Susanna

ON ST. SUSANNA, VIRGIN AND MARTYR,

AT ELEUTHEROPOLIS IN PALESTINE.

Under Julian.

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.

The memory of the Saint in the calendars, chiefly Greek: her cult: the Greek Acts to be published.

Susanna, virgin and martyr, at Eleutheropolis in Palestine. (S.)

BY J. S.

The memory of this holy Susanna Baronius drew from the Sirletian Menologium, Susanna, announced without a place in the Roman Martyrology, and was the first to insert her into the Roman Martyrology, but not without some defect: for he both omitted the place of the martyrdom, because he saw that it was not rightly expressed in the aforesaid Menologium, as I conjecture; and Baronius's words were at first so printed that Martha, who is recorded in the Menologium only as Susanna's mother, seemed to be joined to Susanna as a companion. But this latter defect, which could have been the printers', when it had been observed, was corrected in later editions, in which this is read: Likewise of the holy martyr Susanna, daughter of Arthemius, priest of the idols, and of Martha. The place was cautiously omitted by Baronius, because he saw, I think, that Heliotropolis is wrongly written in the Menologium. But other calendars of the Greeks, and the Acts themselves, teach us that the Saint was crowned at Eleutheropolis, which is a most well-known city in Palestine. Certain fable-makers, who have tried to fill Spain with Saints sought from every quarter, took occasion from the omission of the place in the Roman Martyrology to drag Susanna into Spain, and added Martha to her as a Companion in martyrdom; nay, they announced a twofold Susanna and a twofold Martha on the same day. But those inept inventions Nicolás Antonio sharply refuted in his posthumous Writings, of which we have a manuscript copy. But since it is abundantly established among learned Spaniards that the pseudo-Chronicles from which those things flowed are worthy of no credit, and since no doubt can remain about the place of St. Susanna's martyrdom, it is not necessary to say more about them.

[2] In the Basilian Menologium at the 20th of September St. Susanna is commemorated, [is commended with an elogium in the Basilian Menologium, as having suffered at Eleutheropolis:] and is praised with an elogium which contains a sufficiently faithful summary of the Acts. I subjoin the Latin words from the Urbino edition: Susanna the holy martyr was of the region of Palestine, the daughter of a priest of the idols by name Arthemius. And when her parents were dead, being taught the word of truth by Silvanus the presbyter, she is baptized. Then, her goods being distributed to the poor, leaving the world, she went into a monastery and embraced the monastic institute, bearing a man's habit; and she named herself John, lest she should be recognized by anyone. But when she was held for a man, she was falsely accused by a certain woman, moved by the devil's suggestion, that

in the times of Julian the apostate, in which Susanna suffered. For although Julian is not named in the Acts, everything nevertheless suggests that the Saint could not have suffered before the time of Constantine the Great, nor even under Licinius, so that it must be said that she suffered under Julian.

[3] [she seems to have been born under Maximian or Maximinus, and to have suffered under Julian.] In other calendars of the Greeks some things are added which likewise seem drawn from the Acts. First, the Saint's mother is said to have been called Martha and to have drawn her race from the Jews, both in Sirlet's Menologium and in the manuscript Constantinopolitan Synaxary. In the printed Menæa, where she is first announced at the 19th of September with an added iambic Poem, and again at the 15th of December with a longer elogium, the Saint's mother is said to have been a Jewess, but the name is passed over. But in the Acts Martha is asserted not only to have been a Jewess by origin, but also to have imbued her daughter Susanna with the teachings of the Jews. In the aforesaid elogium at the 15th of December Susanna is said to have lived under Maximian, which I think must be understood of Galerius, or perhaps of Maximinus, who is sometimes also called Maximian, and administered the empire with Galerius Maximian, and survived him two years, dying in the year 313. But in the Acts the Saint's parents are said to have been in the time of the rule of Maximus; which perhaps crept in by the carelessness of the copyists for Maximinus or Maximian. From the Acts it is further clear that Susanna was not martyred but born under the rule of Maximian or Maximinus, and therefore we shall not be able to stray by many years if we set her birth about the year 310. In the Acts she is said to have been converted to the faith when her parents were dead, and to have sought her goods from her guardians when she was fifteen years old, that is, about 325. Then, her goods being distributed to the poor, she took a man's habit, and came to Jerusalem, and went to the monastery of Philip the abbot, in which she is said to have lived about twenty years, until, being accused, she was compelled to betray her sex. And so we can believe that she came to the monastery about 326, and departed thence about 346, when she was made a deaconess at Eleutheropolis. The rest of her life she spent there, and at length was seized and crowned with martyrdom, which must have happened in the year 362 or 363, if what is narrated in the Acts is true. But if it were certainly established that Susanna died in the month of September, on which she is venerated, her martyrdom would have to be fixed in the year 362, in which Julian was reigning: for he was killed before September of the year 363.

[4] The Saint's Acts, to which some difficulties can be objected, All this chronology is no more certain than the credit of the Acts from which it flows. But the Acts will perhaps not seem to severer critics to be of undoubted credit, since they contain many marvels of which we find nothing elsewhere except in the calendars of the Greeks; and all those things which are read in the ritual books of the Greeks about Susanna without doubt flowed from the Acts. Yet the said difficulty can shake the credit of the Acts so much the less, the more common it is, and the more it is found even in the best Acts. For both the holy Fathers and the ancient historians passed over many deeds of the Saints which have become known from their own Acts and are held for undoubted. And the history of this Susanna, even had they known it, they could easily have omitted, because the dwelling of a Virgin among men was not to be imitated but rather to be wondered at, as also the wearing of a man's dress. Another difficulty too arises from the bishop who is said to have led the Saint to Eleutheropolis after she had been recognized as a woman, since he is named Cleopas, and among the bishops of Eleutheropolis I find no Cleopas. This difficulty is increased by the catalogue of the prelates of Eleutheropolis which Le Quien wove in the Oriens Christianus, volume 3, column 633 and following: for he seems to have produced sufficient bishops for the fourth century. Nevertheless, all things in that catalogue being rightly weighed, I see nothing to hinder some Cleopas from having been able to sit at Eleutheropolis about the year 350: and since Cleopas is named only at the recognition of St. Susanna, and the bishop's name is not likewise expressed at her burial, Cleopas may have administered the church of Eleutheropolis for a few years, and been so much the less known as his episcopate was shorter. Besides, the bishop may have had a double name, and the one may have been used in these Acts, the other in the subscriptions of councils or of letters; and thus Cleopas could be one of those whom Le Quien recounts about the middle of the fourth century. Whatever be the case, that difficulty cannot much harm the Acts, because neither is a place for Cleopas wholly lacking in Le Quien's Catalogue, nor are all whom he brings forward about that time proved by certain arguments to be bishops of Eleutheropolis, nor is there any of them who could not have been called Cleopas by another name, nor does it rarely happen that some bishop becomes known from one document only.

[5] Wherefore what is said in the Acts about Cleopas at first indeed cast a doubt upon me about the credit of the Acts, are confirmed from elsewhere, as is the chronology given: as long as I did not find Philip the abbot under whom Susanna professed the monastic life. But I judged that difficulty of almost no weight when at length I found in one place Philip the abbot and his monastery recorded about the middle of the fourth century in Palestine and in the parts of Jerusalem. Rufinus, book 11, chapter 28, writes this: In the times of Julian, as though the reins were relaxed, the fierceness of the pagans boiled up into every savagery. Whence it came about that at Sebaste, a city of Palestine, with raging mind and deadly hands they attacked the sepulchre of John the Baptist, scattered his bones, and, gathering them again, burned them with fire; and scattered the holy ashes, mingled with dust, through fields and countryside. But by God's providence it came to pass that certain men from Jerusalem, from the monastery of Philip, a man of God, had come thither at that same time for the sake of prayer. And when they saw so great a crime being done with human hands indeed but with a beastly mind, holding it more welcome to die than to be defiled by an outrage of this kind, mingling among those who were gathering the bones for burning, gathering them more diligently, so far as the case allowed, and more religiously, they stole away by stealth from men either stupefied or raging, and carried the venerable relics to the religious father Philip. He, reckoning it above him to guard so great a treasure by his own watchings, sends the relics of the immaculate victim … to the supreme pontiff (of the church of Alexandria), then Athanasius, etc. This passage teaches various things to our purpose: for we understand that Philip was an abbot of great name, such as he is described in the Acts, and that he presided over a monastery in the territory of Jerusalem, and in the times of Julian, as the Acts likewise have it. We see besides that Philip was a friend of St. Athanasius, and consequently a good Catholic; and that our chronology, by which from the Acts alone I fixed the Saint's death under Julian, is excellently confirmed, since Philip was still living when St. Susanna was crowned. But what Rufinus says from Jerusalem must be understood of the territory of Jerusalem, according to the custom of that time, in which monasteries were built outside the cities.

[6] The Acts seem from their style to be by a writer almost contemporary, Now let us inspect the Acts themselves more closely; for I cannot deny that at first I doubted much about their credit. The style is simple and pure enough, so that it fully suits the fourth century. The circumstances of persons and things are so clearly set forth in the Acts that they seem plainly those of a contemporary writer or nearly so. For some writer far later would not have expressed the names, condition, and religion of both parents, and the names of the bishop of Eleutheropolis, of Philip the abbot, of Alexander the prefect, of Aquila the informer, and many other things minutely reported; or certainly, if anyone had wished to invent all those things, he would easily be caught in a lie, since it is very difficult to devise everything so aptly about matters long past that nothing be found abhorrent from the times and places. Wonderful indeed in a Virgin is the assumption of a man's dress and the long dwelling among monks, nor yet is there any reason to doubt that fact, since it is established that several other women did the like. Wonderful again is the Saint's faith, by which she prayed and obtained from God that all the idols of the gentiles should suddenly fall down. But this very thing is no more incredible than what happened at nearly the same time to Julian near Antioch, when he ordered the body of St. Babylas to be translated out of the temple of Daphne, that he might sacrifice in it to Apollo. For, on the testimony of Chrysostom, who could have been present and seen everything, as soon as the coffin (of St. Babylas) was drawn to the city, a thunderbolt sent from heaven upon the head of the statue (of Apollo) burned all things. More of these things in Chrysostom in the Homily on St. Babylas, and among us at the 24th of January. We may wonder too that the Saint did not lose her life by certain torments apt otherwise to bring death; but that again is common to her with many other martyrs who remained unharmed amid torments.

[7] and agree excellently with the persecution of Julian. But now all the things which regard the occasion of the martyrdom and the Saint's martyrdom itself agree so accurately with the persecution of Julian that chiefly for this reason I judge that the Acts were written in good faith. For, as is known from the writers, Julian ordered the temples of the gods to be opened and wished sacrifices to be offered to them; but he had not yet ordered that Christians be compelled to sacrifice. And according to the Acts Alexander the prefect invited the people of Eleutheropolis to sacrifice, but did not compel them or threaten penalties to the unwilling. But he ordered Susanna to be arrested because she had been denounced for overturning the idols, not because she was a Christian. He did not invite her to the worship of the idols, nor say that by the emperor's mandate sacrifices were to be offered by her to the gods; but he always questioned her about the God whom she worshipped, that from her free answers against the idols he might seize an occasion of punishing her. Thus altogether Julian wished that the Christians should not seem to suffer or be killed for the faith, but as rebels, or as worthy of punishment for some other cause. Besides, Julian is nowhere named in the Acts, and this very thing is congruous with his persecution; for he wished the cities and prefects to persecute the Christians, on the testimony of Nazianzen in Oration 1 against Julian, page 74, and that, he says, not by a public edict, but from this, that he by no means repressed their impetuosity and boldness, proclaiming by a kind of unwritten law set forth that he willed it. The same in Oration 2 against Julian says: Moreover the governments of the provinces were committed, not to the best and most moderate, but to the most cruel of men. Which agrees excellently with what is said in the Acts about Alexander, and with the violence with which he ordered the holy Virgin, scarcely heard, to be killed.

