Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Martyrdoms and Lives in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

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III. The Life of Saints Eustathius and Theopistê and their two children

1 The Life And CONVERSATION OF SAINT APA EUSTATHIUS, A GENERAL OF THE EMPEROR TRAJAN, AND OF THEOPISTÈ HIS WIFE, AND OF AGAPIUS AND THEOPISTUS HIS SONS, WHO ENDED THEIR MARTYRDOMS IN THE GREAT CITY OF ROME, ON THE TWENTIETH DAY OF THE MONTH THOTH, UNDER THE EMPEROR TRAJAN. IN PEACE. AMEN. 2 There is implanted in a holy man the earnest desire to learn, which is partly natural and partly voluntary, and these qualities are equally clearly distinguished. The holy man setteth up virtue, and he wisheth to instruct his neighbours by the [examples of] others who have lived from the earliest times, and who have given thanks to Him that hath done good unto us all from the beginning, that is to say, to our God and our Lord Jesus the Christ, those whom He hath …I mean that not all have given thanks. We are those [unto whom] He doeth [good].

3 And there are very many admonitions (or, teachings), and acts of valiant and blessed men which have come down to us in the Holy Scriptures, which are like unto images that have souls in them, and which will make those who wish to follow them resemble [them] in their glorious integrity, and prevent them from becoming feeble in the performance of their mighty deeds. The men about whom I shall now write to you are men who maintained their virtuous deeds in our own time, and who did not slacken in their integrity and valiant behaviour. And the men of old, whose histories have been written in the Holy Scriptures in order that those who hear them may love what is good, and may turn themselves to the strength of their virtue, spake, saying, 'Now, in these latter times, there is none who acteth uprightly.' As for me, I say that so far as the man who wisheth to do what is good is concerned, neither the labour [involved in obtaining] the fruits, nor a life which is fully [occupied] in business affairs, need hinder the life which is devoted to the performance of good works.

4 If there be any man who wisheth to follow first of all the word of nature and the instruction of the holy men, of whom we are going to speak, let him seek after the refreshing (or, rest) which existeth in the way of a course of life filled with virtue, after the manner of those about whom it is my intention now to speak. And we will describe to you the beginning of their lives, and the reason for the honourableness of their paths, and we will make these things manifest so far as the power to do so lieth in us. And as for you, O ye blessed men and worshippers of Christ, do ye hearken unto them with all your will, in good faith, and without unbelief and captious doubt in your minds. 5 And there was in the kingdom of the Emperor Trajan, wherein the worship of idols had spread and prevailed, a certain general whose name was Plakētas (Placidus). He was near of kin to the king, and he belonged to a very great and noble family, according to [the opinion] of this world, and he was exceedingly rich. And he exceeded all the other nobles of the palace in his possessions, [in] gold, and [in] silver, and he had troops of slaves, and riches of all kinds in very great abundance; and by race he was a Greek. And he was adorned with all the works of righteousness. Those who were in distress he relieved. He helped those who were suffering oppression, and those who were naked he clothed, and he provided food for those who were hungry, and he redeemed, at his own expense, very many of those who had been condemned to death. In short, he was the steward of every one who was in need, so far as the wants of the body were concerned, and he was a second Cornelius at that time. And he had a wife who was herself a worshipper of idols, but she was adorned with every excellent quality and virtue in exactly the same degree [as her husband]; and two sons were born to them, and these they brought up to walk in the same good path as their parents. And the man was exceedingly well known because of the good works which he was in the habit of doing, and he was so celebrated for his personal strength and valour that the Barbarians were afraid at the mere mention of his name. For he was a fine fighter, and he

6 had gained great renown in battles of all kinds, but his ē whole desire was to hunt and slay wild animals, and for this he was greatly esteemed. But the Good God, Who loveth every man who is worthy of Him in every place, did not forget the good deeds of this man, neither did He wish to destroy his good disposition, but even as it is written, 'Every heathen who feareth God, and who worketh righteousness, shall be accepted by Him,' His bowels of compassion yearned towards him, and He was merciful towards him to such a degree that God willed to save his life, and He did so in the way and by the means which I will here declare unto you. And it came to pass that on a certain day the man went out, according to his custom, to hunt wild beasts in the mountain, he and his soldiers, and all his slaves were with him. And there appeared unto him a herd of deer that were feeding, and he ordered the company who were with him to give chase to them, and all the soldiers gave all their energies to catching the beasts. And one of them

7 appeared from out of the herd, and he was a very fine animal ē and stood higher than all of them, and he broke away from the herd, and took to flight, and he ran for safety into a thicket on the mountain, which was very dense, and very difficult for the hunters to penetrate. And when Plakêtas had seen him he wished to take him in a snare. And he took with him certain soldiers, and hid away all the others, and he gave chase to the animal. Now the soldiers who had gone with him became exhausted, and they gave up the chase, and Plakêtas rode into the thicket alone in pursuit of the beast. And by the good Providence of God neither he nor the horse on which he was riding became exhausted in that dense thicket. And when he had persevered for some time in his pursuit, and was a very long way off from his companions, then the beast stood still upon a very high mountain. And when the general had approached him, there being no men with him, he stood still and looked round about on every side, and he wondered by what means he could take him in a snare. And God, the Lover of mankind, Who effecteth the salvation of man in very many ways, snared this [general] in His net, even as was snared Cornelius through Peter, and even as was Paul unto whom He appeared when he was persecuting Him.

8 And when a considerable time had passed, during which Plakêtas had been looking at the stag, and marvelling at its great size and very fine appearance, and thinking out the means whereby he might capture it, the Lord gave him the following sign; and He made him able to see it, and it appeared unto him in the following form. There was a figure of a cross between the stag's horns, and it shone more brightly than the sun, and there was, moreover, between his horns a similitude like unto the body wherein God arrayed Himself in the womb of the Virgin; now He clothed Himself in this body for our salvation. And He cried out to Plakêtas from the animal with the voice of a man, saying, 'O Plakêtas, why dost thou hunt Me? For it is for thine own sake that I have appeared unto thee in the form of this animal. I am Jesus, He Whom thou servest, without knowing it. H Thy kind and charitable deeds which thou doest have come before Me. Therefore I have Myself appeared unto thee, and I have snared thee by means of this animal that is without reasoning power. And I have netted thee with the nets of My Godhead. It is not just to allow those who love Me by their good deeds to act as slaves to unclean demons, and idols which are dead, and dumb, and which are without feeling.

