Anastasia and Cyril

ON SS. ANASTASIA AND CYRIL: ANASTASIA, VIRGIN, AND CYRIL, MARTYRS AT ROME,

MORE PROBABLY UNDER DIOCLETIAN AND BEFORE THE YEAR 303.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

Anastasia, virgin, martyr, at Rome (S.)

Cyril, martyr, at Rome (S.)

BY B. B.

§ I. St. Anastasia the virgin, whose memory is celebrated on this day in most sacred calendars, and whose acts were written by Symeon Metaphrastes, seems to be altogether distinguished from another of the same name, namely St. Anastasia the widow. The place and time of the martyrdom.

The question of one or several Anastasias, as Solerius speaks Martyrology of Usuard XXXV December. Observation., we pass over. It will come to be treated at the 25th of December, Why these Holy Martyrs are treated today. on which day a far more celebrated memory occurs among the Latins; the Greeks have the 22nd of the same month. The reasons which move us to illustrate today the acts of SS. Anastasia and Cyril (very little is related of the latter) are chiefly these. First they are marked on this day in the Roman martyrology; likewise, but on the following day and with St. Cyril omitted, in very many Greek and Slavic calendars; the acts of the St. Anastasia of whom we speak are different from the acts of the other holy martyr venerated in the month of December, although both, in the judgment of Allatius Diatriba de Simeonum scriptis, pages 124 and 125., are Metaphrastic; then the kinds of torments in the two are altogether other; finally they do not agree as to manner of life: ours is proclaimed a virgin, the other a widow; or as to the place of martyrdom: the former is written to have suffered at Rome both in the acts and in the martyrology, the latter on the Island of Palmaria or, as they more commonly hold, at Sirmium. So that it is almost certain to me that at least two holy martyrs of the same name are to be recognized; but whether three or, as Mazzocchi hints Commentarii in vetus marmoreum kalendarium, volume II, page 430., even four, will have to be examined, as I have noted, in another place. These things proposed in summary we shall unravel in order and by parts, as they say, beginning from the sacred calendars.

[2] Her memory in the Latin sacred calendars, The first, in order of time, whom I find making mention of St. Anastasia is Galesinius Martyrology of the Holy Roman church adapted to use. Venice 1578., who announces at this day: At Rome, of St. Anastasia, virgin and martyr, who, tortured with unheard-of punishments, having witnessed by every kind of torment to the genuine religion of true piety toward God, at last, her neck being cut, is crowned for her noble contest. He adds in the Notes Page 177 recto.: There were two Anastasias. This one moreover is different from that one whose natal day is kept on the eighth day before the kalends of January (25 Dec.), as may be observed both from the rest, and from Metaphrastes, who wrote her life copiously. After Galesinius comes Baronius, who in the year 1584 published the corrected Roman, to which were added apostolic letters (see the Preliminaries Page XX. Edit. Antwerp 1613.. In this St. Anastasia is marked (but with a more illustrious encomium than in Galesinius) together with St. Cyril the martyr: In the same place (namely at Rome) of St. Anastasia the elder, virgin, and of Cyril, martyrs: she in the persecution of Valerian (rather of Diocletian) under the prefect Probus, bound in chains, struck with fists, tortured with fire and blows, when she remained unmoved in the confession of Christ, her breasts cut off, her nails torn out, her teeth broken, her hands and feet cut off, beheaded, adorned with so many necklaces of sufferings, passed to the Bridegroom: but Cyril, giving her a drink of water at her request, received martyrdom as his reward. The learned cardinal notes moreover: The Greeks treat of these in the menology on the following day. The Acts of Anastasia described by Metaphrastes are recited by Lipomano, vol. 6, and Surius, vol. 5. She is called the elder with respect to the other Anastasia, who suffered in the persecution of Diocletian, of whom below on the 8th day before the kalends of January. The Baronian elogium is repeated by Castellanus, translated into French in the universal martyrology, with a note written in the margin: On the following day, as in the menology, from which these things have been taken, where however the word "elder" is lacking, by which they wished her distinct from the other, mentioned on the 25th of December, although she is probably the same, since the Romans never knew another. This latter indeed wrongly, as will be at least more probably shown from what is to be said. Combefis rightly says: The ancient Latin tables or martyrologies have nothing of this Anastasia, either Rosweyde's, or the Corbie ones of Jerome; as neither Ado nor likewise Usuard nor any of his auctaria in Solerius. She is also passed over by Peter de Natalibus, by Maurolycus, who two years before Galesinius published his martyrology, and, what you may wonder at the more, by Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the saints of Italy, which came to light after the corrected Roman; but she is praised in the Italian Hagiology, where at this day, the 28th of October, the author thus begins Volume II, page 260, Bassano 1773.: Since the plan of my labor has been to bring together the lives of all Italian saints collected from weighty authors or from the codices of churches, therefore I have judged it right to present to pious readers also the life of St. Anastasia, Roman virgin and martyr, first written by Metaphrastes, soon written with a fuller pen (rather rendered into Latin) by Lipomano and Surius, etc.

[3] Greek and Slavic. An older and more copious memory exists among the Greeks, but on another day. And first indeed it is found in the most illustrious menology of the Greeks, written at the end of the tenth century by order of the emperor Basil Porphyrogenitus, on the 12th of October: The contest of the holy martyr Anastasia the virgin. Anastasia, martyr of Christ, under the emperors Decius and Valerian, was from the city of Rome, leading the monastic life with other virgins in a certain monastery. Wherefore being denounced to the prefect, by his order she is bound with an iron collar and brought to him; and when she had stood in his sight, because, being questioned, she confessed the name of Christ, she is struck with fists; then, stripped, she is burned with fire placed beneath, melted pitch, oil and sulphur being poured over. Soon, raised on the rack, all her bones are broken with the reversed spear-shaft. After these things both her breasts are cut off, each hand is amputated and her teeth are torn out. Finally after many other tortures, she received her end by the sword, and thus gave up her spirit to the Lord. The Greeks, apart from the Basilian, treat of St. Anastasia on this day, the 29th of October. Sirleto has Greek menology in Canisius, volume III, page 482.: The natal day of the holy great martyr Anastasia of Rome… Anastasia was, under the emperors Decius and Valerian, Roman by race, in her youthful age, and leading her life in a monastery, etc. The printed Menaea: The memorial of the holy sacred-martyr (ἁγίας ὁσιομάρτυρος) Anastasia of Rome; in the Synaxary (as is usual) a summary of the passion is presented, some verses being set before it:

Κάρας τομὴν ἤνεγκε ῥώμη καρδίας

Βλαστημα Ῥώμης, μάρτυς Ἀναστασία

The cutting off of her head she bore by the strength of her heart,

A shoot of the city of Rome, the martyr Anastasia

or as Siberus translates Metrical martyrology of the Greek church, page 352. Leipzig 1727.:

With firm mind she endured the cutting of her neck,

The Roman martyr Anastasia.

and again:

Τλῆ δὲ Ἀναστασιη ἐνάτῃ ξίφος εἰκάδι ὀξύ.

On the twenty-ninth the axe cuts down Anastasia Ibid. page 471 in the Ephemerides..

On the same day the menaea mark also St. Cyril, who is passed over in the Basilian as also in most others: The memorial of the holy martyr Cyril, there being added only some verses:

Ὑποσέσιν μέλλοντος οὖσαν μοι στέφους

Κύριλλος οἶδα τὴν ἀπειλὴν τοῦ ξίφους

I, Cyril, well know that these threats of the sword

Promise the laurel of blessedness.

Similarly in the Horologion ὡρολόγιον page 203.: Of the holy martyr Anastasia of Rome (τῆς Ῥωμαίας), she, being young in age (νέα οὖσα τὴν ἡλικίαν), lived in a certain monastery (διατρίβουσα); seized by the impious and having freely confessed Christ, having suffered torments of various kinds, she was beheaded in the year 256 under Valerian and Gallienus. St. Anastasia is also celebrated on the same 29th of October in the Graeco-Muscovite ephemerides of Papebroch; likewise in the Capponian ones: Anastasia, St. Abramius. And Assemani notes Kalendaria ecclesiæ universæ, volume V, page 324.: So too the Graeco-Muscovite calendars. Possevinus, only "St. Anastasia the martyr." The Vatican codices with our Slavic one omit both. Of St. Anastasia, Roman virgin and martyr, the Greeks treat on this day in the menology; but the Basilian at the 12th of this month and the Roman martyrology at the 28th of October, where she is called the elder to distinguish her from the other Anastasia, who is venerated on the 25th of December by the Latins, and by the Greeks on the 22nd of the same, as we shall say below. Assemani wrongly referred the Capponian tables to the thirteenth century, since they are shown to have been painted around the year 1660, and accordingly nearly thirty years after the Papebrochian tables, which belong to the year 1638. See the ecclesiastical Year of Fr. John Martinov Acta SS. volume XI of Oct. page 10 and following., where likewise Slavic calendars in no small number are cited which make mention of our holy Martyr on the 29th of October; among others the calendar of the gospel-book of Mstislav, written before the year 1117: The passion of the holy great-martyr Anastasia; likewise the calendar of the church of Tirnovo of the year 1272: Of the martyr Anastasia of Rome; in the same way the calendars of Sisatovac of the year 1324 and of Ostrog of the year 1581. And in all these calendars, whether Latin or Greek and Slavic, at the 25th or 22nd of December a memorial is kept of the other Anastasia; so that accordingly at least from the tenth century, in which the Basilian menology was composed, two and these distinct martyrs of this name are celebrated; which will also be more clearly demonstrated from the acts.

[4] [St. Anastasia the virgin is shown to be different from the other of the same name, the widow, from the Acts,] The Acts of the two St. Anastasias are different, although written by the same author, namely Simeon Metaphrastes, and so in the middle of the tenth century Dupin, volume VIII, page 3, likewise, page 81.. Ours begin thus: It has been committed to letters that there were two Anastasias διττὰς ἡμῖν Ἀναστασίας, both indeed illustrious by birth, but far more illustrious by the confession of faith, and that their homeland was old Rome. Of whom the one indeed was joined in marriage for a brief time to a man not good in piety … But the other chose the monastic and quiet life, altogether free of marriage and of the tumults that arise from it. These things are certainly clear and plain, so that we may at once recognize that one is properly distinguished from the other in the mind of the writer. Add that among the Encomiastic Orations of Nicetas the Paphlagonian, published by Combefis [Bibliothecæ patrum græcorum Auctarium novissimum. Part I, pages 327 – 477. Paris 1672.], the last pertains to our Anastasia. It is entitled: Εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν μεγαλομάρτυρα παρθένον Ἀναστασίαν. Praise of the holy great martyr and virgin Anastasia Ibid. page 462.. In matter Nicetas agrees with Metaphrastes; in words, as the nature of a eulogy brings, he is far more abundant. For the sake of a specimen let there be the place where he too shows that this holy Martyr of his is in no way to be confused with the other of the same name.

[5] and from the oration of Nicetas the Paphlagonian; Two, moreover, he says Ibid. page 462 and following., we know as Anastasias; both illustrious, and as regards the flesh, sprung from an illustrious stock, but by the confession which is in Christ far more illustrious; and both born of elder Rome, and both of whom exchanged it for the immortal city of the saints. But the one indeed was joined incorrupt to a wicked husband for a brief time, and then, freed from his malignant mind by the assault of death, persevered in the pursuits of chaste widowhood, and in a life ordered by all justice and sanctity. The other however, assigned from a child to the assembly of virgins, and consecrated in soul and body alike to Christ, consecrated to him an unpolluted virginity even to the end. And she indeed sharing the whole substance received from her ancestors (which was surely very ample) with the needs of the saints, and devoted to the martyrs, by the force of love in some way glued to them, and wiping their gore with precious linens, and pouring on their wounds and kissing them; and strengthening them still living with brave words and excellently animating them to the unfading crowns, and most holily paying the rites due to the dead, so afterwards presented herself to them as a brilliant funeral gift, offered through fire as a holocaust and reckoned to God for an odor of sweetness. But the virgin, having left the means and abundance of parents and kin, of estates and money from the third year of her age, and assiduous from the heart in a certain religious house until her twentieth year; and also through the work of the sacred Sophia (for this was the name of her under whose teaching and discipline she lived) or rather of the very Wisdom of God herself, adopted by the Father, through many and grave tortures and butcherings for Christ, her sojourn in the flesh being broken off, passed to the most longed-for tabernacles of God. Now Combefis observes As above, page 509.: All call Anastasia the elder, and thereby distinguish her from Anastasia the widow.

[6] yet she is not rightly called the elder. Yet it is falsely asserted that all call her the elder, at least if we look at the calendars: for that word is not found among the Greeks, as Castellanus has already observed (number 2), nor is it used by Galesinius. For my part, apart from Baronius, I know scarcely anyone else who has it so; and probably for this reason, that the learned cardinal judged that her martyrdom was to be placed under Valerian (on what foundation we shall see below); the crown of the other under Diocletian. It is to be noted, however, that in Surius too there is read at this day, the 28th of October, and at the head of the acts: Now this is Anastasia the elder, so called with respect to the other Anastasia, of whom on the 25th of December. So in the edition of the work of Surius of the year 1618, enlarged with many lives of the saints and equipped with marginal notes. But whether the aforesaid words are read in the first editions (of which the one came out in the year 1570, the other in the year 1576 Compare Biographie universelle, under the word: Surius., and so each is some years older than the martyrology of Baronius), I am not in a position to say, since only the last, and that the best, edition of the year 1618 is at hand for me. Most call her only the Virgin, by which word she is sufficiently distinguished from the other.

[7] At what time Nicetas flourished. To return to Nicetas, he flourished in the ninth century. Oudin marks the year 860 Volume II.; Dupin places him around the year 885 Bibliotheca ecclesiastica, volume VII, page 247. Paris 1696.. Since then Metaphrastes wrote after Nicetas, the question arises whence he drew his material. Combefis reckons Page 609. that there first existed Acts written ἀρχαἳκὼς, which Nicetas took up to adorn with his style. Why should Metaphrastes not have done the same too, since it is difficult to contradict Allatius, who expressly assigns to him the acts published below by us? Nor indeed is it impossible that both, namely Nicetas and Metaphrastes, drew from the same spring; unless we should say that the former lit the way for the latter, namely that Nicetas was contracted by Metaphrastes; which however I should not think would easily be admitted by anyone. However that may be, both from the perspicuous testimony of both writers, and from the diversity of the acts, the distinction of the persons seems to me altogether proved.

[8] The distinction is likewise proved from the passion. Nor do we have only acts different in number, but also in the whole series of deeds or passions, as is declared abundantly from the comparison of both acts, and results sufficiently from the words of Nicetas recited in the preceding number. It is confirmed moreover from the Basilian menology, where at the 22nd day of December it is thus announced of the other Anastasia: The contest of the holy martyr Anastasia and of the holy women her companions. Anastasia the martyr, under the emperor Diocletian, was renowned at Rome, born of rich and noble parents, and taught the faith of Christ by her mother; and instructed in sacred letters by Chrysogonus, a teacher of Christians. She had married a husband, Publius by name, rich indeed but heathen. Because then he was not a Christian, Anastasia hated him and gave him no power over her body: and she was kind and generous toward the poor, and visited those who were held in chains. For which reason she is thrust into prison by her husband. But on his death being released, all her means having been distributed to the poor, she gave sedulous attention to the saints, buried those who had died by martyrdom, impelled many to endure martyrdom. Wherefore tortured by many prefects at different times, then thrown into the sea, afterwards into fire, but escaping thence unharmed, she was at length beheaded together with the women who were with her. He who compares these things with the encomium which we set down from the same menology at number 3 concerning our holy Martyr will certainly be persuaded that the one Anastasia is by no means to be confused with the other.

