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The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret (CCEL)

Chapter XI. Of the Holy Martyrs Juventinus and Maximinus.

Now Julian , with less restraint, or shall I say, less shame, began to arm himself against P. 101 true religion, wearing indeed a mask of moderation, but all the while preparing gins and traps which caught all who were deceived by them in the destruction of iniquity. He began by polluting with foul sacrifices the wells in the city and in Daphne, that every man who used the fountain might be partaker of abomination. Then he thoroughly polluted the things exposed in the Forum, for bread and meat and fruit and vegetables and every kind of food were aspersed. When those who were called by the Saviour’s name saw what was done, they groaned and bewailed and expressed their abomination; nevertheless they partook, for they remembered the apostolic law, “Everything that is sold in the shambles eat, asking no question for conscience sake.” ¹ Two officers in the army, who were shield bearers in the imperial suite, at a certain banquet lamented in somewhat warm language the abomination of what was being done, and employed the admirable language of the glorious youths at Babylon, “Thou hast given us over to an impious Prince, an apostate beyond all the nations on the earth.” ² One of the guests gave information of this, and the emperor arrested these right worthy men and endeavoured to ascertain by questioning them what was the language they had used. They accepted the imperial enquiry as an opportunity for open speech, and with noble enthusiasm replied “Sir we were brought up in true religion; we were obedient to most excellent laws, the laws of Constantine and of his sons; now we see the world full of pollution, meats and drinks alike defiled with abominable sacrifices, and we lament. We bewail these things at home, and now before thy face we express our grief, for this is the one thing in thy reign which we take ill.” No sooner did he whom sympathetic courtiers called most mild and most philosophic hear these words than he took off his mask of moderation, and exposed the countenance of impiety. He ordered cruel and painful scourgings to be inflicted on them and deprived them of their lives; or shall we not rather say freed them from that sorrowful time and gave them crowns of victory? He pretended indeed that punishment was inflicted upon them not for the true religion for sake of which they were really slain, but because of their insolence, for he gave out that he had punished them for insulting the emperor, and ordered this report to be published abroad, thus grudging to these champions of the truth the name and honour of martyrs. The name of one was Juventinus; of the other Maximinus. The city of Antioch honoured them as defenders of true religion, and deposited them in a magnificent tomb, and up to this day they are honoured by a yearly festival. ³

Other men in public office and of distinction used similar boldness of speech, and won like crowns of martyrdom.

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ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣΤΙΚΗΣ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑΣ ΤΟΜΟΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΣ

δʹ.

Περὶ τῆς ἐπανόδου τῶν ἐπισκόπων.

Ταῦτα δὲ Ἰουλιανὸς σαφῶς ἐπιστάμενος τὸ δυσσεβὲς τῆς ψυχῆς οὐκ ἐπίδηλον εἶχεν, εἰς εὔνοιαν δὲ ἅπαντας ἐφελκόμενος καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ Κωνσταντίου τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν ἐξελαθέντας ἐπισκόπους καὶ τὰς ἐσχατιὰς τῆς οἰκουμένης οἰκοῦντας εἰς τὰς οἰκείας ἐπανελθεῖν ἐκκλησίας προσέταξε. Τούτου δὴ οὖν τοῦ νόμου τεθέντος, εἰς μὲν τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἐπανῆλθεν ὁ θεῖος Μελέτιος, εἰς δὲ τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ὁ πολυύμνητος Ἀθανάσιος. Εὐσέβιος δὲ καὶ Ἱλάριος οἱ ἐκ τῆς Ἰταλίας καὶ Λουκίφερ ὁ Σαρδῶ τὴν νῆσον ποιμαίνειν λαχὼν ἐν τῇ Θηβαίων τῇ πρὸς Αἴγυπτον διῆγον· ἐκεῖ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ὁ Κωνστάντιος ἐξωστράκισεν. Οὗτοι σὺν τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁμόφροσι κατὰ ταὐτὸν γενόμενοι χρῆναι τὰς ἐκκλησίας ἔλεγον εἰς μίαν συναγαγεῖν συμφωνίαν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον αὐτὰς οἱ τἀναντία φρονοῦντες ἐπολιόρκουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐταὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὰς ἐστασίαζον.

Καὶ γὰρ ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ διχῆ τὸ ὑγιαῖνον σῶμα τῆς ἐκκλησίας διῄρητο· οἵ τε γὰρ ἐξ ἀρχῆς Εὐσταθίου χάριν τοῦ πανευφήμου τῶν ἄλλων ἀποκριθέντες καθ´ ἑαυτοὺς συνηθροίζοντο, καὶ οἱ μετὰ Μελετίου τοῦ θαυμασίου τῆς Ἀρειανικῆς συμμορίας χωρισθέντες ἐν τῇ καλουμένῃ Παλαιᾷ τὰς λειτουργίας ἐπετέλουν τὰς θείας. Καὶ ἦν μὲν τούτων κἀκείνων μία ἡ ὁμολογία τῆς πίστεως· ἑκάτερον γὰρ σύστημα τῆς ἐκτεθείσης ἐν Νικαίᾳ διδασκαλίας ὑπερεμάχει. Μόνη δὲ αὐτοὺς ἔρις ἀπ´ ἀλλήλων διίστη καὶ ἡ περὶ τοὺς ἡγουμένους διάθεσις· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ θἀτέρου τελευτὴ διέλυσε τὴν διάστασιν. Πρὸ γὰρ τῆς Μελετίου χειροτονίας Εὐσταθίου τετελευτηκότος καὶ τῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀντεχομένων μετὰ τὴν Μελετίου μὲν ἐξορίαν Εὐζωΐου δὲ χειροτονίαν τῆς τῶν δυσσεβούντων κοινωνίας ἀποκριθέντων καὶ καθ´ ἑαυτοὺς ἀθροιζομένων, συναφθῆναι τούτοις οἱ ἀπ´ Εὐσταθίου τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἔχοντες οὐκ ἐπείσθησαν.

Τῆσδε τῆς συναφείας οἱ περὶ τὸν Εὐσέβιον καὶ Λουκίφερα πόρον ἐπεζήτουν εὑρεῖν· καὶ Λουκίφερα μὲν ὁ Εὐσέβιος τὴν Ἀλεξάνδρειαν ἠξίου καταλαβεῖν καὶ Ἀθανασίῳ τῷ μεγάλῳ περὶ τούτου κοινώσασθαι, αὐτὸς δέ γε τὸν περὶ τῆς συμβάσεως ἤθελεν ἀναδέξασθαι πόνον.