[8] Wherefore I judge that the Acts of St. Susanna are by no means to be repudiated; so that they seem faithfully written and are to be published as such but are to be admitted at least as to the facts, as being ancient, as agreeing with places, times, and persons. Nor let any critic here say that the marvels reported in them, and the discourses inserted into the Acts, savor of the style of Metaphrastes, as some have made it their custom to pronounce about Greek Acts. For whoever should wish to attribute these Acts to Metaphrastes would by that very thing show that the style of Metaphrastes is little known to him:

since the style of these Acts is far simpler. Nevertheless I do not think the credit of the Acts is to be so far respected that I should judge that even the very words of the Saint, or of others, which are reported in them, were uttered in exactly that manner. I rather think that the writer used that liberty which most writers, both profane and sacred, have allowed themselves, so as to bring in the Saint and others speaking as he believed they must have spoken according to the circumstances of the deeds, or as he had understood that they nearly spoke. For the rest, those Greek Acts, hitherto unpublished, our elders received at Paris from the papers of the most illustrious François Olivier, as is read in the margin. In our manuscript Catalogue of Lives it is noted that the same Acts are found at Rome in the Vatican Library and at Vienna in the Imperial one. In the printed Catalogue of the royal library of Paris, volume 2, the same Acts are assigned in codex 1491, with this change, however, at the beginning, that there is read κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς, whereas in our copy it is κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν. For the rest, I observe that in our copy some words are faultily written. And so I warn the reader that I shall correct those errors which are clear and certain; but shall leave those which cannot be corrected with certainty, and shall give some warning about them either in the margin or in the Annotations: and shall give a Latin translation as faithful as I can.

THE LIFE

By an anonymous author

From parchments of the most illustrious François Olivier. J. S. translator.

Susanna, virgin and martyr, at Eleutheropolis in Palestine. (S.)

By an anonymous author.

ΚΑτὰ

τὸν

καιρὸν

τῆς

βασιλείας

Μαξίμου

ἦν

τις

ἱερεὺς

τῶν

εἰδώλων

ἐν

τοῖς

μέρεσι

τῆς

Παλαιστίνης,

ὀνόματι

Ἀρτέμιος,

πλούσιος

μὲν

σφόδρα,

λοιμὸς

δὲ

τοῖς

τρόποις,

καὶ

ἐχθρὸς

διάπυρος

τῶν

Χριστιανῶν.

Οὗτος

ἔγημεν

γυναῖκα

Ἰουδαίαν,

ὀνόματι

Μάρθαν·

ἔτεκεν

δὲ

αὐτῷ

θυγατέρα,

καὶ

ἐκάλεσεν

ἡ

μήτηρ

τὸ

ὄνομα

αὐτῆς

Σωσάνναν,

λέγουσα,

ὅτι

ἐκ

τοῦ

ἔθνους

τῶν

πατρῶν

ἔσται

τὸ

ὄνομα

αὐτῆς,

καὶ

οὐχὶ

ἐκ

τῶν

ἑλλήνων.

ἀνέτρεφεν

δὲ

αὐτὴν

ἡ

μήτηρ

τοῖς

τῶν

Ἰουδαίων

ἤθεσί

τε

καὶ

μαθήμασι·

ἐγένετο

δὲ

τεγευτῆσαι

τοὺς

γονεῖς

τῆς

παιδὸς

ἔτι

νηπιαζούσης.

ἐνεστήσατο

δὲ

ὁ

πατὴρ

αὐτῆς

τελευτῶν

δύο

ἐπιτρόπους

αὐτῇ,

ἐντειλάμενος

αὐτοὺς

ἐν

τῇ

διαθήκῃ,

ὡς

αὐξηθῆσαν

αὐτὴν,

καὶ

γάμῳ

προσομιλήσασαν,

τὸ

τηνικαῦτα

ἐντὸς

γενέσθαι

κυρίαν

τῶν

χρημάτων.

ἦν

δέ

τις

πρεβύτερος,

ὀνόματι

Σιλυανὸς,

τῆς

αγίας

πίστεως

τῶν

Χριστιανῶν·

οὗτος,

περιόντων

τῶν

γονέων

τῆς

παιδὸς

ἐν

τῷ

βίῳ,

ἐν

συντυχίᾳ

αὐτῶν

ἦν,

ὥστε

ἐκ

γειτόνων

οἴκων.

καὶ

δὴ

λοιπὸν,

αὐξηθείσης

τῆς

Σωσάννης

καὶ

ἐχέφρονος

οὔσης,

συχνὰς

συντυχίας

ποιουμένη

πρὸς

τὸν

προῤῥηθέντα

πρεσβύτερον

Σιλυανὸν,

ἐστηρίζετο

ὑπ᾽

αὐτοῦ

ἐν

τῇ

πίστει

τῶν

Χριστιανῶν·

ἤκουσε

τοῦ

Κυρίου

διὰ

τοῦ

εὐαγγελίου

λέγοντος·

ἀμὴν

λέγω

ὑμῖν,

ὃς

ἀφῆκεν

οἰκίας,

ἢ

ἀγροὺς,

ἤ

γονεὶς,

ἤ

τέκνα,

ἤ

ἀδελφοὺς,

ἔτι

δὲ

καὶ

τὴν

ἑαυτοῦ

ψυχὴν,

καὶ

ἄρῃ

τὸν

σταυρὸν

αὐτοῦ,

καὶ

ἀκολουθήσει

ὁπίσω

μου,

ἑκατονταπλασίονα

λήψεται

ἐν

τῷ

νῦν

αἰῶνι,

ἐν

δὲ

τῷ

μέλλοντι

ζωὴν

αἰώνιον

κληρονομήσει.

[2] Τούτων

τοίνυν

τῶν

τιμίων

ῥημάτων

ἐπακούσασα,

ἡ

ὄντως

δευτέρα

σώφρων

Σωσάννα,

καὶ

θεόθεν

κατανυγεῖσα,

ἀπέστειλεν

ἕνα

τῶν

παίδων

τῶν

συνόντων

αὐτῃ,

πρὸς

τὸν

πρεσβύτερον

Σιλυανὸν,

ἀξιοῦσαι

ἐλθεῖν

πρὸς

αὐτὴν.

τοῦ

δὲ

παραγενομένου,

ὑπαντήσασα

προσεκύνησεν

αὐτόν.

εἶτα

ἐπευξάμενος,

ἐκάθισαν

ἀμφότεροι,

καὶ

ἤρξατο

ἡ

Σωσάννα

ἀξιοῦν

τὸν

πρεσβύτερον,

ἐπιλῦσαι

αὐτῶν

ἀναγνωσθέντων

τὴν

δύναμιν.

ὁ

δὲ

ὅσιος

καὶ

τίμιος

ἀνὴρ

καθεξῆς

ἐπέλυσεν

αὐτῇ

τὰ

περὶ

τῆς

εἰς

Θεὸν

ἀγάπης,

καὶ

ἁγνείας,

καὶ

ἐλεημοσύνης,

καὶ

ἀκτημοσύνης,

καὶ

τὰ

περὶ

τῆς

βασιλείας

τῶν

οὐρανῶν.

ταῦτα

ἀκούσασα

ἡ

μακαρία,

καὶ

συγχυθεῖσα

τοῖς

δάκρυσιν,

ἠξίου

καταταγῆναι

ἐν

τῇ

τῶν

Χριστιανῶν

προσηγορίᾳ.

Τοῦ

δὲ

ὑπερθεμένου,

μετὰ

τὴν

ἀπόλυσιν

τῆς

θείας

λειτουργίας,

εἰσαγαγὼν

αὐτὴν

ἐν

τῷ

φωτιστηρίῳ,

καὶ

ἀφορκίσας

αὐτὴν

κατὰ

τὸ

ἔθος,

ἔδωκεν

αὐτῇ

τὸ

λουτρὸν

τῆς

ἀθανασίας,

βαπτίσας

αὐτὴν

εἰς

τὸ

ὄνομα

τοῦ

Πατρὸς

καὶ

τοῦ

Υἱοῦ

καὶ

τοῦ

ἁγίου

Πνεύματος.

καὶ

εἶθ᾽

οὕτως

μετέδωκεν

αὐτῇ

τοῦ

ἁγίου

σώματος

καὶ

τοῦ

τιμίου

αἵματος

τοῦ

Κυρίου

καὶ

Θεοῦ

καὶ

σωτῆρος

ἡμῶν

Ιησοῦ

Χριστοῦ

εἰς

ἄφεσιν

ἁμαρτιῶν.

[3] Τούτων

τοίνον

οὕτως

προβάντων

αἰσίως,

ἄπεισι

ἡ

Σωσάννα

ἐν

τῷ

οἴκῳ

αὐτῆς,

χαίρουσα

καὶ

ἀγαλλιαμένη

ἐφ᾽

οἷς

ἠξιώθη

ἀγαθοῖς.

καὶ

ἐλθοῦσα

ἐν

τῇ

οἰκίᾳ,

προσκαλεσαμένη

τοὺς

ἐπιτρόπους

αὐτῆς,

ἔφη

αὐτοῖς·

ἰδοὺ

ὁ

καιρὸς

τῆς

ἀκμῆς

τῆς

ἠλικίας

μου

ἤγγικεν·

ἀπόδοτέ

μοι

λοιπὸν

τὰ

καταλειφθέντα

μοι

χρήματα

ἀπὸ

τῶν

γονέων

μου.

Οἱ

δὲ

εἶπον

αὐτῇ·

κυρία,

μὴ

ὀργίζου.

ἰδοὺ

γὰρ

τὰ

χρήματά

σου

σῶά

εἰσιν·

καὶ

ἰδοὺ

καὶ

οἱ

οἰκέται

σου

ὑπηρετοῦσίν

σοι,

καὶ

ἡμεῖς

δὲ

αὐτοὶ

δοῦλοί

σου

ἐσμὲν.

ἡ

δὲ

ἔφη

αὑτοῖς·

οὐ

χρεία

νῦν

τῶν

λόγων

τούτων·

ἀλλὰ

τὴν

ἀποκατάστασιν

τῶν

χρημάτων

μου

τάχος

ποιήσατε.

οἱ

δὲ

εἶπον

αὐτῇ·

ἄκουσον

κυρία.

ὁ

πατήρ

σου

ἐνετείλατο,

ἐννόμῳ

γάμῳ

σε

προσομιλήσασαν,

τὸ

τηνικαῦτα

ἐντὸς

γενέσθαι

τῶν

χρημάτων.

ἡ

δὲ

εἶπε·

τοῦ

νομοθέτου

Χριστοῦ

ἐλευθερώσαντός

με

ἐκ

τῆς

τῶν

πατέρων

μου

ἀνάγκης,

ἐν

ἐμοὶ

νῦν

ἀπόκειται

τὸ

προσομιλῆσαι

γάμῳ

καὶ

μὴ

προσομιλῆσαι.

Ἰδοὺ,

ἀπέσχετε * τοῦ

γάμου·

τὰ

δὲ

χρήματα

ἀποκαταστήσατέ

μοι.

ἦν

δὲ

ἐτῶν

τότε

πέντε

καὶ

δέκα,

ὅτε

ταῦτα

ἐφρόνει

καὶ

ἔπραττεν·

οἱ

δὲ

ἐπίτροποι

ἀκούσαντες

ταῦτα,

καὶ

γνόντες

ὅτι

Χριστιανὴ

γέγονεν,

ἀπεκατέστησαν

αὐτῇ

πάντα

τάτε

χρήματα

καὶ

τὰ

κτήματα

ἀναλιπῶς.

[4] Ἄτινα

λαβοῦσα

ἡ

μακαρία,

τὰ

μὲν

ἀκίνητα

διαπέπρακεν,

καὶ

συναγαγοῦσα

χρυσίον

ἰκανὸν

καὶ

ἀργύριον,

περίει

τὰς

νύκτας

καὶ

διεδίδει

τοῖς

δεομένοις.