[9] The place of martyrdom, There are also many other things by which this same thing, if not demonstrated, is at least confirmed. The place of martyrdom is different. St. Anastasia the virgin is written to have suffered at Rome both in the acts and in the martyrology; the widow either on the Island of Palmaria, as the acts report, or more probably at Sirmium, as is expressly said in many martyrologies. This moreover is certain, that the Virgin is constantly announced at Rome; the widow elsewhere; only Antony Maria Bonucci, S. J., contradicts it, who, as Coleti has it Illyricum sacrum, volume VII, page 491., in the history of this St. Anastasia (the widow) sharply and learnedly contends that the same was at Sirmium indeed first subjected to question and torments for the faith of Christ, and thence led to Rome and burned with fire on Palmaria, which, situated in the Tyrrhenian sea, is thirty-seven miles distant from old Anxur, now Terracina in Latium. Bonucci relies on an old Lateran codex, where it is held: Anastasia, returning to the city from the emperor, is handed over to a certain pontiff of the Capitol, Ulpian by name. But Coleti replies Ibid. page 492.: these words, why must they be understood of Rome? Why not of Sirmium, from which she was again led away to the emperor, who in the manner of princes was running about here and there and through the neighborhood of the city? A little before the same Coleti had noted: Nor does the Capitoline pontificate of Ulpian help the opinion of Bonucci at all: the more celebrated cities of the empire (among which Sirmium is surely to be placed) were zealous to erect for themselves Capitols in the form of the Roman one. Indeed St. Apollinaris, bishop of Ravenna, is said by order of the prefect Saturninus to have been handed over to the pontiffs of the Capitol of Ravenna. And below Ibidem, page 493.: What if in Sirmium's

neighborhood there existed a place surnamed "Palmarium," palms having been planted there? Indeed in an ancient lectionary of the Anastasian martyrdom sent to us from Zadar there are said things which agree with the acts of Metaphrastes … and Anastasia with her companions is reported to have been led to the Palmarian fountain… "Florus ordered Anastasia, wasted by a month's fasting, to be dragged to a fountain of ignoble site surnamed Palmarium." From these and many other things which he discusses in the same place Coleti concludes: And so in my judgment at least from the acts of Bonucci there is not proved the return of Anastasia to the City, nor the martyrdom on the Island of Palmaria; the writers praised by him take up the deed one from another, a deeper examination being neglected; on the contrary there are more in number who prefer Sirmium; and the history of Metaphrastes, diligently compared by Surius with the mss. codices, ought better and more truly to be understood of the Sirmian martyrdom; and the authority of the Roman martyrology does not stand in the way, since, on the witness of Baronius and Solerius, enlarged, it repeats nearly the very words of Bede and others concerning Anastasia and the Palmarian martyrdom. And these things thus Coleti, who, according to his custom, examined the question more diligently and accurately than the others. That two holy martyrs of the same name suffered in different places Combefis too expressly holds Auctarium novissimum, page 510.; the one namely in the city of Rome; the other on the Island of Palmaria, which he says is to be looked for in the Ligurian sea, not far from the mouths of the Tiber, of which Pliny too speaks, and which is today called Palmaruola See the Pliny of Harduin, volume I, page 160, note 8. Paris. 1641, in folio.. And of these things enough; there will have to be treatment more broadly at the 25th day of December, on which the acts of St. Anastasia the widow will be illustrated. It seems certain, then, that the Virgin suffered at Rome; Coleti opines that the other was crowned at Sirmium, Bonucci on Palmaria; Combefis As above. would prefer to distinguish this Sirmian one from the Palmarian: I think, he says, that there is a third other Anastasia, who … suffered at Sirmium.

[10] the time; it is uncertain As regards the time of the martyrdom, the writers go in different directions; some judging that it took place under Valerian, others under Diocletian. Baronius subscribes to the former opinion in the Roman martyrology (See number 2), relying on the calendars of the Greeks; Combefis embraces the latter, thinking that one must stand by the acts of Metaphrastes, with which the panegyrical oration of Nicetas agrees. In the acts mentioned by Lipomano and Surius (I use the words of Combefis), as also in our Nicetas here, she is read to have suffered under Diocletian; the Menaea of Sirleto and the Great ones themselves (add the menology of Porphyrogenitus) under Valerian (and Decius); and from them the more recent Roman tables: for the ancient ones have nothing of this Anastasia, either Rosweyde's or the Corbie ones of Jerome; nor Ado. Which to me is an indication that those who recently enlarged the Roman tables, under Clement VIII, pontiff, had from no other source what they so assertively set down in them about the time of Valerian than from those menaea of the Greeks; which it must be seen whether they prevail over the ancient acts, so (ancient, I say) reported by Lipomano and Surius, since they are perhaps those first so ἀρχαἳκῶς written, which Nicetas took up to adorn with his style, and did not allow himself to change the epoch found in them, whether he had seen that menology, or the one which Basil Porphyrogenitus took care to publish from the archetype and copied, than whose (Basil's) age Nicetas was a little earlier. The menology of Basil, as I have already noted, appeared at the end of the tenth century; Nicetas flourished after the middle of the preceding century, Metaphrastes in the same century as Basil, but less advanced (Dupin marks the year 950 Volume VIII, page 81 in the chronological table.). Each then (Nicetas and Metaphrastes) is earlier than Basil; accordingly the more ancient monuments, namely the Acts and the panegyrical Oration, prefer the persecution of Diocletian; the more recent, namely the calendars both Greek and Slavic as also Latin, that of Valerian. Since however the menology of Porphyrogenitus comes not far from the age of Nicetas and especially from the years of Metaphrastes, and since it is to be judged that documents of earlier ages lit the way both for this and for other Graeco-Slavic calendars in their composition, and therefore were to be used and doubtless were used; hence it comes about that it cannot be determined for certain whether the passion of St. Anastasia the virgin took place under Diocletian or under Valerian; to me it seems more rightly ascribed to the rule of the former, which is also the opinion of Combefis, who however prudently notes Auctarium novissimum, page 510. that they act with too little caution who so assertively set down the one or the other, as though nothing stood in their way, or as though the credit of the menaea alone were altogether certain; since it is certain that there exist in them many things which labor, and which are to be received with great judgment, an example of which occurs at once in the other and younger Anastasia… For that ὁμωνυμία also brought it about that several strophes and melodies crept into her office, which are plainly of Anastasia the elder and virgin. There are recited in the same place, in confirmation, places copied from the menaea.

[11] whether under Valerian If we place the glorious contest of St. Anastasia under Valerian, the passion took place between the year 250, in which the Decian persecution began, and the year 260, in which Valerian was conquered by the Persians and thrown into chains. It is known moreover that the persecution begun by Decius persisted under his successors, whence it is very often held by writers as one and the same. Thus expressly in the Basilian menology: ἐπὶ τῆς βασιλείας Δεκίου καὶ Ὀυαλεριανοῦ under the emperors Decius and Valerian, who yet at no time held the scepter together. Decius being slain, at the end of November in the year 251, Gallus and Volusian succeeded, killed by the soldiers around the end of May in the year 253; Aemilian took their place, himself too carried off by a similar death, in the third or fourth month after receiving the purple. After him Valerian ascended the throne, in the month of August of the same year 253, who accordingly had reigned about seven years, when he fell into the hands of Sapor. In our commonly met histories ten distinct persecutions are customarily numbered, of which the seventh under Decius, the eighth under Gallus and Volusian, the ninth under Valerian: these being admitted, the martyrdom of St. Anastasia was consummated neither before the year 253 nor after the year 260; and in this opinion she is not absurdly called the elder, since it is acknowledged by all that the other Anastasia was crowned under the rule of Diocletian.

[12] whether under Diocletian; In the opinion which, clinging to the acts, holds that St. Anastasia, the virgin that is, shed her blood under the same emperor, it must be seen whether and which is the year among those over which he ruled to which the passion can more suitably be ascribed. The empire of Diocletian began on the 17th of September of the year 284, ceased in 305, in which, on the kalends of May, having put off the purple, he withdrew to Salona and prolonged his days there as a private man until the month of May of the year 313. There is then in this opinion a space of twenty years and a little more, in which the glorious death of St. Anastasia could have taken place: for we are not forced to ascribe it to the general persecution stirred up by the said emperor in the year 303; since it is established that through nearly the whole course of his most troubled government several martyrs are marked in almost every year, and this whether by force of the earlier edicts, or by special and local decrees passed, or by the burning hatred of certain Caesars and governors against the Christian name. Combefis conjectures that St. Anastasia suffered in the earlier years of Diocletian. Although, he says Ibidem., the ancient acts signify as the cause of the martyrdom only the preaching of Christ and the profession of the celibate life; yet that there was something peculiar in her (Anastasia), for which she was denounced to the governor, seems manifest from the fact that she alone of that holy sodality (for many were led away with her) was snatched to the tribunal of Probus, since he was not seeking her marriage nor was any suitor of hers; and that Sophia had free means of gathering her dismembered limbs, and joining them to the trunk, and of altogether arranging for the funeral to a place near the City; which may not badly suit the earlier years of Diocletian, when he had not yet promulgated that deadly edict against the Christians, by which so many of every kind were in a short time carried off by death by him; but according to the manner of earlier times, either he or the governors tortured as guilty of the Christian superstition those who seemed especially to have given some offense and to have something of treason.

[13] more probably under the latter. From which words, somewhat twisted and hindered, it is hinted that the kind of passion described in the acts (would that they were more trustworthy) does not suit the later, but rather the earlier years of Diocletian, and therefore that the martyrdom of St. Anastasia is to be placed at least before the edict of persecution promulgated in the year 303. Combefis adds: And perhaps this was the reason why she was called the elder, that she underwent martyrdom earlier, though under the same emperor, although perhaps Anastasia the widow was younger in age; whose death, in the judgment of Tillemont, as also that of St. Chrysogonus her teacher, can be tied to the year 304 Mémoires, volume IV, page 810.. I observed above at number 6 that Combefis wrongly asserts that this St. Anastasia is called the elder by all, since before Baronius, I think, you would find no one who so calls her. Certainly nothing of the kind is to be found in the Greek and Slavic calendars, as neither in the acts. Finally the Combefis mentioned adds: If anyone has something better for conjecture, or has fallen upon more certain monuments, he will do a favor if he brings it forward. So in the midst of this darkness, only this may be determined more or less probably; namely that the death of St. Anastasia is to be placed under Diocletian rather than under Valerian, and that there is some reason why it should be more rightly tied to the earlier years of that emperor than to the last two.

§ II. The Acts are published from several manuscript codices; it is shown that they were reproved by Tillemont more severely than is just. Few things about St. Cyril have come down to us.

The Acts are found in several mss. codices, And this from the acts; of what merit these are itself remains to be elucidated. And first it will be helpful to have noted that at Paris in the imperial library there are codices in no small number in which the acts of St. Anastasia the virgin are found. One of them is marked 1480; and this is the one from which we publish the martyrdom below. Now that parchment codex is judged to have been written in the eleventh century. See the Annotations. Three other codices are praised by Bernard Montfaucon, in the Coislinian Library: namely Page 210. codex CXLV, formerly LXI, parchment, of the tenth or eleventh century. It consists of 279 folios. Lives of the Saints of the month of October. Where Page 211. fol. 245 verso: Life and Martyrdom of St. Anastasia of Rome. It begins Διττὰς ἡμὶν ὁ λόγος Ἀναστασίας οἶδε. The 28th of the month (of October). So that codex (if Montfaucon be believed) would be contemporary with Metaphrastes: for he, on the witness of Peter Lambeck Comm. de bibliotheca Vindobonensi, volume VIII, column 1195. Kollar., flourished in the tenth century after Christ, under Leo (VI) the Wise (the Philosopher), Constantine Porphyrogenitus, Romanus Lecapenus and Romanus II or the younger. Now the first of these ascended the throne in the year 886; the last died in 963 Art de vérifier les dates. page 273 and following.. Another codex of the Coislinian is of about the eleventh century

Montfaucon as above pages 185 and 187., in which at fol. 187, and at the 27th of October, on St. Anastasia the martyr. It begins Δεδοξαμένα ἐλαληθη περὶ σοῦ ἡ πόλις. And this is the eulogy of Nicetas the Paphlagonian, of whom we have several times made mention, brought to light by Combefis. The third codex finally in Montfaucon is of the fourteenth century Ibid. page 213.. It begins Ἀναστασία γυναικῶν ἡ καλλιστή, which however, as Fabricius rightly teaches Bibliotheca Græca, volume X, page 193., is of Anastasia the Roman widow, in Latin in Surius at the 25th of December and in Lipomano, volume V. But Fabricius errs when he says in the same place that the eulogy of Nicetas pertains to the same Anastasia the widow; for it belongs to the Virgin who is ours. Similarly Lambeck enumerates three codices. First Bibl. Vindobon. volume VIII, column 493. the sixteenth historical Greek manuscript codex, of paper, ancient and of good mark, in folio… There are contained in it two months of the great menology of the Greeks, September and October; and at fol. 374 to 380 the Life and Martyrdom of St. Anastasia of Rome written by Symeon Metaphrastes (Lambeck uses Allatius as witness) Μηνὶ τῷ αὐτῷ κη᾽ (that is the 28th). The beginning is recited, and it is plainly the same as ours Διττὰς μεν, etc. Then codex XVII Ibid. column 548., of parchment, very old, elegant and of the best mark, in folio … there is contained in it the month of October of the great menology of the Greeks. There is found at fol. 226 – 233 of Symeon Metaphrastes the martyrdom of St. Anastasia of Rome the elder … 28 Oct., beginning … Διττας μεν, etc. Finally Ibid. column 555 and following. codex XVIII, very old and of the best mark, contains the same month of the aforesaid menology … on the 18th day of the same the martyrdom by Symeon of St. Anastasia of Rome the elder.

[15] of which some belong to the eleventh century, So Lambeck does not strictly define the age of the codices: One is ancient to him; the other two very old; from which words it does not seem absurd that those codices are to be reckoned not much later than the eleventh century. When I was in the City at the end of May and in the following June of the year 1865, on the occasion of the beatification of the venerable servant of God John Berchmans, S. J., I found in the Vallicellian library a codex marked D. 51, which is expressly referred to the eleventh century, and contains the whole month of October of Metaphrastes, where from fol. 253 verso to fol. 262 verso the life of St. Anastasia is plainly the same as ours. Two copies too of the same acts exist with us; the one (agreeing in every respect with our Colbertine) from the Medicean ms. of the King of France; the other agreeing indeed for the most part in matter, but very different in words or style, and nearly half as short, from Vatican ms. 866; moreover Papebroch noted with his own hand: We have found it also in a Ms. of Alexander VII. The beginning is: Κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς Διοκλητιανοῦ τοῦ Βασιλέως; and the day of 12 Oct. is marked by our predecessors. Fabricius too mentions these As above. and says that they are of an uncertain author; they seem to be of a more recent age. Compare the Annotations. Nor is it indeed to be doubted that in the libraries of other regions and cities there are similarly found several codices containing the same acts. For the rest from the comparison of all these codices it is confirmed, as we said at numbers 4 and 10, that the acts were in fact written by Metaphrastes and accordingly are not more recent than the tenth century. We give the Latin version prepared by Lipomano, with which, only a few words excepted, Surius agrees.

