ON ST. SOZON, MARTYR,
AT POMPEIOPOLIS IN CILICIA
About the year CCCIV.
PREVIOUS COMMENTARY.
The Saint's cult: certain deeds briefly examined: the Acts published in Latin disapproved: better ones to be published in Greek and Latin.
Sozon, martyr at Pompeiopolis in Cilicia (S.)
BY J. S.
The Calendars of the Greeks, generally all of them, celebrate today St. Sozon the martyr, The Saint suffered at Pompeiopolis in Cilicia, who suffered at Pompeiopolis in Cilicia. From them Baronius inserted the same in the Roman Martyrology in these words: At Pompeiopolis in Cilicia, of St. Sozon the martyr, who under the emperor Maximian, being cast into the fire, gave up his spirit. Pompeiopolis, which by the common consent of the Calendars and the Acts is set as the wrestling-ground of this holy Martyr, was a maritime city of Cilicia, formerly called by the Greeks Σόλοι, by the Latins Soli, and by some Solœ. It was adorned also with a bishopric, as Le Quien shows in Oriens Christianus, tome 2, col. 877, but was afterwards destroyed. The time of the martyrdom, which is expressed neither in the Greek Calendars nor in the Acts, I judge nevertheless to have been rightly assigned by Baronius: for since he is reported to have suffered under Maximian or Maximus, governor of Cilicia, the martyrdom seems to be fixed at the beginning of the universal persecution of Diocletian and Maximian. For at that time Numerius Maximus was over Cilicia, and he is generally called Maximus in the Acts of the Martyrs, so that it can scarcely appear doubtful that he is the very man who in these Acts is called Maximian, as Tillemont also observed in tome 5 of the Monuments, in the Persecution of Diocletian, article 26.
[2] The elogia of St. Sozon, into which something concerning his deeds and martyrdom has been inserted, he is celebrated in the Calendars: an elogium from the Menology are neither accurately woven together nor in all things consonant with one another, plainly because the several collectors of Calendars have contracted certain things from the Acts at their own discretion. The Menology published in Latin by Sirleto has it thus: The commemoration of the holy martyr Sozon. He, being converted from Lycaonia to the faith of Christ, entered into a temple of idols, in which there was a statue made of gold and silver, and sold the right hand of a certain idol, which he had cut off, and distributed the price of it to the poor; and being for this arrested by Maximus governor of Cilicia, and having confessed the Christian faith, he was compelled to run shod in shoes having sharp nails fixed in them, celebrating the glory of God: afterwards, being hung upon a tree and beaten, he gave up his spirit to God.* These things are drawn from the Acts, but not without blemishes. But lest by producing all the elogia I become too prolix, I shall only observe what in the others is added or otherwise set forth, and what agrees with the Acts, or dissents from them.
[3] compared with others, First, both in the Acts and in the rest of the Calendars, with the single exception of the Basilian Menology, the Saint is said to have been from Lycaonia, which is a province of Asia Minor bordering on Cilicia. In the Basilian alone he is written as from Lycia, perhaps by an error of the transcribers. That he suffered under Maximus prefect of Cilicia, the printed Menæa and the Basilian Menology also have. The manuscript Sirmondian Menæa, together with the Acts, name Maximian. But it is not to be doubted that Numerius Maximus is designated, as I have already noted, since he was over Cilicia under Diocletian, and is notorious for the slaughters of various martyrs. There may be seen among us the Acts of St. Calliopius at the XI of April, of St. Tatianus Dulas at the XV of June, and in Ruinart's Sincere Acts the Acts of SS. Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus. For all these suffered in Cilicia under the same Maximus, and the same cruelty of the tyrant shines out in all the Acts. Thirdly, as to the occasion of the martyrdom, all the monuments together agree, namely that the Saint took away the hand of a golden statue, and gave the price to the poor. That statue, which is here said to have been made of gold and silver, is everywhere else called golden. I know indeed that that deed is rather to be wondered at than imitated: but I do not see that it is to be denied. Nor do I judge that the Saint sinned by that deed, since a simple man without doubt believed in good faith that it was not unlawful for him, or rather was impelled by a singular motion of the Holy Spirit, that the vanity of the idols might be shown.
