our sakes, the sons of men, accepted to suffer; but hoping in Him alone, and in His name, I shall obtain mercy. And Adrianus orders him to be hung up in the air by four men, and to be beaten vigorously, so that he might die. And while he was being beaten, Adrianus shouted: Obey me, and sacrifice. By the salvation of the gracious gods, if you sacrifice, I will make you obtain a dignity equal to my own and much more. But the holy Leontius said: How many dignities do you wish to deem me worthy of, that I should deny my God and obey you, urging me to sacrifice to demons? For to me not even the whole world itself is to be chosen above the love toward my Christ.
[14] So when Adrianus beheld the immovableness of his resolve, he pronounced sentence against him, saying: Leontius, who has refused to give credence to the gods and to yield to the decree of the King, but has even insulted the gracious gods, we order to be hung upon four stakes and beaten until he yields up his soul. And being beaten for a long time, the holy Leontius, mangled by the tortures, gave up his spirit to the Lord, and was laid in the same harbor of the city of the Tripolitans, the eighteenth of June then being current, leaving to the world a good remembrance, through which may God grant us a share of His kingdom.
[15] These records a certain Cyrus, a Commentarisius, having written upon leaden tablets, deposited beside the tomb of the holy Martyr, leaving to the generations that came after a good remembrance in Christ Jesus our Lord; but whoever reads and hears his good confession, stretching out his hands, will send up glory to God who gave him endurance. And the holy Martyr of Christ Leontius was perfected in the month of June, the 8th, in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.
[7] Two days afterward Adrianus the Governor came, and all who were with him; Adrianus, learning of this, and when he had stopped before the gates of the city, he asked what those voices and that tumult were, and what the cries of the people were. Then the chief men of that city say: A certain man, Leontius by name, who is called a Christian, dissuades and turns away all from the worship of our gods, deceiving men by certain magic arts, while he preaches, and with foolish speech celebrates and exalts a man once fastened to the cross by men, whom Pilate himself, having examined, flogged with scourges, and whom the Jews struck with blows. Moreover, he has deceived the soldiers of our Emperor by his sorceries, and drawn them to the religion of that Galilean man, he orders them to be shut up in prison: and he has kept them clothed in white garments now for three days with him, and rejects our greatest gods. Then Adrianus the Governor, kindled with fury, ordered the soldiers whom he had with him to apprehend those three and to keep them carefully in prison until they should be set before the tribunal. The soldiers did what they had been ordered, and threw the apprehended men into prison. But Leontius, not ceasing throughout the whole day to hand on to them the faith and doctrine of the great God, said: Come, brothers, be brave and consider that the present torments are small and for a brief time; but that joy and everlasting delight will be future. Ps. 113, 2 & 17, 33 Therefore if we here endure the injuries of wicked men, there we shall find perpetual rest. But by night he began to sing those verses of the Psalm: Our God in heaven and on earth, all things whatsoever He willed, He has done: God, who girded me with strength, and made my way blameless.
[8] When day had dawned, Adrianus the Governor, sitting in the tribunal, ordered Leontius to be led to him, then, with these set aside in his presence, and the Tribune and Theodulus. When they were present, the Governor said: Are you Leontius? I, said he, am he myself. Then the Governor: Of what fortune and condition are you, man? How have you, by your wicked and maleficent sorceries, stolen away the soldiers from our Emperor? Those, I say, who were always with our Emperor, by stealing them you made them believe in him whom you call God. Leontius answered: I am a soldier of my Christ; I am a son of that true light which illumines every man coming into this world. Everyone who comes to this light does not stumble. The Tribune and Theodulus know Leontius to be beaten: what is the origin and perfection of this light, namely Christ; and so they have forsaken your gods made of wood, stones, and the bones of animals, since indeed they are fragile and can easily be broken to pieces. When the Governor had heard Leontius using such free speech, inflamed with fury he commanded the servants to beat Leontius himself with rods. But he, while he was being beaten, with eyes lifted to heaven, said: Do you, Adrianus, think you are bringing torment upon me, you who are torturing yourself? But when Adrianus had seen him indeed tortured, but constantly remaining in the confession of Christ, he ordered him to be led to prison.
[9] Then, turning also to the Tribune and Theodulus, he said: Why have you cast off your ancestral customs, and his companions, steadfast in the faith, in which you were brought up, and, having abandoned your military pay, brought sorrow to our Emperor? Then they answered: To us has been given bread that cannot be consumed, and which came down from heaven, and a cup of wine received from the side of the most high God; and instead of that flesh which is subject to corruption, the body of the pure Lamb, free from all stain, has been given to us. Then Adrianus: These things, he orders them to be struck with the axe: he said, the wicked Leontius has suggested to you. Do therefore the things that are pleasing to the Emperor. Or do you not know that the Emperor has so commanded, that those who shall have offered sacred rites to the gods be honored with the greatest honors and grades of military service, but that those who shall have refused to obey the commands be deprived of life in the worst ways? To this the Tribune and Theodulus answered: Our military service is heavenly; do whatever you wish. You indeed, since you are an avenger of the most shameful idols, arm yourself against us; but your whole life shall be desolate, and the span of your days shall be diminished. When Adrianus had heard these things, he ordered the Tribune to be hung on a stake and unceasingly torn with a hook; and Theodulus, prostrate on the ground, to be beaten with blows. And when they were bitterly tortured, they uttered no other voice but this: Save
us, Lord, for the holy man has failed.
