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| Outrages of George upon the Alexandrians. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
6. Outrages of George upon the
Alexandrians.
After this they again fastened themselves upon
Alexandria, seeking anew to put us to death: and their proceedings were
now worse than before. For on a sudden the Church was surrounded by soldiers, and sounds of war
took the place of prayers. Then George1413
1413 Apol. Const. 30, note 5, and reff. | of
Cappadocia who was sent by them, having arrived during the season of
Lent1414
1414 [Comp. Encyc. §4. The present passage certainly
appears to put the arrival of George in the Lent immediately following
the irruption of Syrianus: but see Prolegg. ch. ii. §8 (1), note
5, below, Fest. Index, xxix., and the explanation in Chron.
Aceph. that the party of George took possession of the
Churches (in June 356), eight months before George arrived in person.
Cf. Introd. to Apol. Const.] | , brought an increase of evils which they had
taught him. For after Easter week, Virgins were thrown into prison;
Bishops were led away in chains by soldiers; houses of orphans and
widows were plundered, and their loaves taken away; attacks were made
upon houses, and Christians thrust forth in the night, and their
dwellings sealed up: brothers of clergymen were in danger of their
lives on account of their brethren. These outrages were sufficiently
dreadful, but more dreadful than these followed. For on the week that
succeeded the Holy Pentecost [May 11], when the people after their fast
had gone out to the cemetery to pray, because that all refused
communion with George, that abandoned person, on learning this, stirred
up against them the commander Sebastian, a Manichee; who straightway
with a multitude of soldiers with arms, drawn swords, bows, and spears,
proceeded to attack the people, though it was the Lord’s day1415
1415 [Sunday, May 18, 357. The Roman martyrology celebrates these
victims on May 21, which suits the reference of the present passage to
357.] | : and finding a few praying (for the greater
part had already retired on account of the lateness of the hour), he
committed such outrages as became a disciple of these men. Having
lighted a pile, he placed certain virgins near the fire, and
endeavoured to force them to say that they were of the Arian faith: and
when he saw that they were getting the mastery, and cared not for the
fire, he immediately stripped them naked, and beat them in the face in
such a manner, that for some time they could hardly be recognised.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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