1583 Edition | Book 1 | Page 113 
Close(236/7 - 316) [R. W. Mathisen www.roman-emperors.org]
Roman emperor (284 - 305), succeeding Carus's son, Numerian, in the east; controlled the whole empire after the death of Carinus, Carus's younger son, in 285. Introduced tetrarchy; enforced imperial cult; abdicated.
Declined an offer to take the throne in 308; died at Split.
Diocletian came to the throne with the support of the troops. 1570, p. 108; 1576, p. 77; 1583, p. 76.
Having accused Aper of killing Numerian, Diocletian killed him with his sword in front of the troops. 1570, p. 109; 1576, p. 78; 1583, p. 77.
Diocletian commanded that he be worshipped as a god. 1570, p. 109; 1576, p. 78; 1583, p. 77.
Diocletian introduced the most severe persecution of the Christians. The persecution began with the destruction of churches and books of scripture. 1570, pp. 39, 109-111; 1576, pp. 31, 78-79; 1583, pp. 31, 77-79.
He went on use threats and imprisonment, and eventually he devised a great variety of tortures and methods of execution. 1570, pp. 112-14; 1576, pp. 80-81; 1583, pp. 79-81.
Diocletian abdicated and, having heard of the edict of Constantine and Licinius granting freedom of worship to Christians, died. 1570, p. 121; 1576, p. 87; 1583, p. 86.
Close(d. c. 314) Roman centurion of Caesarea in Cappadocia under Lucinius; martyr
Gordius refused to take part in the persecution of Christians and lived the life of a religious hermit. He returned to Caesarea on a pagan feast day and spoke publicly. He was tortured, taken out of the city and burnt. 1570, p. 126; 1576, p. 91; 1583, p. 90.
Close(d. c. 295) [Catholic Encyclopedia]
of Egypt; Roman soldier; ascetic; martyr
Menas left the army to become a religious hermit. He returned to the city and loudly proclaimed himself a Christian, was arrested and tortured and then beheaded. 1570, pp. 126-27; 1576, pp. 91-92; 1583, pp. 90-91.
CloseGovernor in Egypt under Diocletian
Menas was brought before Pyrrhus for publicly having proclaimed himself a Christian. Pyrrhus had him tortured and executed. 1570, pp. 126-27; 1576, pp. 91-92; 1583, pp. 90-91.
CloseCappadocia, Turkey
Coordinates: 38° 44' 0" N, 35° 29' 0" E
ClosePhrygia, Turkey
Whilest this counsel was in geuing, the boucherly torture pluckt the skin from the crowne of his head, heare and all. The mother cried, suffer my childe,MarginaliaA godly mother of a godly childe. anone thou shalt passe to him that will adorne thy naked head, with a crowne of eternall glory. The mother counselleth, the childe is counselled: the mother encourageth, the babe is encouraged: & receiued the stripes with smiling countenaunce. The captaine perceiuing the childe inuincible, and himselfe vāquished, committeth the sillie soule, the blessed babe, the childe vncherished, to the stinking prison; commaunding the tormentes of Romanus to be renued and encreased, as chiefe author of this euill.
[Back to Top]Thus was Romanus brought foorth againe to newe stripes and punishments, to be renued and receiued vpon his old sores, in so much the bare bones appeared, the flesh all torne away: wherein no pitie was shewed, but the raging tyrant puffing out of his blasphemous mouth, like a madde man these woordes, cried out to the tormentors, saying:
MarginaliaThe cruell wordes of the tyrant.Where is quod the Captaine, where is your might?
What? are ye not able one body to spill?
Scant may it, so weake is it, stand vpright:
And yet in spite of vs, shall it liue still?
The Gripe with talent, the dog with his tooth,
Could soone ye dastardes, this corpes rent and teare,
He scorneth our gods in all that he doth,
Cut, pricke, and pounce him, no longer forbeare.