But when Adrianus had seen their resolve to be firm and immovable, he ordered them to be struck with the axe. And while they were being led to execution, they sang those verses: You are our protector, Lord; into Your hands we commend our spirits. And when they had completed the prayer, they were struck by the executioner, and gave up their souls to God in that holy confession.
[10] After these things Adrianus ordered Saint Leontius to be led in. And when he was present, Come, said he, Leontius, then again he vainly cajoles Leontius take pity on your own fortune, lest you experience grievous torments, such as the Tribune and Theodulus experienced, men deceived by you; and now hear me, and sacrifice to the gods, for so you will obtain the greatest honors from me, and from the Emperor, and from the whole Senate; for the Emperor himself greatly desires to see your countenance. God forbid, said Leontius, that I should see the countenance of that Emperor, who is an accursed enemy of God; but if it pleases you, Adrianus, become a friend of Christ; for if you do this, I will show you how great salvation, how great help, and what enduring riches you will receive from Him. Then Adrianus, smiling out of bile, said: Do you wish me too to obtain as great salvation as the Tribune and Theodulus obtained? and calling the slain companions blessed, Or do you not know, you most wicked head, with what punishment they were destroyed? To this Leontius: By no means call it a punishment, which you inflicted upon them, but rather life, peace, and joy; for now they rejoice and exult, and dwell together with the choirs of Angels. Then Adrianus: Apply your mind, Leontius, to what shall be said by me. What man in his right mind ever wished to abandon this light of the sun, and those greatest gods, Jupiter, Apollo, Neptune, Venus, and the rest, so as to end his life by the worst death? No one surely, except those who were deceived by you. To this Leontius: By no means have you heard what is written: The gods of the nations are demons; and let them become like to them who make them, and all who trust in them. Who therefore is there—provided he be of sound mind—who would wish to be like mute stones and such things, devoid of soul and sense, as these gods of yours are, much less to offer sacred rites to them?
[11] he orders him tortured in various ways, once When the Judge heard these things, seeing the Martyr's resolve to be firm, he ordered him, prostrate on the ground and suspended from four stakes, to be beaten, and the herald to cry out: Those who make our gods of no account, and do not observe the Emperor's edict, shall thus perish. When Leontius had been beaten a long while, and the executioners were exhausted, speaking to the Governor he said: Although, most wicked man, you have torn my body, yet you shall never be lord of my soul. Then Adrianus ordered him to be hung on a stake, and his sides and legs to be lacerated. And when he had been lacerated a long while, and said nothing else but only this: O God, in You have I hoped, save me, Lord; and as the Martyr looked up to heaven, then Adrianus, turning to his attendants, said: Take him down from the stake; for I know that when he gazes into heaven, he is praying to the gods themselves, and again that they may bring him relief. To this Saint Leontius said: May you perish with your gods, most unhappy and accursed Adrianus, for I pray my God to supply me with strength and vigor, by which I may be able to endure your torments. When therefore Adrianus had seen Leontius's mind to be steadfast and firm, again he ordered him to be hung on the stake, with his head turned toward the ground, and a great rock to be hung from his neck, that so he might be tortured. But the holy Martyr, bearing those torments with a generous and brave spirit, and gazing into heaven, prayed to God thus: Lord Jesus Christ, who strengthened Your servants the Tribune and Theodulus to render the confession of Your name, confirm me also, Your servant, a suppliant and a sinner, that I may be able to endure these torments, and be not willing to fail my expectation.
[12] Then Adrianus: I know, said he, Leontius, that you will become a friend of our gods. But he replied: I am a servant of God the Most High; but you are a servant of your gods: with them therefore both you and your army shall perish. Furthermore Adrianus, and again steadfast under another examination, when he had seen Leontius's mind to be firm, ordered him to be kept in prison until the next day. But he, having entered the prison, throughout the whole night sang the psalm: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Ps. 26, 1 And while he was singing the psalm, an Angel appeared to him and said: Be brave, Leontius, for I am with you. The Lord your God, whom you seek, has sent me.
