Holy Martyrs of Persia

No sooner had the news of the edict spread to the distant provinces than the governors imprisoned those who worshipped the true God, with the intention of putting them to death as soon as the prince's orders reached them. Scarcely had they received them when all who called themselves Christians were inhumanely slaughtered. Among the faithful whose blood flowed for Jesus Christ was a eunuch cherished by the king, named Azades. Shapur was so deeply a ffect Azade Favorite eunuch of King Shapur, whose martyrdom led to a modification of the persecution edict. ed by his death that he published another edict, by which he restricted the persecution to bishops, priests, monks, and religious. On this occasion, there was an innumerable multitude of martyrs of every sex and age, whose names are unknown: Sozomen counts sixteen thousand; but an ancient Persian writer raises the number to two hundred thousand.

Acepsimas Acepsimas Bishop of Honita in Assyria, martyred at the age of 80. , Bishop of Honita in Assyria, was arrested in obedience to the king; he was eighty years old, but he was of a robust and vigorous old age. He was led, loaded with chains, before the governor of Arbela. I do not understand, the latter said to him, why you deny the divinity of the sun to which all the East pays homage. — I do not understand either, replied Acepsimas, how reasonable men can worship the creature instead of the creator. Upon this answer, the old man was thrown to the ground, bound with thick ropes, and subjected to a scourging that left his whole body in shreds; then he was thrown into prison. Shortly after, Joseph, a priest of Bethcatuba, and A ithala, a deacon of Bethmuha Joseph, prêtre de Bethcatuba Priest of Bethcatuba, companion in martyrdom of Acepsimas. dra, were arrested. They too were Aïthala, diacre de Bethmuhadra Deacon of Bethmuhadra, martyred with Acepsimas and Joseph. led before the governor. Joseph was asked if he worshipped the sun, and upon his reply that he did not worship creatures, he was cruelly scourged. Eighteen executioners set upon his body. During this time, Joseph, who had barely a breath left, thanked God for washing him in his blood. When the executioners were tired, they loaded him with chains and led him to the prison of Acepsimas. It was Aithala's turn. He was ordered to worship the sun, and upon his refusal, his arms were tied under his legs, and he was placed under a heavy beam upon which twelve men pressed with all their weight. The martyr was so crushed that they were forced to carry him to prison, where he was left with his companions for three years. They were deprived of everything there and victims of the brutality of those who guarded them.

After this time, they were taken from their prison and led before the governor-in-chief of the provinces of the East. It was difficult to recognize them as men. The pagans themselves could not help but shed tears while looking at them. You are mistaken, said Acepsimas, when he had arrived before the judge, if you count on intimidating us with threats. Invent as many tortures as you wish, we have learned not to fear death. — It is the nature of criminals to wish for it, replied the tyrant, they find themselves thereby delivered from the punishments they deserve. Your desires will therefore not be fulfilled. You will live, but I will make your life more unbearable than a continuous death. I want you to serve as an example to all those of your sect. — What is the use of so many threats? replied the martyr; God in whom we have placed all our trust will know how to give us strength and courage. — Upon hearing this language, the judge flew into an atrocious rage and uttered the most horrible threats against the confessors. He had Acepsimas stretched on the ground, and executioners, attaching ropes to his limbs, began to pull them in opposite directions, while others struck the martyr with leather thongs. Acepsimas breathed his last in the midst of these tortures; but the other two, younger and more vigorous, resisted. While the executioners exercised their rage against them, they mocked the one who had condemned them and laughed at his torments. The judge, astonished despite his fury, subjected them to other tortures and threatened to have them taken back to their country so that, mutilated, they would be an object of terror there before they were put to death. God allowing them to survive everything they were made to endure, they were indeed placed on beasts of burden and led to Arbela. The journey was a long martyrdom because of their wounds and the mistreatment to which they were subjected. Arrived in their country, they were thrown into prison and left to languish there for more than six months.

This time elapsed, a judge arrived who was even more cruel than the other. He had the Christians appear before his tribunal, and finding them both unshakeable, had them suspended head down by their toes and whipped for more than two hours. The torture was so atrocious and pitiless that one of them, Aithala, lost consciousness. He was abandoned like a corpse at the place of execution. A magus who happened to pass by took pity on him and threw his cloak over him; the judge learned of this fact and was so irritated by it that he had the magus administered two hundred lashes in order to punish him for his sensitivity. Finally, the tyrant published an edict that condemned the two Christians to be stoned by the hand of the Christians. At this news, the faithful fled and took refuge in the forests. They were pursued like wild beasts and five hundred were brought back. Aithala was executed at Bethnubadra and Joseph at Arbela by the hand of Christians cowardly enough to yield to fear. Joseph had been buried up to his neck. Guards were left to watch his corpse; but during a storm, the faithful took his body and buried it (380).