[16] [in many things reproved by Tillemont; namely that Anastasia the virgin is not venerated at Rome;] Tillemont doubts mémoires, volume V, page 715. whether there is need to assume two distinct Anastasias, although two and different histories are carried about, and the one is proclaimed a virgin, disciple of St. Sophia and crowned at Rome, the other a widow, disciple of St. Chrysogonus; and far more probably having suffered elsewhere than at Rome. Further the aforesaid writer brings no other reason for doubting, except that he judges the acts of both holy martyrs to be of slight merit, and the one do not seem better than the other. Why should he not have inferred from this that both Anastasias are foisted! But let us weigh each of the objections of Tillemont against the acts. First he wonders that the Romans, when they had an excellent native martyr, namely our Virgin, yet venerated a foreigner, namely the widow, their own being altogether neglected. I too suppose that the St. Anastasia of whom there exists a most ancient title in the City, and of whom mention is made in the canon of the mass, is the widow, and accordingly the disciple of St. Chrysogonus, whose name is read in the same canon. But is it lawful to infer from this that she is not different from ours? Especially while the reasons stand, weighed by us above, which suggest the contrary? Very often it happens that martyrs enjoy a stronger cult elsewhere than in their homeland or the place of their contest; and this can be said and understood to arise from a manifold and sometimes slight cause, for example, to omit others, from a more distinguished passion, a temple built, relics brought from abroad, the private inclination of a more powerful man, etc. For the rest, although St. Anastasia the widow, far more probably, suffered at Sirmium; yet this is not certain, as we saw above. Moreover in whatever place the martyrdom finally took place, I know no one who doubts that this Anastasia was brought into the light at Rome no otherwise than the Virgin; wrongly then from this head does Tillemont hold her a foreigner.

[17] that she is not marked in the Latin calendars; He thinks it strange moreover (which is his second objection) that in the more ancient Latin calendars no mention is made of the virgin Anastasia, whom, he says, Baronius received from the Greeks alone; and Tillemont holds these as very little worthy of credit. But it is not so infrequent that among the Latins holy martyrs or confessors are marked who were first taken from the older calendars of the Greeks. Nor surely is anyone to be judged foisted for this reason, that he is celebrated in the menaea and other menologies of the Greeks. There is not one person who does not greatly esteem the menology of Basil, where the distinct and express memorial of both Anastasias is read.

[18] that they are Metaphrastic, and accordingly fabulous; The third reason of Tillemont is that the acts are Metaphrastic. It is known moreover to all that that writer shows himself more severe than is just in judging the lucubrations of Metaphrastes. For it is not fair that a narrative should be judged false for this reason alone, that its author is Metaphrastes. Moreover we have said that a history or Acts of St. Anastasia the virgin more probably existed ἀρχαἳκῶς, from which the Paphlagonian first, then Metaphrastes too not improbably drew. For the rest there is no need that we should approve each and all of the things handed down by these two authors; otherwise the life or martyrdom of both Anastasias, and indeed of innumerable other saints, would have to be numbered among pure and simple fables. Let it be that about the single circumstances of the passions it is either in no way or not sufficiently established, and that spurious things are often mixed with or added to the genuine; yet not on that account will the whole narrative at once have to be repudiated, nor the contest itself and the name struck from the roll of the sacred calendars. Rather let us be zealous, as far as is permitted, to separate and purge the true from the false. Cicero once approached Lucceius by letter (for this does not blush) that he should write the history of his consulship, asking again and again that he should both adorn those things (which had happened) more vehemently even than perhaps he felt and in that should neglect the laws of history … and to our love, he says, should grant a little more even than truth allows [See Panckoucke, Œuvres de Ciceron, volume XIX, pages 92 and 426. Ciceronis Epistt. ad famil. book V, epist. 12.]. Suppose Lucceius complied with wishes of this kind (as indeed it seems, but the work has not come down to us); to whom would it come into mind on that account to charge the whole writing with falsehood; and therefore that Cicero was neither consul; nor bravely resisted Catiline, nor deserved exceedingly well of his homeland?

[19] but especially that St. Anastasia is said to have lived in a monastery. It displeases Tillemont very much Mémoires, volume V, page 716. that the holy Virgin is reported, having left her parents and relations, and all things pertaining to inheritance, to have placed herself in a certain monastery in the twentieth year of her age. For my part I do not see what you could call absurd in this. Certainly on the following words of St. Cyprian from the book on the Dress of virgins Page 174.: Now our discourse is to virgins, etc., Thomassin notes [De vet. et nov. Eccl. disciplina, part I, book 3, chapter 42. number 3, page 779.]: By which words it is declared that these brides of the immortal Lamb had already then (before the year 258, in which St. Cyprian was crowned with martyrdom) coalesced into one exceptional assembly, separated from the crowd of the faithful. And that such assemblies had existed in several churches long before Cyprian the same Thomassin holds as ascertained Ibid. page 778 and following.: The very profession and consecration of virgins began to be propagated through the world together with the evangelical seed immediately from the beginning of the Christian name. Besides the vow of chastity it contained also, as is clear from the admonitions of SS. Cyprian and Jerome, the obligation of leading a life (if not in community at least within private houses) separated from the company of men, and of giving oneself to every kind of piety, and also of spending earthly means, if they had any, only on good works. In the acts of St. Boniface, crowned at the end of the third century, we read of St. Aglae Acta SS. volume III of May, page 283.: She renounced the world … distributing all that she had to the needy … and with a few girls renouncing with her she served Christ. Compare the Historical and canonical Examination of the book of Rev. Marian Verhoeven Page 45 and following.. But whether the life thus far described was properly religious, having also vows of poverty and obedience (which indeed most affirm, Thomassin denies), matters nothing to our purpose. This however is clear, that the credit of the acts is not weakened by the fact that St. Anastasia is related to have lived in a girls' convent at the end of the third century and the beginning of the following.

[20] In what esteem the acts are to be held. In my opinion then both acts, namely of St. Anastasia the virgin, who is ours, and of the other of the same name, the widow, are of the same merit, in so far as they were written by Symeon Metaphrastes, and accordingly at least around the middle of the tenth century; who I should not think fabricated histories at pleasure, but here as elsewhere committed to memory what he had drawn from the tradition of the churches and from earlier authors. Nor however would I deny that he could have set forth the deeds more chastely, distinguishing the certain from the doubtful or invented, indulging more sparingly in prodigies and portents. But to number with Tillemont among fables everything brought forward by Metaphrastes, because he lived at a time too far removed from the event: this indeed I neither admit nor should judge is to be admitted by any sensible person. Prudent reason suggests that it should be thought that Metaphrastes

had at hand many documents which perished after him. Who further would pronounce that they were of no or only of slight merit, and such as would certainly be rejected by us, if they survived? Whence Allatius De Symeonum scriptis, page 44.: In that time too many more manuscript codices were held than in this our age; since all Greece was afflicted by the incursions of the barbarians, and similar codices were lost in various ways by the crime of most wicked men… Who then could rightly deny that the things which Metaphrastes put together he read through in other codices, and those worthy of credit? At least we must confess that the matter could have been so; and therefore, as not all things are to be indiscriminately approved, so neither are they to be rashly condemned which we have in such great mass collected or written or adorned by Symeon. As regards the life of St. Anastasia the virgin, it is also to be well considered that Metaphrastes agrees almost to the letter with Nicetas the Paphlagonian, who precedes him a little in age. Wherefore Combefis not absurdly supposes that there existed acts composed ἀρχαἳκῶς, that is with ancient simplicity or a certain homespun wit, which both (Nicetas and Symeon) adorned in their proper style, the one in an encomiastic oration, the other in a historical narrative. Certainly since they agree, they drew from the same springs, either extinct or hitherto hidden from us. Compare above number 7, likewise the Annotations on Chapter II.

[21] On St. Cyril. We have said that very few things have come down to us about St. Cyril. Here I shall gather briefly what is read in the various copies of the acts. And first Symeon Metaphrastes, after he has narrated that the breasts of St. Anastasia were cut off, her tongue cut out and her teeth knocked out, and that the holy Virgin was therefore drenched with flowing blood, continues in this manner: At which time she is said, when she had nearly failed, to have asked for water and received it. And he who furnished it was a certain man, Cyril by name, whose piety was so far from manifest that he was thought to be one of the impious; but otherwise, as regards the disposition of his soul, most faithful and pious above others. And he indeed received a great reward for a cup of cold water, and by so cheap a thing bought the crown of martyrdom. For when Probus had learned that he had not only been broken by the compassion of nature, and that he pitied the amputation of those limbs, but rather on account of the fellowship of faith, and because he could not bear to see so in need of water a most genuine handmaid of the common Lord, had given the Martyr drink, fulfilling this command of the Lord, he brought on him the punishment of death. Then indeed he also brings the last sentence against the Martyr, and condemns her to end her life by the sword. See the Annotations. So St. Cyril was crowned a little before St. Anastasia, without its being explained by what kind of punishment; probably also by the cutting off of his head. So likewise, but in briefer words, Nicetas the Paphlagonian in the Encomiastic Oration, in Combefis page 473.: Growing faint then (St. Anastasia) from the abundance of gore, she asked for a little water, with which she might wash out her mouth. A certain man held it out, a Christian indeed in religion, but who was thus far thought to be of the sect of the gentiles; the name of the athlete was Cyril. Probus, seeing him, and understanding that he was favorably disposed toward the Champion not only by the compassion of nature but also by the commerce of the same faith, ordered him to be led along that (road) which goes to death. The Vatican codex differs from the others in that it narrates that water was asked for and given to drink twice. First after her breasts were cut off: And the holy Martyr of Christ asked for water, with which she might be washed. And one of the ministers, Cyril by name, having the faith of Christ in secret, gave her water to drink. And again after her tongue was cut out and her teeth knocked out: St. Anastasia, failing, asked for water; for blood was flowing vehemently from her mouth. And Cyril again gave her water. Understanding which, the governor ordered Cyril to be driven out of the city, and killed with the sword. Compare the Annotations. See also the Preliminary Commentary, numbers 2 and 3, where it treats of the memorial in the sacred calendars.

LIFE AND MARTYRDOM

Of the Holy Martyr Anastasia

AT ROME

From the Colbertine ms. codex of the imperial library of Paris, No. 1480, fol. 238 – 246.

Anastasia, virgin, martyr, at Rome (S.)

Cyril, martyr, at Rome (S.)

a] [b

FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

CHAPTER ONE

Two martyrs named Anastasia have become known; one a widow, the other a virgin. The latter, piously instructed in a monastery by Blessed Sophia and denounced to Probus because she was a Christian, neither yields to blandishments, nor is deterred by threats. Struck in the face, she provokes the governor to madness.

Διττὰς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος Ἀναστασίας οἶδε γνωρίζειν, ἐπιφανεῖς μὲν ἄμφω τὸ κατὰ σάρκα γένος, ἐπιφανεστέρας δὲ πολλῷ τὴν ὁμολογίαν τῆς πίστεως, καὶ πατρίδα σαφῶς αὐταῖς Ῥώμην ἐπιγράφει τὴν πρεσβυτέραν· ὧν ἡ μὲν ἀνδρὶ πρότερον οὐκ ἀγαθῷ περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἐπὶ βραχὺ συζυγεῖσα, οὔπω δὲ οὔτε κοίτης οὔτε μίξεως αὐτῷ κοινωνήσασα, ἀλλὰ τὸ καλὸν ἄνθος ἔτι διατηροῦσα τῆς παρθενίας, τὸν ἄνδρα τε μεταξὺ θανάτῳ ἀποβαλοῦσα ἐν χηρείᾳ σώφρονι τοῦ λοιποῦ καὶ ἀρετῶν ἀσκήσει διέζη, ὅλαις χερσὶ τὸν πατρῷον πλοῦτον εἰς ἐνδεεῖς ἐκκενοῦσα πρός τε τοὺς δία Χριστὸν πάσχοντας ἡδέως φοιτῶσα, τά τε δεσμωτήρια δἰ αὐτοὺς φιλοπόνως ἀνερευνῶσα, καὶ πάντα τρόπον αὐτῶν ἐπιμελομένη καὶ τοὺς ἰχῶρας ἐκμάσσουσα, καὶ ῥᾷον τὰς ὀδύνας φέρειν ποιοῦσα, καὶ ζῶντας μὲν ἔτι, διδασκαλίαις, συμβολαῖς, ὑποθήκαις ἐπιῤῥωννύουσα· οἰχομένων δὲ τὰ σώματα λαμπρῶς περιστέλλουσα καὶ τάφοις παραδιδοῦσα, ἕως καὶ ἑαυτὴν καλὸν ἐκείνοις παρέσχεν ἐντάφιον, διὰ πυρὸς ὁλοκαυτωθεῖσα, καὶ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας ἀνενεχθεῖσα Θεῷ.

[2] Ἡ δὲ τὸν μοναδικόν τε καὶ ἡσύχιον εἴλετο βίον, μήτε γάμου τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅλως, μήτε τῶν ἐκ τοῦ γάμου πειραθεῖσα θορύβων· ἀλλὰ τὸν ὑπελθοῦσα τοῦ Κυρίου ζυγὸν, καὶ τὸ ἐλαφρὸν αὐτοῦ φορτίον βαστάσασα, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀγῶνας μετὰ γενναίου σφόδρα τοῦ φρονήματος ἀπεδύσατο, καὶ διπλῷ κατεκοσμήθη στεφάνῳ, τῷ τε τῆς παρθενίας, φημὶ, καὶ τῷ τῆς ἀθλήσεως. Ἧς τὴν ἐκ παίδων ἀγωγήν τε καὶ ἄσκησιν καὶ τοὺς μεγίστους διὰ Χριστὸν ἄθλους ἐκείνους διεξελθεῖν ὁ λόγος ἄνωθεν βούλεται.

[3] Αὕτη τοίνυν πατέρας μὲν καὶ προςήκοντας, καὶ ὅσαπερ εἰς κλῆρον ἐπέβαλλε, πάντα καταλιποῦσα, ἔν τινι σεμνείῳ ἔτους εἰκοστοῦ τῆς ἡλικίας ἑαυτὴν καταλέγει, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἱερᾶς παιδαγωγουμένη τε ἅμα καὶ ρυθμιζομένη Σοφίας (τοῦτο γὰρ ὠνόμαστο ἡ διδάσκαλος), ἔμελλε ταχὺ καὶ καρποὺς ἀξίους προενεγκεῖν, τοιούτοις σπέρμασι καὶ τοιαύτῃ διδασκαλίᾳ προσήκοντας. Οὐκ ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα ταῦτα καὶ βασκανίας χωρὶς οἴσειν ὁ πονηρὸς· ἀλλὰ πρῶτα μὲν οἴκοθεν τῇ γενναίᾳ προσβάλλει, καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτῇ πόλεμον ἐπεγείρει, τὸ σφοδρὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ σύντονον ἐκλῦσαι φιλονεικῶν τῆς ἀσκήσεως· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀσφαλῶς ἐκείνη τῷ ἐχθρῷ τὰς μηχανὰς ἀπετείχισε, καί ἀνάλωτος ἐντεῦθεν αὐτῷ λοιπὸν καὶ ἀχείρωτος ἦν, πρὸς ἑτέραν ἐχώρει πάλιν ἐπιβουλὴν· καὶ προσαγγέλλει μὲν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῆς ἀσεβείας ὑπηρέταις καὶ διακόνοις, οἷς καὶ λίαν ἐπιμελὲς ἦν ἀνερευνᾷν τοὺς τὰ χριστιανῶν μετιόντας.