[13] When day had dawned, Adrianus ordered Leontius to be brought out to him, whom he thus addressed: Have you, Leontius, considered what is expedient for you? Then the holy Martyr: Since I have always known what is expedient for me, I have resisted your empty words; therefore once, twice, and thrice I affirm to you that I will never commit the act of forsaking Him who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who for our sake, the sons of men, willed to suffer the cross; Him, I say, I will by no means abandon, for placing my hope in Him alone, and in His name, I shall obtain mercy. Then Adrianus ordered him to be hung in the air from four stakes, and to be vehemently beaten. to be cruelly beaten, But while he was being beaten, Adrianus cried out: Do, Leontius, what I say, and sacrifice to the gods; for if you do this (by the salvation and benignity of our gods), I will cause you to obtain a grade of dignity and far more. To this the holy Martyr Leontius: And what dignity, said he, will be of such worth that I should deny my God and obey you? Do you exhort me to sacrifice to your demons—when not even the whole world is of such worth that it could be compared with the love of my Christ?
[14] When therefore Adrianus had seen his mind to be so firm until he should expire, that it could not be changed, he passed this sentence against him: Leontius, who has refused to make libation to the gods and to obey the Emperor's edict, and has despised our gods who are favorable to us, we order to be hung from four stakes and beaten so long, until he yields up his soul. When therefore the holy Martyr Leontius had been beaten a long while, and lacerated with wounds and blows, he gave up his spirit to the Lord, and was buried in the harbor of Tripoli itself, on the eighteenth day of the month of June, having left to the world itself a good monument of virtue; the Martyr, I say, Leontius, through whom may God grant us a portion of His kingdom.
[15] These memorials of the blessed Martyr Leontius a certain Cyrus, a Commentariensis, writing on leaden tablets, deposited at the monument of the holy Martyr, Cyrus places the written Acts at the tomb. that he might afterward leave to future generations the best example in Christ Jesus our Lord. Whoever therefore reads them, and the good and holy confession of the Martyr, let him raise his hands to heaven, and render glory to God Himself, who supplied the Martyr with patience. And the martyr of Christ Leontius completed his martyrdom on the eighteenth day of the month of June, as we have already said, under the Emperor Vespasian, while our Lord Jesus Christ reigns in us; to whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.
ANNOTATIONS OF G. H.
ANOTHER SET OF ACTS
From a manuscript of the Medicean library, the translator being C. I.
Leontius, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (Saint) Hypatus, Tribune, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (Saint) Theodulus, soldier, Martyr at Tripoli in Phoenicia (Saint)
TRANSLATED BY C. I.
CHAPTER I.
The birth, military service, and Christian virtues of Leontius; and also the conversion of Hypatius and Theodulus.
from his very birth—these manifold deceptions of the enemy, and the impostures of many kinds; but he flew above all of them, appearing as a high-soaring eagle, sharp-sighted toward the truth, raised aloft by his virtues, and become wholly heavenly. For indeed nature had increased in you no small advantages; for you obtained both greatness of body, and strength proportionate to it, and extraordinary beauty. And as for that which the wise call the third part of the good, he was straightway allotted military rank, having accomplished very many and great things. For he had God as his helper, to whom he rendered pure worship, confessing Him as one and only, three in hypostasis and of one substance, namely the Father without beginning, the only-begotten and likewise-without-beginning Son, and the Spirit of the same nature and equal honor. Having God therefore with him from this source, he wrought great things against his enemies. And indeed from a soldier he was advanced to be a general, and the affairs of Phoenicia were entrusted to him, so that while spending all his time there, as was fitting, he fulfilled the commandment of Christ, being gentle to those under him, and forbearing toward those near or about him, sociable and approachable, generous toward those in need—whom indeed he made it his concern to learn about above all. Who then of those in any need was left wanting, since he anticipated them, giving even before those in such a condition asked? Compassionate toward those who sinned, a fellow-worker with those who chose the good, and in a word, he appeared as a kind of living image of life according to Christ, and a most exact picture of virtue.
[4] Of such a manner of life, while still serving as general and dwelling in Phoenicia, was this renowned Leontius; but it was necessary that he should also display his zeal on behalf of God, and from this make manifest still more the abundance of his virtue, so that his fame should run everywhere and reach the heavens, this most complete contender. And it was necessary that he should stand before Christ, the rewarder at the end, falling short in nothing whatever. And so, according to his long-standing purpose, he strips himself for the martyr's contests. For to the one who governed Phoenicia, Adrianus by name, perverse in manner, a Greek in religion, a most ardent servant of demons, it was reported that Leontius mocked the ancestral gods and proclaimed Christ alone as God; and at once (for he thought the matter concerning him no small thing, since this man, boasting of military rank, happened to think contrary to the whole army and to the King) he sends Hypatius, the Tribune in rank, and Theodulus (this man was of the military phalanx), to bring Leontius in bonds to him with speed. They then hastened to seize this great man; but they were beforehand seized by the all-powerful right hand of Christ and led to the truth.