[4] and augmented and corrected from them. Fourthly, concerning the sharp nails which the torturers fixed in the Saint's shoes, that the feet of the Martyr as he walked might be wounded, all the monuments agree. But what follows about the death inflicted on the Saint may be corrected from the Acts to be given below: for he does not seem to have been hung upon a tree, as is asserted in both Menologies, though not in the Menæa, printed or written. Fifthly, in the Basilian Menology, and in the Acts, the Saint is said also to have instructed men in piety; but that preaching of the faith or instruction of men was only private, not public: for the Acts together with the Menæa confirm that he was a shepherd of sheep. Lastly it may be doubted whether the St. Sozon who is briefly announced in the printed Menæa at the VII of August, as is read in that place among us in the Prætermissi, is the same as today's. I answer that he is a different man, if what is there briefly said of him be true, namely that he was of Nicomedia, and that he came forth unhurt from the fire: for neither of these can be said with any foundation of today's Saint.
[5] I have two Greek Acts of St. Sozon, and these notably different, The Acts already published of Metaphrastes are disapproved: yet in such a way that the later seem to have been composed out of the earlier. The later, under the name of Metaphrastes, Lipomanus in tome 6 and Surius at this day have already published in Latin. The same in Greek Leo Allatius saw and attributed to Metaphrastes, in the Diatriba on the Writings of the Simeons, page 127, where he assigns the beginning of these Acts thus: Μαξιμιανοῦ τῆς βασιλέιας (read Κιλικίας) ἡγεμονεύοντος, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀσεβείας. This beginning of the Acts agrees altogether with our manuscript copy, which is noted as drawn from the Medicean codex of the king of France, except for the word βασιλείας, which is manifestly faulty and by a mere error of the transcriber substituted for the word Κιλικίας, as Lambecius already observed in the Commentaries on the Imperial Library of Vienna, book 8, page 238, where from the Vienna codex he gives a longer beginning of the Acts. But since these Acts have already been published in Latin in Lipomanus and Surius, it does not please me to publish them again, not even in Greek; especially since we have others more ancient and better: for concerning those published in Surius, Tillemont, praised above, rightly observed that they are not of approved trustworthiness, and this will appear more from the Annotations to the Acts to be given, in which I shall show how frequently Metaphrastes departed from the earlier Acts, or at least amplified them too much: for it is sufficiently plain that the same lay before him.
[6] But now, as regards the Acts to be published in Greek and Latin, [Other Acts to be published, into which the notaries' own Acts seem to have been inserted:] I cannot doubt that they are very ancient: nay, I believe them to have been written by a contemporary author not long after the Saint's martyrdom. Moreover I judge that the greater part of the Acts, that is, all those things which were said and done before the governor, were written down in the same way as they had been taken down by the notaries themselves, with only the Saint's title added where Sozon is named. For if we compare from the Acts of SS. Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus, who suffered under the same judge, the first interrogation of each, we shall find plainly the same manner of interrogating and proceeding; and the same cruelty of the tyrant, who after some sufficiently gentle questions presently leaps forward to dreadful tortures. In both places, too, the tyrant Maximus wished to deprive the Saints' bones of burial, but could not, God not permitting it. And so it seems altogether to be said that the chief part of the Acts was written on the spot by notaries, and obtained by the author, who added the beginning and the end. For this reason I judge the whole martyrdom of the Saint most worthy of credit; nor do I see anything in the deeds before the governor which raises a difficulty, except that the governor is called Maximian, whereas his name seems to have been Maximus, or Numerius Maximus. But that slight change of name is to be attributed to the fault of the transcribers, and cannot damage the trustworthiness of the Acts. Thus, on the testimony of Tillemont, tome 4, in St. Caius the Pope, the same Numerius Maximus is called Numerianus in certain manuscripts.