9 For this reason did I come upon the earth in the form wherein thou now seest Me, for I wish to deliver (or, save) the race of man.' 10 And when Plakētas heard these things he was terrified, and he fell down upon the ground. And when a long time had passed he rose up, wishing to understand with exactness the miracle which had taken place. And he said, 'What then is this sight which I have seen? And what manner of voice is this which I have heard? Make Thyself manifest to me, O Thou Who speakest with me, and I will believe in Thee.' And the Lord said unto him, 'Take heed, O Plakētas. I am Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, Who created the heavens and the earth, when nothing existed, and I created all substance of which things are made, and everything else. I am He Who made the light to appear, and I separated it from the darkness. I am He Who created the sun and made it to shine by day, and I appointed the moon and the stars to shine by night. I am He Who ordained times, and seasons, and days. I am He Who fashioned man from the earth. I appeared for him in the flesh which I took upon Myself for the sake of the salvation of men. I am He Whom they crucified, and I died, and I rose upon the third day from the dead.'

11 When Plakētas heard these words he fell down upon his face and cried out, saying, 'I believe, Lord, that Thou art He Who hath created everything, and that Thou art He Who turneth back those who go astray, and those who have gone astray, and that Thou art He Who giveth life unto those who are dead.' And the Lord answered and said, 'If thou believest, go, make thy way to the high priest of the Christians, and demand from him the freely-given gift of baptism.' I And Plakêtas answered and said unto Him, 'Lord, command me to relate these words to my wife and children, so that they also may believe in Thee.' And the Lord said unto him, 'Repeat them. And ye shall be purified from every unclean thing. When ye have received the seal of baptism thou shalt return hither, and I will appear unto thee, and I will declare unto thee the mystery of salvation.'

12 And Plakêtas came down from the mountain, and went into his house. And when the evening had come he began to speak and tell his wife and sons about the things which he had seen in the vision, and how the Lord had appeared unto him. And his wife cried out and said unto him, 'Lord, my brother, thou hast seen God Whom they crucified, Whom the Christians worship. For He is the only true God, and it is He Who delivereth those who put their hopes in Him.' And she cried out vehemently, saying, 'Have mercy upon me, O Lord Jesus the Christ, and upon my two sons also.' And she said unto her husband, 'In the night which hath passed I myself also saw Him, and He said unto me, To-morrow do thou, and thy husband, and your sons come to Me. And IX I recognized that He was the God, Jesus the Christ, the God of the Galileans. It is He Who willed to appear unto thee in this miraculous manner with the animal in order that thou mayest rely upon His strength, and believe in Him. Therefore come this very night, and let us go and receive baptism from the high priest of the Christians, even as thou wast commanded, for by this do those who believe in Him become members of His household.' And Plakêtas answered, saying, 'This is what He Who appeared unto me commanded.'

13 And in the middle of that night they took their two sons secretly, and a few of their slaves, and they went to the high priest of the Christians, and told him all the dream, A and they confessed their belief in the Lord Jesus the Christ, and they entreated him to give them the seal of the Christ by baptism. And the high priest rejoiced, and ascribed glory to God Who wisheth all men to have life, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And the high priest took them, and catechized them, and gave into their hands the Holy Mysteries of the Faith, and he baptized them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And to Plakêtas he gave the name of Eustathius, and to his wife Theopistè; his elder son he called Agapius, and the younger Theopistus; and he gave them the Glorious Body and Blood of the Christ, and dismissed them, saying, 'May God, the Christ, be with you, and may He graciously grant unto you His kingdom for ever. And know that the hand of the Lord is with you, and I earnestly beseech you that when ye shall be in Paradise ye remember the soul of John, the least of all men and the most miserable.'

14 And when the morning had come Eustathius took horses, and he departed to the mountain, and went towards the spot wherein he had seen the vision. And he dismissed his soldiers, and sent them away to hunt the wild animals, and he remained where he was alone for a short time; then he moved on, and went nearer and nearer to the place where he had seen the figure at first. And he cast himself down upon his face, and he cried out, saying, 'Lord, I know that Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, and I believe in Thee and in Thy Good Father, and in the Holy Spirit. And now I beseech Thee, if I be worthy of the holy grace of Thy Godhead, declare unto me the things which Thou hast to say unto me.' And straightway the Lord answered and said unto him, 'Blessed art thou, O Plakêtas, because thou hast received the washing of grace, and hast arrayed thyself in the indestructible garment which abideth for ever. Now, therefore, do thou make manifest the work of thy faith. Since the Devil is envious of thee thou must cast him behind thee;

15 and he will be zealous in setting snares of every kind for thee, and he will contend against thee. For thou must of necessity endure manifold temptations. If thou endurest them in patience thou shalt receive the crown of victory. Behold, thou shalt rise very much higher in the works (or, affairs) of [this] life, and in the riches which are temporal. And, moreover, thou shalt become rich in spiritual excellence. Now be not weak, neither be thou overcome by the glory of this world, which thou didst possess originally; but as thou didst shew thyself to be a mighty man among men, and as thou didst wage war, and didst strive zealously to serve a king who is mortal, even so do thou strive zealously to prove thyself to be a mighty man against the Devil, and do thou keep fast hold on the faith for Me, for I am the Immortal King. For needs must that thou shouldst become a second Job, in these times, who shall vanquish the Devil in temptation. Take good heed to thyself lest the reasoning of blasphemy ascend in thine heart, and when thou shalt be in a state of humility I will come unto thee in order that I may re-establish thee in thy former glory.'

16 And when the Lord had said these things unto him He departed into heaven, and the Lord spake unto him, saying, 'Eustathius, there shall be unto thee as great a temptation as thou canst wish in that which thou shalt have in the last days.' And Eustathius said unto Him, 'If this be the last of my days, I now beseech Thee, O my Lord, supposing that I am not able to bear the things which Thou hast appointed me, to remove them, and not to let them come upon me, and command that our temptation return unto Thee. But give us strength, O Lord, Thou God of mighty deeds, for Thou art He in Whom we trust.' And the Lord said unto him, 'Fight, O Eustathius, and My grace shall watch over what is in [thy] heart.' And Saint Eustathius came down from the mountain, and he went into his house, and told his wife the things which God had said unto him. And they knelt down together on their knees, and they prayed, saying, 'Let Thy will be done.'

