martyrdom.victor.03 Chapter 1

And the Devil filled the heart of the father of Apa Victor, and he made him to deliver Apa Victor over into the hands of Diocletian the Emperor

And when the Emperor had looked into the face of Apa Victor, he said unto him

O thou Victor, why hast thou not hearkened to thy father, and worshiped my gods?

Is it possible that thou dost not know that I have absolute power over thee?

And Apa Victor tore off his golden chain, and removed the insignia of his rank which he had on him, and he threw them in the face of Diocletian, saying,

Indeed I am in no way a soldier, and I will not wear the badge of an emperor who is mortal, for I wear the badge of the Emperor who is in the heavens.

For it is written in the book of the Christians,

It is not possible for you to perform the service of two master; (ye must) either (serve God or mammon,

And again, It is not possible for you to eat at the table of the lord, and at the table of the demons.

Now therefore, I will serve the God of heaven, and I will not serve mammon, that is to say, thee, Emperor therefore, I will serve the God of heaven

And the Emperor said unto Apa Victor

How dost thou dare to insult me in this fashion?

Dost thou think that there are no instruments of punishment and torture in the prison-house wherewith I can have thee punished?

Have I not already commanded (or, announced to) thee, saying I not already commanded (or, announced to) thee, saying,

Never let me hear this name of Jesus (issue) from thy mouth?

If it were not that I should inflict shame on thy father I would not permit thee to utter one word in my presence.

Is it possible that thou hast never heard that an Emperor like unto myself gave orders to a governor

who put to death thy Lord Jesus, in whom thou puttest thy confidence? his king was Herod, who gave orders to Pilate and Pilate put Him to death.

Now, if it was a mere governor who slew Jesus thy God, how much more is it possible for me, an Emperor, to destroy this name of Jesus from under heaven, and every one who worshippeth Him?

Now, therefore, O 'Victor, come, hearken to thy father, and do thou offer up sacrifice to the gods.

If, however, thou wilt not do so, I will banish thee, and they shall put thee to death.

And Romanus turned towards his son Apa Victor and said unto him

Art thou still not persuaded to pay worship unto the gods of the Emperor?

And Apa Victor said unto his father

If Diocletian be thy god, (good and well); but he is no god of mine, for my Lord is Jesus the Christ.

And his father was exceedingly wroth, and he commanded them to bind his son's arms behind him, and to carry him outside the city, and to spear him there (until) he died.

And they tied the arms of this noble Apa Victor behind him, and they fastened a gag in his mouth so that they might carry him outside (the city) to destroy him; and when he was coming out soldiers accompanied him.

And the Devil took the form of a soldier, and he made himself visible to Victor, and he said unto him

Victor, where wilt thou fulfill this evil course of action?

By these acts of thine thou art abandoning thy father to grief.

Thou thinkest that thy father hateth thee. This is certainly not so, for thy father loveth thee exceedingly.

Now, therefore, hearken thou unto me, and let me tell thy father that thou hast repented, and he will cease to be angry with thee.

Do not, then, do not, I say, be disobedient unto him.

Consider Isaac, the son of Abraham, who shewed no disobedience to his father when he saw the knife of slaughter which was to kill him coming down upon him.

Now, therefore, do not make thy father to grieve, otherwise thou wilt fall under the curse of Ham, who was under the curse of his father, because he looked upon his father's nakedness.

Now, therefore, do not shew disobedience to thy father, and then I will petition the Emperor, and he will make thee a general.

And Apa Victor said unto the Devil

I have not set my mind upon the possession of the rank of general in this world, but upon the kingdom of my Lord Jesus the Christ.

And when these words had been said (by him) they went in and told the Emperor that Romanus had passed sentence of death upon his son, Apa Victor, and that his head was to be cut off, (because) he had sinned against the Emperor and his gods.

And Diocletian sent two (of his) bodyguards so that they might seize him, and bring him to him.

And the Emperor said unto his father

I know this day that thou carest neither for (thy) wife nor (thy) son as much as thou carest for me and my gods, and that thou hast gone so far as to deliver over to death thine only son for my sake. But hearken unto me and unto the things which I will declare

Hearken unto me

Peradventure this impostor hath led his heart astray. I will banish him to Rakote, and let him he there in prison until he dieth

And Apa Victor was exceedingly wroth, and he said unto the emperor

thou stupid and senseless Emperor this matter which thou seekest to effect is good, (for) thou wilt make thyself a strangers unto us, and we shall become strangers unto thee.