At that same time, the queen fell ill, and the Jews accused the sisters of the bishop Saint Simeon of having poisoned her to avenge the death of their brother. They were two: one a sacred virgin, named Tarbu la or Pherbuta; the Tarbula ou Pherbuta Consecrated virgin and sister of Saint Simeon, executed by sawing. other, a widow, who had renounced a second marriage. The queen easily believed this slander, as much by the natural disposition of the sick, who willingly lend an ear to extraordinary remedies, as by the particular confidence she had in the Jews; for she shared their sentiments and practiced their ceremonies. The two sisters were therefore taken, and with them a servant of Tarbula, a virgin like her; they were led to the palace and placed in the hands of the Magi to stand trial. The Mobad, for that is what the Pontiff of the Magi was called, came to interrogate them with two other officers. As they spoke to them of the poisoning of which they were accused, Pherbuta replied that the law of God condemns poisoners to death just as it does idolaters, and that they were as far removed from this crime as they were from renouncing God. And when it was said that they had done it to avenge their brother, Pherbuta said: And what evil have you done to my brother? It is true that you put him to death out of envy, but he lives and reigns in the heavens. After this interrogation, they were sent to prison.

Pherbuta was of rare beauty, and the Mage had been struck by it. He therefore secretly sent word to her the next day that, if she would be his wife, he would obtain from the king her pardon and that of her companions; but she refused him with contempt and indignation, saying that she was the spouse of Jesus Christ and did not fear death, which would reunite her with her dear brother. The judges made their report to the king, as if the martyrs had been convicted of the poisoning, and the king ordered that their lives be spared if they worshipped the sun. As they refused, the care of ordering the manner of death was left to the Magi, and they said that the queen could only be healed by passing through the midst of their bodies cut in two. These holy women were therefore led before the city gate; each was tied to two stakes, to one by the neck, to the other by the feet; and, having thus stretched them, they were cut in the middle with saws; then, having planted three large pieces of wood in the ground on each side of the street, they hung the halves of their bodies there.

The queen was brought into this street, and she was made to pass through the midst of this butchery, followed by an innumerable multitude of people; for it was the day the king received a certain tribute. Furthermore, to cut victims in two to pass through them was an ancient ceremony practiced in the East during alliances. It is also found that the Macedonians claimed to purify their army by making it pass between the halves of a dog cut in two.

In the course of time, under the same reign, there was an innumerable multitude of priests, deacons, monks, virgins, and other persons particularly devoted to the ministers of religion, who suffered martyrdom. Historians and authors of martyrologies have preserved for us the names of twenty-three other bishops, regarding whose struggles we possess no details, except for two, one of whom was named Dausas, and the other Milles. Dausas was not from the countr Milles Former Persian soldier who became a bishop and missionary, martyred by Hormisdas. y; he had been taken formerly on the banks of the Tigris, in a place named Zabde or Bezabde, which gave its name to the small province of Zabdiche, and had been taken captive by the Persians. He was then martyred with the chorepiscopus Mareabde and his clerics, numbering about two hundred and fifty, who had also been seized and taken into captivity with him. Milles had first borne arms in Persia, and having left that profession to enter the militia of Jesus Christ, he had embraced a completely apostolic life. He was ordained bishop of a city in the country, where he suffered much to have the faith of Jesus Christ received there. He was often beaten, dragged through the streets, and outraged in a thousand ways. But seeing that he had not been able to convert a single soul, he withdrew from the city, greatly afflicted by the poor success of his labors; and after having pronounced his curse upon it, he went elsewhere, believing himself obliged to leave a people abandoned by God. Shortly after, the leaders of the place having offended the king, this prince sent an army there with three hundred elephants; the city was entirely destroyed, and, to erase even its foundations, a plow was passed over it, and the site was reduced to arable land. Meanwhile, Milles, who recognized the judgments of God in this treatment, went out of devotion to Jerusalem, carrying nothing but a small bag containing the book of the Gospels. From there he went to Egypt to visit the solitaries.