17 And it came to pass, after a few days, that a pestilence broke out in the house of Eustathius, and all his slaves died. And when this had happened, Eustathius perceived that there had actually come upon him the temptation (or, trial) which, according to the indications that had already been given to him, was to come upon him, and he welcomed it as such, and he rejoiced, and exhorted his wife not to lose courage. And after a little time all his horses, and cattle, and sheep died, and this temptation also he received with joy. And after these things he left his house, he, and his wife, and his sons, who knew nothing [of the reason], and he departed to another place. And when the doers of iniquity knew that they had departed, they went by night and plundered his house, and they stripped it bare, leaving nothing whatsoever behind them, neither gold, nor silver, nor raiment. After all these losses, and all these sorrows, they became quite destitute, for they had lost all their substance, and everything which they had. And all these things happened through the crafty designs of the Adversary.

18 And it came to pass in those days that all the people were celebrating a festival, and they were rejoicing greatly because they had conquered the Persians, and the Emperor was celebrating the festival with them with great heartiness, but Eustathius felt that it was not seemly for him to join them in celebrating the festival. As, however, he was a great general among the nobles of Rome, the Emperor enquired for him, but did not find him. And when the Emperor learned that in one hour nothing had been left to him of all his possessions, and that neither he nor those who were with him had anything left, he and all the nobles with him were exceedingly sorry on his account, and they marvelled at what had happened to him. 19 Then his wife said unto him, 'How long shall we sit here in this place? Rise up, and let us take our sons who are left unto us, and let us depart and leave this country, because we have become the laughing-stock of those who know us.' And that night they took their sons and departed, and they set out for Egypt. And when they had been travelling for a day or two they arrived at the sea, and they found a ship anchored at the quay, and they made enquiries about embarking in the ship. And the captain of the ship was a savage and brutal man. And when they had embarked in the ship they put to sea, and the captain of the ship looked upon the wife of Eustathius, and he saw that her face was beautiful, and he loved her. And when the captain arrived at the shore of the sea he asked Eustathius for his passage money, but he had it not to give to him; and he seized the wife of Eustathius in place of the passage money, for he had already determined that he would not let her go with her husband. And when Eustathius persevered in arguing the matter with him, and in making supplication to him, the captain made a sign to the sailors to lay hold upon him, and to throw him into the sea. And when Eustathius knew of their evil intentions he very unwillingly left his wife behind, and taking his two sons departed with them weeping, and he made lamentation, saying, 'Woe is me, O my sons, for your mother hath been seized by a barbarian.'

20 And he went away heaving sighs and shedding tears, and he came to a river of water, and owing to the heavy rain which had fallen into it he was unable to swim across it with both his sons at the same time. And he took the one son on his neck, and leaving the other on this side of the river he swam across the water, and left on the other side the son whom he had been carrying, and then turned back [to fetch] the other. And it came to pass that whilst he was in the middle of the river he lifted up his eyes, and saw that a lion had seized his son, and that he was dragging him along the ground and going away with him. And his father Eustathius was in despair about him; but he recovered himself at length, feeling that there was hope for him, for he still had the other son left to him. And again he looked, and saw that the other son was being carried off by a wolf. And [when] he perceived that both his sons had been carried away into captivity by wild beasts he tore out the hair of his head, and wept abundantly with exceedingly great bitterness, and he was about to cast himself into the flood. But the loving care of God gave strength to his heart, so that it might make him to know what was to happen to him. Therefore he did not do this (i.e. drown himself), but he swam across the river in order to depart into the desert.

21 And when certain shepherds saw the [one] child in the jaws of the lion, and that he was uninjured, they said with right understanding, 'The Providence of God is disposed to protect this boy, and to help him, and it will deliver him from the wild beast.' And they gave chase to the lion with their horses, and the lion was afraid. And by the dispensation of God the lion dropped the child from his mouth, and fled, and the shepherds picked up the child, and they reared it as a son to them on the east of the river. And as for the other son which the wolf had carried off the good Providence of God preserved him also unharmed. For when certain men who were ploughing the land saw him [being carried off] they gave chase to the wolf, and took him from the beast; and the child had received no injury whatsoever. And the ploughmen and the shepherds were living together in the same village, and they took the two little children, and reared them as their own.

22 Now Eustathius had no knowledge whatsoever of what had happened; but he walked on his way, and he wept, and kept repeating these words, 'Woe is me! I was at one time flourishing like a tree, but now I am dried up and withered. Woe is me! I had at one time large room, but now I am like unto a captive. Woe is me! I, who at one time had legions of soldiers at my feet, am now left utterly to myself, and neither my wife nor my children are permitted to be with me. But do not, O Lord, cast me away, and be not Thou forgetful of my tears. O Lord, Thou didst say unto me, "Needs must that thou shalt be tempted as was Job. And behold, do Thou look upon my sufferings which have become exceedingly severe. For even if the possessions which he had were all carried away, there still remained to him the dung-hill whereon he could seat himself, whereas I am a miserable sojourner in a strange land, and am burdened with all this mass of misery. And again, Job had his children to console him, and to help him to bear his sufferings, whereas in my case the wild beasts have carried off my children, who should be my consolation.

23 And even if his branches, I mean his children, were lopped off, he still had left to him the root, that is to say, his wife, who would live in the house with him, even though she did not serve him as a wife in the [true sense of] the word. But as for me, miserable man that I am, my root is cut off on all sides, and I cannot see a single ray of light from the lamp of my race. Moreover, I am like a tree in the desert, which is being ever shaken by the winds of the Devil. Do not, Lord, do not afflict Thy servant, [and drive him] to utter many words, for if I spake the things which I ought not to speak, I should be grieved in heart. Do Thou, therefore, O Lord, set a guard upon my mouth, and a strong seal upon my lips, so that my heart may not incline towards the words which are evil, and Thou mayest not cast me away from before Thy face. And give Thou me rest, O Lord!'