Τὰ

δὲ

κινητὰ,

τοῦτ᾽

ἐστιν

τοὺς

δούλους

αὐτῆς

καὶ

τὰς

δούλας,

ἐλευθερώσασα,

ἀπέλυσεν

αὐτοὺς,

εἰποῦσα·

ἐγὼ

μὲν

ὑμᾶς,

ὦ

τέκνα,

τῆς

προσκαίρου

ταῦτης

δουλείας

έλευθερῶ·

εἰ

δὲ

βούλεσθε

καὶ

τῆς

ἀληθινῆς

ἐλευθερίας

ἀξιωθῆναι,

προσέλθητε

τῷ

ὄνντως

ἐλευθεροῦντι

τὰς

ψυχὰς

τῶν

ἀνθρώπων·

καὶ

αὐτὸς

ὑμᾶς

ἐξαγοράσας

τῆς

ἀμαρτίας,

γνησίους

καὶ

ἐλευθέρους

προσγράψει

εἰς

τὴν

ἑαυτοῦ

στρατείαν.

ὁμοίως

δὲ

καὶ

τὰ

καταλειφθέντα

αὐτῇ

λοιπὰ

χρήματα

πάντα

εἰς

τοὺς

πρωχοὺς

ἀναλώσασα,

μεταστειλαμένη

κουρέα,

ἐκήρατο

τὴν

κομὴν

τῆς

κεφαλῆς

αὐτῆς,

καὶ

ἀμφιασαμένη

σχῆμα

ἀνδρικὸν,

ἔδωκεν

ἑαυτὴν

ἐπὶ

τα

Ἱεροσόλυμα·

καὶ

δὴ

απελθοῦσα

εἰς

τὴν

μονὴν

τοῦ

μακαρίου

Φιλίππου,

ἔκρουσεν

εἰς

τὸν

πυλῶνα

τοῦ

μοναστηρίου.

ἐξελθὼν

δὲ

ὁ

θυρωρὸς,

καὶ

θεασάμενος

αὐτὴν,

ἔδοξεν

ἄνδρα

εἶναι,

καὶ

εἰσήγαγεν

αὐτὴν

ἔνδον.

εἶτα

ἐπηρώτησεν,

τί

ἄν

βούλοιτο,

καὶ

πόθεν

ἥκει.

ἡ

δὲ

λέγει·

πόθον

ἔσχον

πολὺν

τοῦ

εὔξασθαι

ἐνταῦθα

καὶ

εὐλογηθῆναι

παρ᾽

ὑμῶν.

Ὁ

δὲ

θυρωρὸς

ἀπελθὼν,

ἀνήγγειλεν

ἅπαντα

τῷ

μακαρίῳ

Φιλίππῳ,

λέγων.

πάρεστίν

τις

νεανίσκος

εὐειδὴς,

φάσκων

εὐχῆς

χάριν

ἥκειν,

καὶ

εὐλογηθῆναι

παρ᾽

ὐμῶν.

ὁ

δὲ

εἶπεν·

προσάγαγε

αὐτὸν

ἐν

τῷ

εὐκτηρίῳ,

εἰθ᾽

οὕτως

πρὸς

μὲ.

ὁ

δὲ

ἐποίησεν

ὡς

διετάχθη·

ἑίθ᾽

οὕτω;

εἰσήγαγεν

αὐτὴν

πρὸς

αὐτον·

ἡ

δὲ

εἰσελθοῦσα

προσεκύνησεν

τῷ

μακαρίῳ

Φιλίππῳ

ἐπὶ

τὴν

γῆν,

ἔπειτα

καὶ

τοῖς

παρεστῶσι.

ὁ

δὲ

μακάριος

Φίλιππος

ἔφη·

καλῶς

ἦλθες,

ἀδελφέ.

πόθεν,

καὶ

τίνος

χάριν

ἦλθες

πρὸς

ἡμᾶς

τοὺς

ταπεινοὺς·

ἡ

δὲ

εἶπεν·

ἐγὼ

δέομαί

σου

πάτερ·

ἀπὸ

Καισαρείας

εἰμὶ

τῆς

Παλαιστήνης,

καὶ

ἀποβεβληκὼς

τοὺς

γεννήσαντας,

ἥκω

νῦν

ἐνταῦθα

τοῦ

Θεοῦ

με

ὡδηγήσαντος,

ἵνα

ποιήσῃς

με

ὡς

ἕνα

τῶν

ἀδελφῶν

τῶν

ὄντων

μετὰ

σοῦ,

καὶ

σωθῇ

μου

ἡ

ψυχὴ·

λέγει

αὐτῇ

ὁ

μακάριος

Φίλιππος·

τί

τὸ

ὄνομά

σου.

ἡ

δὲ

εἶπεν·

Ιοάννης

καλοῦμαι.

οἱ

δὲ

παρεστῶτες

ἀδελφοὶ

εἶπον·

καλὸν

ὄνομα

ἔχεις,

ἐὰν

καὶ

τὴν

προαίρεσιν

κτήσῃ.

[5] Τότε

ἤρξατο

αὐτὴν

ὁ

μακάριος

Φίλιππος

ἐκ

τῶν

ἁγίων

γραφῶν

νουθετεῖν,

περὶ

ταπεινοφροσύνης,

περὶ

ὑπακοῆς,

περὶ

ἐγκρατείας,

περὶ

ἀγρυπνίας,

καὶ

ἀπαξαπλῶς,

καθῶς

καθήκη,

παραινέσας

αὐτὴν,

καὶ

καιροῦ

καλέσαντος,

ἔδωκεν

αὐτῇ

καὶ

τὸ

τῶν

μοναχῶν

ἅγιον

σχῆμα.

ἥτις

λαβοῦσα

τὸ

σχῆμα,

ἐκτενῶς

προσεῖχεν

τῇ

ἀσκήσει,

ἐπιδεικνημένη

πᾶσαν

ταπεινοφροσύνην

καί

ἐγκράτειαν,

ἀγρυπνίαν

τε

καὶ

κλαυθμὸν,

καὶ

ἄοκνως

ταῖς

εὐχαῖς

προσκαρτεροῦσα,

ὡς

ἄπαντας

χαίρειν

ἐν

αὐτῇ,

καὶ

δοξάζειν

τὸν

Κύριον.

ἐγένετο

δὲ

χρόνους

ἱκανοὺς

ποιῆσαι

αὐτὴν

ἐν

τῆ

καλλίστῃ

ταύτῃ

πολιτείᾳ,

ὡς

περίπου

τὰ

εἴκοσι

ἔτη·

καὶ

οὐδεὶς

ἠδυνήθη

τῷ

τοσούτῳ

χρόνῳ

γνῶναι,

ὅτι

γυνὴ

ὑπῆρχεν.

Ἦν

δέ

τις

ἀσκήτρια

τῷ

σχήματι,

καὶ

οὐ

τῷ

πράγματι,

ἀπὸ

Ελευθεροπόλεως·

αὕτη

ἔθος

ἔσχεν

εἰσιέναι

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ

εὐλαβείας

χάριν

πρὸς

τὸν

μακάριον

Φίλιππον.

ἐἰσιοῦσα

οὖν

καὶ

ἐξιοῦσα

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ,

ἐν

συντυχίᾳ

γέγονε

καὶ

τῆς

μακαρίας

ταύτης

Σωσάννης

ἐν

μιᾷ

τῶν

ἡμερῶν,

ὅθεν

καὶ

εὐλογηθεῖσα

ὑπ᾽

αὐτῆς,

ὁσάτε

ὑπὸ

ἀνδρὸς.

Ὁσάκις

ἄν

εἰσ

ήρχετο

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ

πρὸς

τὸν

μακάριον

Φίλιππον,

ἐν

συντυχίᾳ

καὶ

ὁμιλίᾳ

πλατυτέρᾳ

ἐγίνετο

καὶ

αὐτῆς,

οἰομένη

αὐτὴν

εἶναι

ἄνδρα,

ὡς

ἐκ

τούτου

ἐγένετο

αὐτῆς

ἐν

ἐπιθυμίᾳ

αἰσχρὰ

ἡ

δῆθεν

ἀσκήτρια.

ἐπὶ

πολλοῦ

οὖν

χρόνου

τοῦτο

διανοουμένη,

καὶ

πυρπολουμένη

ἔνδοθεν

τὴν

ψυχὴν,

μὴ

εὑρίσκουσα

δὲ

καιρὸν

εὐθετὸν

πληρῶσαι

τῆς

ψυχῆς

αὐτῆς

τὴν

ἀπώλειαν,

συκοφαντίας

δράμα

ἐπιπλέκει

τῇ

σώφρονι

καὶ

δικαίᾳ

Σωσάννῃ,

ὅσατε

προπέμπων

αὐτὴν

ἀπὸ

τοῦ

μοναστηρίου,

βιασάμενος

καὶ

φθείρας

αὐτὴν.

[6] Καὶ

δή

ἐν

μιᾷ

τῶν

ἡμερῶν,

ἐξελθοῦσα

ἐκ

τοῦ

μοναστηρίου

ἐπορεύετο

δεινῶς

ὀδυρομένη

καὶ

κοπτομένη

καὶ

βοῶσα,

κατὰ

συγκυρίαν,

μᾶλλον

δὲ

κατ᾽

οἰκονομίαν

Θεοῦ,

ὑπήντησεν

αὐτὴν

ὁ

ἐπίσκοπος

Ελευθεροπόλεως

ὁ

ὅσιος

Κλεώπας,

καὶ

ἰδὼν

αὐτὴν

οὕτως

κοπτομένην

καὶ

θρηνοῦσαν,

εἶπεν

αὐτῇ·

τί

σοι

ἐστὶν

γῦναι,

καὶ

τί

πέπονθας,

ὅτι

οὕτως

πικρῶς

στενάζεις

καὶ

βοᾶς;

ἡ

δὲ

εἶπεν

ὁλοφυρωμένη·

δέομαί

σου

δέσποτα,

ἄκουσόν

μου

τῆς

ταλαιπώρου·

ἐξ

ἱκανοῦ

χρόνος

ἀπιοῦσα

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ

τοῦ

κυροῦ

Φιλίππου

εὐλογίας

χάριν,

οὐδὲν

πέπονθα

δεινὸν

ἤ

ἄτοπον

ποτέ.

Καὶ

τὰ

νῦν,

οὑκ

οἶδα

πόθεν

ἐδέξαντο

νεανίαν

εὐειδῆ,

ὀνόματι

Ἰωάννην,

ὅστις

ὡς

προφάσει

προπέμπων,

ἐβιάσατό

με,

καὶ

ἔφθειρέν

μου

τὴν

παρθενίαν·

καὶ

ἕνεκα

τούτου

θρηνῶ.

ὁ

δὲ

τίμιος

καὶ

ὅσιος

ἐπίσκοπος

Κλεώπας,

τοῖς

πειθανοῖς

αὐτῆς

λόγοις,

μᾶλλον

δὲ

ἀπατηλοῖς,

πεισθεὶς,

λέγει

αὐτῇ·

ὑπόστρεφε

ἅμα

ἐμοὶ

εἰς

τὸ

μοναστήριον·

ἐκεῖ

γὰρ

πορεύομαι

συντυχίας

χάριν·

καὶ

ἤγαγεν

αὐτὴν

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ.

εἰσελθὼν

ἆν

ὁ

ὅσιος

ἐπίσκοπος

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ

πρὸς

τὸν

μακάριον

Φίλιππον

ἠσπάσατο

αὐτὸν,

καὶ

καθισάντων

αὐτῶν,

ἤρξατο

ἐπεγκαλεῖν

ὁ

ἐπίσκοπος

τῷ

μακαρίῳ

Φιλίππῳ,

λέγων·

ἰδοὺ

χἀριτι

Χριστοῦ

πεντήκοντα

καὶ

πρὸς

ἔτη

ἔχεις

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ

τούτῳ,

καὶ

οὐδεὶς

πώποτε

κακόν

τι

ἤκουσεν

περὶ

σοῦ,

ἤ

περὶ

τῶν

οἰκούντων

σὺν

σοὶ·

καὶ

ἡμεῖς

δὲ

αὐτοὶ,

καὶ

οἰ

καθεῖς

ἐρχόμενοι,

ὡς

πρὸς

ἄνδρας

Θεῷ

ἀνακειμένους

ἐρχόμεθα.