[4] Οἱ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἡγεμόνα δραμόντες εὐθὺς (Πρόβος ἦν οὗτος Διοκλητιανοῦ τηνικαῦτα τὴν βασιλείαν διέποντος), μηνύουσιν αὐτῷ περὶ ταύτης ὡς ἄρα οὔτε θεοὺς οὔτε βασιλεῖς σέβοιτο τοὺς ἐκείνων, ἀλλὰ Χριστόν τινα κηρύττει θεὸν ἀληθινὸν, καὶ τὸν ἐρημικὸν καὶ ἄζυγα βίον τοῦ κοινωνικοῦ μᾶλλον καὶ μιγάδος ἀσπάζοιτο, ἀήθη τινά πολιτείας ὁδὸν ταῖς παρθένοις ὑποδεικνύουσα.

[5] Θέατρον οὖν ὁ Πρόβος αὐτίκα συναγαγὼν πολυάνθρωπον, ἀχθῆναι κελεύει τὴν μακαρίαν. καὶ καταλαβόντες τὸ ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνο σεμνεῖον οἱ περὶ ταῦτα διακονούεἴνοι, αὐτοῖς τε μοχλοῖς καὶ κλεισὶ τὰς θύρας ἀράξαντες, καὶ ὡς εἶχον ὁρμῆς εἴσω γενόμενοι ὀνομαστὶ τὴν Ἀναστασίαν ἐζήτουν. Ἡ γοῦν διδάσκαλος αὐτῆς Σοφία τὴν ἀθρόαν ἔφοδον ἐκείνην θεασαμένη, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν οὐκ ἀγνοήσασα, ἀλλ᾽ εὐθέως συμβαλοῦσα τὸ πρᾶγμα χάριν ᾔτησε τοὺς στρατιώτας, ὥστε μικρὸν ἀναμεῖναι χρόνον.

[6] Καὶ λαβομένη τῆς Ἀναστασίας μετὰ δακρύων, στᾶσα τε κατέναντι τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ, καὶ Θεὸν μάρτυρα τῶν πρὸς αὐτὴν λόγων ποιησαμένη· Ἐγὼ μέν σε, ποθεινοτάτη μοι θύγατερ, ἔφη, παῖδα παραλαβοῦσα, οὐδὲν τῶν εἰς ἐμὴν δύναμιν ἐπί σοι τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν παιδείας ἐκ πρώτης ἡμέρας καὶ εἰς τὸ παρὸν ἐνέλιπον· σὺ δὲ εἰς ἡλικίαν ἤδη τοῦ πληρώματος καταντήσασα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἄπιθι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀγαλλιωμένη· αὐτῷ γάρ σε νυμφεύομαι σήμερον, καὶ αὐτῷ προσάγω, καὶ αὐτῷ παρατίθημι. Ἰδοὺ καὶ ὁ νυμφὼν εὐτρεπὴς καὶ ὁ καλῶν ἀψευδὴς· καὶ οἱ τῆς χαρᾶς ἄγγελοι πάρεισιν, ὡς Χριστοῦ σε δεξιώσασθαι νύμφην, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς * θαλάμους τῷ βασιλεῖ συνεισαγαγεῖν. Βάδιζε τοίνυν τὴν στενὴν ταύτην καὶ τεθλιμμένην, ἕως διὰ τῆς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίας ἐν εὐρυχώρῳ στήσῃ τοὺς πόδας σου. Ἐπεὶ καὶ δίκαιον, ὦ τέκνον, οὐ παθεῖν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλάκις, εἴπερ οἷόν τε καὶ τοῦτο, δι᾽ ἐκεῖνον ἀποθανεῖν. Εἰ γὰρ δεσπότης ὢν ἐκεῖνος ἀπέθανε δι᾽ ἡμᾶς, πῶς οὐ χρὴ δούλους ὄντας ἡμᾶς τὸν ἐκείνου προθύμως μιμήσασθαι θάνατον; ἄλλως τε δὲ οὐδὲ θάνατος, ὦ μέλος ἐμὸν, ἡ διὰ Χριστὸν τελευτὴ, ἀλλ᾽ εὐφροσύνη, χαρὰ, ἡδονὴ, λαμπρότης, ὡραιότης, φῶς, πολὺ τοῦ φωτὸς τούτου γλυκύτερόν τε καὶ ὡραιότερον. Πάντα ἄφθαρτα, πάντα βέβαια, πάντα μόνιμα, διηνεκῆ πάντα, καὶ οὐδέποτε λήγοντα· μὴ δὴ, ὦ σπλάγχνον ἐμὸν, πρὸς τὸ αὐστηρὸν ἀποβλέψῃς τῶν τυράννων, καὶ τὸ δριμὺ τῶν κολάσεων· αὐτὸς γάρ σοι Χριστὸς ὁ νυμφίος ὁ σὸς παραστήσεται, τὰς ὀδύνας ἐπικουφίζων καὶ τῶν ἀναγκῶν ἐξαιρούμενος, εἰ δὲ καὶ μικρόν σε συγχωρήσει κακοπαθῆσαι, ὥστε σου τὸ δοκίμιον τῆς πίστεως ὑπομονὴν κατεργάσασθαι· ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ εἰς τέλος ἐγκαταλείψει καὶ περιόψεται· ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι σου καμνούσης, σβεσθήσεται μὲν ἡ δριμύτης τῶν ἀλγεινῶν, ἀναστελεῖ δέ σοι παράκλησις, καὶ φῶς καὶ ζωή σε περιστελεῖ, καὶ ἡ δόξα Κυρίου κυκλώσει σε.

[7] Πρὸς ταῦτα ἡ παρθένος· Εὐχῆς ἔργον, ὦ μῆτερ, ἔφη, καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς τε καὶ συμμαχίας τὸ μὴ πρὸς τοσαύτην ὠμότητα τυράννων καὶ μανίαν ἀπαγορεῦσαι· τὸ μὲν γὰρ πνεῦμα πρόθυμον, ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενὴς, ἀλλὰ δεήθητι τοῦ κοινοῦ Δεσπότου, καὶ ἱκέτευσον αὐτὸν ὅπως ἐξαποστείλῃ μοι δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους, δι᾽ ἧς ἀντικαταστῆναι δυνήσομαι πρὸς οὕτω κακῶν βαρυτάτην ἐπαγωγὴν· καὶ σπουδάσω, μῆτερ ἐμὴ, τῇ ἐκείνου δυναστείᾳ κραταιουμένη, διὰ τέλους σοι τηρῆσαι τὰς ὑποθήκας, καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς τούτων ὀλιγωρήσω ἢ ἐπιλήσομαι.

[8] Ταῦτα τῆς παρθένου διεξιούσης, καὶ οὕτω γλυκείας τῇ διδασκάλῳ ποιουμένης καὶ ποθεινὰς τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἐπιπεσόντες ὰθρόον οἱ στρατιῶται, καὶ καθάπερ ἀρνίον τῆς μητρὸς αὐτὴν ἀποσπάσαντες, κλοίον τε σιδηροῦν περιβάλλουσι, καὶ χαίρουσαν ἄγουσι πρὸς τὸν ἡγεμόνα. Ἡ δὲ κατὰ πρόσωπον ἐκείνου στᾶσα, καὶ αὐτῷ παρεστάναι δοκοῦσα, πολὺ μᾶλλον τῇ διανοίᾳ Χριστῷ τῷ ἑαυτῆς

νυμφίῳ παρίστατο, καὶ ὅλῳ τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς βλέμματι πρός αὐτὸν ἑώρα, καὶ τῷ κάλλει τούτου καὶ τῇ ὡραιότητι νοερῶς ἦν ἀτενίζουσα. Πάντας μὲν οὖν ἔκπληξις εἶχε τοὺς παρόντας ἐπἰ τε τῇ τοῦ σώματος αὐτῆς ὥρᾳ, καὶ τῷ εὐκόσμῳ τοῦ παραστήματος.

[9] Ὁ δὲ Πρόβος· Τί σοι ὄνομα; πρῶτον αὐτὴν ἤρετο. Καὶ ἡ μάρτυς· Ἀναστασία καλοῦμαι, φησί. Καὶ γὰρ ἀνέστησέ με ὁ Κύριος, ὤστε καί σε τήμερον, καὶ πατέρα τὸν σὸν, ὅς ἐστιν ὁ πονηρὸς καταισχῦναι. Ὁ γοῦν Πρόβος, οὕτω τραχείας ἰδὼν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν δεδωκυῖαν τὴν παρθένον τάς ἀποκρίσεις, ἔγνω θωπείαις αὐτὴν ὑπελθεῖν, καὶ ταύτῃ τὸ πικρὸν ἐκεῖνο καταμαλάξαι καὶ αὐστηρὸν καὶ ἀπότομον, οὐκ εἰδῶς οἵαν ὑποχαυνῶσαι ψυχὴν, οἵου παράψασθαι περὶ τὴν πιστὴν * ἀδάμαντος ᾤετο. Ἀμέλει, καὶ πείσθητί μοι, συμβουλεύω σοι, θύγατερ, ἔλεγε, τὰ λυστελῆ σαυτῇ προελέσθαι, θεοῖς τε τοῖς μεγάλοις συνθέσθαι, καὶ κοινωνὸς ἡμῖν τῆς αὐτῶν καταστῆναι θυσίας. Οὕτω γὰρ ἀνδρὶ μὲν ἑνὶ συναρμοσθήσῃ τῶν ἀξιώματος παρὰ τῇ πόλει τοῦ μεγίστου ἠξιωμένων· προστεθήσεται δέ σοι καὶ χρήματα, χρυσὸς, ἄργυρος, ἐσθῆτες, ἀνδραπόδων πληθὺς, καὶ λαμπρὰ γενήσῃ ταχὺ καὶ περίδοξος. Σκέψαι τοιγαροῦν παρὰ σαυτῇ, κατάλληλα τῇ τε τῆς ὄψεως ὥρᾳ καὶ τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς εὐγενείᾳ βουλευσαμένη· μηδὲ θελήσῃς ἐλθεῖν εἰς πεῖραν ἡμετέρας ἀγανακτήσεως, μηδὲ οἷον κακὸν μαθεῖν ἡ ἀσέβεια. Ἐγὼ γάρ σου τοῦ κάλλους, ὡς αἵματος, ἴστωσαν οἱ θεοὶ, κοινωνὸς, καὶ πατὴρ κατὰ σάρκα κηδόμενος ὑποτίθημι τὰ συνοίσοντα. Εἰ δὲ μὴ καὶ σὺ πρὸς ταῦτα παρασχῇς ἑαυτὴν πειθομένην μηδὲ ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἡπίως εἴκουσαν παραινέσεσιν, ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν τοσαύτης μου πειραθῆναι τῆς ἀπηνείας καὶ ἀγριότητος, ὅσης νῦν ἀπολαύεις εὐμενείας καὶ ἡμερότητος, ὅταν καὶ μεταμελομένη τάχα μηδὲν ᾖ σοι τῆς μεταμελείας ἀπόνασθαι.

[10] Τούτων ἡ μάρτυς ἀκούσασα τῶν ῥημάτων, εἰς ἀνάμνησιν εὐθὺς τῶν μητρικῶν ἐκείνων τῆς σοφῆς διδασκάλου Σοφίας παραινέσεων ἤρχετο· καὶ ἠρέμα ὑπολαβοῦσα· Ἐμοὶ, φησὶ, δικαστὰ, καὶ νυμφίος καὶ πλοῦτος καὶ ζωὴ ὁ Χριστὸς· ὁ δὲ δι᾽ αὐτὸν θάνατος πολλῷ μοι καὶ τῆς ζωῆς τιμιώτερος· δι᾽ ὃν οὐ χρυσίον, οὐκ ἀργύριον, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἡδέων ἡδύ μοι νενόμισται, πλὴν ἐκείνου μόνου, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου συνουσίας καὶ ἀπολαύσεως. Πῦρ δὲ καὶ ξίφος, καὶ σίδηρος, καὶ μελῶν ἐκτομαὶ, καὶ πληγαὶ, καὶ μάστιγες, καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο παρ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰς τιμωρίαν ἐπινενόηται, ἡδοναί μοι μᾶλλον, οὐ βάσανοι, πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ἀτενὲς ἐνορώσῃ· καὶ μὴ τοιαῦτα μόνον ὑπὸρ ἐπείνου παθεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ εἴπερ οἷόν τε, καὶ μυριάκις ἀποθανεῖν γλιχομένη. Μὴ τοίνυν τὴν ἐν ἐμοὶ τοῦ σώματος ὥραν ἐλεεῖν ὑποκρίνου ἴσα καὶ ἄγρου ἄνθεσι μαραινομένην· ἀλλα ποίει τὸ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ σου μᾶλλον ἤ τῇ τῶν τρόπων ὠμότητι παριστάμενον· ὡς ἔγωγε ξυλίνοις ἤ λιθίνοις θεοῖς σέβας οὐκ ἄν προσενέγκοιμι.

[11] Τούτοις εἰς ὀργὴν ἡ μάρτυς ἀνάπτει τὸν ἡγεμόνα· καὶ πρῶτα μὲν αὐτῇ πληγὰς κατὰ τῶν παρειῶν ἐπιτρίβει· ἔπειτα καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα διαῤῥηγνύει καὶ γυμνὸν ὅλον τὸ καὶ ἀγγέλοις αἰδέσιμον ἐκεῖνο κάλλος παραστησάμενος χωρίς τινος παραπετάσματος ἤ περιβλήματος, ἵνα καὶ πλέον αἰσχύνῃ παρθένον, οὕτω θορύβων ἀήθη καὶ ἀνδρῶν ὄψεως, τοῦ θαλάμου πλέον καὶ τῆς ἡσυχίας εἰδυῖαν οὐδὲν. Οὕτω σοι, φησὶ, προσῆκον ὑπὸ τοσούτοις ἀσχημονεῖν ἀνδρῶν ὄμμασιν. Ἀλλά τῆς κατεχούσης σε ταύτης ἀπονοίας ἀνενεγκοῦσα, πρόσελθε τῇ τῶν θεῶν εὐμενείᾳ· καὶ μὴ κάλλος τοσοῦτον ἰδεῖν ἐθελήσειας * ἀπανθοῦν ἀθλίως πρὸ τῆς ὥρας καὶ μαραινόμενον. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀπειθοῦσαν τῶν ἐμῶν σε δύναιτ᾽ ἄν ἐξελέσθαι χειρῶν· ἀλλ᾽ εἰς λεπτά σε κατατεμὼν, εὖ ἴσθι, βρῶμα θηρσὶν ἀγρίοις προθήσομαι.

