d magistrates to
punish all Christians with racks, scourges, stoning, and every sort of
death, laying to their charge the following articles: "They abolish our
doctrine; they teach men to worship one only God, and forbid them to
adore the sun or fire; they use water for profane washing; they forbid
persons to marry, to be soldiers in the king's armies, or to strike any
one; they permit all sorts of animals to be killed, and they suffer the
dead to be buried; they say that serpents and scorpions were made, not
by the devil, but by God himself."

Acepsimas, bishop of Honita in Assyria, a man above fourscore years old,
but of a vigorous and strong constitution of body, was apprehended, and
conducted in chains to Arbela, before the governor. This judge inquired
how he could deny the divinity of the sun, which all the East adored.
The martyr answered him, expressing his astonishment how men could
prefer a creature to the Creator. By the orders of the governor he was
laid on the ground with his feet bound, and in that posture barbarously
scourged, till his whole body was covered with blood; after which he was
thrown into prison.

In the mean time one Joseph, a holy priest of Bethcatuba, and
Aithilahas, a deacon of Beth-nudra, famed for eloquence, sanctity, and
learning, were brought before the same governor. To his interrogatories,
Joseph answered, that he was a Christian, and had always taught the sun
to be an inanimate creature. The issue was, that he was stretched flat
on the ground, and beaten with thick twigs stripped of the thorns, by
ten executioners who succeeded one another, till his body seemed one
continued wound. At the sight of himself in this condition the martyr
with joy said: "I return you the greatest thanks I am able, Christ, the
Son of God, who have granted me this mercy, and washed me with this
second baptism of my blood, to wipe away my sins." His courage the
persecutors deemed an insult, and redoubled their fury in tearing and
bruising his blessed body. After he was loosened, loaded with heavy
chains, and cast into the same dungeon with Acepsimas, Aithilahas was
called upon. The governor said to him: "Adore {592} the sun, which is a
divinity, eat blood, marry,[1] and obey the king, and you shall live."
The martyr answered: "It is better to die, in order to live eternally."
By the judge's command, his hands were tied under his knees, and his
body fastened to a beam: in this posture it was squeezed and pu