[7] Καὶ

τὶς

ἐστιν

οὗτος,

ἱ

ὅν

ἕχεις

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ

σου,

φθορέα

ψυχῆς

ἀνακειμένης

Θεῷ,

ὀνόματι

Ἰωάννην,

ὅστις

ἐβιάσατο

τὴν

παρθένον

τὴν

ἐξ

ἔτους

φυτῶσαν

ἐνταῦθα

εὐλογίας

χάριν,

καὶ

ἔφθειρεν

αὐτὴν;

ἥν

καὶ

ὑπαντήσας

βοῶσαν

καὶ

κοπτομένην

ὑποστρέψας,

ἤγαγον

ἐνταῦτα.

Καὶ

ἐκέλευσεν

ὁ

ἐπίσκοπος

ἀχθῆναι

τὴν

ἀσκητρίαν.

ἡ

δὲ

ἐλθοῦσα,

ταῦτα

εἶπεν

καὶ

ἐπὶ

τοῦ

ἀββᾶ

Φιλίππου,

ὅτι

τὰ

καὶ

τὰ

ἐποίησέ

μοι

ὁ

μονάζων

σου.

ὁ

δὲ

μακάριος

Φίλιππος

ἔφη

τῷ

ἐπισκόπῳ·

δέομαι

τοῦ

ἁγίου

σου

ἀγγέλου.

Εγὼ

οὕτως

ἔχω,

ὅτι

καὶ

ἐμοῦ

ἡσυχάζοντος,

ὁ

Θεὸς

διαφυλάττει

τοὺς

ἀδελφοὺς

ἀπὸ

πάντος

κακοῦ·

ἀλλὰ

καὶ

ὁ

ἀδελφὸς,

περὶ

οὗ

λέγετε

ταῦτα,

νομίζω

ἐν

τοῖς

τελείοις

κατανενυγμένοις

ἀνδρᾶσιν

αὐτὸν

ὑπάρχειν,

καὶ

ἐφ᾽

ὅψεσιν

τῶν

ἀδελφῶν

ἐν

τοῖς

μεγάλως

κατορθοῦσιν

ἐστίν.

Εἰκοστὸν

γὰρ

ἄγει

ἔτος,

ἀφ᾽

οὗ

εὐχαῖς

αὐτοῦ

ὁσίαις

δέδωκα

αὐτῷ

τὸ

μοναστικὸν

σχῆμα·

καὶ

οὐδὲ

ἀδιαφοροῦντά

τις

ἴδεν

αὐτὸν,

οὔτε

ἀργολογοῦντα,

ἀλλ᾽

ἐν

πάσῃ

ταπεινοφροσύνῃ,

καὶ

κατανύξει,

καί

κλαυθμῷ,

καὶ

ψαλμωδίᾳ

προσκατερεῖ,

καὶ

ἐν

τῇ

ὑπακοῇ

δὲ

πρόθυμος,

ὥς

πάντας

ἡμᾶς

χαίρειν

ἐπ

αὐτόν.

εἰ

δὲ

τοῦτο

οὕτω

γέγονεν,

μεταστέλλομαι

αὐτὸν

νῦν

ἐφ᾽

ὑμῶν·

καὶ

ὡς

παρίσταται

ἡμῖν,

ἀνακρίνοντες

αὐτὸν,

μάθετε

τὸ

ἀσφαλὲς

παρ᾽

αὐτοῦ.

καὶ

ἐὰν

ὁραθῆ

ὑπεύθυνος,

ἀφαιρῶ

ἀπ᾽

αὐτοῦ

τὸ

σχῆμα,

ὅ

δέδωκα

αὐτῷ,

καὶ

ἐξουσίαν

αὐτοῦ

ἔχεις,

ὃ

θέλεις,

πρᾶξαι

εἰς

αὐτόν.

Λέγει

αὐτῷ

ὁ

ἐπίσκοπος·

ἄκουσον

κύρι

ἀββᾶ·

ὁ

μὲν

Θεὸς

τὴν

ποίμνην

αὐτοῦ

τὴν

ἐν

ταῖς

ἁγίαις

ἐκκλησίαις,

καὶ

ἐν

τοῖς

μαρτυρίοις,

ἱκανός

ἐστιν

διαφυλάξαι·

τῆς

δὲ

ἀμελείας,

καὶ

ῥαθυμίας,

καὶ

ἀκαίρου

συμπαθείας

ἡμεῖς,

οἱ

ἐγχείρισθέντες

ἄρχειν

αὐτῶν,

ἀπαιτούμεθα

ὑπὸ

τοῦ

Θεοῦ

τὴν

δίκην,

ὅτι

οὐκ

ἐπιμελῶς

ἄγαν

καὶ

πεπονημένως

ἐξηκολυθήσαμεν

τοῖς

παραδοθεῖσιν

ἡμῖν

κανόσιν

ὑπὸ

τῶν

ἁγίων

πατέρων.

εἰπἐν

μοι

οὖν,

παρακαλῶ·

ποῖα

ὠφέλεια,

ἤ

ποῖα

οἰκοδομὴ

ψυχῆς,

ἤ

ποῖος

κανὼν

πνευματικὸς

ἐπιτρέπει,

ἐθίζειν

οἴαν

δή

ποτ᾽

οὗν

γυναῖκα

εἰσιέναι

τῶν

τῷ

Θεῷ

ἑαυτοὺς

ἀφιερωσαντων,

καὶ

τοῦ

κόσμου

ξενωθέντων,

καὶ

ἐν

ἡσυχίᾳ

διάγειν

ἐπανῃρημένων;

κατὰ

τὸ

φαινόμενον

οὐχὶ

τῶν

νυνὶ

κινουμένων

σκανδάλων

τὸ

πονηρὸν

ἔθος

τοῦτο

πρόξενον;

εἰ

γὰρ

καταλίπειν

τοὺς

γεννήσαντας

κελευόμεθα,

οὐχ

ὡς

μισοῦντες,

ἀλλ᾽

ὡς

μὴ

ὑπεραγαπᾶν

τοῦ

Χριστοῦ,

πόσῳ

μᾶλλον

ψυχῆς

ἕνεκα

βλάβης,

ξένην

γυναῖκα

εἰσοικίζειν

ἐν

μοναστηρίῳ

ἀνδρῶν,

καὶ

οἰκειοῦσθαι

καὶ

συναπόλλυσθαι.

[8] Κληθήτω

οὖν

ὁ

ἐπιζητούμενος

ἀδελφὸς,

ἵνα

γνῶμεν

τὸ

σαφές.

κληθεῖσα

δὲ

ἡ

μακαρία

Σωσάννα,

προσεκύνησεν

τῷ

ἐπισκόπῳ

ἐπὶ

τὴν

γὴν,

εἶθα

τῷ

ἀββᾶ

Φιλίππῳ,

καὶ

πᾶσι

τοῖς

παρεστῶσιν

ἀδελφοῖς,

καὶ

ἔστη.

ἡ

δὲ

ἄσεμνος

ἐκείνη

καὶ

ἀναιδὴς

ψευδασκήτρια,

ἰδοῦσα

τὴν

μακαρίαν

Σωσάνναν,

δραμοῦσα

ὤσπερ

λέαινα

ἀγρία,

ἐπέσχεν

αὐτῆς

τοῦ

παλλίου

ἀναιδῶς,

καὶ

ἐβόα

ἐπὶ

πάντων·

οὗτός

ἐστιν

ὁ

πλάνος,

οὗτός

ἐστιν

ὁ

φθορεὺς

τῆς

ἐμῆς

παρθενίας,

οὗτός

ἐστιν

ὁ

κηλιδώσας

μου

τὴν

ψυχὴν.

ἡ

δὲ

ὄντως

μακαρία

καὶ

σώφρων

Σωσάννα,

τὸν

Θεὸν

ἔχουσα

ἐν

ἑαυτῇ,

εἱστήκει

ἀταράχῳ

λογισμῷ.

Πρὸς

ἣν

ὁ

ἐπίσκοπος,

ὡς

πρὸς

ἄνδρα,

ἔφη·

καλῶς

πεποίηκας

ἀδελφὲ,

σχῆμα

ταπεινώσεως

καὶ

εὐλαβείας

κατὰ

τὸν

ἀπόστολον

περιβεβλημένος,

βιασάμενος

καὶ

φθείρας

τὴν

παρθένον

ταύτην.

ἡ

δὲ

ἐσιώπα.

Παλὶν

λέγει

πρὸς

αὐτὴν

ὁ

ἐπίσκοπος·

οὐδὲν

ἀποκρίνει;

τί

σου

καταμαρτυρεῖ

αὕτη;

τότε

ἡ

μακαρία

Σωσάννα

ἀποκριθεῖσα,

ἔφη

τῷ

ἐπισκόπῳ·

δέομαι

σου,

δέσποτα·

οὐ

συνοῖδα

ἐμαυτῷ

τι

κακὸν

πεπραχέναι

εἰς

τὸ

γύναιον

τοῦτο.

εἰ

δὲ

καὶ

ἐποίησα,

ὡς

λέγει,

σνγγνώμην

αἰτῶ·

ὁ

γὰρ

Θεὸς

τῶν

μετανοούντων

ἐστί·

καὶ

ταῦτα

εἰποῦσα,

προσέπεσε

τοῖς

ποσὶ

τοῦ

ἐπισκόπου,

αἰτοῦσα

συγχώρησιν.

ὁ

δὲ

ἐπίσκοπος

πρὸς

αὐτὴν

εἶπεν·

τί

προσέπεσάς

μοι;

οὐκ

οἶδας

ὅτι

τὸ

ἁμάρτημά

σου

οὐκ

ἔστιν

ἁπλῶς * καὶ

ὡς

ἔτυχεν;

περὶ

ψυχῆς

γὰρ

ἐστιν

τὸ

κινούμενον,

ἧς

ἐταπείνωσας·

καὶ

οὐ

μόνον

σοι

ἐπιφέρει

θλίψιν

καὶ

κάκωσιν

τὸ

γεγονὸς,

ἀλλὰ

καὶ

πᾶσι

τοῖς

κατοικοῦσιν

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ.

τότε

ὁ

μακάριος

Φίλιππος

μεγάλως

ἀγανακτήσας,

καὶ

λυπηθεὶς

σφόδρα,

ἀναστὰς,

ἐζήτησεν

ἀπᾶραι

ἀπ᾽

αὐτῆς

τὸ

μοναχικὸν

σχῆμα,

ὡς

κατακριθείσης.

[9] Ἡ

δὲ

εἶπεν

αὐτῷ·

ἐπίσχες

ὀλίγον,

πάτερ,

ἐμοὶ,

καὶ

ὄψῃ

τὴν

δόξαν

τοῦ

Θεοῦ.

καὶ

ἀναστᾶσα

ἀπὸ

τῆς

γῆς,

εἶπεν

τῷ

ἐπισκόπῳ·

παρακαλῶ

σε

διὰ

τὸν

Κύριον,

δέσποτα,

κέλευσον

διὰ

τάχους

παραγενέσθαι

δύο

διακονίσσας,

καὶ

δύο

παρθένους·

ἔχω

γάρ

τι

ἀναθέσθαι

αὐταῖς,

ὅπερ

καὶ

ὑμᾶς

θεραπεύσει.

ὁ

δὲ

ἐπίσκοπος

ἀπέστειλεν

εὐθέως

ἐν

Ελευθεροπόλει,

ἄγειν

τὸ

τάχος

τὰς

δύο

διακονίσσας

καὶ

τὰς

δύο

παρθένους·

τῶν

δὲ

παραγενομένων,

παραλαβοῦσα

αὐτὰς

ἡ

μακαρία

Σωσάννα,

ἄπεισι

μετ᾽

αὐτὰς * ἐν

τῷ

διακονικῷ * τοῦ

μοναστηρίου,

καὶ

ἀποδυσαμένη

ἔμπροσθεν

αὐτῶν,

ἔδειξεν

αὐταῖς,

ὅτι

καὶ

αὐτὴ

θηλία

ἐστὶ

τῇ

φύσει,

καὶ

συνπαρθένος

αὐτῶν,

ὡς

ἐγεννήθη,

ὑπάρχει,

καὶ

ἕνεκεν

τοῦ

σωθηναι

αὐτῆς

τὴν

ψυχὴν

μετῆλθεν

τὸ

ἀγγελικὸν

τοῦτο

σχῆμα,

καὶ

μετωνόμασεν

ἑαυτὴν

Ιωάννην,

Σωσάννα

δὲ

κέκληται

τὸ

ὅνομα

αὐτῆς.