Yea, no longer could the tyrant forbeare, but nedes he must draw nearer to the sentence of death: is it painefull to thee (sayde he) to tary so long aliue? a flaming fire doubte thou not shalbe prepared for thee, by and by, wherein thou and that boy, thy fellow of rebellion shall be consumed into ashes. Romanus and the babe were led to the place of execution. As they laide handes on Romanus, hee looked backe saying: I appeale from this thy tyrannie, O iudge vniust, to the righteous throne of Christ that vpright iudge: not because I feare thy cruell torments and mercilesse handlings, but that thy iudgements may be knowne to be cruell and bloudy. Nowe when they were come to the place, the tormentor required the child of the mother, for she had taken it vp in her armes: And shee onely kissing it, deliuered the babe.MarginaliaThe Christian childe beheaded for confessing of Christ. Farewel she said my sweete childe, and as the hangman applied his sword to the babes necke, shee sang on this maner.
MarginaliaNature ouercome of religion.All laude and praise with heart and voice,
O Lorde we yelde to thee:
To whome the death of all thy Saintes,
We know most deare to bee.
The innocentes head being cut off, the mother wrapped it vp in her garment, and laide it to her brest. On the other side a mighty fire was made, wherinto Romanus was cast: who sayde, þt he should not burne: wherewith a great storme arose (if it be true) and quenched the fire.MarginaliaThe fire quenched with rayne that shoulde burne Romanus. The Capitaine gaue in commandement that his toung should be cut out, out was it plucked by the harde rootes and cut of: Neuerthelesse, hee spake, saying: hee that speaketh Christ shall neuer want a tongue, thinke not that the voyce that vttereth Christ, hath neede of the tong to be the minister.MarginaliaRomanus speaketh after hys tongue was pluckt out. The Capitaine at this, halfe out of his wit, bare in hande that the hangman deceiued the sight of the people by some subtile sleight and craftie conueiance. Not so (quoth the hangman) if ye suspect my dede, open his mouth and diligently search the rootes of his tongue. The Captaine at length being confounded with the fortitude and courage of the Martyr, straightly commaundeth him to be brought backe into the prison, and there to be strangled.MarginaliaRomanus after long tormentes strangled in prison. Where his sorowfull life and paines being ended, hee nowe enioyeth quiet rest in the Lord, with perpetuall hope of his miserable body to be restored againe with his soule into a better life: where no tyrant shall haue any power: Prudentius in hymnis de coronis Martyrum.MarginaliaPrudent iu hymnis de coronis Martyrum
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe story of Gordius a Centurian Martyr.Gordius was a citizen of Cæsaria, a worthy souldiour, and Captaine of an hundreth men. Hee in the time of extreme persecution, refusing any lōger to execute his charge did chuse of his owne accord willing exile, and liued in the desert many yeares a religious and solitary life. But vpon a certaine day when a solemne feast of Mars was celebrated, in the citie of Cæsarea, and much people were assembled in the Theatre to beholde the games: he left the desert, and got him vp into the chiefe place of the Theatre, and with a loude voyce vttered this saying of the Apostle:MarginaliaGordius of hys accord vttereth hymselfe to be a Christian. Beholde I am foūd of them which sought me not, and to those which asked not for mee, haue I openly appeared. By whichwordes he let it to be vnderstood, that of his owne accorde he came vnto those games. At this noise, the multitude litle regarding the sights, looked about to see who it was þt made such exclamation. As soone as it was knowne to be Gordius, and that the crier had commanded silence, he was brought vnto the shirife, which at that instant was present, and ordeined the games.MarginaliaGordius brought to examinatiō. Whē he was asked the question who he was, from whence, and for what occasion he came thether, he telleth the truth of euery thing as it was.MarginaliaThe confession of Gordius. I am come, saith he, to publish, that I set nothing by your decrees against the Christian religion: but that I professe Iesu Christ to be my hope and safety. And when I vnderstood with what crueltie ye handle other men: I tooke this as a fitte time to accomplish my desire. The Shirife with these wordes was greatly mooued, and reuengeth all his displeasure vpon poore Gordius, commaunding the executioners to be brought out with scourges, while gibbet, & whatsoeuer torments els might be deuised. Whereunto Gordius answered, saying, that it shoulde be to him an hinderance and damage if hee coulde not suffer and endure diuers torments and punishments for Christ his cause. The shirife being more offended with this his boldnesse, commaunded him to feele as many kinde of torments as there were, with all which Gordius notwithstanding, coulde not be mastered or ouercome: but lifting vp his eies vnto heauen singeth this saying out of the Psalmes. The Lorde is my helper, I will not feare the thing that man can doe to me: and also this saying, I will feare none euill, because thou Lord art with me.