[5] For in the midst of the journey a violent fever fell upon the Tribune and afflicted him terribly. For his inward parts were inflamed, and his outward parts were as if sawn apart, so that he could neither breathe nor speak; but (O the wisdom and goodness of God!) beyond all expectation truly, he found an easy cure; for the unpaid physician of souls and bodies invisibly enjoined him to call for healing upon Him whom Leontius serves. So he hears a voice borne from above, three times pronouncing thus: If you, O man, wish to be freed from the disease that holds you, call upon the God of Leontius. And Theodulus too heard this voice, and—he too acting rightly—stored it up in the depths of his heart. But Hypatius, the things which the one who spoke to him had enjoined (for he knew, he knew exactly, that it was God who had spoken, and that He wished to grant him a twofold health), gladly carried out at once; for "Him alone whom Leontius the divine man worships, the one who hears, I confess to be God," he said, and forthwith he received pure health, and together with the good Theodulus he hastened upon the road…, considering things no longer the same, but altogether different from before. So when he came there he sought Leontius; but being received as a guest by Leontius himself, he did not recognize him, and asking him about himself as though about someone else—who was the one called Leontius by name, and where he was living: Come, he said, by friendship, make him known to me. I myself, said he, am he and no other, the servant of Christ, Leontius. And at once the other falls on his face and embraces his feet, and Theodulus together with him, both fervently asking to be brought through him to Christ, and saying such things as these: Do not loathe us who have gone astray, servant of Christ; do not push away those who come to the true Master, God—us who until even now are held captive by the apostate demons.
[6] What then did this servant of Christ, the fervent imitator of His kindness? He embraces them, and lovingly clings to them; and turning to supplication, Receive these, he says, O Lord, lover of mankind, who emptied Yourself for us, and poured out Your own blood for the common redemption of the creature. Clothe them in the robe of incorruption through baptism, and reveal them as heirs of Your kingdom. The prayer had not yet reached its end, when a cloud surrounded them, full of water and of light (a marvel, and—what is more marvelous) and revealed them to be sons of light through baptism; and with white garments it made them shine (the most marvelous thing of all), so that these were filled with exultation, but those who were held fast in unbelief and darkened in mind by the gloom of error were seized with horror and dread, and suffered the very thing of the thunderstruck, being unable for a long time either to hear or to speak.
[7] If now one should liken this cloud to that which of old overshadowed Israel, would he not liken it aptly, and most fittingly draw the parallel? For that one too was luminous, both warding off the stifling heat and guiding toward salvation; and indeed this one delivers from the eternal flame and in some way proclaims the unsetting and saving. Yet only with this difference: that one overshadowed murmurers and those half-wicked in matters of piety, who therefore failed of what was promised; but this one overshadowed the grateful and those firm and secure unto the confession of the God whom they had come to know. For having recognized Christ as God, even unto death they confessed Him to be the true God. Wherefore they did not fail of the good things prepared, and became heirs of the kingdom of the heavens.
[1] On the one hand the proverb deters me, on the other the alacrity of my spirit does not cease to rouse me. The anxiety of the Writer, What? Do you wish to learn the meaning of the proverb? Nothing, it says, has the ape in common with the lion; meaning, namely, that their powers and natures differ much from each other. This vehemently deters me from my undertaking. For incited by your words, I desire to take up the contest of Leontius, most illustrious among the martyrs; but the knowledge of my own powers impedes me, and overturns me from what I desire: for the impetus by which the ape is borne could represent my undertaking; but the more generous gait of the lion may be referred to the contests undertaken by Leontius for God. But the things that pertain to the proverb must be passed over by us; and the things (as is fitting) that pertain to the Martyr must be taken up. hoping for help from the saint. For there is no danger that he will look upon us grimly, or strike us down with his roar, but rather he will gaze upon us with his own countenance; and holding our promptness as accepted, he will hasten to suggest to us the things that accord with truth, not only for this discourse and the present time, but for all the things I shall henceforth write.
[2] Greece, indeed, brought forth Leontius (that we may begin here); Leontius born in Greece, but the city of Tripoli in Phoenicia nourished him in the exercise of the virtues. And indeed most deservedly did that city receive him thence, and display him to the world. For Greece was from of old established as the homeland of eloquence and erudition; is brought up at Tripoli, but those who first inhabited Phoenicia were the inventors of the higher disciplines, and men inhabiting the earth first inquired thence into heavenly things; and in a manner raised up into heaven, they attended most diligently to earthly things. But just as this was honorable to the Martyr, and contributed not a little to worldly glory; so also it brought very much hindrance, both being places famous for the sciences, so that he might less, according to his vow, strive after virtue. For who does not know with how insane a zeal Greece once worshiped idols, perpetually intent on fables and addicted to demons? But Egypt and Syria, together with Phoenicia, more inclined to the fashioning of idols by a certain madness left as an inheritance from their forefathers, but also most addicted to idolatry. not only limped concerning the knowledge of the true God, but (as it is said) were borne even with the whole foot toward the gods of false name; so much so that they attributed the venerable name of God even to chance animals, such as oxen and goats; to say nothing of beasts and serpents, and—what is a sign of worse stupidity—of rivers and groves.