αἱ

δὲ

τίμιαι

γυναῖκες

ἐκεῖναι,

ἰδοῦσαι

καὶ

ἀκούσασαι

ταῦτα,

ἐκπλαγεῖσαι

ἀνεβόησαν

φωνῇ

μεγάλῃ,

λέγουσαι·

μέγας

ὁ

Θεὸς,

ὁ

δούς

σοι

χάριν

τοιαύτην,

καὶ

ὑπομονήν.

Ακούσαντες

δὲ

τὴν

βοὴν

ό

τε

ἐπίσκοπος,

καὶ

οἱ

μοναχοὶ,

καὶ

οἱ

παρόντες

λαοὶ,

ἐταράχθησαν

πάντες

καὶ

συνέδραμον,

γνῶναι

τὴν

βοὴν

τὴν

γενομένην.

ᾤοντο

γὰρ,

μή

τι

αἰσχρὸν

καὶ

εἰς

ταῦτας

ἐπεχείρησεν.

τότε

αἱ

διακόνισσαι

καί

αἱ

παρθένοι,

ἐλθοῦσαι

πρὸς

τὸν

ἐπίσκοπον,

εἶπον·

ἀληθῶς

νῦν

ἴδομεν

νέαν

Σωσάνναν·

συκοφαντία

τοίνυν

ἐστὶ

τὸ

πρᾶγμα.

ἃ

γὰρ

αὕτη

ἡ

παναθλία

ἐπονηρεύσατο,

ὡς

ἀνδρὶ,

καὶ

οὐδὲν

ἤνοισεν,

ἀντεπήγαγεν

δόλῳ

τῇ

σώφρονι

καὶ

δικαίᾳ

ταύτῃ,

διὸ

πυρίκαυστος

ἡ

ψευδασκήτρια

αὕτη

γενέσθαι·

ἡ

τιμία

γὰρ

αὕτη

ἄνθρωπος

θηλία

υπάρχει

τῇ

φύσει,

καὶ

συνπαρθένος

ἡμῖν

ἐστιν,

καὶ

Σωσάννα

καλεῖται

τὸ

ὀνομα

αὐτῆς,

μετενόμαζε

δὲ

τὸ

ὄνομα

αὐτῆς

Ιωάννην

διὰ

τὴν

εἰς

Θεὸν

ἀγαθὴν

ἐλπίδα,

καὶ

τὴν

τῶν

οὐρανῶν

βασιλείαν.

Ταῦτα

τοίνυν

ἀκούσαντες

ἅπαντες

ὑπὸ

τῶν

τιμίων

διακονισσῶν

καὶ

παρθένων,

θαυμάσαντες

τὴν

πολλὴν

πίστιν,

καὶ

σωφροσύνην,

καὶ

ἁγνείαν

τῆς

μακαρίας

Σωσάννης,

φωναῖς

ἐπινικίαις

ἀνύμνουν

τὸν

Θεὸν

τὸν

ἅγιον,

ὅτι

οὐχ

εὑρέθη

ἐν

αὐτᾗ

μῶλος

πονηρός.

[10] Τότε

ἐκινήθησαν

οἱ

ἀδελφοὶ

πάντες

λιθοβολῆσαι

καὶ

ἀνελεῖν

βουληθέντες

τὴν

ψευδασκητρίαν·

ἡ

δὲ

μακαρία

Σωσάννα,

πολλὰ

δεηθεῖσα

αὐτῶν

καὶ

ἰκετεύσασα,

καὶ

ἐπὶ

τὴν

γῆν

προσπεσοῦσα,

ἔπαυσεν

αὐτοὺς

τοῦ

τοιούτου

βουλήματος

καὶ

ἐγχειρήματος.

ὁ

δὲ

ὅσιος

ἐπίσκοπος

Κλεώπας

περιβομβηθῆναι

αὐτὴν

καὶ

ἐκβληθῆναι

τῆς

ἐνορίας

ἐκείνης

πεποίηκεν.

Μετὰ

δὲ

τὸ

γενέσθαι

ταῦτα

πάντα,

λαβὼν

ὁ

τρισόσιος

ἐπίσκοπος

τὴν

μακαρίαν

Σωσάνναν,

ἀπήγαγεν

αὐτὴν

ἐν

Ελευθεροπόλει,

καὶ

κατέστησεν

αὐτὴν

ἡγεῖσθαι

τοῦ

ἀσκητηρίου

τῶν

παρθένων

τῆς

ἁγιωτάτης

ἐκκλησίας,

ποιήσας

αὐτὴν

καὶ

διάκονον

τῆς

αὐτῆς

ἁγίας

ἐκκλησίας,

ὡς

τιμίας

καὶ

εὐλαβεστάτης

καὶ

παρθένου

ὑπαρχούσης.

Γνωστὸν

δὲ

ἐγένετο

τοῦτο

ἐν

ὅλῃ

τῇ

γῇ

ἐκείνῃ,

καὶ

ἦν

δοξαζομένη

καὶ

τιμωμένη

ὑπὸ

πάντων·

πολλοὺς

δὲ

τῶν

ἐχόντων

ποικίλαις

νόσοις

καὶ

ἀσθενείαις

διὰ

τῶν

ταύτης

τιμίων

εὐχῶν

ὁ

Κύριος

ἰάσατο·

ὁμοίως

δὲ

καὶ

πολλοὺς

ἀπὸ

πνευμάτων

ἀκαθάρτων

καὶ

πονηρῶν

ὀχλουμένους

δι᾽

εὐχῆς

ἐκάθηρεν.

τῶν

τε

πτωχῶν

ἐπιμελῶς

πρόνοιαν

ἐποιεῖτο,

καὶ

ἁπαξαπλῶς

ὴν

διαλάμπουσα

ὡς

φωστὴρ

διαυγέστατος,

ὑπὸ

Θεοῦ

ἀποσταλεῖσα

τῇ

χώρᾳ

ἐκείνῃ.

[11] Χρόνου

δὲ

πολλοῦ

προβάντος,

ἐπεδήμησεν

ἐν

Ἐλευθεροπόλει

ἡγεμὼν,

ὀνόματι

Ἀλέξανδρος,

δεινὸς

καὶ

ἀπηνὴς

καὶ

λοιμὸς

τοῖς

τρόποις.

Οὗτος

προσκαλεσάμενος

τοὺς

πρώτους

τῆς

πόλεως,

ἐκέλευσεν

αὐτοὺς

κηρύξαι

ἐν

τῇ

πόλει,

ὥστε

πάντας

αὐτοὺς

προθύμως

συνέρχεσθαι

ἐπὶ

τὸν

ναὸν

τοῦ

διὸς

τοῦ

ἀποδοῦναι

θυσίας

καὶ

προσκυνήσεις

τοῖς

θεοῖς.

Πάντων

δὲ

προθύμως

συντρεχόντων

κατὰ

τὸ

κελευσθὲν

ὑπὸ

τοῦ

ἡγεμόνος,

καὶ

τὴν

προσκύνησιν

καὶ

θυσίας

ἀποδιδόντων

τοῖς

ματαίοις

εἰδώλοις,

ἀκούσασα

ταῦτα

ἡ

μακαρία

Σωσάννα,

ἔδραμεν

ἐπὶ

τὸν

ναὸν,,

καὶ

ἰδοῦσα

τοὺς

ἐμψύχους

ἀνθρώπους

προσκυνοῦντας

ἀψύχοις

λίθοις,

ἔπαθεν

τῇ

ψυχῇ.

εἶτα

ἀπελθοῦσα

κατ᾽

ἰδίαν,

καὶ

ἐκτείνασα

τὰς

Χεῖρας

εἰς

τὸν

οὐρανὸν,

προσεύξατο

πρὸς

τὸν

Θεὸν,

καὶ

εἶπεν·

Κύριε

ὸ

Θεὸς

τῶν

δυνάμεων,

ὁ

τὰ

ἅπαντα

ποιήσας

διὰ

τοῦ

λόγου

σου,

τάτε

ὁρατὰ

καὶ

τὰ

ἀόρατα,

ἐπάκουσόν

μου

ὥρᾳ

ταύτῃ

τῆς

ἀχρείας

σου

δούλης,

καὶ

κέλευσον

παραχρῆμα

πάντα

τὰ

εἴδωλα

τὰ

ἀκάθαρτα

καὶ

ἄψυχα

ταῦτα

καταπεσεῖν

καὶ

συντριβῆναι,

ὅτι

σου

εἶ

μόνος

Θεὸς,

καὶ

σοὶ

πρέπει

ἡ

δόξα

εἰς

τοὺς

αἰῶνας.

ἀμὴν.

Καὶ

πληρωσάσης

αὐτῆς

τὴν

εὐχὴν,

ἐγένετο

βροντὴ

καὶ

ἦχος

μέγας,

ὥστε

πάντας

θροηθῆναι·

καὶ

παραυτὰ

ἔπεσον

τὰ

εἴδωλα

πάντα

ἐφ᾽

ὅψεσι

παντὸς

τοῦ

λαοῦ,

καὶ

ἐγένοντο

ὡς

ἡ

κόνις

λεπτά.

Θορύβου

δὲ

πολλοῦ

γενομένου

καὶ

ταραχῆς,

ἀνήρ

τις,

ὀνόματι

Ἀκύλας,

εἶπεν·

τί

μάτην

ταράσσεσθε;

ἐγὼ

αὐτὸς

ἑώρακα

τὴν

Χριστιανὴν

Σωσάνναν

παροῦσαν

ἐνταῦτα.

Αὕτη

ἐπικαλεσαμένη

τὸν

Θεὸν

αὐτῆς,

τοῦτο

ἡμῖν

πεποίηκεν

τὸ

δεινόν.

[12] Καὶ

παραυτίκα

δραμὼν,

ἀπήγγειλεν

Ἀλεξάνδρῳ

τῷ

ἡγεμόνι,

λέγων·

δέομαί

σου,

κύριε.

ἔστιν

τις

κόρη

ἐνταῦθα

οἰκοῦσα

Χριστιανὴ,

ὀνόματι

Σωσάννα,

παρθένος

ὑπάρχουσα.

αὕτη

παραγενομένη

εἰς

τὸν

ναὸν

τῶν

θεῶν,

καὶ

ἰδοῦσα

τὰς

θυσίας

αὐτοῖς

ὑπό

τοῦ

λαοῦ

ἀμέμπτως

προσαγομένας,

ζήλῳ

ληφθεῖσα,

καὶ

ἐπικαλεσαμένη

τὸν

Θεὸν,

ὅν

σέβεται,

τοὺς

θεοὺς

ἡμῶν

πάντας

καταβαλοῦσα,

τέφραν

πεποίηκεν.

ὁ

δὲ

ἡγεμὼν

ἀκούσας

ταῦτα,

καὶ

ἐμμανὴς

γενόμενος

ἐκέλευσεν

συλληφθεῖσαν

αὐτὴν

τὸ

τάχος

παραστῆσαι.

οἱ

δὲ

ἀποσταλέντες

ἤγαγον

αὐτὴν

καὶ

παρέστησαν

τῷ

ἡγεμόνι.

ὁ

δὲ

θεασάμενος

αὐτὴν,

εἶπεν·

παρθένε,

ἤκουσταί

μοι

περὶ

σοῦ,

ὡς

ὅτι

μεγάλα

τινὰ

καὶ

οὐκ

ἄξια

ἐπαίνου

πέπραχας

ἔργα,

ὁμῶς

εἰπέ

μοι,

ποῖον

Θεὸν

σέβῃ,

ὅτι

τοῦτον

ἐπικαλεσαμένη,

ὡς

φάσιν,

τοὺς

θεοὺς

ἡμῶν

καταβαλοῦσα,

ἐτέφρωσας

πάντας.

