Speudō

Λεκτέον δὲ οἷα καὶ ἐν Ἐδέσῃ τῆς Μεσοποταμίας ἐγίνετο. ἐν δὲ τῇδε τῇ πόλει Θωμᾶ τοῦ ἀποστόλου μαρτύριόν ἐστι λαμπρὸν καὶ περιφανὲς, συνεχεῖς τε ἐν αὐτῷ συνάξεις ἐπιτελοῦνται διὰ τὴν τοῦ τόπου ἁγιότητα. τοῦτο ἱστορῆσαι ὁ βασιλεὺς Οὐάλης θελήσας, καὶ μαθὼν πᾶν τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀπεχθεῖς αἱρέσεως εἶναι τῶν συνερχομένων τὸ πλῆθος, λέγεται τῇ χειρὶ πλῆξαι τὸν ὕπαρχον, ὅτι μὴ προὐνόησε ἐξελάσαι κἀκεῖθεν αὐτούς. Ὡς δὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος περιυβρισθεὶς ἕτοιμος ἦν ἄκων ὑπουργεῖν τῇ βασιλέως ὀργῇ (οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλετο τοσούτων ἀνδρῶν φόνον ἐργάζεσθαι), λαθραίως δηλοῖ, ὅπως ἂν μηδεὶς ἐν τῷ μαρτυρίῳ καταληφθῇ. ἀλλὰ προσεῖχεν οὐδεὶς οὐδὲ τῇ συμβουλῇ οὐδὲ τῇ ἀπειλῇ· πάντες γὰρ τῇ ἑξῆς εἰς τὸν εὐκτήριον τόπον συνέρρεον. ὡς δὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος σὺν χειρὶ πολλῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐπὶ τὸ μαρτύριον ἔσπευδεν, ἐκπληρώσων τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ὀργὴν, γυνή τις πενιχρὰ, τὸ ἑαυτῆς παιδίον ἐκ χειρὸς ἕλκουσα, ἐπὶ τὸ μαρτύριον ἔτρεχε, καὶ διακόπτει τὸ τάγμα τῶν δορυφορούντων τὸν ὕπαρχον. ἀγανακτήσας δὲ ὁ ὕπαρχος προσάγεσθαι αὐτῷ τὴν γυναῖκα κελεύει, καὶ φησὶ πρὸς αὐτὴν, “ὦ ταλαίπωρον γύναιον, ποῦ τρέχεις οὕτως ἀκόσμως;” ἡ δὲ, “ἔνθα,” φησὶ, “καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι συντρέχουσι.” ὁ δὲ, “οὐκ ἀκήκοας,” ἔφη, “ὅτι ὁ ὕπαρχος μέλλει πάντας ἀναιρεῖν οὓς ἂν εὑρίσκῃ;” καὶ ἡ γυνὴ, “ἤκουσα,” ἔφη, “καὶ διὰ τοῦτο σπεύδω, ὥστε ἐκεῖ εὑρεθῆναι.” “καὶ ποῦ τοῦτο τὸ μικρὸν ἕλκεις παιδίον;” φήσαντος τοῦ ὑπάρχου, ἡ γυνὴ φησὶν, “ὥστε καὶ αὐτὸ μαρτυρίου καταξιωθῆναι.” ταῦτα ὡς ἤκουσεν ὁ ἀνὴρ, ἐτεκμῄρατο τῶν συνερχομένων τὴν ἀπόνοιαν· καὶ εὐθὺς παραγενόμενος πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ἐδίδασκεν αὐτὸν, ὡς εἴησαν πάντες ἕτοιμοι ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτῶν ἀποθνήσκειν πίστεως· καὶ ἄλογον εἶναι εἰπὼν, τοσούτους ἐν βραχεῖ χρόνῳ ἀνελεῖν, παρέπεισε τὸν βασιλέα παύσασθαι τῆς ὀργῆς. τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον Ἐδεσηνοὶ τὸ μὴ καταπολεμηθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκείου βασιλέως ἐξέφυγον.
(Socrates Scholasticus, Hist. Eccl. 4.18)

But we must here mention certain circumstances that occurred at Edessa in Mesopotamia. There is in that city a magnificent church dedicated to St. Thomas the Apostle, wherein, on account of the sanctity of the place, religious assemblies are incessantly held. The Emperor Valens wishing to inspect this edifice, and having learnt that all who usually congregated there were opposed to the heresy which he favored, he is said to have struck the prefect with his own hand, because he had neglected to expel them thence also. As the prefect after submitting to this ignominy, was most unwillingly constrained to subserve the emperor’s indignation against them,—for he did not desire to effect the slaughter of so great a number of persons,—he privately suggested that no one should be found there. But no one gave heed either to his admonitions or to his menaces; for on the following day they all crowded to the church. And when the prefect was going towards it with a large military force in order to satisfy the emperor’s rage, a poor woman leading her own little child by the hand hurried hastily by, on her way to the church, breaking through the ranks of the prefect’s company of soldiers. The prefect irritated at this, ordered her to be brought to him, and thus addressed her: ‘Wretched woman! whither are you running in so disorderly a manner?’ She replied, ‘To the same place that others are hastening.’ ‘Have you not heard,’ said he, ‘that the prefect is about to put to death all that shall be found there?’ ‘Yes,’ said the woman, ‘and therefore I hasten that I may be found there.’ ‘And whither are you dragging that little child?’ said the prefect: the woman answered, ‘That he also may be made worthy of martyrdom.’ The prefect on hearing these things, conjecturing that a similar resolution actuated the others who were assembled there, immediately went back to the emperor, and informed him that all were ready to die in behalf of their own faith. He added that it would be preposterous to destroy so many persons at one time, and thus persuaded the emperor to control his wrath. In this way were the Edessenes preserved from being massacred by order of their sovereign. (tr. Edward Walford, revised by Andrew Constantinides Zenos)