[7] but in the same, certain things about the beginning and the end are disapproved. But the Saint's deeds before the martyrdom, which I have therefore joined together in chapter 1, and the things done after the interrogation, referred to chapter 3, which were not written by notaries, appear less certain. Assuredly the vision of the Saint related in number 2, with his prayer there following, appears more marvellous than probable, as I shall observe in the Annotations. Still more improbable and incongruous is the prayer which is set down in number 8, as if it had been uttered by the Saint at the point of death: this I judge altogether fictitious, since it does not seem congruous with the modesty of the holy Martyr. Doubt may also be entertained about those marvels which are reported to have been done in the gathering of the bones; but of these and other matters I shall treat in the Annotations. For the rest, those Greek Acts, whose style is simple but by no means barbarous, our Predecessors received from the Pontifical codex of Alexander VII, and they are preserved among us together with the Acts of Metaphrastes in the Collection of Greek Acts of the month of September, marked ✠ Ms. 192. The Latin interpretation I have so composed that I have tried to express even the simplicity of the style itself.
Annotata* nay, of the same one.
ANCIENT ACTS
From the Pontifical codex of Alexander VII. Translated by John Stilting.
Sozon, martyr at Pompeiopolis in Cilicia (S.)
CHAPTER I.
The Saint's fatherland and condition: a marvellous vision: he takes away the hand of the golden image and is arrested.
Μαξιμιανοῦ ἡγεμονεύοντος τῆς Κιλικίας, καὶ πολιτευομένης τῆς μιαρᾶς θρησκείας τῶν εἰδώλων, ὄντος τε αὐτοῦ ἐν Πομπιοπόλει, καὶ φύοντος καὶ ἐμβατεύοντος ἐν τοῖς τῶν εἰδώλων ναοῖς, ἔστησεν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἄγαλμα χρυσοῦν ἕν, μετὰ πάντων τῶν εἰδωλομανούντων· πεπειθότες προσεκύνουν καὶ ἔσπένδον. Ἦν δέ τις νεανίσκος τῆς Λυκαονίας, ὀνόματι Ταράσιος, ποιμὴν προβάτων, ἐν δὲ τῷ ἁγὶῳ βαπτίσματι ἐπεκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Σώζων. Οὗτος περιήρχετο πολλοὺς τόπους ἀγωνιζόμενος ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς, διδάσκων καὶ ἄλλους πολλοὺς φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν.
[2] Ἐλθὼν δὲ ἐν τόπῳ τινὶ, ἐν ᾧ ἦν πηγὴ ὕδατος καθαροῦ, καὶ δρὺς μεγίστη, ἐβουλήθη ἀναπαύσασθαι ἐκεῖ, καὶ διυπνοῦντος αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, ἦλθεν αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ εἶπεν. Ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ ἀπὸ τῶν ὅπλων τούτων, ὧν ἐπιφέρεις, ἀκόντια τρία ἐκ τῆς φαρέτρας τῶν βελῶν σου, καὶ τὸ τόξον σου εἰς μνημόσυνόν σου. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν ἐπισκιάσει σοι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ, καὶ δῶρα πολλὰ προσοίσουσί σοι, ἐπὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρός μου, κἀγὼ θεραπεύσω τοὺς μετὰ πίστεως προσερχομένους μοι, καὶ ἔσται τὸ μνημόσυνόν σου εἰς τὰς γενεὰς τοῦ ἀιῶνος. Ἀναστὰς δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου ὁ μακάριος Σώζων, ἐποιησεν καθὼς διετάξατο αὐτῷ ὁ Κύριος, ἔθηκέν τε τὰ ὅπλα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν πέτρον, καὶ εὐξάμενος καὶ δεηθεὶς τῷ Κυρίῳ τοῦ ἐπισκιάζειν τὸν τόπον, καὶ ἰᾶσθαι τοῦς προσφεύγοντας ἐν αὐτῷ ἀσθενεῖς, καὶ ἐπορεύθη πάλιν πρὸς τὴν Πομπιόπολιν.