ἡ

δὲ

μακαρία

Σωσάννα

εἶπεν·

ἄκουσον,

ὦ

ἡγέμων.

ἐγὼ

δὲ

δούλη

εἰμὶ

τοῦ

Θεοῦ,

τοῦ

ποιήσαντος

τὸν

οὐρανὸν,

καὶ

τὴν

γῆν,

καὶ

τὴν

θάλασσαν,

καὶ

πάντα

τὰ

ἐν

αὐτοῖς.

ὅμως,

εἰπέ

μοι

καὶ

σὺ,

τοιοῦτοι

εἰσὶν

οἱ

θεοί

σου,

ὅτι

ὑπὸ

τοῦ

μείζονος

καὶ

ἀληθινοῦ

Θεοῦ

καταβληθέντες,

ὡς

σὺ

φῆς,

οὐκ

ἴσχυσαν

ἑαυτοὺς

βοηθῆσαι,

ἀλλὰ

γεγόνασι

τέφρα

καὶ

κόνις.

Εἰ

εἰσὶν

θεοὶ,

ἀναστήτωσαν

καὶ

βοηθησάτωσαν

ἑαυτοῖς.

ἀληθῶς

ἄξια

γέλωτος

καὶ

λοιδορίας

τὰ

σεβάσματα

ὑμῶν.

τότε

ὁ

ἡγεμὼν

ὀργισθεὶς

ἐπὶ

τοῖς

λόγοις

τούτοις,

εἶπεν

τοῖς

ὑπηρέταις·

ἄρατε

αὐτὴν

ἔξω

τοῦ

πραιτωρίου,

καὶ

κόψαντες

τοὺς

μασθούς

αὐτῆς,

ῥίψατε

εἰς

βορὰν

τοῖς

πετεινοῖς

τοῦ

οὐρανοῦ,

οὐ

γὰρ

οἶος

τε

εἶμι

ὁρᾷν

ἐφ᾽

ὅψεσί

μου

τιμορουμένην

αὐτὴν.

[13] Οἱ

δὲ

δήμιοι

λαβόντες

τὴν

ὁσίαν

ἔξω

τοῦ

πραιτωρίου,

ἀπέτεμον

αὐτῆς

τοὺς

δύο

μασθοὺς

καὶ

ἔῤῥιψαν

τοῖς

πετεινοῖς

τοῦ

οὐρανοῦ

εἰς

βοράν.

καὶ

ἅμα

τοῦτο

γἑγονεν,

ἰδοὺ

ἄγγελος

Κυρίου

ἥρπασεν

τοὺς

δούο

μασθοὺς

τῆς

ὁσίας,

καὶ

ἀπεκατέστησεν

αὐτοὺς

εἰς

τὸν

τόπον

αὐτῶν,

ποιήσας

αὐτὴν

ὑγιῆ,

ὡς

τὸ

πρότερον.

οἱ

δὲ

δήμιοι,

ἰδὅντες

τὸ

παράδοξον

θαῦμα,

καὶ

ἐν

ἐκπλήξει

γενόμενοι,

εἶπον·

οὐχὶ

ἡμεῖς

αὐτοὶ

ἐκόψαμεν

τοὺς

δύο

αὐτῆς

μασθοὺς;

καὶ

ἰδοὺ

ἀκμὴν

τὸ

αἷμα

ἐν

ταῖς

χερσὶν

ἡμῶν.

ὄντως

εἰ

μὴ

ἦν

αὕτη

μεγάλου

Θεοῦ

δούλη,

οὐκ

ἄν

οὕτως

εὐθέως

πρόνοιαν

αὐτῆς

ἐποιήσατο.

ὁ

δὲ

ἡγεμὼν

εἶπεν

τοῖς

ὑπηγέταις·

ὦ

κάκιστοι

ὑπηρέται,

τί

ψιθυρίζατε

καθ᾽

ἑαυτοὺς;

οἱ

δέ

εἶπον·

ἄπελθε

ἀφ᾽

ἡμῶν,

ἐχθρὲ

τῆς

ἀληθείας.

οὐκ

ἔτι

γὰρ

ἀπὸ

τοῦ

νῦν

τοῖς

ψευδέσι

καὶ

ματαίοις

εἰδώλοις

πειθόμεθα,

ἤ

προσκυνοῦμεν,

ἀλλὰ

τῷ

ἀληθινῷ

καὶ

ζῶντι

Θεῷ

δουλεύσομεν,

τῷ

ῥυσαμένῳ

τὴν

τιμίαν

ταύτην

παρθένον

ἐκ

τῆς

τοιαύτης

τιμωρίας.

ἰδοὺ

γὰρ

αἱ

χεῖρες

ἡμῶν,

ὡς

ὁρᾷς,

ἀποστάζουσιν

τὰ

αἵματα

τῶν

μασθῶν

αὐτῆς,

καὶ

αὕτη

ἐστὶν

ὑγιὴς,

εἵπερ * τὸ

πρότερον,

καὶ

εἰσήγαγον

αὐτὴν

ἐφ᾽

ὅψεσιν

αὐτοῦ.

Ἰδὼν

δὲ

ἡγεμὼν

τὴν

ὁσίαν

παρθένον

ὑγιῆ,

αἰσχυνόμενος

ἐκέλευσεν

τοὺς

ὑπηρέτας

ἀποκεφαλισθῆναι,

εἰπὼν,

ὅτι

ἐὰν

οὗτοι

ζήσωσιν,

πολλοὺς

ἀποστήσωσιν

ἀπὸ

τῶν

Θεῶν.

Ἀπαγόμενοι

δὲ

ἐπὶ

τὸ

τελειωθῆναι,

εἶπον·

Κύριε

ὁ

Θεὸς

τῆς

δούλης

σου

Σωσάννης

συναρίθμησον

καὶ

ἡμᾶς

μετὰ

τοὺς

εἰς

σὲ

πιστεύοντας.

ἡμεῖς

γὰρ,

δεσποτα

ἀγαθὲ

καὶ

φιλάνθρωπε,

ἀδιστάκτῳ

πίστει

πρὁς

σε

ἐρχομεθα.

καὶ

ταῦτα

εἰπόντες

ἐτελειώθησαν

ὑπὸ

τοῦ

ξίφους.

[14] Μετὰ

δὲ

ταῦτα

προσκαλεσάμενος

ὁ

Ἀλέξανδρος

τὴν

μακαρίαν

Σωσάνναν,

εἶπεν

αὐτῇ·

ὄντως

μεγάλαι

εἰσὶν

αἱ

μαγείαι

σου,

κόρη,

καὶ

ἐξέστησας

ἡμᾶς.

ἡ

δὲ

τιμία

Σωσάννα

εἶπεν·

ἡ

ἐμὴ

μαγεία,

ἡγεμὼν,

Ιησοῦς

ἐστιν

ὁ

Κύριος,

ὁ

Υἱὸς

τοῦ

Θεοῦ

τοῦ

ζῶντος,

ὁ

πανταχοῦ

παρὼν,

καὶ

ἐμοὶ

βοηθῶν

καὶ

ἐνισχύων,

σοῦ

δὲ

καταργῶν

τὰς

ἐπινοίας

καὶ

τοὺς

δαίμονας.

ὁ

δὲ

θυμομαχήσας

εἶπεν·

νῦν

ἴδω

ἄρτι

εἰ

ῥύεταί

σε

ὁ

Θεός

σου,

ἐφ᾽

ὃν

πέποιθας,

ἐκ

τῶν

χειρῶν

μου.

Καὶ

προσέταξεν

ἐνεχθῆναι

λέβητα

χαλκοῦν,

καὶ

λυθῆναι

μολιβδὸν

ἐν

αὐτῷ,

εἰθ᾽

οὕτως

ἑπιτεθῆναι

χώνην

ἐν

τῷ

στόματι

αὐτῆς,

καὶ

ἐνεχθῆναι

τὸν

μόλιβδον

βράζοντα,

καὶ

χεθῆναι

ἐν

τῷ

λάρυγγι

αὐτῆς.

Καὶ

τούτου

γενομένου,

τῇ

χάριτι

καὶ

δυνάμει

τοῦ

Κυρίου

ἠμῶν

Ιησοῦ

Χριστοῦ,

ὥσπερ

ὕδωρ

ψυχρότατον

ἐν

καιρῷ

καύσονος,

οὕτως

καὶ

ὁ

βρασμὸς

τοῦ

μολίβδου

ἐγένετο

ἐν

τοῖς

σπλάγχνοις

τῆς

αγίας

παρθένου.

Τότε

πάντες

οἱ

παρεστῶτες,

ὡς

καὶ

οἱ

ὑπηρέται,

φωνῇ

μεγάλῃ

ἐβόησαν·

ὄντως

μέγας

ὁ

Θεὸς

τῆς

Σωσάννης.

καί

προσκαλεσάμενος

Ἀλέξανδρος

ὁ

ἡγεμὼν

τὴν

ἀθληφόρον

τοῦ

Χριστοῦ

καὶ

μάρτυρα,

εἶπεν

αὐτῇ·

εἰπέ

μοι

κόρη,

ποῖός

ἐστιν

ὁ

Θεός

σου,

ὁ

συνεργών

σοι

ἐν

ταῖς

μαγείαις.

ἡ

ὁσία

εἶπεν·

ὁ

ἐμὸς

Θεὸς,

ἡγεμὼν,

κνίσαις

δαιμονικαῖς

καὶ

σπονδαῖς

μιαραῖς

οὐκ

εὐδοκεῖ,

ἀλλὰ

καρδίαις

ἀμέμπτοις

καὶ

καθαραῖς

ἐμβατεύει,

ὡς

ἐπὶ

θυσίαις

ἀμώμοις.

ὑμεῖς

δὲ,

οἱ

πονηροῖς

καὶ

ἀκαθάρτοις

δαίμοσιν,

ὡς

θεοῖς,

ἐπανηρημένοι

καὶ

λατρεύοντες,

οὐ

δύνασθε

ἐπιγνῶναι

τὸν

ὄντως

ἀψευδῆ

Θεὸν

καὶ

φωτοδότην

τῶν

ψυχῶν

ἡμῶν.

αὐτὸς

γάρ

ἐστιν

μόνος

ἀληθινὸς

Θεὸς,

καὶ

αὐτὸς

παρέχει

τοῖς

γινώσκουσιν

αὐτὸν

τέλεια

καὶ

ἀφευδῆ

τὰ

δωρήματα.

Τότε

χολέσας

ὁ

ἡγεμὼν,

ἐκέλευσεν

ἐκταθεῖσαν

αύτὴν

τύπτεσθαι

ῥάβδοις

ἀνηλεῶς,

ὡς

δὲ

ἐδοξεν

ἱκανῶς

ἔχειν,

ἐκέλευσεν

ἀπαχθῆναι

αὐτὴν

ἐν

τῇ

φυλακῇ,

ἕως

οὗ

σκέψηται

περὶ

αὐτῆς.

[15] Εἰσελθοῦσα

δὲ

ἐν

τῇ

φυλακῇ

ἡ

ὄντῶς

ὁσιόμαρτυς

καὶ

δούλη

τελεία

Χριστοῦ,

καὶ

ἄμνη,

καὶ

παρθένος

Σωσάννα,

κλίνασα

τὰ

ἅγια

γόνατα,

ἐδεῖτο

τοῦ

φιλανθρώπου

Θεοῦ,

προσδεχθῆναι

αὐτῆς

τὸ

πνεῦμα.

Καὶ

ἔτι

προσευχομένη,

καὶ

τῆς

εὐχῆς

οὔσης

ἐν

τῷ

στόματι

αὐτῆς,

παρέδωκεν

τὴν

τιμίαν

καὶ

ἁγίαν

αὐτῆς

ψυχὴν

τῷ

Θεῷ·

δικαίων

γὰρ

ψυχαὶ,

ὡς

φησὶ

ἡ

σοφία,

ἐν

χειρὶ

Θεοῦ

καὶ

οὐ

μὴ

αὐτῶν

ἄψηται

θάνατος.