[3] Nevertheless these so manifold deceptions of the enemy, accompanying him from birth, and impostures of various kinds, did not prevail against this generous champion: but he was seen, more sublime than all, as a high-flying eagle, turning his unaverted eyes upon the truth, eminent in illustrious virtues, By which he himself was in no way infected; and made wholly a heavenly man. For he was heaped, as it were, by nature with no common prerogatives. For he excelled in tall stature of body, and in strength befitting his stature, and in exceptional beauty. But what the wise call the third part of the honorable good, he was soon enrolled into the military service, in which he accomplished very many and very great things. For he had God as his fellow-worker, and made a Commander, whom he both venerated with pure worship, and professed to be one only in essence and threefold in persons, namely the Father lacking a beginning, the only-begotten and coeternal Son, and the Spirit, endowed with the same nature, to be honored with the same honor. For which reason he had God favorable to himself, and with Him wrought every illustrious deed against his enemies; and at last also from a soldier he became a Leader, distinguished by Christian virtues; and obtained the legions of Phoenicia committed to him; so that, dwelling there, he might fulfill the whole law of Christ, as was fitting; showing himself gentle toward his subjects, clement toward enemies as well as friends, kind and benevolent toward the needy, whom for the most part he took care to have instructed in the rudiments of the faith. For to whom, I ask, in want of anything necessary for use, did he not confer it sooner than the needy man asked? For he was merciful toward sinners, a helper to those striving together toward virtue, a certain living example of the Christian life, and a most exact tablet of the virtues.
[4] Of such a life was our renowned Leontius, while still, as Prefect of the military service, he was dwelling in Phoenicia. by which he also merited martyrdom. But it was fitting that his zeal too for the divine glory should be made manifest, and his remaining virtues thence be the more illustrated, to such a degree that this most perfect athlete, his fame increasing, should become known everywhere on earth, should ascend into heaven, He is reported to Adrianus, Governor of Phoenicia, and should be presented to Christ, the illustrious rewarder, failing nowhere. Therefore, according to his purpose long ago conceived, he girds himself for the contest of martyrdom. For to the Governor of Phoenicia, Adrianus
by name, fierce in manner, gentile in religion, a most ardent worshiper of demons, Leontius was reported—that, deriding the ancestral gods, he proclaimed Christ alone as God. Wherefore at once Adrianus (for he thought this pertained not a little to himself; since Leontius, glorying in military rank, who sends Hypatius and Theodulus to seize him; held views contrary to the whole army and to the Emperor himself) sent Hypatius, a Tribune in rank, and Theodulus who was of the military cohort; that they might bring Leontius to him bound as quickly as possible. And they themselves strove to carry out the command swiftly; but by the mighty right hand of Christ the Lord, restrained from the crime, and led by the straight way, they came to the knowledge of the truth.
[5] For while they were making the journey, a burning fever seized the Tribune and afflicted him vehemently; one of whom, seized with a fever, for, the heat consuming his inward parts, the outer parts of his body grew stiff with cold, so that there remained to him no faculty either of breathing or of speaking. But (O the wisdom of God, O the goodness!) beyond all expectation whatsoever, very suddenly he recovered his former health. For the gratuitous physician of souls and bodies commands in an invisible manner that he should call upon Him whom Leontius worships, he is bidden to invoke the God of Leontius; for his cure. For indeed he hears a voice brought down from heaven, sounding thus three times: Ho there, if you wish to be freed from the disease that has seized you, invoke the God of Leontius. And this voice Theodulus also heard, and (since he too lived rightly) stored it up in the depths of his heart. But Hypatius, the things that had been announced to him by the voice (for he had recognized, and rightly recognized, which he did, that He who had spoken to him was God, and that He wished to impart a twofold health), at once and gladly fulfilled in deed, openly saying that he confessed Him whom Leontius venerates to be the only God; and immediately he obtained complete health, and swiftly pursued the journey he had begun … with his illustrious companion Theodulus, and inquiring after Leontius himself together with his companion, now turning over in his mind not the same things as before, but plainly different. When therefore he arrived where he had been sent, he inquired after Leontius, and being received by Leontius himself he did not know his host, and questioning him about himself, as though about some other person, he asked who, after all, was called Leontius there, and where he dwelt; saying: See to it that I may come to know the man. But I am he, and no other, said Christ's servant Leontius. At which words Hypatius fell prostrate to the ground and embraced his feet, Theodulus following the example: and finding him, he begs that he have mercy on him. and both fervently prayed that he would lead them to Christ, speaking in this manner: Do not despise us who have been led away through error, servant of Christ: do not repel us, who approach the true Lord God—us who hitherto, and even now, are under the dominion of the apostate demons.