And the greater part of thine army shall hale thee, and God shall he angry with thee, and He shall send His wrath upon thee, and shall destroy thy kingdom

And the Emperor was wroth, and he commanded immediately that (his servants) should reduce his supply of food, hut he did not cut off his rations altogether, and the Emperor allowed him sufficient food to keep him alive lest he should die of hunger.

And he caused him to be deprived of his rank of count.

And he made them to fasten Apa Victor's hands behind him

and he tied him to the tail of a horse

and shaved the crown of his head

and he suspended a bell from his neck

and four soldiers filled their hands with palm branches and beat him therewith, and they dragged him naked round about through all the city, and a herald went before him crying out

These things are done unto this man because he will not offer up sacrifice to the gods of the Emperor

and they went through every part of the city with him.

And on the new moon of Parmoute, the first day of the month of the beginning of the year, according to the computation of the Romans

Diocletian took a sheet of parchment, and wrote on it these words

I, Diocletian, who am the Lord of all the World, write unto Armenius, the Count of Rakote, that so soon as this man Victor, who is banished, is brought unto thee

thou shalt examine him carefully three times

and slialt afterwards drive him to the baths, and burn him.

And straightway they delivered him over into the hands of four soldiers in order that they might take him to Rakote.

There was (an iron) collar round his neck, there was a gag in his mouth, there was fettering iron about his feet, and he was naked, and there were iron casings about his legs, and the soldiers drove him along with blows.

And Apa Victor said unto the soldiers who were in charge of him, ' My brethren, I pray you to cease to treat me with such harshness and cruelty, and to vex me so seriously

What is the evil thing which I have done unto you, that ye should rejoice over me with such keen pleasure?

I have never done any injury to you, and I have never committed an act of injustice against you.

If the Lord will He can prepare my way of escape, not only from you, but from everybody.

Do not therefore, O my brethren, rejoice over me because evils have risen up against me

for it is written, rejoice not over any man who is about to die; remember that we must all die.

served as a soldier with you at one time, therefore do not treat me with contumely, and for God's sake remove this gag from me, so that I may be able to say the word I would say unto my mother.

And the soldiers shewed compassion and removed the gag from his mouth, and Victor went into his house.

And when his mother had seen him, she was greatly disturbed within herself, and she rose up on her throne, and she said

Is it thou, O my son Victor, thou light of mine eyes?

And when she saw that he was naked, and that he was wearing iron fetters on his hands and on his feet, she said unto him

Why art thou in this state, O my son Victor?

Truly my soul is greatly disturbed when I see thee in this state.

Art thou mad? Could not the Emperor have adjudged thee (to pay) money, rather than treat thee in this way?

And Apa Victor said unto his mother

Weep thou, my mother, for they are going to remove the name of Victor from thy house this day.

Now, therefore, hearken thou unto me, my mother, and I will declare in thine ears my words which are sweet.

Before every tiling do thou fear God, and do thou glorify His saints.

Keep holy His sabbaths.

Observe the times of fastings.

Neglect neither the widows nor the orphans, for from this day forward I myself shall be an orphan, without father and without mother, so that the lovingkindness which thou shewest in this world will God also shew to some one else.

May lie transfer it to me myself in that other world which I am about to enter, for there is nothing greater than love (i, e. charity).

Visit those who are sick.

Clothe him that is naked.

Give drink to him that is thirsty.

Receive a stranger into thy house, because from this day onward I shall be myself a stranger. Thus shall the blessing of Sarra be upon thee.

The things which I have spoken unto thee, O my mother, may God make sufficient for thy soul.

Now, therefore, O my mother, I know of a certainty that I shall never have a sight of thee again after this present sight, even if I live. If thou hearest that I have died, seek after my body and bring it to this place.

Make not thyself like I unto my father who hateth (his) son, but be thou compassionate. And do thou ascribe glory unto God by day and by night, so that He may shew compassion unto thee in the days of necessity.