ἔδοξαν

γὰρ

ἐν

ὀφθαλμοῖς

ἀφρόνων

τεθνᾶναι·

οἱ

δέ

εἰσιν

εἰς

τὸν

αἰῶνα.

διὰ

τοῦτο

ἐν

καιρῷ

ἐπισκοπῆς

ἀναλάμψωσιν,

ὡς

ὁ

ἥλιος.

καὶ

ταῦτα

μὲν

εἰς

τοσοῦτον.

οἱ

οὖν

πιστεύσαντες

δι᾽

αὐτῆς

τῷ

Θεῷ,

εἰσελθόντες

ἐν

τῇ

φυλακῇ,

καὶ

γνῶντες

τὴν

ἔνδοξον

αὐτῆς

κοίμησιν,

ἀνήγαγον

τῷ

ἐπισκόπῳ

τῆς

πόλεως

τὴν

τῆς

ἀθληφόρου

τελείωσιν,

ὡς

παραχρῆμα

κηρυχθῆναι

ἐν

τῇ

πόλει

πεποίηκεν

ὁ

ἐπίσκοπος,

τῆς

ὁσίας

καὶ

ἀθληφόρου

τὴν

κοίμησιν·

συνέδραμον

οὖν

πάντες

ἐν

τῇ

φυλακῇ,

ὅ

τε

ἐπίσκοπος

τῆς

πόλεως

σὺν

τῷ

εὐλαβεστάτῳ

αὐτοῦ

κλήρῳ,

καὶ

τῷ

πιστωτάτῳ

καὶ

ὀρθοδόξῳ

λαῷ.

ἠκούσθη

δὲ

καὶ

ἐν

τῷ

μοναστηρίῳ

τοῦ

ἀγίου

Φιλίππου,

ἐν

ᾧ

καὶ

τὸ

μοναχικὸν

σχῆμα

εἰλήφει

ἡ

ἀοίδιμος

αὑτὴ

καὶ

μακαρία

Σωσάννα,

ὅτι

ἐν

Χριστῷ

κεκοίμηται·

καὶ

ἐξῆλθον

πάντες

οἱ

μοναχοὶ,

βαἳὰ

μετὰ

καὶ

κηρῶν

ἐπικομιζόμενοι,

καὶ

ἦλθον

καὶ

αὐτοὶ

ἐν

Ελευθεροπόλει

ἐν

τῇ

φυλακῇ.

καὶ

οὐτως

ἅπαντες

ἐν

ψαλμοῖς

καὶ

ὕμνοις

καὶ

ὠδαῖς

πνευματικαῖς

ἀνήγαγον

αὐτὴν

ἐν

τῇ

ἐκκλησίᾳ,

τελείᾳ

καὶ

πρεπούσῃ

ταφῇ

παραδόντες.

τελειται

δὲ

ἡ

πάντιμος

καὶ

ἔνδοξος

μνήμη

τῆς

ἁγίας

ὁσιομάρτυρος

καὶ

θαυμαστῆς

παρθένου

Σωσάννης,

μηνὶ

Σεπτεμβρίῳ

ιθ,

ἐν

Χριστῷ

Ιήσου

τῷ

Κυρίῳ

ἡμῶν,

μεθ᾽

οὗ

ἡ

δόξα

σὺν

τῷ

Πατρὶ

καὶ

τῷ

παραγίῳ

καὶ

ζωοποιῷ

Πνεεύματι,

νῦν

καὶ

ἀεὶ

καὶ

εἰς

τοὺς

αἰῶνας

τῶν

αἰώνων.

ἀμὴν

The Saint's parents unbelievers: she is taught by Silvanus the presbyter, In the reign of Maximus ^a, there was a certain priest of the idols in the parts of Palestine, by name Artemius, very rich, but perverse in morals, and a fervent enemy of the Christians. He took to wife a Jewess, called Martha: and she bore him a Daughter, and her mother named her Susanna, saying: From the nation of her Fathers shall she have her name, and not from the Gentiles. Her mother brought up her Daughter according to the customs and teachings of the Jews. But it happened that the Girl's parents died while she was still little. And her father, dying, appointed two guardians for her, charging them in his testament that she, when she was of age and bound in marriage, should become absolute mistress of her goods. Now there was a certain presbyter, by name Silvanus ^b, of the holy faith of the Christians, who, while the Girl's parents were still living, associated with them, as dwelling in the neighborhood. Then, when Susanna had grown up and was prudent, frequently going to the aforesaid presbyter Silvanus, she was strengthened by him in the faith of the Christians: she heard also Christ saying in the Gospel: Amen I say to you, he that shall leave houses, or fields, or parents, or children, or brethren, and moreover his own soul; and shall take up his cross and follow me, shall receive a hundredfold in this world, and in the world to come shall inherit life everlasting ^c.

[2] and being by him converted and baptized, Having heard therefore these venerable words, since Susanna was truly another continence, being stirred by God she sent one of the servants dwelling with her to the presbyter Silvanus, that he would deign to come to her. And when he came, going out to meet him she venerated him with a bow. Afterwards, when he had prayed a blessing ^d, both sat down, and Susanna began to ask the presbyter to set forth to her the force of the words she had read. And the holy and venerable man accordingly explained to her the things which regard the love of God, chastity, mercy, poverty, and the kingdom of heaven. And when the Blessed one had heard them, bathed in tears, she begged to be joined to the fellowship of the Christians. But he, deferring somewhat, after the completion of the divine liturgy brought her into the baptistery, and, the exorcisms being performed after the custom, bestowed on her the laver of regeneration, baptizing her in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Then he thus communicated to her the holy Body and precious Blood of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ unto the remission of sins.

[3] These things therefore going rightly forward, Susanna departs to her own house, she asks her dead parents' goods from her guardians, and having obtained them rejoicing and exulting at the goods of which she had been deemed worthy. Having returned home, calling her guardians, she said: Behold, the flower of my age has drawn near: give me now the goods left by my parents. But they answered her: Lady, do not be angry: for behold, thy goods are safe: behold, thy servants minister to thee, and we ourselves are thy servants. Then she: There is no need now of such words: but make me restitution of my goods at once. They replied: Hear, lady: thy father charged that, being joined in lawful matrimony, thou shouldst acquire the full ownership of thy goods. But she said: Since Christ the Lawgiver has freed me from the authority of my parents, it is now in my own power either to marry or not to marry. Behold, you have kept me from marriage: but restore my goods to me. And she was fifteen years old when she was thus wise and thus acted. And the guardians, hearing these things and knowing that she had become a Christian, restored all her goods to her, both moneys and the possessions left her.

[4] Having received these, the Blessed one sold the immovable goods, and, much gold and silver being gathered, [she distributes them to the poor. Then, taking a man's dress, she seeks a monastery,] she went about by night and bestowed them on the needy. But the movable goods, that is, her menservants and maidservants, she endowed with liberty, and dismissed them enriched with legacies, saying: I indeed, O children, free you from this temporal servitude: but if you desire to obtain also true liberty, go to him who makes the souls of men truly free, and he, redeeming you from sin, will enroll you as freeborn and free in his own soldiery. And when she had likewise distributed to the poor all the remaining goods left her, calling a barber, she was shorn and laid aside the hair of her head. Presently, taking a man's dress, she set out for Jerusalem. Then, going on to the monastery of blessed Philip, she knocked at the gate of the monastery. The porter, coming out, when he saw her, believed her to be a man, and brought her in. Then he asked what she wished and whence she came. But she says: I have much desired to pray here and to receive your blessing. And the porter, going away, announced everything to blessed Philip, saying: There is here a certain comely youth, saying that he comes for the sake of prayer, and to obtain your blessing. He said: Lead him to the oratory, and then in like manner to me. He did as he was bidden: and afterwards likewise brought her in to the abbot. Entering, she venerated blessed Philip, prostrate on the ground; then the bystanders also. Blessed Philip said: Thou art welcome, brother: whence and for what cause hast thou come to us lowly ones? Then she: I venerate thee, father: at Cæsarea in Palestine I drew the breath of life, and, having left my parents, I come hither, God leading me, that thou mayest make me as one of the brethren who are with thee, and my soul may be saved. Blessed Philip says to her: What is thy name? She said: I am called John. The brethren standing by said: Thou hast a fair name, if thou be also of good will.

[5] and being received by Philip the abbot, she lives there long and excellently. Then blessed Philip began to admonish her from the sacred Scriptures about humility, about obedience, about continence, about vigils, and, having exhorted her wholly as was fitting, when the time advised it, he gave her the holy habit of the monks. She, having received the habit, applied herself with all her strength to her exercise, showing every kind of humility and continence, and given to vigils and mourning, and untiringly persisting in prayers, so that all rejoiced over her and gave glory to the Lord. This excellent plan of life she continued for a long time, so that nearly twenty years were rolled by: nor in so long a time could anyone know that she was a woman. Now there was a certain ascetic woman of Eleutheropolis, in habit but not in works: she was accustomed for piety's sake to enter the monastery to blessed Philip. And so, as she entered and left the monastery, on a certain day she was in the company of this blessed Susanna: whence she also received a blessing from her, as from a man. And as often as she entered the monastery to blessed Philip, she conversed and talked with her too at some length, thinking her to be a man: whence that wanton woman, wearing the guise of an ascetic, was kindled with desire for her. Turning this over in her mind therefore for a long time, and nourishing the flame of lust in her soul, but by no means finding a fitting occasion by which to accomplish the crime she had planned to the ruin of her own soul, she sets up a stage of slander against the chaste and just Susanna, as though, accompanying her from the monastery, she had done her violence and corrupted her.

[6] The Saint is assailed with a calumny, as though she had violated a virgin, And accordingly on a certain day, when she had gone out of the monastery, she went along the road vehemently lamenting, wailing, and crying out, when, God permitting, or rather disposing it, there met her the bishop of Eleutheropolis, holy Cleopas ^e, and, seeing her so wailing and mourning, he said to her: What ails thee, woman, or what hast thou suffered, that thou groanest and criest out so bitterly? And she, wailing, said: I beg thee, lord, hear me, poor woman. For a long time I have been accustomed for a blessing's sake to go to the monastery of the lord Philip; nor have I ever suffered anything grievous or unseemly. But now, I know not whence, they have received in the monastery a comely youth, by name John, who, accompanying me under some pretext, did me violence and took away my virginity: for this cause I mourn. The venerable and holy bishop Cleopas, giving credit to her persuasive, or rather fraudulent, words, says to her: Return with me to the monastery; for I am going thither for the sake of a conversation; and he led her to the monastery. Entering therefore the monastery to blessed Philip, the holy bishop greeted him: and when they had sat down, the bishop began to reproach blessed Philip, saying: Behold, by Christ's grace thou hast fifty ^f years and more in this monastery; nor has anyone ever heard anything evil of thee or of those dwelling with thee: and we ourselves, and whoever come one by one, come as to men intent upon God.

[7] and being accused before the bishop of Eleutheropolis, Who therefore is he whom thou hast in thy monastery, a corrupter of a soul solely intent upon God, by name John, who did violence to a virgin coming hither after her custom for a blessing's sake, and corrupted her? Having met her crying out and lamenting, I bade her return and led her hither. Then the bishop ordered the ascetic woman to be brought in. And she, entering, said the same things before abbot Philip, namely: Thy monk committed this and that against me. But blessed Philip said to the bishop: I venerate thy holy angel: I so persuade myself that, even if I keep silence, God will free my brethren from all evil. As regards the Brother of whom you say such things, I judge that he is of the number of perfect and compunctious men: and in the eyes of the Brethren he is of those who shine with the greatest virtues. For the twentieth year is now running since, moved by his holy prayers, I granted him the monastic habit: nor has anyone found him stumbling in good, no one speaking idle words: he constantly persists in every kind of humiliation, compunction, weeping, and the chanting of psalms: and in obedience he is prompt, so that we all rejoice over him. But if it has so fallen out, I send him now to you: and when he shall stand before us, seek out the truth by questioning him: but if he be found guilty, I take from him the habit which I gave him, and thou hast power to do with him whatever shall please thee. The bishop replies: Hear, lord abbot: God indeed can preserve his flock, whether set in holy churches or in martyries; but we, to whom the care of watching has been committed, shall have to render account to God of negligence, of sloth, and of untimely indulgence, because we have not very carefully and laboriously followed the canons handed down to us by the holy Fathers. Tell me therefore, I beseech thee: of what profit or of what edification of soul is it, or what spiritual law permits, to accustom any woman whatever to enter the monastery of men who have consecrated themselves to God, who are pilgrims in the world, who have chosen to live in silence? Judging by the very appearance, is not that evil custom the cause of the scandals that arise? For if we are bidden to leave our parents, not as hating them, but lest we love them more than Christ, how much more are we forbidden, for the harm of the soul, to bring a strange woman into a house of men, and to make her familiar, and to perish with her?