[3] Ἐμηνύθη δὲ τῷ ἡγεμόνι, ὅτι Χριστιανός ἐστι· καὶ πρῶτον μὲν λαθρέως εἰσελθὼν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, ἔνθα τὸ ἄγαλμα τὸ χρυσοῦν ἴδρυτο, ἀφείλετο τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ χεῖρα, καὶ πωλήσας αὐτὴν, ἔδωκεν τὸ τίμημα πτωχοῖς. Τῇ δὲ ἕωθεν θορύβου πολλοῦ γεγονότος, γνοὺς ὁ μακάριος Σώζων τινὰς τῶν γειτονιαρχῶν συνεχομένους, οὕς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Μαξιμιανὸς ἐν τῇ φρουρᾶ αὐτοὺς εἶναι, ὡς μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀχθήναι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν ἐρώτησιν περὶ τοῦ πράγματος τοῦ γεγονότος· τούτους ὁρῶν ὁ Μακάριος, ἔφη· Τί ἀπάγετε τούτους εἰς τὴν φυλακὴν, ἐγὼ ἔλαβον τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ ὑμετέρου μιαροῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ἔδωκα εἰς ἀναλώματα πτωχῶν, Ταῦτα λέγοντος αὐτοῦ, γνωστὸν ἐγένετο τῷ ἡγεμόνι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο, καὶ ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν προσαχθῆναι τῷ βήματι.
While the worship of idols flourished at Pompeiopolis, Sozon, When Maximian was governor of Cilicia, and while the polluted worship of idols flourished, and he was living at Pompeiopolis and sacrificing and frequenting the temples of the idols, he set up in the city a certain golden image, together with all the mad worshippers of idols: being persuaded, a they adored it and poured libations. Now there was a certain youth of Lycaonia, by name Tarasius, a shepherd of sheep, but in holy baptism the name Sozon was given him. He went about through many places, ardently seeking the salvation of his soul, and teaching many others also to fear God b.
[2] But when he had come to a certain place, in which there was a spring of pure water and a very great oak, refreshed by a divine vision, he wished to rest there. And while he slept in that place, the Lord Jesus Christ himself came and said: In this place, of these arms which thou bearest, three arrows out of the quiver of thy shafts, and thy bow, shall be thy memorial c. For behold, from now the Holy Spirit shall overshadow thee in this place, and they shall bring thee many gifts in the name of my Father: and I will heal those who come to me with faith, and thy memory shall be unto the generations of the age. But when blessed Sozon had risen from sleep, he did as the Lord had commanded him: and he laid his arms upon the rock: and he prayed and besought the Lord to overshadow the place, and to heal the sick who took refuge in it d, and he went again to Pompeiopolis.
[3] But it was reported to the governor that he was a Christian. he takes away the hand of the golden idol, and confessing it is arrested. And first indeed, coming secretly to the place where that golden image had been set, he took away its right hand, and of the same when sold
he gave the price to the poor e. But in the morning, a great tumult having arisen from this, blessed Sozon, knowing that certain of the neighbors had been arrested, whom Maximian had ordered to be consigned to prison, that after three days they might be brought to examination concerning the deed that had been done — blessed Sozon, seeing these men, said: Why do you lead these to prison? I took away the hand of your abominable god, and gave it for the expenses of the poor. While he was saying this very thing, the matter spoken became known to the governor, and he ordered him to be led to the tribunal.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAPTER II.
The interrogation of the Saint and the torments endured before the governor.
Παριστάντος δὲ αὐτοῦ, Μαξιμιανὸς ὁ ἡγεμὼν εἶπεν. Τίς καλεῖσαι; Ὁ ἄγιος Σώζων εἶπεν. Εἰ ζητεῖς τὸ κοινὸν ὄνομα, ᾧ ἐκλήθην παρὰ τῶν τεκόντων με, Ταράσιος καλοῦμαι· εἰ δὲ τὸ ἀληθινὸν, Χριστιανὸς Σώζων ἐκλήθην ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ βαπτίσματι. Μαξιμιανὸς ὁ ἡγεμὼν εἶπεν. Ποίου χωρίου εἶ; Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Μιδαρζέων κώμης. Μαξιμιανὸς ὁ ἡγεμὼν εἶπεν. Ποῖα σοι χρεία ἐγένετο ἐνταῦθα παραγενέσθαι; Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Ποιμὴν προβάτων ἦμην, νέμων ἐν ταῖς ἀρούραις, καὶ τόπον ἐκ τόπου ἀμοίβων. Μαξιμιανὸς εἶπεν· Καὶ δια τὶ τοῦτο ἐτόλμησας δρᾶσαι; Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Βουλόμενος αὐτὸν ὑποδείξασθαι Χριστιανὸν, καὶ ὑμᾶς ἐλέγξαι ἀσεβεῖς ὄντας, διὰ τοῦτο ἔκοψα τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ τοῦ εἰδώλου.