24 And as he was saying these things, and was heaving sighs and weeping, he came to a village, which was called Bassos, and he went into it, and worked there, and procured his daily bread therein. And when he had lived there a long time the owners of the village entreated him to go and become watchman of the fruit crops in the orchard there, and he fulfilled this work for a period of ten years, and received his wages for the same. And his sons were being fed and brought up in the village which we have already mentioned, and they did not know that they were brethren. And the captain of the ship who had carried off the wife of Eustathius took her to his own country, and the great shadow of God overshadowed her so completely that the barbarian was never able to touch her all that time. For what this woman had entreated

25 God to grant her was that a pagan man should not touch her at all. And it came to pass that after her barbarian husband was dead the woman remained in that country. And after [many] days those pagan people among whom the wife of Eustathius was living rose up (or, rebelled), and advanced to seize the country of the Romans. And the Emperor Trajan was greatly troubled because of the war with these pagan peoples, and he remembered Plakētas, more especially because of his bravery and his numerous defeats of the alien peoples. And the remembrance of Eustathius kept stirring within him, and he was troubled about the change which had come upon him in his affairs. Then he prepared himself and the soldiers who were in his kingdom for the war. And he grieved exceedingly for Plakētas, and he spake, saying, 'Him who shall give me such indication as will help me to find him, upon him will I bestow a great honour and a yearly wage, and I will make

26 him exceedingly rich.' And two of his soldiers—now the name of one of them was Antiochus, and that of the other Acacius, and they had been servants of Eustathius, and untiring in their ministrations to him in times past when he was living with them—departed to seek after him, and they searched the whole kingdom through very thoroughly until they arrived at the village wherein Eustathius was. And as they were going along in the place wherein Eustathius was keeping watch he saw them from a distance, and he recognized them by their peculiar carriage, and by their gait. And he remembered his former manner of life, and he began to feel sorrowful in heart, and he prayed, saying, 'O Lord God, Thou merciful One, Who deliverest every one who putteth his hope in Thee, since I have seen those who formerly walked with me shall not I have hope? Now, therefore, give the command, and look upon me and upon Thy servant, that is to say, my wife. For I know well that because of my own evil works my children have become food for wild beasts, but I entreat Thee to permit me to look upon [them] again in the Resurrection.'

27 And whilst Eustathius was saying these words he heard a voice which spake unto him, saying, 'Be of good cheer, O Eustathius, at this time, for thou shalt again have the position which thou hadst formerly, and thou shalt receive thy wife and thy children. In the resurrection of the dead thou shalt see the good things which are for ever. Do not deny Me, and thou shalt find a rest which is endless, and thy name shall increase from generation to generation.' And when he had heard these words Eustathius was afraid, and he walked down from the place where he was, and he stood up close to where the two soldiers were on the road in front of them, and he knew them without any doubt, but they did not know him. They said unto him, 'Hail, good neighbour!' And he said unto them, 'Peace be unto you, O my brethren!' They said unto him, 'Dost thou know in this place a man who is a stranger, and is called Plakētas, and his wife, and his children? If thou canst shew us this man we will give unto thee very much money.' And Eustathius said unto them, 'For what purpose art thou enquiring after him?' And they said unto him, 'He was a fellow soldier, and behold, we have been wishing to meet him for many years past.' And he said unto them, 'I know not the man. Rest ye, however, with me, for the day is far spent; rest ye yourselves with me in this place which I inhabit. For I myself am a stranger.'

28 And he took them into his house, and then departed to buy some wine to give them to drink. And he said unto the master of the house wherein he lodged, 'I know these men. They have come to me here that I may supply them with food and wine; and they would rest (i.e. lodge) with me in this place. [Give me food and wine] and I will repay thee the price of the same at the time when my wages [are paid]'; and the man gave unto him joyfully everything which he needed. And Eustathius remained and ministered unto them, and he could hardly contain himself when he remembered his former life; nevertheless he kept a strong hold upon himself, and did not weep, but he went out [of the house] and wept. And he washed his face, and went into [the house again], and served them. And they looked at him, and little by little they began to recognize him, and they spake unto each other,

29 saying, 'This man is like unto the man whom we are seeking'; and the one said unto the other, 'Yea, he is like him. I know that there was a scar on his neck which was caused by a wound which he received in it a long time ago during the war with the Masekatês. Let us watch him carefully so that we may see whether he hath the scar or not. If he hath the scar on his neck then he is the man.' And having watched for the sign very carefully they saw the mark of the wound on his neck, and straightway they rushed to him, and they kissed him, and they asked him, saying, 'Art thou not the man Plakêtas who was formerly a great general?' And he denied it, saying, 'Certainly not'; and he kept a strong hold upon himself so that he might not weep. And when they had pointed out to him the scar of the wound on his neck, they took an oath to him, saying, 'Thou art Plakêtas, the general'; and they asked him concerning his wife and his children. And he said unto them, 'They are dead.'

30 And whilst he was talking to them about these matters R H they lifted up their faces with a great cry, and they wept so loudly that all the people who were in the village heard them; and whilst they were uttering these loud cries the people of the village came to see what had happened, and they were afraid and were greatly moved. And the soldiers quieted their uproar, and described to them the power and honour which the man had enjoyed formerly. And when the men of the village had heard these things they heaved sighs, and said, 'Great is the honour of this man who hath become a hireling unto us.' Then the soldiers reported the matter to the Emperor. And they arrayed Eustathius in good apparel, being such things as they had with them, and they took him and set out on their road. And every one who was in the village walked with him to set him on his way, and [when] he had supplicated them he sent them away.

31 And whilst he was travelling along the road with the soldiers he described unto them the things which he had seen [in the thicket], and how he had seen the Christ, and also how he had been named Eustathius, and he told them about all the things which had happened unto him. And when they had fulfilled fifteen days in marching on the road they came to the place where the Emperor Trajan was, and they shewed unto him in what manner they had discovered Plakētas. And Trajan the Emperor came forth to meet him, and he kissed him, and he wept many tears, and he enquired of him what his reason was for his departure. And Eustathius related to Trajan and all the nobles what had happened unto him, and the history of his wife and his children, and in what way the captain of the ship had carried away his wife by force, and how his children had been carried off by wild beasts, and he described to them their tribulations. And there was very great joy indeed in [the hearts of the Emperor and his nobles] because they had found Eustathius alive. And the Emperor comforted him, and made him a general as he had been aforetime.

32 And when Eustathius had inspected the army he knew that it was not sufficiently strong to fight in battle against the Barbarians, and he shewed the Emperor that this was so. And Trajan the Emperor commanded his officers to enlist recruits, and he wrote an epistle to every city wherein he ordered the people thereof to enlist men, and to train them, and to make them fit to be used as soldiers. And it came to pass that when [the envoys] had entered the village wherein were the sons of Eustathius they took the two young men and made recruits of them. And the men who were in that place bore testimony concerning them, and said that they were vigorous in respect of their strength, and goodly in their appearance. And when Eustathius had gathered together all the recruits, and had assigned to them their positions, he perceived that the two young men were the most goodly of them all. And he appointed them to serve him personally, because he knew that they were of noble birth by their manners and habits, and in his good nature he set them apart to minister unto himself. And their own natural disposition drew them more and more day by day to make him love them, and he gave orders that they were to eat with him at his table.

