[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Vasilevskii and P.Nikitin.(a) [ 843–44] In the East there was a large number of Manichaeans, who were called Paulicians in ignorance by the common people, who give them a name made up from Paul and John.So then the empress3intended to convert them from heresy to orthodoxy, and sent some men from the nobility to achieve this.They handled their commission clum-sily and to no avail, and not merely wasted their labour but drove the entire people (who number many thousands) to apostasize.Joining the Ishmaelites, they fought with them against the Romans and became the cause of many disasters for them.(b) THE TESTIMONY OF THE FORTY-TWOMARTYRS OF AMORIUM: CALLISTUS THE DOUX,CONSTANTIUS THE PATRICIAN, THEODORE THEPROTOSPATHARIUS AND THEIR COMPANYp.23.Callistus, this noble soldier of Christ, had noble parents.He became one of the picked troops of the emperor’s army through the strength of his body, his good looks and the good name of his kinsmen.Later.he held the rank of comes in the ranks of the Christ-loving scholae.p.29.[at Colonea] he found.some men of rank who suffered from the Manichaean heresy.At first he warned and exhorted and urged them to abandon the filth of this heresy.When he saw that the wretches persisted in error and would not be converted, he made it plain that they were excommunicated from his sacred band.For this 1 See map.2 For information on the date and reliability of Zonaras see [14] below.3 Theodora (842–56), as regent for her son Michael III (842–67).P63CDH16311/28/97, 10:46 AMCHRISTIAN DUALIST HERESIESreason.they agreed to hand him over to their fellow Manichaeans who had abandoned the customs and lands of Christians because of their impiety, and had bound themselves by a treaty to the bloodstained race of the Agareni,4 those who endure exile by the providence of God as befits their foul heresy.In accordance with God’s decrees about him a plot was laid against Callistus, that man of peace and advocate of piety, as it was against his own master.5 He was handed over to the apostates under the command of the thrice-wretched Carbeas.There at first he was condemned to close confinement and the penalty of irons on his feet, together with those of the servants who accompanied him, who were few in number.When the Saracen chief learnt of this, he immediately sent him captive to Syria and ordered that he should be kept with the noble witnesses of Christ who were with the blessed Theodore and Constantine and Theophilus and Basoes.These holy men had spent six years in close confinement, in fetters and hungry and sleeping on the ground, after the capture of Amorium,6 although they were men who had previously lived luxuriously and been soldiers on service with every comfort.A few days after the arrival of the holy Callistus, the leading official made a statement to those in prison through the appropriate members of his command in these words: ‘See, in addition to the time which has already elapsed, I am making you a present of five days.Reflect, then; you are noble and intelligent men, leaders in the Roman Empire.Don’t throw yourselves away in death and lose the sweetness of this world.If you obey me, deny the Crucified one whom the Romans call Christ.You will have even greater honour than before and enjoy great wealth among us.If you do not listen to my advice, you will be executed by the sword.’.[The offer was refused.After four days in which the martyrs prayed and fasted] On the fifth day, early in the morning, the Arab chief, that servant of Satan.gave orders that they should be brought from prison.The servants of the infidel seated the holy men on wretched animals, side-saddle, like women, as their legs were in fetters, and dragged them to be interrogated, mocking them as fools, and hitting them somewhat and uttering all kinds of insults, saying all the things which terrify and appal those who are condemned to death
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]