[6] What did Christ's servant, and the ardent imitator of His goodness, reply to this? He embraces them both, and that with ardent affection; and turning to prayer, Receive these, he says, Leontius prays for them O Lord most loving of men, You who emptied Yourself for us and poured out Your blood for the common redemption of the creature; clothe them with the robe of immortality through holy baptism, and show them to be heirs of Your kingdom. He had not yet finished the prayer, when suddenly they are surrounded by a cloud when a cloud surrounded them, full of water and of light. And this indeed may seem marvelous. But what is more marvelous, it showed them to be sons of light through holy baptism; and—what is the most marvelous of all—clothing them with white garments, it rendered them exceedingly shining: to the amazement of the onlookers; so that some indeed were filled with joy; but others, hardened in unbelief and with mind darkened by the shadows of error, were seized with fear and trembling; nor could they at all, for a long time, hear or speak of the things they had seen happen, as those struck by a violent thunderclap are wont to be.
[7] that cloud is compared to the cloud If anyone should now compare this cloud to that which of old covered the people of Israel with its shadow; would he not have brought forward an apt likeness, and instituted a fitting comparison? For that cloud too was bright, warding off the heat of the sun and showing the way of salvation: but this one snatches its own from the eternal flames, and announces a light which both can be preserved and knows no setting. overshadowing the people of Israel. Yet this difference comes between the two: that the former overshadowed murmurers and those little devoted to divine worship, on which account they also fell away from the goods promised to them: but this overshadowed men mindful of benefits, and strong and steadfast in the confession of the God recognized by them. For as they recognized Christ as God, the same they confessed even unto death to be the true God: wherefore they both obtained the goods prepared for them, and were made heirs of the heavenly kingdom.
ANNOTATIONS OF C. I.
CHAPTER II.
The Martyrdom of Leontius and his Companions, their torments, and constancy.
[8] For when those who were present and had beheld the things concerning them had made known to Adrianus their affairs, he, having chosen others, in nothing inferior to them in misguided superstition, commands them to bring Hypatius together with Theodulus, and Leontius himself, in bonds—in no way putting off the matter concerning them. But when they had been brought up and stood before him, and had come to speech, Hypatius and Theodulus wished to say nothing other than what Leontius too said, having Christ upon their lips, and confessing Him to be the true God. And Adrianus, letting them be for the time, turns to them; and first he mocks them, accusing them of simplicity and frivolity; saying: Why have you despised my command, and rejected the ancestral gods, and clung to this deceiver? If you, that Tribune Hypatius, and you, the soldier Theodulus, would become yourselves again, take counsel anew for the things that bring salvation. And they, having truly partaken of Leontius's spirit, with difficulty said: We have come to know the truth, and do you again gather us in, vain man, and drag us away to destruction? You yourself, if you have understanding, sober up from your drunkenness concerning the idols, and come to know the only true God, the Savior, Christ; that so you may obtain the enjoyment of the ineffable good things, which before the ages the Lord, who brought all things into being out of nothing, prepared. At which the misguided man, filled with rage, May I not see the hour, he said, if I shall endure your nonsense, most wicked and most loathsome of men; and he said to those about him: Bind the wretches firmly with thongs, and make their flesh the work of the sword, and when you have tortured them dreadfully—if you should still see them breathing, take off their heads, and as accursed cast them somewhere into a trackless place. And so they were offered to God, rational offerings, marrow-filled whole burnt offerings, to use David's fitting word, filled with the sweet quality of the confession unto Christ.
[9] After these the great Leontius comes in. But who could worthily recount the deeds of the Martyr? Who could declare, as is fitting, his nobility, his endurance under torments, and hand it down to those truly to come, as truly an example of manliness? For when Adrianus wished him too to come once more to speech, and to make a second trial of his resolve, charming him with promises, frightening him with threats: this man manifestly displayed in himself the saying of the Scripture, "The righteous man, confident, goes as a lion." For interrupting, What, he says, foolish man, do you wish thus to speak empty and vain things? Is it possible that, forsaking the true God, the good Creator, the Savior, the guardian, I should endure to approach malicious demons, and to offer sacrifice to those who are our enemies from above? May I not so go mad, may I not fall to such a degree from right thinking. Rather understand yourself, and sobering up from error, come to know who is the Maker of this universe, and the wise Provider of all things; learn somehow the Creator, approach the Fashioner, and offer to Him a bloodless sacrifice—Him who delights in altars without ransom, for God is not a God of blood nor of the savor of burning fat; but a God of mercy and compassions, or, that I may say what that very man, having become man and conversing with men, said—God is a spirit. For God is also without falsehood, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
[10] But he, being without understanding, did not comprehend; for, having washed him with insults, and, as they say, having railed at him in the manner of fishwives, he commands him to be beaten with ox-hide whips. But when for many hours he saw him in no way at all yielding under the beating, but rather more vigorous, and far more nobly steadfast both in his stances and in his answers, again with flatteries (O the madness! O the error! O the vanity!) he wished to come at him, and promised honors and gifts from the King. But when he saw that he not only did not assent to what was said, but even gazed grimly, and as it were greatly frightened him with his stern brow, Taking him, he says, by hands and feet, stretch the wretch out upon the ground, and beat him vehemently, with whatever strength you have, beat him, until you check this evil-speaking tongue of his blasphemies against the gods.