[5] Μαξιμιανὸς ὁ ἡγεμὼν εἶπεν· Προσελθὼν, προσκύνησον τοῖς θεοῖς, ἵνα καὶ ἡ προτέρα τόλμησις συγχωρηθῆ σοι. Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν. Ποίῳ θεῷ προσκυνήσω; τῷ μονοχειρὶ; ἐμοὶ δὲ αἰσχύνη ἐστὶν λέγειν αὐτὸν θεὸν· ὅστις γὰρ ἑαυτῷ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη βοηθῆσαι, ποῖος οὗτος θεὸς; Μαξιμιανὸς εἶπεν· Ἅψασθε αὐτοῦ τῶν προτέρων μελῶν· Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ παράστηθί μοι εἰς βοήθειαν τῷ σῷ δούλῳ. Μαξιμιανὸς εἶπεν· Ὁμολόγησον θύσαι τοῖς θεοῖς, καὶ ἀπαλλασσου τῶν βασάνων. Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Ἄφρων καὶ ἀναίσθητε οὐχ ὑπονοεῖς ὅτι βουλόμενος ἑαυτὸν ἀληθινὸν Χριστιανὸν ἐπιδείξασθαι, καὶ γενναῖον ἀθλητὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦτο ἐποίησα; μὴ πτωούμενος τῶν ἐκ τῶν βασάνων σου κινδύνων, τοῦ μιαροῦ σου εἰδώλου τὴν χεῖρα ἔκοψα, καὶ πῶς νομίζεις με θύειν αὐτῷ;
[6] Μαξιμιανὸς εἶπεν· Ἡλώσαντες εἰς τὰ ὑποδήματα αὐτοῦ ἦλους ὀξεῖς, καὶ ὑποδήσαντες αὐτὸν, ποιήσατε διακινεῖν, λέγοντες αὐτῷ· Πρέπει σοι οὕτως ἀναπατεῖν. Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Μὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα μου οὐχ οὕτως σοι πρέπει ἡ χλαμὶς, ὡς ἐμοὶ τὸ ἀναπατεῖν οὖτως. Νομίζω γὰρ ὡς ἐν πολλῇ πλατείᾳ μετὰ ἀνέσεως διακινῶ, οὔτως οὖν * κεντούμενος τοῖς ἥλοις, ὅσον ἁγιαζώμενος τῷ πάθει. Μαξιμιανὸς εἶπεν· Πανάθλιε τὸ αἷμα σου χειμάῤῥουν πεποίηκεν, καὶ οὐκ αἰσθάνου τῶν βασάνων; Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Πιστεύων τῷ Χριστῷ μου, οὐκ αἰσθάνομαι τῶν βασάνων σου. Μαξιμιανὸς εἶπεν· Ἐπαύλησον ἐξερχόμενος ἐκ τῆς θέας, καὶ μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς εὐθέως σε ἀπολύσω. Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Διὰ τὸ ἐνοχλεῖν μοι συνεργεῖς σατανᾶ; Ἀπόστα ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ ἐργάτα τῆς ἀνομίας, πολλὰ γὰρ ἤυλησα, νέμων τὰ πρόβατα· νῦν δὲ ἄδω τῷ Κυρίῳ ἆσμα καινὸν ἐν δεκαχόρδῳ ψαλτηρίῳ μεθ᾽ ᾠδῆς ἐν κιθάρᾳ.