Having returned to Persia, he was a rrested by Hormisda, governor of the provin Hormisda, gouverneur de la province de Suse Governor of the province of Susa, murderer of Saint Milles. ce of Susa. His two disciples, the priest Abrosime and the deacon Sina, met the same fate. All three were loaded with chains and taken to the capital of the Satrapy. They suffered a cruel scourging twice, and by their constancy, rendered useless all the means employed to make them sacrifice to the sun. The holy confessors did not cease to praise the Lord in their prison.

At the beginning of the year (the Chaldeans still begin it today on October 1st), Hormisda was making preparations for a great hunt for wild beasts. As he was rejoicing greatly, he had the three chained martyrs brought to him to put them on trial. He was of a haughty and proud nature. Addressing Saint Milles, he asked with a sneer: "Who are you? A god or a man? What is your religion, what are its dogmas? Expound to us the wisdom of your soul, so that we may become your disciples; otherwise, if you continue to hide your sect from us, be sure that you will be killed on the spot like these beasts." The

Saint, who did not misunderstand the intent of these words, replied calmly: "I am a man and not a god; furthermore, I will certainly not mix the mysteries of the true religion with your banter. However, I will tell you frankly: Woe to you, impious tyrant! Woe to you and your like, who reject religion and God! For God will judge you in the world to come, and, condemning you to the fires and darkness that await you, He will turn your pride into eternal weeping, because, filled with His benefits, you rise up against Him with insolence, instead of showing yourselves grateful." At these words, the governor lunged from his seat and plunged a dagger into his side; Narses, brother of Hormisda, also pierced his opposite side with a dagger blow. The holy Bishop died shortly after, predicting that the next day they would kill each other. Abrosime and Sina were led to the top of two hills that faced each other, and the soldiers stoned them. The next day, the two brothers, who were excellent hunters, pursuing a stag that had just escaped from two opposite sides, shot their arrows at it as it passed, which struck them both and killed them at the very hour they had killed Saint Milles the day before. The bodies of the Martyrs remained on the spot until beasts and birds of prey had devoured their flesh. For this is how the ancient Persians buried their dead. The Christian Persians buried theirs like the Christians of other countries. The bodies of the three martyrs, who suffered on November 5th, were carried to the castle of Malcan and placed in a tomb that had been prepared for them. The inhabitants of the region believed they owed their protection to them, as they were no longer exposed thereafter to the incursions of the Sabean Arabs.

Around the same time that the holy Bishop of Susa won the crown of martyrdom, Barsabias, a bbot of a Barsabias Abbot of a Persian monastery, beheaded with ten of his monks. monastery in Persia, was denounced. He was accused of wishing to abolish the religion of the magi. He was therefore arrested, along with the ten monks he governed. They were all loaded with chains and led to the city of Astrahara, near the ruins of Persepolis, where the governor resided. This inhumane judge invented the most cruel tortures to torment them. He had their knees crushed, their legs broken, their arms, sides, and ears cut off; they were then struck harshly on the eyes and face. Finally, the governor, furious to see himself defeated by their courage, condemned them to be beheaded. The martyrs went with joy to the place of execution, singing hymns and psalms to the glory of the Lord. They were surrounded by a troop of soldiers and executioners; an innumerable multitude of people followed them as well.

The holy Abbot asked God to see the souls that had been entrusted to his care go to heaven before him, and his prayer was answered. When the execution began, a magus who was passing by with his wife, his two children, and several servants stopped upon seeing the gathered crowd. He broke through the press and stepped forward to be informed of what was happening. He perceived the holy Abbot, who appeared filled with joy, who was singing the praises of God, and who was taking each of his monks by the hand as if to present them to the executioner. It seemed to him that he saw a luminous cross over the bodies of the martyrs who had already been consumed. Struck by this prodigy and suddenly changed, he dismounted from his horse and exchanged clothes with the servant who had followed him; then, approaching Barsabias, he told him everything and begged him to receive him among his disciples. The Abbot consented; he took him by the hand, after the ninth, and presented him to the executioner, who cut off his head without knowing him. Barsabias, the father of all these martyrs, was beheaded last. The bodies of these twelve Saints were abandoned to the voracity of beasts and birds of prey; but their heads were carried into the city and hung in the temple of Nahitis or Venus; for, although the magi abhorred all idols, there were nevertheless several sects of idolaters in different regions of Persia. The example of the converted magus deeply touched his family, and they became Christians, as did a great number of other people. These martyrs suffered on June 3, 342.

The cult of all these holy Martyrs is marked on April 22 in the Latin martyrologies, especially in the modern Roman one: but they have been distributed on various days among the Greeks: on November 3, on April 4, 10, and 14, on September 1, and on October 1.

Act. MM. orient., p. 66.