Jeremias

The Lives Of The Saints: Volume 02, February · SS. ELIAS, JEREMIAS, ISAIAS, AND COMP., MM.

SS. ELIAS, JEREMIAS, ISAIAS, AND COMP., MM.

(a.d. 309.)

[Commemorated on this day by the Greeks, and in some Western Martyrologies. On this day also the Roman Martyrology. Authority : — Eusebius ; Martyrs of Palestine, c. ii.]

In the year 309, the Emperors Galerius and Maximinus continuing the persecution begun by Diocletian, five pious Egyptians went to visit the confessors condemned to the mines in Cilicia, and on their return were stopped by the guards of the gates of Caesarea, in Palestine, as they were entering the town. They readily declared themselves Christians, together with the motives of their journey ; upon which they were apprehended. The day following they were brought before Firmilian, governor of Pales- tine, together with S. Pamphilus, and others. The judge, before he began his interrogatory, ordered the five Egyptians to be laid on the rack. After they had long suffered all manner of tortures, he addressed himself to him who seemed to be their chief, and asked him his name and his country. They had changed their names, which, before their conversion, were those of some heathen gods, as was customary in Egypt. The martyr answered according to the names they had given themselves, which were those of

* *

Digitized by Google

February x6.] .SVS1. Elias , J eremias & Comp .

*

315

•*

prophets, as Elias, Jeremy, Isaiah, Samuel, and Daniel.1 Firmilian then asked their country; he answered, Jerusalem, meaning the heavenly Jerusalem, the true country of all Christians. The judge inquired in what part of the world that was, and ordered him to be tormented with fresh cruelty. All this while the executioners continued to tear his body with scourges, whilst his hands were bound behind him, and his feet squeezed in stocks. The judge, at last, tired of tormenting them, condemned all five to be be- headed, and this command was immediately executed.

Porphyry, a youth, the servant of S. Pamphilus, hearing the sentence pronounced, exclaimed that the honour of burial ought to be accorded to these men. Firmilian, pro- voked at this boldness, ordered him to be apprehended, and, finding that he confessed himself a Christian, and re- fused to sacrifice, “ commanded,” says Eusebius, “that they should scrape and mutilate him, not as though they were dealing with flesh of a human being, but as with stone and wood, to the very bones, and the inmost recesses of the bowels. This being continued for a long time, he at length perceived that he was labouring in vain, as he continued without uttering a sound, or evincing any feeling, and almost totally lifeless, although his body was dreadfully mangled. But, as the judge was of an inflexible cruelty, he condemned him to be committed to a slow fire. One could then see Porphyry covered with dust, but with his countenance bright and cheerful, advancing on his way to death, covered only with his philosophical garb thrown round him like a

1 It is, perhaps, inaccurate to say that these were the names ot the five brethren, Eusebius does not affirm as much. He says, “ The governor asked the chief of them who he was, when, instead of his proper name, he heard him repeat some name of the prophets, which was done by them, if they happened to have had names given to them by their parents from the names of idols, in which case you would hear them calling themselves Elias, Jeremiah, l.iaiah, Samuel and Daniel. .

. . . When Firmilian had heard some name like this from the martyr, &c.”