33 And after these things he took command of the army according to his wont, and he departed to the war and to the country of the Barbarians, which he had taken before that day, and in which he had set free those who had been kept in captivity therein. And he crossed the river which is called Hydaspes, and went up over the mountains, and penetrated far into the country of the Barbarians, and he vanquished the foreigners also, and spoiled the whole country. And Eustathius took counsel with some of the pagans, and it seemed good to the Providence of God to make him to enter the place where his wife was. Now this woman had, from the very first, been preserved, even as I have already said, through the care of God, from the violence of the captain of the ship [and of other] masters. And when this foreigner died she went away by herself, and she took up her abode in the garden of one of the people with whom she lodged, and she made a booth wherein she might live by herself. And when the general had taken that town, and had spoiled it, he pitched his camp there for a period of three days, and rested there with his army, because that place was very suitable for encamping in. And it came to pass that the two young men took up their abode in that garden wherein the booth of their mother was situated. And as it was the season of noon they sat down and discussed together the affairs of their childhood, but they did not know that their mother was in that place, nor did they know what had happened to them.

34 And their mother was sitting listening to what they were saying. And the elder brother said unto the younger brother, 'As concerning the time of my childhood I cannot remember anything at all except that my father was a general, and that my mother was a very beautiful woman, and that they had two children. One of them was younger than myself, and his hair was red, and his face was handsome. And they took us, and they came forth from our house one night, and they embarked with us in a ship wherein we sailed I know not whither. And when we arrived at the shore on the ship my mother remained by herself on the ship, though for what purpose I know not. As for us our father took the two of us away, and he went on his way weeping. And having come to a river he swam across it with my little brother, and me he left on the bank of the stream. And when he would have returned to carry me over a lion sprang upon me and seized me with his jaws, and went off with me into the desert. Now certain shepherds who were pasturing their flocks in that place snatched me from the lion, and they brought me up there. This I do know, but I do not know what happened to my little brother and to my father.'

35 When the younger brother heard these things from his elder brother he leaped up and wept, and he said, 'Thou art my brother. For from what thou hast said I know that thou art my lord brother, because I myself was brought by the shepherds who told me that I had been snatched away from the claws of the wolf'; and he embraced him, and they kissed each other. And as their mother was listening to these things she knew that the two young men were her sons by what they had said about her voyage on the ship. 17ᵇ And she said within herself, 'I wonder can these young men be my sons or not? Can my sons possibly have their forms?' And she was exceedingly sorrowful, and her bowels were greatly moved when she saw the young men embracing each other and weeping. And she continued to gaze upon them, and she said, 'These assuredly are my sons, more especially because they said that their father was a general, and that their mother remained on the ship.'

36 And on the morrow she went to the general and spake unto him, saying, 'I beseech thee [to hear me], O my lord; I am a woman from the country of the Romans, and I was carried away captive, and they brought me to this place. I therefore entreat thee to take me back to my native land.' And whilst she was saying these things she began to recognize in him her husband through the various characteristic marks which she knew to be in him; and when she had recognized him she was afraid to question him. And when she was unable any longer to contain herself she cast herself down [before] him, saying, 'I beseech thee, O my lord, be not angry with me, for I wish thee to make known unto me what 37 18ᵃ thy rank in life was formerly. Now I think that thou wast Plakētas, the general, who changed his name, and who was called Eustathius, after thou hadst been baptized in the Name of the Christ Jesus, Who did appear unto thee with an animal that was without reasoning power, and thou didst believe on Him. And when thou hadst fallen into the trials which the Lord had previously indicated to thee thou didst take thy wife, that is to say, myself, and thy two sons, that is to say, Agapius and Theopistus, and didst set out for Egypt. And when we had come to the sea we embarked in a ship, and we set sail, and made our passage, and when we had arrived thou didst punish me through the savage captain of the ship, who seized me and carried me off to his native land. But, as the Lord Jesus the Christ is my witness, neither that man nor any other hath defiled my body, but I have guarded my chastity until this day. If now thou art Eustathius, as I know thou must be judging by the marks which I can describe unto thee, I conjure thee by the might of the Christ to declare thyself, and not to hide from me anything whatsoever.'

38 And when Eustathius had heard these things he marvelled exceedingly. And when he had looked into her face, and recognized her, a mighty joy came upon him. And he rose up straightway, and embraced her, and said unto her, 'I am Eustathius of whom thou speakest.' And they kissed each other with a spiritual kiss, and they shed tears in great abundance, and they glorified God Who at all times doeth good things for His servants, and bringeth them out of all tribulation. And his wife said unto him, 'Where are my sons?' And he said unto her, and he wept as he said it, 'The wild beasts carried them off'; and he told her what had happened unto them [when they were] with him. And she said unto him, 'Let us give thanks unto the Lord, for even as He hath given us each to the other, so will He speedily give unto us our sons.' And Eustathius said unto her, 'I tell thee again that the wild beasts carried them off.' And she answered and said, 'Whilst I was sitting in the garden yesterday I heard two young men talking together about the events which happened in their early childhood, and they related things which concerned their early years. And I knew that they were my sons, but they would never have recognized one another had it not been that the words which the elder brother spake supplied the clue that enabled the younger brother to recognize him. If thou hast not up to the present known this, then know well that it was the lovingkindness of God that hath given us to each other. Do thou thyself call the young men, and ask them questions, and let them inform thee.'