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe bolde constancy & couragious sprite of Gordius.After this, he against him selfe prouoketh the extremitie of the tormentours, & blameth them if they fauour him any thing at al. When the Shrife saw, that hereby he could winne but little, he goeth about by gentlenes and intising wordes, to turne the stoute and valiant minde of Gordius. He promiseth to him great and large offers if he wil denie Christ: as to make him a Captaine of as many men as any other is, to geue him richesse, treasure, & what other thing so euer hee desireth.MarginaliaGordius attempted with fayre promises and good giftes. But in vaine as the Prouerbe is, pipeth the minstrell to him that hath no eares to heare, for he deriding the foolish madnesse of the Magistrate sayth, that it lieth not in him to place any in authority, which be worthy to haue a place in heauen. The Magistrate with these wordes throughly angred and vexed, prepareth him selfe to his condemnation. Whom after that he had cōdemned, he caused to be had out of the Citie to be brent.MarginaliaGordius condemned to be brent. There runneth out of the Citie great multitudes by heaps to see him put to execution, some take him in their armes, & louingly kisse him, persuading him to take a better way and saue himself, and that with weeping teares. To whom Gordius answered,MarginaliaThe aunswere of Gordius to his frēds. weepe not I pray you for me, but rather for the enemies of God which alwaies make warre against the Christians: weepe I say for them which prepare for vs a fire, purchasing hell fire for themselues in the day of vengeance: And cease of further, I pray you, to molest and disquiet my setled minde. Truly (saith he) I am ready for the name of Iesus Christ, to suffer and indure a thousande deathes if neede were. Some other came vnto him which persuaded him to deny Christ with his mouth, & to keepe his conscience to himselfe.MarginaliaA subtile kynde of disswaders. None ought to deny Christ with hys mouth, and confesse hym with hys hart. My toung (sayeth hee) which by the goodnes of God I haue, cannot be brought to denie the author and geuer of the same: for with the heart we beleeue vnto righteousnesse, and with the toung we confesse vnto saluation. Many moe such like wordes he spake: but especially vttering to them such matter, wherby he might perswade the beholders to death, and to the desire of Martyrdome. After all which, with a mery and glad countenance, neuer changing so much as his colour, hee willingly gaue himselfe to be brent. Basilius in Sermone in Gordium militem Cæsariensem.MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Gordius. Ex Basili. in Ser. in Gordium militem Cæsariensem.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaMenas Martyr. Ex Symeon Metaphr. tom. 9.Not much vnlike to the story of Gordius is the story also of Menas an Egiptian, who being likewise a souldiour by his profession, in this persecution of Dioclesian forsooke al, & went into the desert, where a long time he gaue hym selfe to abstinence, watching, and meditation of the Scriptures. At length returning againe to þe Citie Cotys, there in the open theatre, as þe people were occupied vpon their spectacles or pastimes, he with a loude voice openly proclaimed himselfe to be a christian, and vpon the same was brought to Pyrrhus the President: of whome, he being demaunded of his faith, made thys aunswere:MarginaliaThe confession of Menas. Conuenyent it is that I shoulde (sayth he) confesse God in whome is light and no darkenes, for so much as Paule doth teache that with hart we beleue to righteousnes, with mouth cōfession is giuen to saluation. After this the innocent Martyr was most painfully pinched and cruciate with sundrie punishments. In all which, notwithstanding he declared a constant heart, and faith inuincible, hauing these wordes
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