[11] So then the noble man was beaten, the athlete was scourged; but out of endurance he again appeared a victor, and out of perseverance a more illustrious champion; for while being scourged he cried out: Do not forsake me, Lord, do not depart from me, do not turn away Your face from Your servant. And these things he strung together, very thankfully and serenely. For Your sake
I am put to death by God who leads me on: I gave my back to scourges for Your sake, and my cheeks to blows, on behalf of Him who for my sake became as I am, and did not deem it unworthy to suffer these things for me; but may it be granted me even to suffer more, that I may obtain better rewards. And turning to the bystanders, I see, he said, my rewarder, God, brilliantly inscribing my contests as in a book, and laying up better prizes for my labors.
[12] But Adrianus, although he saw that this man counted the beatings as nothing, and uttered such things in the hearing of all, out of simplicity, or rather—to speak more truly—out of extreme misguided superstition, wished again to persuade him, and strung together words, and wasted time. But when he saw nothing again, like a foolish man—"We are singing to the empty wind," he said to those standing by, and ordered him to be set aloft upon a stake, and a stone to be hung from his head, and to beat upon his whole body, exercising no sparing whatever. And so indeed he becomes truly aloft and heavenly—he whose head is weighed down with a stone, who had long been seeking the things above, and turning to none of the things on earth at all. And the executioners, fulfilling no less their own wickedness than carrying out by their actions the tyrant's command, were tearing apart the martyr's body; and indeed the martyr's flesh was being torn open and scattered, and channels of blood were opened up, so that the ground, sprinkled all around, was made crimson.
[13] But he showed himself like adamant, and gave thanks to God, suffering for His sake, and rejoiced to lay down his soul for the One he loved; and at last, having spoken the Master's word to the Master most cheerfully: Into Your hands I commit my spirit, gently and serenely he laid down his soul; which seeing, the Angels were filled with joy, and the choirs of Martyrs exulted and leaped for joy, having received so noble a contender, and a crowned one worthy of the kingdom of the heavens. But the envious demons who inflict and supply the torments earned for the very executioners and tyrants, their own attendants, both shame at once and unbearable mockery. But we, the people of Christ, let us with all our being entreat Christ's soldier and the champion of the Christians to stand forth for us. And now let us beseech him to keep us superior to enemies both visible and invisible; and when we have come there and are required to give account of the things in which we have offended in life, to make the Master and Judge propitious to us, that we may be delivered from condemnation and may obtain the good things prepared, by the grace and love of mankind of the Word of God subsisting in a single hypostasis, who for our sake became as we are; to whom belong honor, glory, and magnificence, now and unto the ages. Amen.
[8] When those who were present at the spectacle of the affair saw what had happened, they made all things known to Adrianus, Adrianus tries to turn the converts away from the faith, who soon, choosing others no less superstitious himself, commands that without delay they should bring to him, bound, Hypatius and Theodulus, besides Leontius himself—as far indeed as lay in their power. But after they had been brought and came to examination, Hypatius and Theodulus wished to say nothing which Leontius had not anticipated, always having Christ in their mouth, and professing Him to be the true God. But Adrianus, dismissing him for a while, and turning to these men, first indeed began to mock them, and to accuse them of simplicity and frivolity; Why, he said, have you neglected my commands, but trying to convert that man himself to the faith and, scorning the ancestral gods, have clung to this impostor? If you indeed are the Tribune Hypatius, and you the soldier Theodulus, change the resolve you have taken concerning your own salvation. But they, truly partakers of the wisdom that was in Leontius, at last with difficulty spoke thus: We have already come to know the truth, and do you, stupid man, wish to lead us back from it and drag us into destruction? Nay rather, you yourself, if you are wise, recover from the madness with which you worship idols; and recognize the only true God, the Savior, Christ; that you may at last enjoy those goods which the tongue cannot utter, and which before the ages the Lord, producing all things out of nothing, has prepared. To whom that superstitious man, he orders them to be killed. seething with fury: I have no hours which I wish to waste; if I should bear your ravings, you most wicked and most impure of men. And to his men: Bind, he said, those wretches firmly, and pierce their flesh with swords; and after you have cruelly mangled them, if you perceive that life remains, cut off their heads, and cast the accursed trunks somewhere into pathless places. And they indeed in such a manner were offered to God as a reasonable sacrifice, fat whole-burnt-offerings, as David rightly says, filled with the sweetness of the Christian confession. Ps. 94, 15