[12] Καὶ ἡ μάρτυς: Ἐμοὶ, φησὶν, ὦ ἡγεμὼν, οὐκ ἀσχημοσύνη τῶν ἱματίων τούτων ἐστὶν ἡ γύμνωσις· ἀλλὰ καλλωπισμὸς λαμπρότατός τε καὶ εὐπρεπέστατος. Τὸν γὰρ παλαίον ἄνθρωπον ἀποδυσαμένη, τὸν καινὸν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ ἐνδύσομαι. Οὐκ ἐμὲ τοίνυν ἐν τούτοις, ἀλλά σε μᾶλλον ἐγκαλύπτεσθαι χρὴ, ὅτι ὡς ἱμάτιον τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἐνεδύσω, καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ὡσεὶ ὕδωρ εἰς τὰ ἔγκατά σου, καὶ ὡσεὶ ἔλαιον ἐν τοῖς ὀστέοις σου. Μεταξὺ δὲ καὶ θερμοτέρῳ ληφθεῖσα τῷ τῆς ἀθλήσεως ἔρωτι, καὶ δεδοικυῖα μήποτε, καταμαλακισθεὶς ὁ ἡγεμὼν, ἀποκλείσῃ περὶ μέσους ἤδη τοὺς ἀγῶνας αὐτῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου τὸ στάδιον, προσετίθει καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα· Ὠμότατε δικαστῶν, θάνατον ἐπαγαγεῖν ἀπειλεῖς · πρὸς τοῦτό σοι παρεσκεύασμαι · τοῦτο γάρ μοι τὸ ἀτεχνῶς εὐκταιότατόν τε καὶ ποθεινότατον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ εἰς μέλη με κατατέμοις, καὶ γλῶτταν ἐκκόψεις, καὶ ὀδόντας καὶ χεῖρας καὶ ὄνυχας, τότε με τὰ μείζω μᾶλλον εὐεργετήσεις. Ὀφείλω γὰρ ὅλην ἐμαυτὴν τῷ Δημιουργῷ καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἔφεσις ἀεὶ, ὅπως ἄν εὐ πᾶσι δοξασθῇ τοῖς ἐμοῖς μέλεσι, καὶ παραστήσω τῷ αὐτοῦ βήματι πάντα μου τὰ μέλη τῷ κόσμῳ τῆς ὁμολογίας καλλωπιζόμενα.

Two Anastasias are mentioned; the life of the one is sketched in summary. It has been committed to letters that there were two ^c Anastasias, both indeed illustrious by birth, but far more illustrious by the confession of faith, and that their homeland was old Rome. Of whom the one indeed was joined in marriage for a brief time to a man not good, and since she had had no ^d intercourse of the bed with him, but still preserved the beautiful flower of virginity, her husband being meanwhile lost by death, she lived thereafter in chaste widowhood and the exercise of the virtues, pouring out her paternal wealth with both hands on the needy, and gladly frequenting those who suffered for Christ, and diligently searching out the prisons for their sake, and taking care of them in every way, and wiping away their gore and making it easy for them to bear their pains, and strengthening those still living with teachings, counsels and admonitions, and splendidly composing the bodies of the dead, and committing them to burial, she furnished them a most beautiful funeral ornament, until she furnished herself too to them, as one who was offered through fire as a holocaust, and borne up to God for an odor of sweetness.

[2] The other, who is ours, But the other chose the monastic and quiet life, altogether free of marriage, and of the tumults that arise from it; but when she had undergone the beautiful yoke of the Lord and borne his light burden, then also with a strong and lofty mind she undertook the contest for piety, and was adorned with a double crown, of virginity, I say, and of contest. Whose upbringing and exercise from early age, and those greatest contests for Christ, the discourse wishes to pursue from the beginning ^e.

[3] piously instructed in a monastery by St. Sophia She then, having left her parents and relations, and all things that pertain to inheritance, in a certain monastery ^f in the twentieth year of her age ^g places herself; in which, taught and instructed by the most holy Sophia (for so the mistress was called), she both produced and was about to produce fruits worthy and suited to such seeds and such teaching. But the envious and malignant one could not bear these things without envy. But first indeed he attacks her with her own domestic forces, and stirs up an enemy against her from her flesh, striving to loosen that vehement and intense exercise. And when she had easily repelled the machines of the enemy, and could not in that way be taken and stormed by him, he betook himself again to other snares; and he denounces her to his own ministers and those of impiety, who took great care to search out those who followed the religion of Christ.

[4] she is denounced to the governor Probus. They then at once running to the governor (and he was Probus ^h, Diocletian ⁱ then administering the empire), indicate to him that she worshipped neither the gods nor the emperor, but preached a certain Christ as true God, and preferred the solitary life free of marriage to that which is passed in society and union ^k, showing to virgins a certain unaccustomed form of living.

[5] Violently carried off from the monastery, When then Probus had at once gathered a very crowded theater, he orders the blessed Anastasia to be brought. And when the ministers had come to that sacred monastery ^l, having broken the doors with the very bars and keys *, entering with the greatest impetus they sought Anastasia by name ^m. And her mistress Sophia, when she had seen that sudden irruption, and had not been ignorant of the cause, but had at once conjectured the matter as it was, asked of the soldiers this favor, that they should wait a little.

[6] by the exhortations of Sophia her mistress She, weeping, having taken Anastasia and having set her facing the altar, in secret and using God as witness of what she said: I indeed, she says, O most delightful daughter, when I had received you as a girl, from the first day until this time have omitted nothing according to my strength that pertained to instructing you in the things that pertain to God. And you, since you have now come to the age of the fullness of Christ, go to him exulting. For I betroth and offer and hand you over to him today. Behold the bridal chamber is now ready, and he who calls you is truthful; and the messengers of joy are present, to receive you as the bride of Christ and to lead you to the king into the tabernacles above. Go then through this strait and narrow way, until through martyrdom undertaken for him he sets your feet in a broad place. For it is just, O daughter, not only to suffer for Christ, but even often, if this could be done, to die for him. For if, being Lord, he died for us, how ought we not, since we are servants, with prompt and eager mind to imitate his death? But departure for the sake of Christ is not even death, O daughter, but gladness, joy, pleasure, splendor, beauty, light far sweeter and more beautiful than this light. All things here are free from destruction; all firm and stable; all perpetual and never ceasing. Do not look, O my daughter, at the bitterness of tyrants and the gravity of punishments. For Christ your bridegroom himself will be present to you, lightening your pains and snatching you from necessities. And if he should even grant that you suffer some evil, that he may make your endurance the proof of your faith; yet he will not desert and despise you to the end; but while you are still laboring, the bitterness of the pains will be extinguished, and there will arise for you consolation and light, and life will clothe you and glory (of the Lord) will surround you.

[7] she is prepared for the contest. To this the Virgin: It is indeed to be desired, she says, O mother, and to be prayed for, as something that proceeds from divine aid, that I may not fail before such great cruelty and madness of tyrants. For the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak; Matth. 26. but ask the common Lord and supplicate him, that he may send to me power from on high, through which I shall be able to resist evils so grave that are inflicted;

and I shall be zealous, my mother, strengthened by his power, to keep your admonitions perpetually; nor shall I neglect or forget any of them.

[8] She is set before the governor; While the Virgin was saying these things and making to her mistress such sweet and delightful promises, soldiers suddenly burst in, and tearing her like a lamb from her mother, they place on her an iron collar and bring her, glad, to the governor. And she, standing facing him, stood in mind much more before Christ her bridegroom, and looked toward him with the whole gaze of her soul, and fixed the eyes of her understanding on his beauty and comeliness. And all who were present were astounded both at the beauty of her body, and at her modesty and the dignity of her countenance.

[9] she is questioned, and Probus flatters her; And Probus first asked her what was her name. And the Martyr: I am called, she says, Anastasia. For God has made me rise ⁿ, that I may today put you and your father to shame. Probus, seeing that the Virgin had in the beginning answered so harshly, resolved to attack her with blandishments and so to soften her harshness and hardness, not knowing what a mind he was trying to break and what an adamant concerning the faith he thought he could crush. And so he said: I counsel you , O daughter, to choose the things that are useful to you, and to join yourself to the great gods and to sacrifice to them together with us. For thus you will be joined in marriage to a husband whose authority in the city will be the greatest; and there will be added to you also monies, gold, silver, garments, a multitude of slaves; and you will be splendid and distinguished. Consider then with yourself, taking that counsel which may suit both your beauty and the nobility of your soul; and do not wish to make trial of our anger, nor to learn how great an evil is impiety. For I, as one sprung from the same blood and your father according to the flesh (I call the gods to witness), having a care for your beauty, suggest the things that will profit you. But if you do not obey these things nor yield to my persuasions, it will be necessary that you thereafter experience from me as much savagery as you now enjoy of kindness and mildness; at which time even if you are led by repentance, it will perhaps profit you nothing ^o.

[10] but in vain. Having heard these words the Martyr at once recalled the maternal admonitions of her wise mistress. And at once replying: To me indeed, she says, O Judge, Christ is both bridegroom and riches and life. And death to be undergone for him is to me a life far more precious, on whose account neither gold, nor silver, nor anything else of the things that are pleasant on earth has been held pleasant by me: for I esteem him alone and his company, which I have enjoyed. And fire and sword and iron and the cutting off of limbs, and blows and scourges, and whatever else has been devised by you for torture, these are to me pleasures rather than torments, as I fix my eyes on him alone, and desire not only to suffer these things for him, but also, if it could be done, to die a thousand times. Do not then pretend to pity the beauty of my body, which withers no less than the flowers of the field; but rather do that which is in your power, or lies in the cruelty of your morals. For I would never worship gods of wood or stone.

[11] Struck in the face and ordered to be stripped, With these words the Martyr rouses the governor to anger. And first he inflicts blows on her cheeks. Then he also tears open her tunic, to show entirely naked, without any veil or covering, that beauty which was to be revered even by the angels themselves, in order that he might put the more shame on the Virgin, who was not accustomed to the crowd and the eyes of men, as one who knew nothing besides the chamber and quiet. So, he says, you must be subjected to such great baseness and dishonor before the eyes of all. But coming to your senses from the madness that holds you, approach the kindness of the gods; and do not wish to see so great a beauty wretchedly blooming away and withering before its time. For no one, if you do not obey, could snatch you from my hands; but I will set you, cut up in small pieces, before wild beasts to be devoured. This I would wish you to be persuaded of.

[12] she rebukes and provokes the governor to madness, And the Martyr: To me, she says, O governor, it is not baseness or dishonor to be stripped of garments; but rather the greatest and most elegant adornment. For having put off the old man, I shall put on the new in justice and truth. Not I then but you rather ought to blush on account of these things, because you put on impiety as a garment, and it has entered like water into your bowels and is like oil in your bones. Meanwhile, seized by a more vehement love of the contest, and fearing lest the governor, softened, should now in the midst of the contest shut her out from the stadium, she added this too: Most cruel of judges, you threaten that you will bring death on me: for this I am ready for you: for this is plainly to be desired by me *. And if you should also cut me up limb from limb, and amputate my tongue and teeth, hands and nails, then you will confer on me a greater benefit. For I owe the whole of me, as much as I am, to the Creator, and this is ever my prayer, that he may be glorified in all my limbs, and that I may set before his tribunal all my limbs, shining with the adornment of confession [p].

ANNOTATIONS.

750), and ends around the year U. C. 1353 (after Christ 600) Ibid. pages 393 and 404. Likewise 582.. Certainly it is far from Corsini having been able to find all the names of the Prefects, although he has very many passed over by others. Nicetas has: Πρόβος … τῶν ὅλων πραγμάτων ἡγεμὼν και δικαστὴς Probus … governor and judge of all affairs. And Combefis writes in the margin: Probus prefect of the city.

p. The same things, but said a little otherwise, are found in Nicetas; who then adds not a few other similar things, prefacing in this manner Combefis, page 469.: But further, inflamed with the love of martyrdom, and as if breathed on by a certain divine frenzy, the most chaste Virgin added these things too. The last words are: Hasten then, O tyrant, that you may both make a way for me to the attainment of the most beautiful and best desire, and may lay up for yourself as a treasure darkness and perpetual gloom, σαυτῷ δὲ σκότος καὶ κόλασιν θησαυρίζων διηνεκῆ.

* there is added in the Vat. ἄνω

* perhaps clavis with a key. Sur.

* who is the devil is added in the Greek.

* et crede mihi and believe me

* read πίστο

* ἐθελήσῃς Cod. Vat.

* et expetendum and to be sought

CHAPTER TWO

St. Anastasia endures fire and iron claws. With her breasts amputated, her nails torn out, her tongue cut out, her teeth knocked out, she is horribly tortured. St. Cyril gives her drink at her request for water and receives the palm. Finally the holy Virgin, struck with the sword, is buried by Blessed Sophia her mistress.

Τούτοις Ἀναστασία καταπλήττει τὸν δικαστὴν καὶ τὸ θέατρον. Καὶ τὰς παραινέσεις ἐκεῖνος ἀφεὶς, ἐπὶ τὰς κολάσεις ἐχώρει. Καὶ πρῶτα μὲν πρηνῆ ταύτην ἐκ τεσσάρων διαταθεῖσαν, καί τισι προσδεθεῖσαν πάλοις κατὰ γῆς πεπηγμένοις, κελεύει μετεωρίζεσθαι, καὶ κάτωθεν μὲν πῦρ ὲλαίῳ καὶ πίσσῃ, καὶ θείῳ, καὶ κληματίσι σφοδρῶς ἀναπτόμενον, τοῖς σπλάγχνοις αὐτῆς ὑποστρώννυσθαι· τριχῆ δὲ πάλιν ἄνωθεν ἐκ μιᾶς ῥάβδων καταφορᾶς τὸν νῶτον αἰκίζεσθαι. Εἶχε μὲν οὕτω ταῦτα, καὶ εἰς ἔργον ἐξέβαινε τῷ ἡγεμόνι τὸ πρόσταγμα. Πασχούσης δὲ αὐτῆς τοῦτον ἐπὶ πολὺ τὸν τρόπον καὶ τοῦ μὲν νώτου ταῖς μάστιξιν ἄνωθεν διαξαινομένου, τῶν δὲ σπλάγχνων κάτωθεν ὑποκαιομένων, καὶ τῶν φλεβῶν εἰς τέφραν λεπτυνομένων, καὶ πηγνυμένου καὶ ἀναλισκομένου τοῦ αἴματος, κολάσεως ὀξείας ὀδύνας οὕτω καὶ ἀκοαῖς ἐμποιούσης, ἡ μάρτυς (ὤ ψυχῆς γενναίας ὄντως διὰ Χριστὸν, καὶ ἀναγκῶν ὑψηλοτέρας τῆς φύσεως!) εὐχῇ μόνῃ καὶ Θεῷ προσανεῖχε, καὶ τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος αὐτὸν ὑπομιμνήσκουσα θαυμασίων (ἤσκητο γὰρ ἀκριβῶς καὶ τὴν τῶν θείων γραφῶν σύνεσιν) οἷά τινι δρόσῳ τῇ προσευχῇ τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο τῶν ἀλγηδόνων ἐσβέννυεν. Ἐφ᾽ οἷς ὁ θὴρ ἐκεῖνος, ἀπαγορεύσας, αὖθις αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τροχοῦ ταθῆναι διακελεύεται. Καὶ ἡ μὲν πρόσταξις εὐθὺς ἔργον ἦν· καὶ ὁ τροχὸς τὴν γενναίαν ἐδέχετο, ἑτέρα τιμωρίας ὑπερβολὴ καὶ διαδοχὴ κακῶν ἀποκρύψαι τὰ πρότερα τοῖς δευτέροις φιλονεικοῦσα. Εἶτα διά τινος ἐκείνου μηχανῆς στρεφομένου, ὀστᾶ μὲν τῃ μάρτυρι συνεθλῶντο, νεῦρα δὲ καὶ μῦες ἐτείνοντο καὶ πᾶσα, φεῦ! ἡ τοῦ σώματος πλάσις τῆς φυσικῆς έξίστατο ἁρμονίας. Ἡ δὲ τὸν εἰσακούοντα προσευχῆς αὐτῆς, καὶ ὑπερασπίσαι αὐτῆς ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἐχθρῶν έξελἐσθαι δυνάμενον, πάλιν ἐπεκαλεῖτο· Θεὲ θεῶν, λέγουσα, ὁ Θεὸς δυνάμεων, ὁ Θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας μου, παρ᾽ οὗ ἡ ὑπομονή μου, ἐφ᾽ ὃν πέποιθεν ἡ ψυχή μου, ὁ πύργος τῆς ἰσχύος μου καὶ ἡ καταφυγή μου, αὐτὸς δὸς καὶ νῦν βοήθειαν ἐκ θλίψεως, ὁ Θεὸς ὁ περιζωννύων με δύναμιν, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός μου. Καὶ μὴ μακρύνῃ ς ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἐξέλιπεν ἐν ὀδύνῃ ἡ ζωή μου. Ὅτι ἐκολλήθη εἰς γῆν ἡ γαστήρ μου, καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ μοῦ ὡσεὶ φρύγιον συνεφρύγησαν.