[8] Let therefore the Brother sought for be called, that we may know the matter plainly. and all but condemned, And blessed Susanna, being summoned, venerated the bishop, prostrate on the ground, then abbot Philip and all the brethren standing by, and stood. But that dishonorable and shameless ascetic of a false name, catching sight of blessed Susanna, running like a wild lioness, seized her cloak shamelessly and cried out to all: This is that deceiver, this is the corrupter of my virginity, this is he who stained my soul. But the truly blessed and chaste Susanna, having God within her, stood with mind in no way troubled. To whom the bishop, as to a man, said: Finely hast thou done, Brother, clothed in the habit of humiliation and piety according to the Apostle, by doing violence to this virgin and corrupting her. But she kept silence. Again the bishop says to her: Dost thou answer nothing? What is this that she testifies against thee? Then blessed Susanna answering said to the bishop: I venerate thee, Lord. I am conscious to myself of no evil committed against that woman. But if I have even done as she says, I beg pardon: for God is the God of penitents. And, these things being said, she fell at the bishop's feet, asking that he would forgive her. But the bishop said to her: Why dost thou roll thyself at my feet? Dost thou not know that thy sin is by no means simple and common? For the crime has been committed against a soul which thou hast humbled, and the crime committed brings misery and loss not to thee alone, but also to all who dwell in the monastery. Then blessed Philip, greatly indignant and vehemently saddened, rose and asked that the monastic habit be taken from her as from one condemned.

[9] But she said to him: Wait a little, father; and thou shalt see the glory of God. And rising from the ground, she said to the bishop: I beseech thee by God, lord, order two deaconesses and two virgins to be here quickly: she is compelled to betray that she is a woman and a virgin. for there is something to be made known to them which will be of use to you also. And the bishop at once sent to Eleutheropolis that two deaconesses and two virgins should be swiftly brought. And when these had come, blessed Susanna went with them to the deaconry of the monastery, and, putting off her garments before them, showed both that she was by nature a woman and that she was, like them, a virgin, as she had been born: and she taught that for the obtaining of her soul's salvation she had taken that angelic habit, and had, her name being changed, called herself John, but had by her true name been called Susanna. And those honorable women, after they had seen and heard all these things, astounded, cried out with a loud voice, saying: Great is God, who has given thee such grace and endurance! But the bishop, the monks, and the people present, when they heard the cry, were all troubled and ran up to inquire the cause of the cry made: for they suspected that perhaps some shameful thing had been attempted against them too. Then the deaconesses and virgins came to the bishop and said: Truly we have seen a new Susanna: and the whole matter is nothing but pure calumny. For what that most wretched woman maliciously attempted, as against a man, and by no means accomplished ^g, this by guile she has laid upon this chaste and just woman, because she herself was inflamed with the flame of lust. For that venerable person is by nature a woman, and with us a virgin, and her true name is Susanna. But she changed her name for the name of John for the sake of a good hope in God and for the kingdom of heaven. All therefore hearing these things from the venerable deaconesses and virgins, marvelling at the great faith, prudence, and chastity of blessed Susanna, praised the holy God with festal voices and hymns, because no stain of evil had been found in her.

[10] [Then, being set over the virgins at Eleutheropolis, she becomes famous for miracles:] Then all the brethren were moved to stone and kill the ascetic of the false name. But blessed Susanna, much beseeching and adjuring them and prostrating herself on the ground, restrained such a will and effort of theirs. But the holy bishop Cleopas took care that her infamy should be published abroad, and that she should be cast out from those borders. After all these things had been accomplished, the most holy bishop, taking blessed Susanna, led her to Eleutheropolis ^h, and set her over the ascetery of virgins of the most holy church, ordaining her also a deaconess of that church, because she was honorable and most religious and a virgin. That deed became known in all that land, and she was in glory and honor with all. And the Lord healed many of those who were held by various diseases through her holy prayers: likewise he cleansed by prayer many vexed by unclean and evil spirits. She had also a diligent care of the poor, and was altogether shining, like a most bright lamp, sent to that place by divine providence.

[11] and, while the people sacrifice to the idols, at her prayers all fall down: After much time had passed, there came to Eleutheropolis a prefect, by name Alexander, violent, savage, and perverse in morals. He, calling together the chief men of the city, ordered them to proclaim through the city that all should eagerly assemble at the temple of Jove to offer sacrifices and adorations to the gods. And when all were readily running together to the temple according to the prefect's mandate, and were offering adoration and sacrifices to the vain idols, when blessed Susanna understood the matter, she ran to the temple, and, seeing living men paying honor to lifeless stones, she was moved in mind. Then, withdrawing apart, with hands stretched out to heaven she prayed to God and said: Lord God of hosts, who by thy Word hast made all things, both visible and invisible, hear at this hour me thy useless handmaid, and bid all these unclean idols

and lifeless things at once to fall and be crushed, for thou alone art God, and to thee is glory fitting unto the ages. Amen. When she had finished her prayer, a thunder was heard and a huge noise, so that all were terrified: and at the same time all the idols fell in the sight of all the people and became like the finest ash. Hence a great tumult and a great disturbance arising, a certain man, by name Aquila, said: Why are you troubled in vain? I myself saw the Christian Susanna present here. She, invoking her God, has created this trouble for us.

[12] Then straightway running, he announced the matter to Alexander the prefect, hence, being seized, she is questioned, and answering freely, and said: I venerate thee, lord. There is a certain girl dwelling here, a Christian, by name Susanna, a virgin by profession, who, coming to the temple of the gods and seeing the sacrifices blamelessly offered to them by the people, was seized with zeal, and, invoking the God whom she worships, cast down all our gods and reduced them to ashes. The prefect, hearing these things, being driven into fury, ordered her at once to be seized and set before him. Those who were sent led her and set her before the prefect. He, beholding her, said to her: Maiden, I have heard of thee that thou hast wrought certain great things, and by no means worthy of praise. But tell me, what God dost thou worship; since, invoking him, as they say, thou hast cast down our gods and reduced them all to ashes? But blessed Susanna said: Hear, O prefect. I am the handmaid of God, who made heaven and earth and sea, and all things that are in them. But tell me also this: are thy gods such that, being cast down by a greater and true God, as thou hast said, they could not bring help to themselves, but have become ash and dust? If they be gods, let them restore and help themselves. Assuredly your images are worthy of laughter and reproach. Then the governor, blazing at these words, said to his servants: Lead her away out of the prætorium, and, her breasts being cut off, throw her to be devoured by the birds of heaven: for I cannot see her punished in my sight.

[13] And the executioners, the Saint having been led outside the prætorium, cut off her two breasts, [she is punished by the cutting off of her breasts; but presently is divinely healed:] and threw them as food to the birds of heaven. But as soon as this was done, behold, an angel of the Lord snatched up both the Saint's breasts and restored them to their place, making her as sound as she had been before. And the executioners, beholding that wonderful prodigy and being astounded, said: Did we not ourselves cut off both her breasts? Behold, the blood is even now on our hands. Truly, unless she were the handmaid of the great God, he could not so easily have care of her. But the prefect said to his servants: O most wicked servants, what are you whispering among yourselves? And they said: Depart from us, enemy of truth. For from this time we no longer believe in deceitful and vain idols, nor do we any longer worship them; but we shall serve the true and living God, who has rescued this venerable Virgin from so great a punishment. For behold, our hands, as thou seest, drip with the blood of her breasts; and she is sound as before; and they brought her into his sight. And the prefect, when he saw the holy Virgin sound, being affected with shame, ordered his servants to be beheaded, saying that by these men, if they lived, many would be torn away from the gods. And when they were being led away to be killed, they said: Lord, God of thy handmaid Susanna, number us too among those who believe in thee: for we, good and merciful Lord, come to thee with undoubted faith. And saying these things they met death by the sword.

[14] she is afflicted with other torments also, Afterwards Alexander summoned to himself blessed Susanna and said to her: Truly thy sorceries are remarkable, maiden, and thou hast made us astounded. The venerable Susanna replied: My magic art, prefect, is the Lord Jesus, the Son of the living God, who is everywhere present and helps and strengthens me; but he renders vain thy devices and the efforts of the demons. And he, exasperated, said: Now shall I see whether the God in whom thou trustest will free thee from my hands; and he ordered a brazen cauldron to be brought and lead to be melted in it, then a funnel to be set to the Saint's mouth, and the boiling lead to be brought and poured into her throat. This being done, by the grace and power of our Lord Jesus Christ, the heat of the lead became in the bowels of the holy Virgin like the coldest water in the time of summer heat. Then all who stood by, and the servants too, cried out with a loud voice: Truly great is the God of Susanna. And Alexander the prefect, calling the Martyr glorious with the triumphs of Christ, said to her: Tell me, what sort of God is thine, who works with thee in magic arts? The Saint answered: My God, prefect, is not delighted with demoniac fumes and execrable libations, but comes to blameless and pure hearts as to immaculate sacrifices. But you, who receive and worship depraved and unclean demons as gods, cannot know the true God, the enlightener of our souls; for he alone is the true God, and he bestows on those who know him perfect and true gifts. Then the governor, angered, ordered her to be stretched out and beaten unmercifully with rods. And when he believed her sufficiently beaten, he willed her to be led away to prison, until he should weigh what was to be done about her.

[15] and being led to prison, praying she dies, and is honorably buried. When the wholly holy martyr, and perfect servant of Christ, and lamb and virgin Susanna had entered the prison, she bent her holy knees and prayed the merciful God that he would receive her spirit. She was still praying, and the prayer was turning in her mouth, when she delivered her venerable and holy soul to God. For the souls of the just, as Wisdom says, are in the hand of God; and death shall not touch them: in the eyes of the unwise they seemed to die: but they are in the age. Wherefore in the time of their visitation they shall shine like the sun. And thus far these things. And so those who through her had believed in God, entering the prison and learning of her glorious falling asleep, reported to the bishop of the city the passing of the victorious Virgin. And the bishop straightway took care that the death of the holy and glorious Victress should be published in the city. All therefore ran together to the prison — the bishop of the city with his most reverend clergy, and with the most faithful and orthodox people. It was heard also in the monastery of holy Philip, in which the venerable and blessed Susanna had taken the monastic habit, that she had fallen asleep in Christ: and all the monks came out, carrying branches of palms together with candles; and they too went to Eleutheropolis to the prison. In this manner all with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs bore her to the church ⁱ, and committed her to a perfect and fitting burial. And the honorable and glorious memory of the most sacred martyr and admirable virgin Susanna is performed in the month of September, on the 19th day, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom is glory with the Father and the holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

ANNOTATIONS.

the author, dwelt within the borders of Eleutheropolis and Jerusalem, … at the third milestone from Hebron. In the Itinerary commonly called Antoninus's, Eleutheropolis is placed between Ælia (so Jerusalem restored in Hadrian's time was called) and Ascalon, twenty thousand paces from Jerusalem. Further, from what has been said gather that the monastery of Philip the abbot, in which St. Susanna dwelt, was between Jerusalem and Eleutheropolis: and that it was nearer to this latter city these Acts plainly suggest.

or perhaps ἀπόσχετε, abstain*

* perhaps ἁπλοῦν

* read αὐτῶν

* perhaps διακονίῳ

* perhaps ὥσπερ