[7] Μαξιμιανὸς ὁ ἡγεμὼν εἶπεν· Συνδήσατε αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ κερατίᾳ ἐν τοῖς καταδίκοις, ὅπως ῥυσθείημεν τῆς μιαρᾶς αὐτοῦ κεφαλῆς. Ὁ ἅγιος Σώζων εἶπεν· Οὕτως κἀγὼ σπεύδω σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι, καὶ ῥυσθῆναι τῆς ἀναιδοῦς σου ὄψεως. Μαξιμιανὸς εἶπεν· Ἀπάγάγετε αὐτῷ σφοδροτέρας μάστιγας, καὶ ποιήσατε τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀφανισμῷ τελείῳ, καὶ διάρατε τὰ ὀστὰ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μή τις θάψη αὐτὸν, καὶ πῦρ ἅψαντες, ἐμβάλετε αὐτὸν ἐκεῖ.
The Saint is interrogated And as he stood by, Maximian the governor said: What is thy name? St. Sozon said: If thou seekest the common name which my parents imposed upon me, I am called Tarasius: but if the true one, I was named Christian Sozon in holy baptism. Maximian the governor said: From what place art thou? And he said: From the village of the Midarzeans a. Maximian the governor said: By what advantage wert thou impelled to come hither? St. Sozon said: I was a shepherd of sheep, living in the fields, and exchanging one place for another b. Maximian said: And why didst thou dare to do this c? St. Sozon said: Wishing to show myself a Christian, and to convict you as impious: therefore I cut off the hand of that idol.
[5] and answering freely, he is tortured Maximian the governor said: Come forward and adore the gods, that thy former audacity also may be pardoned thee. St. Sozon said: What god shall I adore? the one-handed? But I am ashamed to call this one a god. For he who could not help himself, what sort of god is he? Maximian said: Set upon d his forward limbs. St. Sozon said: Lord Jesus Christ, be present to me thy servant for help. Maximian said: Confess, sacrificing to the gods, and free thyself from the torments. St. Sozon said: Senseless and unfeeling man, dost thou not remember that I did this wishing to show myself a true Christian and a noble athlete of Christ? By no means terrified by the perils of thy torments, I cut off the hand of thy polluted idol; and how dost thou think that I shall sacrifice to it?
[6] with divers torments, Maximian said: When you have fixed sharp nails into his shoes, and have shod him with them, make him move himself, saying to him: It behooves thee thus to walk. St. Sozon said: By my hope, the military cloak does not so adorn thee as it becomes me thus to walk e. For I think that I am going at ease, as in a broad open space, not so much pricked f by the nails as sanctified by the suffering. Maximian said: Most wretched man, thy blood has made a torrent, and dost thou not feel the torments? St. Sozon said: Believing in my Christ, I do not feel thy torments. Maximian said: Pipe a tune as thou goest out from the sight g, and by the gods I will presently release thee. St. Sozon said: Dost thou not, Satan, work together to bring trouble upon me? Depart from me, worker of iniquity: for I piped much upon the flute while pasturing my sheep. But now I sing to the Lord a new song upon the ten-stringed psaltery, with a canticle upon the harp.
[7] and is condemned to death. Maximian the governor said: Bind him in the ceratia h among the condemned, that we may be freed from that wicked head. St. Sozon said: So do I also hasten to be with Christ, and to be freed from thy shameless sight. Maximian said: Inflict on him more violent stripes: and cause his body utterly to disappear, and take away his bones, that no one may bury him, and having kindled a fire, cast him into it i.
ANNOTATIONS.
ran, as though walking upon roses: and seeing the streams of blood running down from his feet, he seemed to be flowing about with pleasant things: and he accounted the mockeries of the tyrant and of those who stood around to be praise: and in that thing the Athlete gloried more than the other in the cloak of his dignity.
* read οὐ τοσοῦτον
CHAPTER III.
The Saint's death and burial: the day of his decease.
ἘΙσερχόμενος δὲ ὁ Ἅγιος ἐν τῇ πυρᾷ, προσηύξατο οὕτως. Δέσποτα Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστὲ ἐπάκουσόν μου τοῦ δούλου σου, καὶ ὅστις τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπικαλέσαιται διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου ὀνόματός σου, εἴτε ἐν οἴκῳ, εἴτε ἐν θαλάσσῃ, εἴτε ἐν συμφορᾷ, ἢ ἐν ἀνάγκῃ, καὶ εἴ τις τὴν μνείαν μου ἐπιτελέσει, ἐλευθέρωσον αὐτοῦς ἀπὸ πάσης θεηλάτου ὀργῆς καὶ ἀνάγκης. Καὶ φωνὴ ἦλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγουσα· Θάρσει μάρτυς μου Σώζων, ἐξηκούσθη ὅ ἠτήσω με.