[14] Ταῦτα προσευξαμένη (ὢ ταχείας ἐπισκοπῆς! ὢ ὀξυτάτης ἐκβάσεως!) ἀνίεται μὲν εὐθὺς ἐκείνου τοῦ χαλεποῦ μηχανήματος, μηδὲ πληγῆς ἴχνος τῷ σώματι μηδὲ πυρὸς ἐπιφαίνουσα. Ὅπερ δέον καταπλαγῆναι τὸν δικαστὴν, καὶ τὸ κάτεχον αὐτὸν τῆς ἀσεβείας ἀποσείσασθαι νέφος, ὁ δὲ οὐ διαβλέψαι μικρὸν πρὸς τὴν θαυματουργοῦσαν τὰ τοιαῦτα δύναμιν ἴσχυσεν, οὐδὲ ἐπιστρέψαι καρδίαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὴν· ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι παχὺς ἦν καὶ ἠλίθιος, ἔτι τὴν μέθην ἐκείνην τῆς ἀπιστίας, καὶ τὴν μανίαν καὶ τὴν ἀχλὺν περικείμενος. Καὶ πάλιν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ ξύλου μετεωρίσας, σιδηροῖς ὄνυξιν ὠμότατα καταξαίνει. Ἡ δὲ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον αἴρει καὶ πάλιν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τὸν ἐκ θανάτου καὶ ἐν πολέμῳ, καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς σιδήρου ῥυόμενον (Ἡσαΐας ὁ μέγας φησὶ), καὶ παραχρῆμα τοσαύτης ἐκεῖθεν ἀπέλαυσε τῆς ῥοπῆς τε καὶ βοηθείας, ὥστε καὶ τῶν δημίων ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν βασάνων συνεχείας ἀτονησάντων, αὐτὴ καθάπερ οὐδὲν ὀδυνωμένη διέκειτο. Ἐφ᾽ οἷς, ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἀπορούμενος, καὶ μὴ ἔχων ὅτι καὶ δράσειεν, ἐξεφέρετό τε τοῦ σχήματος, καὶ ἀνέθορε συνεχῶς ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου καὶ οὐκ ἔτι καθεκτὸς ἦν αὐτος ἑαυτοῦ, οὐδ᾽ ἐν τάξει καὶ θεσμῷ τῷ προσήκοντι μένειν ἠδύνατο.

[15] Οὕτω δὲ αὐτῷ παρακεκινημένως ἐξ ἀπορίας καὶ μανικῶς ἔχοντι ὑποβάλλει τι καὶ τοιοῦτον συλλαλῶν αὐτῷ κατὰ μόνας διάβολος, καὶ ξυρῷ τῇ μάρτυρι τοὺς μαστοὺς ἐκκοπῆναι διακελεύεται· χαλεπὸν δὲ ἄρα μαστῶν ἀποκοπὴ, καὶ δριμυτάτας ἄγαν ὀδύνας ἐπιτρίβειν δυνάμενον, κατὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα τὸ μέρος τῆς καρδίας καθιδρυμένης. Ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μάρτυς, σφοδροτέρῳ πάθει κατεχομένη τοῦ εἰς Χριστὸν ἔρωτος, τοῦ ἐλάττονος κατεφρόνει. Ὁ τύραννος δὲ πάλιν ὑπερβολὴν καρτερίας ὑπερβολῇ νικῆσαι φιλονεικῶν τῶν κολάσεων, καὶ τοὺς αὐτῆς ἐκσπᾷ ὄνυχας. Ἡ δὲ ὥσπερ οὐδεμίαν δεχομένη τῶν ἀλγεινῶν αἴσθησιν, θερμότερον ἔτι μᾶλλον ηὐχαρίστει Χριστῷ, ὅτι καὶ σύμμορφος αὐτῷ γενέσθαι, καὶ κοινωνὸς τῶν παθημάτων ἠξίωτο. Ἐνύβριζε δὲ καὶ εἰς τοὺς τυράννου θεοὺς, σκότος αὐτοὺς καὶ πλάνην, καὶ δαίμονας, καὶ

εἴ τι ἄλλο πρὸς ἀπώλειαν φέρει ψυχῆς ὀνομάζουσα.

[16] Ὧν ἐκεῖνος ἀκούειν οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ γλυκὺ πᾶσι φῶς ὀφθαλμῷ νοσοῦντι πολέμιον, ἀποτμηθῆναι μέσην αὐτῇ κελεύει τὴν γλῶτταν ἑλκυσθεῖσαν τοῦ φάρυγγος, ἐκκρουσθῆναι δὲ σὺν αὐτῇ καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας· καὶ τοιαύτας ἀμοιβὰς ὁ ἀνόητος στόματος ἀποδίδωσιν ἐλευθέρου. Ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν ὀδόντων αὐτὴν ἀποστερεῖ καὶ τῆς γλώττης, τῆς παῤῥησίας δὲ ἤ τῆς ἐλευθερίας οὐκ ἔτι. Ἀλλὰ μηδὲν ἐνδόσιμον, μηδὲ μαλακὸν ὑποστᾶσα τοσούτῳ τὴν τομὴν ἀνεβάλετο, ὅσῳ τελευταίαν τῷ Θεῷ μετὰ τοῦ τῆς φωνῆς ὀργάνου καὶ τὴν προσευχὴν ἀποδοῦναι, ᾕδει γὰρ ὄτι καὶ σιωπώντων οἶδεν ἀκούειν ἐκεῖνος. Εὐχαριστήσασα οὖν ἀξίως αὐτῷ, εἶτα καὶ δεξιῷ τέλει δεηθεῖσα καταλῦσαι τὴν μαρτυρίαν, ἑξῆς δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀῤῥωστούντων καὶ αὐτῇ προσιέναι μελλόντων ἐντεύξεις ποιησαμένη, φωνῆς τε οὐρανόθεν τῶν αἰτουμένων τὴν δόσιν ἐπιμαρτυρούσης ἀκούσασα· Δεῦρο, τῷ δημίῳ, ποίει, φησὶ, τὰ προστεταγμένα· καὶ προτείνει γλῶσσαν ἡ μάρτυς, τὴν ἀεὶ τὰ θεῖα μελετῶσαν καὶ φθεγγομένην καὶ σίδηρος αὐτὴν οἴμοι! μέσην εὐθὺς ἀποτέμνει. Ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐκκρούεται καὶ πηγὴ αἵματος αὐτῇ τὸ στόμα γίνεται, ὅλην τῇ τοῦ χριστιανοῦ * νύμφῃ τὴν ἐσθῆτα διαφοινίξασα καὶ πορφύρας τιμίας ἁπάσης, καὶ βασιλικῆς ἁλουργίδος τιμιωτέραν ἐργασαμένη.

[17] Ὅπου καὶ μικρὸν ἐκλελοιπυῖαν, ὕδωρ αἰτῆσαι λέγεται καὶ λαβεῖν. Ὁ δὲ παρασχὼν ἦν τις ἀνὴρ ὄνομα Κύριλλος, τοσοῦτον οὐ φανερὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ὅσῳ μὴ τοιοῦτος τοῖς ἀσεβέσι νομίζεσθαι· τὰ δ᾽ἄλλα τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἕξιν, φημὶ, καὶ διάθεσιν, πιστότατός τε καὶ εὐσεβέστατος. Ὄστις καὶ μεγάλους μισθοὺς ψυχροῦ ποτηρίου ἀπολαμβάνει, καὶ πράγματος οὕτως ἐντελοῦς τὸν τοῦ μαρτυρίου ὠνεῖται στέφανον. Μαθὼν γὰρ ὁ Πρόβος τὰ καθ᾽ αὐτὸν, καὶ ὅτι οὐ φύσεως ἁπλῶς ἐπικλασθεὶς συμπαθείᾳ, καὶ τῷ λαβεῖν τινα τούτων μελῶν ἐκείνων ἐκκοπῆς ἔλεον, ἀλλὰ κοινωνίᾳ πίστεως μᾶλλον, καὶ τῷ μὴ ἀνέχεσθαι οὕτως ὁρᾷν ἐνδεῆ ὕδατος κοινοῦ Δεσπότου δούλην γνησιωτάτην, τῇ μάρτυρι τὸ ποτὸν ὀρέξειε, δεσποτικὴν κἀν τούτῳ πληρῶν ἐντολὴν, ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς πυθόμενος θάνατον αὐτῷ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπάγει.

[18] Ἑξῆς δὲ τὴν τελευταίαν καὶ κατὰ τῆς μάρτυρος δίδωσι ψῆφον, καὶ τὴν διὰ ξίφους αὐτῇ τελευτὴν κατακρίνει. Οὗ δὴ γενομένου καὶ πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεως τῆς ἱερᾶς κεφαλῆς ἐκείνης άποτμηθείσης, τὸ σῶμα μὲν ἄχρι τινὸς ἀμελούμενον ἔῤῥιπτο, ἄψαυστον δὲ ὅμως καὶ πετεινοῖς οὐρανοῦ, καὶ γῆς θηρίοις τηρούμενον, καθάπερ, οἶμαι, τὰ ὑπὲρ τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ τούτων στίγματα καὶ τὰς ὕβρεις εὐλαβουμένοις, ἔπειτα δὲ τῇ καὶ παιδευσαμένῃ καὶ θρεψαμένῃ Σοφίᾳ Θεοῦ νεύμασι ἀποδίδοται παραδόξως, εὐχῆς ἔκβασις ὄντως καὶ σπλάγχων μητρικῶν ἀνάπαυσις.

[19] Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἡ παρθένος συλληφθεῖσα πρὸς τὸ μαρτύριον ἤγετο, ἠγωνία μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἡ διδάσκαλος Σοφία, καὶ ἐδεδοίκει, καὶ ἔτρεμε, καθάπερ οὐκ ἐκ ἐκείνῃ λοιπὸν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τοῖς ἑαυτῆς μέλεσι τὴν μαρτυρίαν ὑφίστασθαι μέλλουσα μή ποτε, καταμαλακισθεῖσα, τὴν ἐλεεινὴκ ἐκείνην ὑποστῇ τῶν στεφάνων ζημίαν, καὶ πρηνὴς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους κειμένη, ἐν πυρὶ προσευχῆς καὶ θερμαῖς δακρύων ἐπιῤῥοαῖς ἐδεῖτο τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἱκέτευεν, ἠντιβόλει, μὴ ἀπειλαῖς χειρωθῆναι, μὴ κολακείαις ἐνδοῦναι, μὴ τιμωριῶν ἡττηθῆναι τὴν μάρτυρα.

[20] Ὡς δὲ τὸ κάλλιστον ἐπέθηκεν ἤδη τέλος ἡ Ἀναστασία τῷ μαρτυρίῳ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἄνω διέβη θαλάμους, καὶ τὰς ἀκινήτους ἐκείνας παστάδας καὶ τὰ ποθούμενα ἀγαθὰ, τότε καὶ ἄγγελος παρεμβαλὼν, ἀπολύει τὴν διδάσκαλον Σοφὶαν τοῦ φόβου καὶ τῶν φροντίδων, καὶ τὸ ποθεινὸν αὐτῇ καὶ ἥδιστον ἄκουσμα καὶ ἄφατον ὄντως γλυκύτητα τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἐναποστάζον, εὐκταίως εὐαγγελίζεται, τῆς παρθένου φημὶ τὴν τελείωσιν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ ὁδηγὸς αὐτῇ πρὸς τὸ λείψανον γίνεται, καὶ οὗ τυχεῖν ἐπόθει, καὶ ὥσπερ ἰδεῖν ηὔχετο, οὕτως αὐτῇ καὶ τὸ ποθούμενον ἀποδίδωσι, τοιούτῳ τῆς ὁμολογίας κόσμῳ, τοιαύτῃ τοῦ μαρτυρίου στολῇ σεμνυνόμενον. Ἐκείνη οὐν ὡς εἶχεν εὐθύς τῷ λειψάνῳ περιχυθεῖσα, καὶ ὅλη ὅλῳ προσφῦσα, καὶ σφοδρῶς ἕκαστον μέλος καταφιλοῦσα καὶ χαρὰς ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς καὶ πόθου δάκρυα θερμὰ χέουσα· Τέκνον, ἔλεγε, ποθεινὸν, τέκνον ἐμὸν ἐμὸν πολυέραστον, τέκνον, ὅπερ ἐγὼ καλῶς ἀσκήσει καὶ ἡσυχίᾳ καὶ πόνοις ἀνεθρεψάμην· εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὅτι μητρικὰς ἐντολὰς οὐ παρεῖδες, οὐκ ὴθέτησας τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, οὐκ ἐψεύσω τὰς ὑποσχέσεις, οὐκ ἐπελάθου τῶν παραινέσεων· ἀλλὰ παρέστης Χριστῷ τῷ νυμφίῳ σου, ἐν ἱματισμῷ τῆς παρθενίας περιβεβλημένη, τοῖς στίγμασι τοῦ μαρτυρίου πεποικιλμένη, στέφανον ἐκ λίθων τιμίων περικειμένη· καὶ νῦν οἰκεῖς ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς, ἐν οἴκῳ δόξης Κυρίου, ἔνθα εὐφραινομένων ἡ κατοικία. Διὰ τοῦτό σου δέομαι, θύγατερ φίλη καὶ πνευματικὴ μῆτερ (οὕτω γὰρ ἀνακαλεῖσθαί μοι μᾶλλον ἁρμοδιώτερον), γενοῦ μοι καὶ τῆς ἐπικαίρου ταύτης ζωῆς ἀγαθὴ γηροτρόφος, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀΐδιον μεταφοιτώσῃ μεσίτης ἅμα καὶ πρέσβις τὸν κοινὸν ἐμοὶ Δεσπότην ἱλεουμένη. Ταῦτα ἡ φιλόπαις ἐκείνη γραῦς καὶ παιδαγωγεῖν εἰδυῖα τῇ μάρτυρι εἰποῦσα, καὶ χερσὶ πρεσβυτικαῖς τε καὶ γηραλέαις αὐτὴν ἀγκαλισαμένη καὶ περιστείλασα, ἐπεὶ χειρὸς ὴπόρει τῇ μετακομιδῇ τοῦ λειψάνου διακονούσης, γηραιὰ, καθάπερ ἔφημεν, οὖσα, καὶ χειρὸς αὐτῇ μᾶλλον δεομένη καὶ βακτηρίας, ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οὕτως εἶχε περὶ τὴν μετακομιδὴν ἀμηχάνως, καὶ παρὰ τούτο εἰστήκει δυσχεραίνουσα καθ᾽ ἑαυτὴν, καὶ ἀνιωμένη, ἄφνω δύο τινὲς ἐπιστάντες ἄνδρες καὶ τὸ εἶδος καὶ τὸν τρόπον αἰδέσιμοι, χεῖράς τε τῷ λειψάνῳ ὑποσχόντες ὁσίας καὶ τοῦτο ἀνελόμενοι σὺν αὐτῇ, ἐχόμενα τῆς πόλεως Ῥώμης λαμπρῶς τε καὶ φιλοτίμως κατέθεντο. Εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ Κυρὶου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ᾽ οὗ τιμὴ, κράτος σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμὴν.