39 And the general called the two young men, and asked them, saying, 'Whose sons are ye? And what was it that happened to you in your childhood?' And they declared unto him the things which had happened to them, and immediately he recognized that they were in truth his sons, and he embraced them with fervour, and he kissed them. And Eustathius and his wife cast themselves on the necks of their sons, and they wept long and gave thanks unto God for the marvellous manner in which they had met one another again. And the rumour of that which had befallen them reached all the multitude of the city, and all the people gathered together in one place, and they marvelled and rejoiced because Eustathius and his wife and sons had met together once more, but more especially for the victory over the Barbarians. And they made a great feast that day because they had met together [again],

40 and on the following day they invoked God, and sent forth cries of thanksgiving unto Him for His great lovingkindness to man. And when they had carried out the spoliation of the Barbarians they returned with great gladness, and brought with them a very large amount of spoil and a multitude of captives. And it came to pass that when Eustathius was returning from the war the Emperor Trajan died, and there came in his room another Emperor whose name was Adrian (Hadrian), who was an exceedingly irreligious man, and was more wicked than all the other kings who had reigned before him. And when Eustathius was returning from the war the Emperor went out to meet him, according to the custom of the Roman Emperors, and he brought out with him all his nobles, because of the [long] list of all the places which he (Eustathius) had taken. 41 And he, because of his valour, whereof he was conscious, and because of his meeting with his wife and sons, was filled to the uttermost with his joy. And when he had come into the city the Emperor went and entered into the temple of Apollo, but Eustathius did not go in with him, and remained outside. And the Emperor called him, and asked him why he did not come into the temple of Apollo, [saying], 'Thou so must pour out a libation to the gods in return for thy victory, and because thou hast returned from the war, and thou must offer up sacrifices of thanksgiving to them, especially as thou hast found thy wife and thy sons.' And Eustathius said unto the Emperor, 'I will certainly offer up offerings to my King, the Christ Jesus, together with our supplications and our prayers, and our manifold entreaties, because He hath had pity on our wretched state, and hath brought us out of captivity. He it is Who hath given to me my wife and my sons, and hath helped me according to what He spake to me before I received baptism in His Name. Now, therefore, I know no other god besides Him. For He is the God Who hath created the heaven and the earth, and it is He alone Who hath done these great marvels.'

42 Then the Emperor was wroth when he heard these things from Eustathius, and he made him to withdraw from him as if he had been a pagan, he and his wife and his sons, and he spake unto them words of terror and threats of destruction. And the saints neither regarded them nor were they frightened at all. And when the Emperor saw their unconcern and their faith in the Christ, he commanded them to be taken to the stadium, and to be put an end to by means of a mighty lion. And when the lion advanced to attack them he stood still before the saints, and bent his legs and worshipped them, and he laid his head also down on the ground. And afterwards he came out of the stadium and departed. And when the Emperor saw this great sight, and that the wild beast would not attack them, he fell into

43 doubt. And he commanded them to make a brazen bull, so that they might cast the saints into it and burn them. And the multitude gathered together to see the strife, and the spectacle of the saints; and [the servants of the Emperor] seized them with the mechanical contrivances of the instrument for lifting them up into it. And the blessed Eustathius entreated the honourable people to allow them to pray, and he spread out his hands, he and his wife and his sons, and they prayed, saying, 'O Lord God of the Powers, Whom no man hath ever seen, but Whom now we see according to His wish, hearken Thou now unto us who cry unto Thee. Make Thou 44 our prayer to be perfect with one thought, namely, the confession of Thy Name and Thy holy faith. Make Thou us worthy to be counted among the holy martyrs, even as were the Three Holy Children, whom Thou didst try by fire and they denied Thee not. In this manner do Thou receive us unto Thyself, through this fire, as a sacrifice well-pleasing unto Thee, and because we make ourselves to be also an offering by fire. And Lord, do Thou grant a favour and a gift unto our bodies, so that every one who shall commemorate us shall receive a gift in the kingdom of heaven, and also a time of rest upon earth. And if those who are in peril on the sea, or by waters of any kind, cry unto Thy Holy Name, do Thou deliver them from their danger. And if those who are [burdened] with manifold sins cast themselves down before Thee in Thy Name, do Thou forgive them their sins. And to every one who shall commemorate us on the day [called after] our name, be Thou, O Lord, a helper. Let the threat of the fire which is round about us become unto us the dew of refreshing, so that our bodies, O Lord, may gain strength thereby.'

45 And whilst they were saying these words and were praying they heard a voice from heaven, saying, 'Inasmuch as ye have been mighty athletes in this life, and ye have endured patiently manifold trials, fear ye not at this present, and come ye into this place in peace. Ye shall receive an indestructible crown, and ye shall enjoy yourselves with the good things which have been prepared for you for ever, in the place of the sufferings that ye have endured, and the trials which ye have borne patiently and which were only for a time.' And when the saints had heard these things they delivered themselves joyfully over to the soldiers, who cast them into the brazen instrument. And having been thrown in the flame of fire enveloped them, and they ascribed glory unto the Holy Trinity, unto Whom victory belongeth, and after a short time they delivered up their souls into the hands of God. And the fire did not touch (or, scorch) their bodies in the least degree, nor the hair of their heads.

46 And after three days the wicked Emperor Hadrian came to the place wherein the saints had finished [their fight], and he commanded that the brazen bull should be opened, so that he might be able to see what had happened to the saints. And when it had been opened they found the bodies of the saints in a perfect state of preservation, and there were no marks of destruction whatever in them, and they seemed to be still alive. And when they had brought them out and laid them on the ground, great awe and wonder came upon every one who stood nigh unto them, and the bodies of the saints were brilliantly white like snow. And the polluted Hadrian looked upon them, and he was filled with wonder, and was afraid, and he went away. And the multitude who were standing there cried out, saying, 'Great art Thou, O God of the Christians! Thou art indeed the only Great God, Jesus the Christ, and there is no other god besides Thee. For Thou didst not permit any harm to reach the bodies of [these] saints, nay, they have become brilliantly white and shining, and they send forth great light with glory and gladness.'

47 And when the evening had come the Christians came and carried away the bodies of the martyred saints, and they laid them in an honourable place secretly in the city of Rome. And after the persecution [of them had died away] they built over them a martyrium, and they celebrated festivals therein with hymns and doxologies, according to the custom of the Christians. And they commemorated the holy deaths of these glorious martyrs on the twentieth day of the month of December, which is Thoth, according to the language of the inhabitants of Egypt. Such is the history of the life and contest of these blessed and holy martyrs, that is to say, Apa Eustathius, and Apa Agapius and Apa Theopistus, his sons, and Amma Theopistê, his wife. Here endeth the account of their strife. Now every one who shall be worthy to celebrate the holy commemoration [of these saints], and who shall invoke them, shall receive the good things of the kingdom which is in the heavens, through the grace and love for man of our Lord Jesus the Christ, to Whom be glory, and to His Good Father, and to the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

48 At the bottom of the page is written— 'Victor the deacon, the least [of men], the son of the blessed Mercurius, the deacon.'