[9] Τούτου δὲ γενομένου, καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου πρὸς Κύριον ἐκδημήσαντος, αὖθις ἐκ τῆς πυρᾶς βροντὴ ἐγένετο μεγάλη, καὶ ὄμβρος μέγας σὺν χαλάζῃ ἦλθεν, καὶ πάντες ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου ὑπεχώρησαν, καταλείψαντες τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἁγίου. Καταλαβούσης δὲ τῆς νικτὸς, καὶ σκότους ὄντος πολλοῦ, τὰ λείψανα τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος οἱ ἀδελφοὶ συστεῖλαι οὐκ ἠδύναντο διὰ τὸ σκοτίαν εἶναι βαθείαν. Ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ νυκτὶ φῶς ἐγένετο μέγα, λάμψαντος τοῦ ἡλίου ὡς ἐν μεσυιμβρίᾳ ἕως οὗ ἐτάφῆ τὸ ἅγιον σῶμα τοῦ Ἁγίου καὶ ἐνδόξου μάρτυρος, καὶ πάλιν νύξ ἐγένετο. Ὄθεν εὐχαριστοῦντες οἱ ἀδελφοὶ, ἀπέδωκαν δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ τῷ τοιαύτην χάριν διδοῦντι τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτὸν, καὶ σώζοντι τοὺς μετὰ πίστεως ὁμολογοῦντας τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
[10] Ὅσοι οὖν προσκυνοῦσιν εἰς τὸν τόπον, ὅπου κεῖνται τὰ λείψανα αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἁγίου Σώζωντος, καὶ τὰ ὅπλα τῆς νίκης αὐτοῦ, χάριν εὕρωσιν καὶ θύχωσιν τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας, καὶ χάριν εὕρωσιν ἐν τοῖς ἀτελευτήτοις αιῶσιν. Ἐτελειώθη δὲ ὁ ἅγιος Ταράσιος ὁ μετονομασθεὶς Σώζων μηνὶ Σεπτεμβρίῳ κατὰ Ῥωμαίους ἡμέρᾳ ἑβδόμῃ· κατὰ δὲ ἡμᾶς μηνὶ δωδεκάτῳ, πέντε καὶ δεκάτῃ, καὶ πρεσβεύει ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος σὺν τῷ ἀχράντῳ αὐτοῦ Πατρὶ, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ζωοποιῷ αὐτοῦ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμὴν.
The Saint's prayer in the fire: But the Saint, entering into the pyre, prayed in this manner: Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, hear me thy servant, and whosoever shall invoke my name through thy holy name, whether in the house, or on the sea, or in danger, or in necessity; and if anyone shall celebrate my memory, free them from all wrath and necessity sent down from God. And a voice came to him, saying: Be confident, my martyr Sozon, thy prayer has been heard a.
[9] And when these things had been done, and the Saint had departed to the Lord, the gathering of the relics by the Christians: again a mighty thunder flashed forth from the pyre, and a violent rain arose with hail, and all withdrew for fear, leaving the body of the Saint. When night had come, since there was great darkness, the brethren could not gather the relics of the holy Martyr on account of the thick gloom. But in that same night a great light arose, the sun shining as at midday b, until the sacred body of the holy and glorious Martyr was buried: then the night returned. Wherefore the brethren, giving thanks, gave glory to God, who grants such grace to his Saints that fear him, and who preserves those who with faith confess the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[10] Whosoever, therefore, worship in the place where lie the relics of this holy Sozon and the arms of his victory, the day of the martyrdom set forth. shall find grace, and shall obtain the kingdom of heaven, and shall find grace c in the everlasting ages. And the holy Tarasius, surnamed Sozon, died according to the Romans in the month of September, on the seventh day; but according to us in the twelfth month d, on the fifteenth day: and he goes on embassy for our sins before our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power with his immaculate Father, and with his holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.