[9] These things accomplished, the great Leontius enters. But who could worthily relate the deeds of the Martyr? After these things he cajoles and threatens Leontius, Who could set forth, as is fitting, his magnanimity, his constant perseverance in torments, and transmit it to faithful posterity as an example of true fortitude? For when Adrianus wished Leontius to return to examination, and to make a second trial of his resolve, cajoling with promises and terrifying with threats, he himself openly demonstrated in himself that that saying of Holy Scripture was true: The righteous man, confident, walks like a lion. Prov. 28, 1 For interrupting him as he spoke: Why, he said, do you bring forward in public such vain and foolish things, you who are out of your mind? Can it be that, forsaking the true God, the good Creator, the beneficent Savior, but rebuked by him, I should flee to the evil demons, who rejoice in our evils? And offer sacrifice to those who are our enemies from the beginning? Forbid it, you gods above, that I should so go mad, that I should be so alienated from my mind! Rather understand yourself, and recovering from error, recognize the founder of this world and the wise provider of things. Learn where that artificer is, approach the Creator, and offer Him the sacrifice of praise—Him who loves bloodless altars: for He is not a God of blood and of the savor of burning fat; but a God of mercy and of compassions; or (that I may say what He Himself, having put on man and conversed with men, said) He is a spirit; and, since likewise God is truthful, those who adore Him must adore in spirit and in truth. John 4, 24
[10] But Adrianus, being out of his mind, understood none of these things: but assailing the Martyr with insults, he orders him to be beaten with sinews and heaping up abuse as if from a wagon, as the adage has it, he orders him to be beaten with ox-hide thongs. And when this had lasted a long time, and he perceived that the man, though beaten, in no way departed from his resolve; nay, even became more fervent in his questionings and answers, and far more noble; with flatteries again (O folly, stretched out on the ground, O deceit, O vanity!) he strove to lead him away from the faith; and promised honors and gifts in the name of the Emperor. And when even thus he would not assent to him, but rather gazed with a fierce countenance, and, as it were, with a magnanimous brow struck fear: Seizing him, he said, by hands and feet, stretch out that pestilent fellow upon the ground, and beat him cruelly, as much as your strength allows; that you may at last restrain that cursed tongue, blasphemous against the gods.
[11] And so the generous athlete was beaten and scourged; but seeing him more steadfast amid the torments but again by his patience he came forth a more illustrious victor, and by his endurance a more glorious champion. For he cried out amid the blows: Do not forsake me, Lord, do not depart from me; turn not away Your face from Your servant. Adding moreover those words too with a most placid and tranquil spirit: For Your sake, who lead me hither, I am put to death, O God. I gave my back, by Your example, to scourges, and my cheeks to blows for You, on account of Him who for my sake was born as I am, and deigned to suffer those things for me. But would that it might be granted me to suffer even more, that I may obtain greater rewards! And turning to the bystanders, I see, he said, my rewarder, God, inscribing my contests as in a book with splendid letters, and preserving the illustrious rewards of my labors.
[12] Adrianus meanwhile, seeing that he counted the blows as nothing, and openly thrust such sayings upon the ears of the bystanders; out of simplicity, or rather, I should say, out of an insane zeal for idolatry, presumed once more to persuade the Martyr of other things, he tortures him with graver torments with a long speech and the expenditure of much time. But when he perceives that nothing was again accomplished by all those things, having said to those present: In vain do we make words to this man; he orders him to be placed aloft upon a stake, a stone to be set on his head, the blows to rage upon his whole body, with no place at all left for clemency. And thus, then, Leontius, set aloft, was made truly heavenly: and he was weighed down in the head by a stone, who long before aspired to heavenly things, having nothing at all in his love that savored of earth. Meanwhile the executioners, fulfilling no less their own madness than praising the tyrant's commands, were tearing the body subjected to the torments, his flesh cut apart and scattered; and with the blood flowing down as if through a channel, so that the pavement, irrigated all around, grew red.
[13] But he, more steadfast than adamant, gave thanks to God, for whose sake he was tortured; and rejoiced to lay down his soul for his Beloved; and at last, having uttered the Lord's own saying, Into Your hands I commend my spirit, with much alacrity to the Lord, he gave back his soul in peace and tranquility; which the Angels beholding, rejoicing meanwhile in the Lord, were filled with joy; and the choirs of Martyrs exulted and danced for joy, when they received to themselves so generous a champion and a crowned athlete, worthy of the heavenly kingdom. Luke 23, 46 But on the contrary, the envious devils, the chief authors of his torments, procured for the very executioners and tyrants, their own attendants, confusion and intolerable mockery. but with the devils raging. But let us, the people of Christ, supplicate Christ's soldier and the defender of the Christians, that he may perpetually defend us, and now indeed in this world render us superior to enemies visible and invisible; but then in the other, when we shall be required to give account of those things in which we have failed in life, render the Lord and Judge propitious to us; that, absolved from the sentence of damnation, we may obtain the goods prepared, through the grace and benignity of Him who for our sake willed to be born as we are, the divine Word subsisting in one person, to whom belong honor, glory, and majesty now, and unto the ages. Amen.