IV. The Life of Apa Cyrus

1 The life and conversation of our sainted father, who was glorious in every-thing, saint apa cyrus, the perfect governor, which was written by apa pambo, the elder of the church of shiët. SAINT APA CYRUS DIED ON THE EIGHTH DAY OF THE MONTH EPEIPH. IN THE PEACE OF GOD. MAY HIS HOLY BLESSING COME UPON US, AND MAY WE BE SAVED! AMEN. And it came to pass in the time of Apa Pambo, the elder of the church of Shiët, after he had protected (?) the body of the blessed woman Hellaria (Hillaria), the daughter of the Emperor Zeno, that a vision was shewn to him, [and a voice said unto him,] 'Rise up, and go thou into the district which is on the sea-coast, and thou shalt enquire for the anchorite, of whose sandals there is not in the whole world any one who is worthy to unloose the latchets.' And the blessed Apa Pambo rose up and went into the desert in the strength of God which was with him, even as it was with the blessed Antonius at the time when he was on his journey to go to (i. e. visited) the blessed man Apa Paulus a second time.

2 And the blessed elder Apa Pambo rose up and went into the desert, and he came to the cell of a monk, and he stood still and knocked at the door for a considerable space of time, and he cried out three times, according to the rules of the monkish brethren, saying, 'Bless me!' And whilst I, Pambo, was standing at the door, the brother made answer to me inside, saying, 'Hail, Pambo, the elder of the church of Shiët, thou mighty ship that sailest over the desert that is without water. Behold, I have eagerly desired to see thee for a very long time! Behold, God hath fulfilled for me my wish this day! Come in, O blessed man!' And Apa Pambo answered, saying, 'Hail thou, Apa Hierax, who hast become a companion of the angels of God by reason of thy purity.' And Apa Hierax opened the door, and brought in Apa Pambo, and they sat down together. And Apa Pambo said unto him, 'My beloved brother Apa Hierax, behold, is it very many years since thou didst come to this place?' And Apa Hierax said unto Pambo, 'Behold, I have been in this place eighteen years, and I have never eaten any of the foods which are usually eaten in this world, but I have lived upon the fruit of trees.' Now there was a palm-tree growing outside that cell, and it produced twelve clusters, one cluster each month, and he lived upon the fruit thereof. And I, Pambo, said unto him, 'My beloved father, are there any brethren living beyond thee in the desert?' And Apa Hierax said, 'There are some; bless me, and get thee gone to them, and receive a blessing at their hands.'

3 And having departed from him into the mountain I came to a small cell of a monk, and I called into it according to the rule of the monkish brethren. And as I stood outside it, 4 the brother made answer unto me from the inside, saying, 'Hail, Apa Pambo, the elder of the church of Shiët, thou mighty ship that sailest over the desert that is without water, behold, I have longed eagerly to see thee for many days. At last hath God fulfilled my wish for me this day; come inside, and do not stand outside.' And I made answer to him, 'I am Pambo, O my beloved father Pamoun…my lord! Hail, my beloved brother, unto whom belongeth the coat of many colours, which is like unto the coat of Joseph the righteous man. And before God it is more precious than all the purple of the kings of this world.' Believe me, O my brethren and fathers, I, Pambo, the least of all men, smelled the sweet odour of that brother for a mile before I came to the place where he was. And when we had saluted each other, we offered up prayer, and we sat down. And I said unto him, 'My father, I know that thou must be cold in winter, and thou wilt not be burnt up with the heat in the summer, when wearing a tunic of this kind.' And Apa Pamoun said unto me, …because this, most certainly, is its name, O my beloved brother Apa Pambo.

5 Believe me, O my beloved father, behold, it is twenty years ago since I came to this place, and with this single garment I have found means to keep myself warm during the winter, and to moderate the heat of the atmosphere in summer time. And I confess unto thee that this tunic will suffice for me until the day of my death; and, moreover, when I am dead it will be large enough for them to roll me up in it until the day of the Judgement of Truth.' And I said unto him, 'My beloved father, is there any brother living beyond thee in the desert?' And he said unto me, 'There is one brother the latchet of one of whose sandals all the whole world is not worthy to unloose. I myself went to him many times, wishing to visit him, and he used to answer me from the inside of his cell, saying, "Get thee gone! In coming hither thou hast given thyself trouble [to no purpose]. No man of flesh shall see my face, except the elder of the church of Shiët. And now, O my father, perhaps it was ordained for thee to take me with thee, so that I may receive a blessing at his hands before I die.' And I said unto him, 'Nay, it is not ordained thus, and it is not for this purpose that I have come to this place.

6 But I will remember thee if the Lord maketh straight my way so that I may meet that brother. And, O my father, do thou remember me until I shall enjoy the blessing of that brother.' 7 And when I had journeyed into the mountain about the distance of a mile—now I, Pambo, the least of men, swear unto thee by the awful throne of God, and I do not lie in what I am going to say—the being who seized the prophet Habakkuk in ancient days, and carried him, and the food which was in his hands, and brought him to the pit of the lions [when] Habakkuk gave it (i. e. the food) to Daniel who was in the pit of the lions, this same being, I say, seized me under the impulse of the Spirit, and brought me to the little habitation of that brother. And I knocked at the door, according to the rule of the monkish brethren, and I stood still at the door for a long time. And after these things the brother answered me from within, saying, 'Hail, R Apa Pambo, thou elder of the church of Shiët, thou mighty ship that sailest over the desert that is without water. Behold, for very many days I have eagerly desired to see thee. Behold, this day hath God fulfilled my desire. Come in, and stand not outside.' And when I was passing in through the door of the little habitation I looked, and I saw a mighty stone, which twelve men were trying to move, and they could only lift it with the greatest difficulty. And that brother advanced, and rolled the stone along, and fixed it at the door of the habitation; and when I saw this I marvelled exceedingly.

8 Then I remembered the patriarch Jacob, and how he, when he fled from the face of Esau his brother, went into Mesopotamia of Syria, and how when he had arrived at the place wherein were the sheep of Laban he went up to the well, and rolled away the stone which was on the mouth thereof, without any man giving him assistance, and how he watered the sheep of Laban and then sent them away to feed. And finally I understood that in everything that the saints perform it is God Who helpeth them. 9 And I said unto him, 'O my holy father, shew me thy holy name, for God hath hidden this from me.' And he said, 'Cyrus is my name. I am the brother of the Emperor Theodosius, and I was reared and fed at the same table as Arcadius and Honorius. And, indeed, many, many times hath Honorius said unto me, "Take me with thee into the desert, and I will become a monk"; but I did not wish to take him with me, because he is a son of the Emperor. And when we saw that oppression (or, violence) had multiplied, and that the Emperors were committing sin, and that the rulers were robbing the poor, and that every one was turning out of the straight road, and making corrupt his path before God, I rose up, and I set out and I came to this desert, and I took up my abode therein because of the multitude of my sins. May God forgive me these!'