Where she is tortured in horrible fashion, the holy Virgin entreats the Lord; By these words Anastasia astounds the judge together with the whole theater, who, leaving exhortations, proceeded to punishments. And first he orders her, stretched face down by four men and bound to the ground with certain stakes , to be raised aloft; and below a fire to be set beneath her bowels, vehemently kindled with oil and pitch and sulphur and vine-shoots; and that she be cut again from above by three men with rods on her back, at once with one assault. These things were so, and what the governor ordered was given over to execution. When then she had so suffered for a long time, and her back was torn with scourges from above, and her bowels burned below and her veins were reduced to ash and her blood was being consumed, the punishment bringing grave pain even to the ears themselves, the martyr (O soul truly noble for the sake of Christ and superior to the necessities of nature) was intent only on prayers and on God; and recalling to memory and to her mouth the wonderful things from all ages (for she was very well exercised also in the understanding of the divine Scriptures), by prayer, as if by a certain dew, she extinguished that fire of pains ^a. Wherefore that beast, wearied of this kind of punishment, orders her to be stretched on a wheel. And the order was at once given over to execution, and the wheel receives the Virgin, a remarkable succession of torture and of evils, which strove to obscure the former by the latter. Then as she was turned by a certain machine, her bones were broken, and her nerves and muscles stretched. And the whole (alas) form of her body departed from its natural joining. And she again called upon him who heard her prayer, and could defend her in the time of affliction and snatch her from the hand of her enemies, saying: God of Gods, God of powers, God of my salvation, from whom is my patience , tower of my strength and my refuge, do you give now also help out of affliction. God who gird me with strength. God, my God, do not go far from me, since my life has failed in pain. For my belly has cleaved to the earth, and my bones have dried up like firewood.

[14] helped by him, she bravely endures the iron claws, Having prayed these things (O swift visitation, O most speedy outcome) she is at once released from that grievous machine, showing not even a trace of blow or of fire on her body. Which, though it ought to have astounded the judge and scattered the cloud of impiety which held him, he could not in the least look toward that power which had worked the miracles, nor turn his heart to it; but he was still gross and foolish, and still entangled in that drunkenness of unbelief and in madness and gloom. Having raised her then again on the wood, he tears her most cruelly with iron claws. And she again lifts up her eyes to God ^b; and at once she obtained so much help that, when the attendants had grown weary from the continuous labor, she was affected just as one who felt no pain at all. On account of which things the governor, brought to the greatest perplexity, not knowing what to do, changed his gesture and bearing from time to time; he frequently leapt from his seat, nor could he any longer contain himself, nor remain in that order and moderation that was proper ^c.

[15] the amputation of her breasts and the tearing out of her nails, And when on account of his perplexity he had so failed himself and was raging, the devil who was speaking with him apart suggests to him also some such thing, and he orders the Martyr's breasts to be amputated with a razor. Now the amputation of the breasts is a most grievous thing and one that can bring the most bitter pains, especially since the heart is situated in that part. But the Martyr, who was held by a more vehement affection of love for Christ, despised that which is less ^d. And the tyrant, striving again to overcome her remarkable fortitude by immoderate punishments, tears out her very nails ^e. But she, as though having no sense of pain, gave thanks to God still more vehemently, because she was held worthy to be made conformable to him and a sharer of his sufferings. Further she also afflicted the tyrant's gods with insult, naming them darkness, error and demons, and whatever else brings to the destruction of the soul ^f.

[16] the cutting out of her tongue and the knocking out of her teeth. Which indeed he could not bear to hear (for the light that is pleasant to all is hostile to the sick eye) and he orders the middle of her tongue to be cut out, drawn from her throat, and with it at the same time her teeth to be knocked out; and in return for a free mouth the fool pays such remunerations ^g. She however, remitting nothing of her constancy, nor behaving softly or delicately, put off the amputation so long as she could, with the instrument of her voice, pour out her last prayers to God. When then she had given him thanks as was proper and had then asked that he would bring her martyrdom to a good end; and thereafter had interceded also for those who, being sick *, should approach her, and had heard a voice from heaven confirming that what she asked had been given: Come now, she says to the executioner, do what has been commanded; and the tongue

the Martyr holds out, which always meditated and spoke divine things; and the iron (alas) at once cuts it through the middle. Then he also knocks out her teeth ^h; and her mouth becomes a fountain of blood, which makes the whole garment ⁱ of the Bride of Christ purple, and so more precious than any purple.

[17] [Cyril gives the holy Virgin water to drink, and himself is crowned with martyrdom.] At which time she is said, when she had nearly failed ^k, to have asked for water and received it. And he who furnished it was a certain man, Cyril by name, whose piety was so far from manifest that he was thought to be one of the impious, but otherwise, as regards the disposition of his soul, most faithful and pious above others. And he indeed receives a great reward for a cup of cold water, and by so cheap a thing buys the crown of martyrdom. For when Probus had learned that he had not only been broken by the compassion of nature and that he pitied the amputation of those limbs; but rather on account of the fellowship of faith and because he could not bear to see so in need of water a most genuine handmaid of the common Lord, had given the Martyr drink, fulfilling in this the command of the Lord *, he brought on him the punishment of death ^l.

[18] St. Anastasia is beheaded. Then indeed he also brings the last sentence against the Martyr, and condemns her to end her life by the sword ^m. When this had been done, and before the city ⁿ her sacred head had been cut off, her body lay for some time neglected on the ground, yet untouched, and so guarded * by the birds of heaven and the beasts of the earth, as creatures that in some way revered the marks and injuries which she had received for their creator. Then by the will of God she is wonderfully given back to Sophia, who had taught and brought her up, plainly the fruit of her prayer and the rest of her maternal bowels.

[19] Sophia receives her sacred body, For when the Virgin, seized, was led to martyrdom, her mistress Sophia was tormented in soul for her, and feared and trembled, as though not she but herself in her own limbs were thereafter to undergo martyrdom, lest perhaps softened she should receive that wretched loss of her crowns. And therefore ^o lying prone on the ground, in the fire of prayer and the warm flowings of tears she asked, supplicated, implored * God that the Martyr might not be overcome by the punishments.

[20] she venerates it and composes it near the City. But after Anastasia had now set a most beautiful end to her martyrdom and had passed to the chambers above, and to those firm and stable goods that are desired, then an angel [p] of the Lord, coming, frees the mistress Sophia from fear and from cares; and what she most desired and what was by far most pleasant for her to hear, he announces, dropping it into her ears *, namely the consummation of the Virgin. Moreover he also leads her to the relics; and what she desired to obtain, and as she longed to see, he delivers to her the relics adorned with such an ornament of confession and such a garment of martyrdom. And she at once, pouring herself about the relics and embracing them entire and greatly kissing each limb, and for joy and longing pouring warm tears on them, said: Most delightful daughter, daughter dearest to me, daughter whom I beautifully brought up in exercise, in silence and in labors, I give you thanks, that you did not despise your mother's precepts, that you observed what you had promised and stood by your promises and did not forget my admonitions; but you stood before Christ your bridegroom clothed in the garment of virginity, adorned with the marks of martyrdom, surrounded by a crown of precious stones, and now you dwell in the place of the wonderful tabernacle, in the house of the glory of the Lord, where is the dwelling of those who rejoice. Therefore I beg you, dear daughter and spiritual mother (for it is fitting for me so to invoke you), be to me in this brief and perishable life a good nurse of my old age and intercede for me as I pass over to eternal life, appeasing the common Lord for me. When the old woman, lover of her children, pious and religious, who knew how, as is proper, to bear and bring up daughters, had said these things to the Martyr, and had embraced and composed her with her aged hands; and when she needed a hand that might serve her in transferring the relics, as one who was, as we have said, an old woman, and rather herself had need of a hand and a staff, and no means was at hand for her of transporting them, and she therefore stood sorrowing to herself and anxious in soul, suddenly [q] two men coming up, reverend in form and morals [r], putting their holy hands under the relics, and raising them with her, deposited them splendidly and honorably near the city of Rome [s]. To the glory of God the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom and with the Holy Spirit be to him honor and power unto the ages of ages. Amen.

ANNOTATIONS.

γενέσθαι. But the governor wished her to be burned alive in an oven; the nobles did not permit this to be done. In the aforesaid Thesaurus of the Greek language the word φοῦρνος is not found, but at the word φουρνοπλάστης, potter, is noted: We omit other compounds and derivatives of the Latin noun φοῦρνος which Du Cange collected. The Greek-French Dictionary of Charles D. Byzantios, printed at Athens in the year 1856 by the care of Andreas Coromelas, has: φοῦρνος four (surnus) boulangerie (pistrina) oven; bakery.

p. Nicetas agrees. The cod. vat. min. adds some things certainly of its own and according to its manner: namely that to blessed Sophia in sleep κατ᾽ ὄναρ an angel appears, saying: Rise and gather the body of your daughter Anastasia: for she has consummated her martyrdom. She rises at once, dresses, and goes out anxious from the monastery: for she did not know where she must go ἐξῆλθεν θλιβομένη ἐκ τοῦ μοναστηρίου· οὐ γὰρ ἤδεὶτο ποῦ ἀπελθεῖν. Then the angel again appears to her and indicates the way.

q. See the miracle in the translation of the holy relics, and also the splendid and honorable burial of the Saint. A note of Lipomano.

r. ἄνδρες καὶ τὸ εἶδος καί τὸν τρὸπον αἰδέσιμοι, thus Metaphrastes. But in Nicetas Ibid. page 476.: Δύο τινὲς ἐξαίφνης ἱεροπρεπεῖς τὸ εἶδος ἀσκητικοὶ τὸν βίον, two men suddenly of venerable and religious appearance, cultivators of the ascetic life. Cod. vat. min.: κατ᾽ οἰκονομίαν δὲ Θεοῦ ἰδοὺ δύο μονάζοντες φεύγοντες τὸν τύραννον ηὑρέθησαν ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον, by the providence of God behold two monks, fleeing the tyrant, were found in that place.

s. Nicetas: And bringing her to a venerable place very near ἔγγιστα δὲ … Ῥώμης to great Rome, performing the rites with lights and chants, they deposited her. Cod. vat. min.: καὶ βαστάσαντες τῆς ἀθληφόρου τὸ σῶμα ἤνεγκαν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῶ καλουμένῳ Ψόρῳ ἔγγιστα τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως Ῥώμης ἐπιτελέσαντες τὴν πρέπουσαν ψαλμοδίαν κατέθηκαν τὸ ἅγιον αὐτῆς λείψανον μετὰ τῶν λοιπῶν ἁγίων· πολλοὺς γὰρ μάρτυρας ἀνεῖλεν Πρόβος ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας, and raising the body of the Victress they bore it to the place called ψόρος near the great city of Rome, and when they had performed the fitting psalmody they buried her holy pledges together with the bodies of the other saints: for Probus the governor killed many, both men and women. In the Thesaurus of the Greek language there is found: ψόρος, the name of a fish. Finally the same codex adds: ἐτελειώθη… Ἀναστασία μηνὶ Ὀκτοβρίῳ δωδεκάτῃ, Anastasia … was consummated in the month of October, on the twelfth day. Compare Preliminary Commentary, numbers 2 and 3.

* humo fixis fixed in the ground

* in quem confidit anima mea in whom my soul trusts

* read Χριστοῦ

* qui ægrotant, Sur. who are sick, Surius.

* hæc de viro illo percipiens, perceiving these things of that man,

* ab avibus cæli et bestiis terræ by the birds of heaven and the beasts of the earth

* ne minis flecteretur, ne blanditiis cederet. that she might not be bent by threats, nor yield to blandishments.

* et visceribus ineffabilem instillans dulcedinem and instilling an unspeakable sweetness into her bowels

Notes

a. In Greek the title is: Βίος καὶ πολιτεία καὶ μαρτύρίον τῆς ἁγίας ὁσιομάρτυρος Ἀναστασίας τῆς Ῥωμαίας. Life, conduct and martyrdom of the most holy martyr Anastasia of Rome. There is added the exclamation: "Κύριος εὐλὁγητος" The Lord is blessed.

b. See Preliminary Commentary, numbers 14 and 15, where we have spoken of the codices in which the acts of St. Anastasia are found. The Colbertine codex, which we publish, is excellent, in the opinion of all, and has a note attached, written in the hand of Du Cange: Life, conduct and martyrdom of St. Anastasia of Rome, and in another hand: Parchment codex, written in the II century. I have said that the acts with us from the Vatican ms., whose beginning is κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς, are of a more recent age. I found the same acts at Paris in the Colbertine codex 770, with this ms. note added: Parchment codex written by the hand of a certain Georgius, priest, in the year of Christ 1315, and in another hand: Of the Constantinopolitan era στωκγ᾽ 6823, indiction 13. The Life of St. Anastasia comprises about five folios. Where in what follows mention of this codex occurs, I shall write cod. vat. min. or our minor Vatican codex; the other, which agrees with the Colbertine with very few exceptions, I shall indicate by the abbreviation v. m., major Vatican.

c. Preliminary Commentary, number 5: you will find the same things said in a different style from Nicetas, printed by Combefis. There is set before it moreover a commentary on the words of the Psalmist: Glorious things have been said of you, city of God [Combefis. Auctarium noviss. page 462.]. Then there follows: Διττὰς δὲ ἡμῖν Ἀναστασίας οἶδεν ὁ λόγος κ. τ. λ.

d. Οὔπω δὲ — κοινῶνήσασα. This passage is lacking in our Colbertine codex; I think by the carelessness of the copyist, since it is found in other Parisian ones of the same class, as also in v. m. and in the Coislinian.

e. The cod. vat. min. has nothing of these. It is entitled: Μαρτυρίον τῆς ἁγίας Ἀναστασίας τῆς παρθένου. The Martyrdom of St. Anastasia the virgin. It begins: Κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς Διοκλητιανοῦ καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ συνκαθέδρου Βαλεριανοῦ ἡγεμονεύοντος δὲ Πρόβου, ἦν διωγμὸς μέγας τῶν χριστιατῶν κατὰ τὴν Ῥώμην, καὶ ἰδού τινες των κατασκόπων ἐλθόντες εἶπον τῷ ἡγεμόνι Πρόβῳ κ. τ. λ. In the times of Diocletian and of Valerian his colleague in the empire, Probus being governor, there was a great persecution of Christians in the city of Rome. And behold some of the spies, coming, said to the governor Probus, etc. The opening contains a manifest error. Diocletian and Valerian held power at different times: the latter was slain by Sapor around the year 263; the former first ascended the throne on the 17th of September in the year 284 [Art de vérifier les dates, pages 344 and 348.]. Perhaps Maximian is to be read in place of Valerian.

