When Severus¹ also was stirring up persecutions against the churches, glorious martyrdoms were achieved everywhere by the athletes of religion; they were especially frequent at Alexandria, as the athletes of God were escorted there as to a very large arena from Egypt and all the Thebais, and by the most patient endurance of different torture and modes of death won crowns with God. Among these was Leonides, who was known as the father of Origen,² and who was beheaded and left behind him his son, quite young. It is not inopportune to discuss briefly how determined he was regarding the...

In working out Book 7 of the Ecclesiastical History, the great bishop of the Alexandrians, Dionysius,¹ will again join us with his own words, describing individually by means of the letters which he has left behind everything that was done in his time. My account will make its beginning with them.

Gallus succeeded Decius who had not reigned for an entire period of two years¹ when he was straightway murdered together with his sons. At this time Origen² died, having completed seventy years save one of his life. Dionysius, writing to Hermammon³ about Gallus,⁴ has the following to say: ‘Not...

Having described the succession of the Apostles in seven complete Books, we think in this eighth unit, as one of our most necessary duties, we should hand down for the knowledge of those who come after us those events of our time which are worthy of no casual record, and our account will begin from this point.

It is beyond our ability to describe worthily the extent and the nature of the glory, before the persecution of our time, as well as the freedom of which the word of piety toward the God of the universe proclaimed to the world...

The imperial edict of recantation presented above¹ was promulgated everywhere in Asia and in all the neighboring provinces. When this had been done in this manner, Maximin, the tyrant of the East, a most impious man if there ever was one, who had been most hostile to the religion of the God of the universe, being by no means pleased with what had been written, instead of promulgating the document gave verbal orders to the officials under him to relax the war against us. Since it was not possible for him otherwise to oppose the decision of his superiors, placing...

To God Almighty and King of all we give thanks for everything, and the fullest thanks be to the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls, Jesus Christ, through whom we pray always that peace from the troubles that are without and those within the heart may be preserved for us firm and unshaken.

And with our prayers, having added herewith the tenth tome also to those that have gone before, we shall dedicate this tome to you, my most holy Paulinus,¹ calling upon you as the seal of the whole undertaking; and fittingly in a perfect number we shall arrange...