10 And I, Pambo, said unto him, 'My beloved father, where wilt thou find men in this desert place to comfort thee in thy sufferings?' And Apa Cyrus said unto me, 'Believe me, O my beloved brother, Apa Pambo, my God and my Lord Jesus Christ are Those Who visit me in this desert wherein I live. For I have never seen a man who came to me except a certain brother who was a monk, and who came hither wishing to see my face; besides such an one I have never seen any one. On the contrary, when any one came hither, whilst he remained outside I commanded him from inside this abode, saying, "Get thee gone, thou hast troubled thyself [to no purpose] in coming to me." Most assuredly no man of flesh shall see my face except Apa Pambo, the elder of the church of Shiët. This matter hath, however, taken place through the dispensation of God, and now, behold, God hath fulfilled for me my wish this day.'

11 And I said unto him, 'My brother, is there any other brother beyond thee in the desert?' He said unto me, 'There is nothing beyond me except darkness and the punishments which sinners are enduring. Sit thou down in this place, O my brother, in this hour, and thou shalt see mighty wonders.' And when the light of the Lord's Day had spread abroad, I heard voices crying out, 'Thy love is accepted, O Christ; Thou hast shewn mercy unto us.' And I said unto him, 'My beloved father, what shall we do in respect of these things? The mountain is crumbling away under us.' And he said unto me, 'Be not afraid, O my son, that God will come down for the sake of punishments. He hath commanded the angels who inflict punishments upon souls to give them a respite, for to-day is the Lord's Day, and [the day of] the Resurrection of the Lord.' And he also said unto me, 'Peradventure the Christ will come into this place to-day according to His wont, and I shall be able to kiss Him, mouth to mouth.'

12 And whilst he was saying these things, behold, the Christ opened the door of the habitation, and He came in; now the door opened straightway of its own accord. And when He had come in, believe me, O my brethren and fathers, I, Pambo, the least of men, saw the Christ go up to that brother and kiss him, mouth to mouth, even as doth a brother who hath arrived from a strange region when he meeteth his friend. And as for me, Pambo, the least of men, I was not worthy that He should kiss me then, and He went forth from our midst and we did not know whither He had gone. And I thought that He was a brother monk. And I said unto Cyrus, 'My beloved father, didst not thou tell me just now that no being of flesh hath ever come to thee in this place except myself? If this be so shew me now who this brother monk was Who came in and kissed thee, I myself being unworthy that He should kiss me.' And he said unto me, 'Didst thou not know who He was?' And I said unto him, 'No, my father, I did not. How should I know who He was?' And he said unto me, 'This was the Lord of the things that are in heaven, and of the things that are upon the earth. This was the Son of Mary, the Holy Virgin.

13 This was He Who filleth the desert, and every one who calleth upon Him.' And he also said unto me, 'A great prophet and Archimandrite hath died this day, that is to say, Apa Shenoute the elder; the whole world is punished this day, for he was a very great teacher, and this day is the seventh of the month Epêph.' And he also said unto me, 'This is the man who did not lie down on his bed, nor slumber, nor sleep until he found the place of the Lord, the habitation of the God of Jacob, his Helper. Inasmuch as he fought splendidly he conquered the Devil in [this] world and hath departed to his Lord, and he shall be perfect in the kingdom which is in the heavens. May his blessing and his prayer be with us! Amen.' 14 And he also said unto me, 'My beloved brother Pambo, I am sick this day. I beseech thee to do me the favour of praying for me until I journey over the road of fear and terror.' And I said unto him, 'My beloved father, art thou, even thou, afraid, notwithstanding all the multitude of as ecetic labours which thou hast performed in this world?' He said unto me, 'I have performed a few of the ascetic labours which God appointed for me, it is true, but how is it possible for us not to be afraid of the things which have been indicated to us by very many witnesses, that is to say, the river of fire, and the appearance before the Judge? And as for that river, every one is bound to pass over it, whether he be a righteous man or whether he be a sinner, and it is right that thou shouldst pray on my behalf until I journey over that terrible road.' And he spake unto me again, saying, 'If a man's life upon this earth were to consist of one day only, he would not be free from sin. And, moreover, all flesh shall be purged by the fire.'

15 And it came to pass that at the third hour of the eighth day of the month Epêph he became very ill indeed, and he said unto me, 'I salute thee in the Lord, O my beloved brother.' And thus saying he prayed, and he recited the prayer in the Gospel, and he opened his mouth, and yielded up his spirit, like one who lieth asleep. And I sat down, and I wept continuously over him. And as I was weeping over him, behold, the Christ opened the door of the cell, and He came in, and He stood up by the body of the blessed Apa Cyrus, and He wept over him, and I wept over him. And I saw the tears of the Christ which fell upon the body of the blessed Apa Cyrus; and the Christ turned away and departed by the door of the abode. And when He had gone out I saw a multitude of Angels, and Archangels, and Apostles, and all the righteous, standing there. And one of them came towards me; now he was lame, and he said unto me, 'Knowest thou who I am?' And I said unto him, 'Nay, my lord, I do not.' He said unto me, 'Hearken, [and] I will shew thee. I am Kêpha, unto whom they gave the name of Peter. I am he whom the Christ called in the Gospel "Bar Iôna," that is to say, "Son of the dove." The blessed Apa Shenoute went to his rest yesterday. He (i.e. Christ) hath taken the soul of the blessed man Apa Cyrus, and [the soul of] Apa Shenoute, the Archimandrite, to the place of rest, even as it is written, "There are many mansions in the house of My Father."

16 And after these things, whilst I was pondering in my heart and trying to think what I should do with the body of the blessed man, and whether I should bury it, and where I should lay it, the Saviour came forth from the door of the cell, and closed the door behind Him. And the Saviour had His hand upon the door of the cell, and He was dragging the body of the blessed man, and He became unto him a place of defence until the day of the Righteous Judgement. And the Saviour went up into heaven with His angels. And I walked and came forth to the brethren Apa Pamoun and Apa Hierax, and I told them of the things which I had seen, and they glorified God. And I remained with them for a few days. After these things I departed to my monastery in Shiët, and I wrote the life of the blessed man Apa Cyrus, and I placed it in the church of Shiët, for the profit and consolation of those who should hear it [read], and to the glory of the Holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever! Amen.