f. See Preliminary Commentary, number 19. It will be helpful to set down here another place from the cod. vat. min. Ἔστιν μοναστήριον εἰς τὴν κατέναντι πόλιν χριστιανῶν γυναικῶν, ὅ καλοῦσιν τῆς ὁσιωτάτης Σοφίας, καὶ ἔισιν ἐν αὐτῷ πέντε παρθένοι, Σοφία ἡ πρώτη, Ἀθανασία, Θεοκτίστη, Θεοδότη καὶ Ἀναστασία. Αὕτη οὖν ἡ Ἀναστασία καὶ ἰατρείας πολλάς ποιεῖ καὶ φανερῶς ὑβρίζει τὰ δόγματα ἡμῶν καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς λοιδωρεῖ ἐφ᾽ἐκάστης λέγουσα κ. τ. λ. There is near the city a monastery of Christian women, which they call of the most holy Sophia, in which there are five virgins; namely Sophia first, Athanasia, Theoctista, Theodota and Anastasia. And this Anastasia works many healings and publicly reviles our doctrines and curses the gods, repeating daily, etc. No one would easily believe that at that time there existed a monastery named from St. Sophia and publicly known. Next from what spring did the writer draw the names of those five virgins, mentioned together by no one else, so far as I know?

g. Nicetas writes that she was assigned to a monastery in the third year of her age. But the virgin (Anastasia) … from the third year of her age, having left means and abundance, and assiduous from the heart in a certain religious house until her twentieth year [Combefis. page 463.]. In ours a little below Sophia, addressing St. Anastasia, says: When I had received you as a girl … and you, since you have now come to the age of the fullness of Christ, go, etc. Perhaps both writers (Metaphrastes and Nicetas) could be reconciled with one another. But it is not worth while to linger on these things. For we neither hold as sufficiently proved nor undertake to prove each of the things related in the passion. Far from it. Compare Preliminary Commentary, number 20. The cod. vat. min. relates that St. Anastasia was brought up in a monastery from the third year of her age, ἣν καὶ ἀνεθρεψάμην, τρεῖς ἔτους οὔσης μέχρις οὗ ἐστιν σήμερον χρόνων κ, whom too I brought up when she was only three years old until this day, on which she has reached the twentieth. These are the words of St. Sophia to the attendants sent by Probus bursting into the monastery. See letter m.

h. πρὸς τὸν ἡγεμόνα. Is Probus the prefect of the City to be understood? Certainly that magistrate is sometimes designated by the word ἠγεμὼν, as may be seen in Corsini in the Preface [De præfectis Urbis. page XXVII. Pisa 1766.]. Yet no one by the name of Probus is found raised to this dignity before the year of Christ 372, when there comes Sextus Petronius Probus [Ibid. page 252.]. Another occurs in the year 391, namely Faltonius Probus Alypius [Ibid. page 290.]. Besides these two no other of the same name is marked in the whole Corsinian series, which begins from the fourth year of the founding of the City (before Christ

i. We have said in the Preliminary Commentary, number 13, that St. Anastasia more probably underwent martyrdom under this emperor.

k. Literally from the Greek: And to embrace the solitary and celibate life rather than the common and mixed.

l. See here refuted the open lie of some, that before the times of Jerome there were no monasteries of Virgins. A note of Lipomano on this place. Compare Preliminary Commentary, number 19.

m. The cod. vat. min. explains these things much more broadly. Probus, sending to the monastery his prospatharius and certain others of his ministers: Going, he says, to the monastery bring her (Anastasia) here. Who, going, shook the gates of the monastery… And the Virgins, seeing what was being done, opened the back gate of the monastery, and three of them fled, Athanasia, Theodota and Theoctista. But the Great one (Sophia) did not permit Anastasia to go out, saying: I do not allow Anastasia to go out until I perceive what is being done here. The gates being at length broken open, the attendants burst in, saying… Old woman γραῦς, hand over to us the young girl whom you are keeping here, Anastasia by name. Sophia asks that the space of two hours be granted her; and having obtained her wish, seizing … Anastasia she led her into the oratory and set her next to the sacred table, and exhorts her, saying: My daughter Anastasia, you know that I received you at three years of age in this monastery οἶδας ὅτι τριῶν χρόνων σε ὑπεδεξάμην ἐν τῷ μοναστηρίῳ, and now, God willing, you have reached the twentieth, etc.

n. Anastasia plays on her name, which in Latin sounds surrection, resurrection. In Nicetas one reads: What is your name? … Ἀναστασία μὲν, ἔφη, παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὀνομάζομαι I am called Anastasia among men: χριστιανὴ δέ μοι τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὄνομα καί κύριον but my true and proper name is Christian. Again the governor: τοῦ χαριν Ἀναστασίαν σε καλοῦσιν; why do they name you Anastasia? ὄτι … ἀνίστησί με Κύριος κατὰ πρόσωπον ὑμέτερον ἵνα καί σε σὴμερον καὶ τὸν πατέρα σοῦ καταισχύνω Σατανᾶν. The whole place Combefis thus translates into Latin [Combefis page 467.]: What is your name, says Probus at once in his first question to her. To whom she: Anastasia indeed I am called among men and by their usage; but Christian is my true and proper name. To whom the governor, adding again: What is the cause why they call you Anastasia? Because, says the Girl, the Lord raises me up before you, that I may today utterly confound you and your father satan. Which reason of the name imposed, altogether other and much truer, is given in Metaphrastes.

o. As regards dialogues of this kind, which recur hereafter in the acts of St. Anastasia, as also the series of torments and the wonders, in them either described or narrated; it will not be out of place to have set before the eyes the censure of Bellarmine. The learned man says then [De scriptoribus.]: This is to be observed, that histories of the Lives of the saints were written by Metaphrastes with many things added from his own wit, not as things had been done, but as they could have been done: for Metaphrastes adds many colloquies or dialogues of the martyrs with the persecutors, also some conversions of pagan bystanders in such numbers as to seem incredible. Finally very many and very great miracles in the overthrow of temples and idols, of which there is no mention among the ancient historians. Which, although they will seem to most to be wisely and prudently said by Bellarmine, nevertheless turn the stomach of Leo Allatius [De Symeonum scriptis, page 43 and following.]. That Metaphrastes added many things of his own! he exclaims; but this is to be proved. But who may that lynx be, who, seeing in the most obscure darkness of antiquity, will separate the added things from the true? Even if we had the very autograph acts of the martyrs …, we could then too attain this only by a difficult examination: for not all things have been recorded in them, and nothing neglected, so that nothing could have been added by another. He narrates moreover things done "not as the things were done, but as they could have been done." Whence does Bellarmine have this? Did he himself have the correct order of the acts, and the thing done as written and published by another, from which he could charge Metaphrastes with an alteration of this kind? Let him bring it to light. Otherwise we shall not believe him asserting from his own wit and a certain suspicion… "He adds colloquies and dialogues of the martyrs with the persecutors." What if he himself had these from other manuscripts and authentic books, which now … have gone out of use?… And in short anyone may, provided he does not change the substance of things, express a matter in one way or another… Let him even have amplified, in order to satisfy the minds of readers, what is praised in other historians, and sought by all, we rightly do not reprove in Metaphrastes. This judgment of Allatius is indeed kindly; nor is it easily to be approved by the learned. In my opinion Bellarmine holds nearly the middle between Tillemont, who rejects Metaphrastic things with raised eyebrow and disdain, and Allatius, who approves nearly everything, at least in this place. Compare Preliminary Commentary, number 18.

a. The cod. vat. min. adds: The nobles say to the governor: Give the girl some rest. And the governor said to her: Are you perhaps now ready to sacrifice to the gods? And the blessed Virgin, crying out, said: Anathema to you with your gods and all who adore them. Nothing of the kind either in the encomium of Nicetas or in our other acts.

b. In the Greek: she lifts up her eyes to him who saves from death and in war and from the hand of iron, says the Great Isaiah. I should not think that these words are to be found in the prophet; and they were probably omitted for this reason by Lipomano, who renders the whole periphrasis by the word: God.

c. They say that bears hiding in their dens φωλάδας τῶν ἄρκτων, when once they have received a wound in the heart from hunters, become of unbearable anger, and kill on the spot whatever falls in their way. Such then was Probus; so ungoverned in his anger had he become, and so had he gone out of himself with heavy bile, that he came near leaping down from his throne to tear the raw flesh of the Virgin with his teeth. Nicetas [Combefis, page 471.].

d. It is said in the cod. vat. min. that the holy Virgin after the cutting off of her breasts asked for water with which she might be washed ἤτησεν ὕδωρ ἐφ᾽ ᾧ διακλύσασθαι; and that this was held out to her by St. Cyril: Καὶ τις τῶν ὑπηρετῶν, Κύριλλος ὀνόματι, ἔχων ἔν κρυπτῷ τὴν πίστιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐπεδίδου αὐτῇ ὕδωρ, and one of the ministers, Cyril by name, who secretly followed the faith of Christ, gave her water. The others in this place speak neither of water asked nor of water furnished. The same cod. vat. min. adds moreover: That the breasts of the holy Girl, drawn out, were placed by the executioner on her shoulders: ὁ δὲ δήμιος λαβῶν τὴν λαβίδα εἵλκυσεν τοὺς μαστοὺς τῆς ἁγίας Κόρης· ἦσαν γὰρ σεμνοὶ, καὶ κόψας ἐπέθηκεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους αὐτῆς·

e. Cod. vat. min. ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν χεὶρῶν καὶ τῶν ποδῶν, from both hands and feet.

f. Nicetas and the cod. vat. min. add that her hands and feet too were amputated: Further to the nails the most bloody man added that her hands likewise and her feet should be amputated. Nic. And more at length the cod. vat. min. ἐκέλευσεν τὰς δύο χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἐκκοπῆναι. Καὶ τούτου λεγομένου καὶ τοῦ δήμου κράζοντος καὶ λέγοντος Ἀπάλλαξον τὴν νεονίδα, οὐδέποτε γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἀνδράσιν τοιαῦτα ἐνεδείξω κακά. Πλείω ἐμμανεὶς διὰ τοὺς κράζοντας ἐκέλευσεν ἐκκοπῆναι καὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτῆς τοὺς δύο. He ordered both her hands to be cut off. When this was done and the people murmured and said: Let the young girl go: for you have not displayed such evils even on men. Raging the more on account of the murmurs of the people he ordered both her feet too to be amputated. In the others nothing about a murmur, which is mentioned already for the second time in the same codex.

g. There follows in the Greek text: Ἀλλὰ τῶν μὲν ὀδόντων — ἐλευθερίας οὐκ ἔτι.. But he mutilated her indeed of teeth and tongue, but not so of the faculty and freedom of speaking. The whole passage is passed over by Lipomano; because perhaps it cannot easily be perceived how these things cohere with what follows.

h. The cod. vat. min. thus describes the knocking out of the teeth. Λάβε σίδηρον ἰατρικὸν καὶ ἐκρίζωσον τοὺς ὀδόντας τῆς ἁγίας κόρης, take a surgical instrument and tear out the teeth of the holy girl. It is indeed not likely that the governor used the last two words, unless perhaps by way of irony.

i. Literally: He bloodied it and made it more distinguished than all purple and royal adornment.

k. Μικρὸν ἐκλελοιπυῖαν: the neuter verb εκλείπω, I fail, I am lacking, can be referred as well to a failing of body as of soul; it seems however to be taken more commonly of the former. See the Thesaurus of the Greek language, recently printed at Paris in eight dense volumes by Ambroise Didot. Nicetas uses the word ὀλιγωρῆσαι, which in the aforesaid Thesaurus is rendered in Latin to fail in spirit. And Combefis notes [Combefis. page 513.]: That the Virgin as it were relaxed her tension for a little, and what I have more mildly rendered "grew faint"; so that this word here signifies the same as the following ἐκλυομένη. (See the following Annotation.) Lipomano interprets "when she had nearly failed." So everywhere in the Saints God mixes human things with divine, lest anyone should glory in himself, but in God, from whom it wholly is. I do not plainly see what Combefis means: whether, that is, the holy Virgin failed a little in spirit, or only in body? The cod. vat. min. uses the word ὀλιγοψυχήσασα; further ὀλιγοψυχέω signifies I am small of soul.

l. These things much more briefly in the cod. vat. min.: ὀλιγοψυχήσασα ᾐτήσατο ὕδωρ· τὸ γὰρ αὗμα τῆς Μάρτυρος σφοδρῶς κατέῤῥεεν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτῆς. Ὁ δὲ, Κύριλλος πάλιν ἐπέδωκεν αὐτῇ τὸ ὕδωρ. Καὶ τοῦτο γνοὺς ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἐκέλευσεν τὸν Κύριλλον ἐκβληθῆναι ἔξω τῆς πόλεως καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ξίφους τελειωθῆναι. Failing a little she asked for water: for blood was flowing vehemently from the mouth of the Martyr. And Cyril again furnished water. On learning which the governor ordered Cyril to be cast out of the city and killed with the sword. Nicetas [Ibid. page 473.]: The precious gore of the Virgin then flowed on every side, from hands and feet and mouth and breasts; and her body was dyed abundantly and fully as with royal purple. Here they say that the most immaculate Virgin grew a little faint. For as the things that surpass nature had persisted in her on account of him who is superior to nature, so too for his sake those things seemed which were from nature. Growing faint then from the abundance of gore, she asked for a little water, with which she might wash out her mouth. A certain man held it out, a Christian indeed in religion, but who was thus far thought to be of the sect of the gentiles. The name of the athlete was Cyril. For the rest see the Preliminary Commentary, last number.

m. The cod. vat. min. writes that the governor, before the capital sentence was passed, wished to apply another kind of torture, but was prevented by the bystanders from having it given over to execution. Namely after the cutting out of the tongue certain chief men among the bystanders wished the holy Martyr to be dismissed; and a new murmur arose, ὁ δὲ ἡγεμὼν ὴθέλησεν αὐτὴν ἐν φούρνῳ ζώκαυστον ποιῆσαι· οἱ δὲ μεγιστᾶνες οὐ συνεχώρησαν τοῦτο

n. See Preliminary Commentary, number 9, where it treats of the place of the martyrdom. For the rest all the acts affirm that this took place at Rome or rather not far from there. Nicetas: Cast out of the city, she was condemned to be beheaded [Ibidem.]. And the cod. vat. min.: Τότε κελεύει τῷ δημίῳ ἀπενεγκεῖν αὐτὴν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως, καὶ τῷ ξίφει τελειωθῆναι αὐτὴν καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς τοῖς ποσὶν ῥιφῆναι. Then he ordered (the governor) the attendant to cast her outside the city, and to slaughter her with the sword, and, seizing her body by the feet, to throw it away.

o. Lipomano notes here: Behold prayer with prostration and tears.

ON SS. ANASTASIA AND CYRIL: ANASTASIA, VIRGIN, AND CYRIL, MARTYRS AT ROME,

MORE PROBABLY UNDER DIOCLETIAN AND BEFORE THE YEAR 303.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

BY B. B.

LIFE AND MARTYRDOM

AT ROME

FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

CHAPTER ONE

ANNOTATIONS.

CHAPTER TWO

ANNOTATIONS.

Notes

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