Eusebius of Caesarea, in his Martyrs of Palestine (1.1-5), narrates the martyrdom of *Prokopios from Scythopolis (martyr of Caesarea of Palestine, S00118) on 7 June 303. Written in Greek at Caesarea in 311; a longer version of the text survives only in a later Syriac translation.
E00296
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea, Martyrs of Palestine, 1.1-5
Summary:
Originating from Jerusalem, Prokopios lived in Scythopolis, where he led an ascetic life and performed the triple ministry of reader, interpreter (from Greek to Aramaic), and exorcist in the local church. He was arrested and together with other Christians brought to the city of Caesarea. Prokopios was summoned before the Roman governor Flavianus, who urged him to offer sacrifice to the gods. After his refusal to do so, the martyr was ordered to offer sacrifice to the emperors. After he refused again and derided the Tetrarchs, Prokopios was charged with lèse-majesté and beheaded by the sword on 7 June 303. According to Eusebius, he was the first Christian to be martyred in Palestine during the Diocletianic persecution.
Summary: Sergey Minov
Saint’s feast
Non Liturgical ActivityComposing and translating saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - lesser clergy
Officials
Source
In this work Eusebius presents an account of the suffering and death of Christian martyrs executed during the eight years of the Diocletianic (or Great) persecution, i.e. 303-311. Most of the martyrdoms described by Eusebius took place in Palestine, with the provincial capital city of Caesarea as the most prominent setting.Martyrdom of Prokopios: ed. Cureton 1861, pp. 3*-5* (long recension); ed. Schwartz et al. 1999, vol. 2, 907-908 (short recension); English trans. Lawlor and Oulton 1927-1928, vol. 1, 331-333.
For a full discussion of the Martyrs of Palestine, see E00294.
Discussion
This entry, typical of Eusebius' description of the martyrs of Palestine, consists of a brief account of torture and death, with no reference to miraculous events. Although there is no explicit reference to the martyr's commemoration, the record of the date of his death might suggest that he was commemorated in Caesarea in an annual celebration on that day.Bibliography
Editions and translations:Cureton, W. (ed.), History of the Martyrs in Palestine, by Eusebius, Bishop in Caesarea, Discovered in a Very Ancient Syriac Manuscript (London and Edinburgh: Williams and Norgate / Paris: C. Borrani, 1861).
Lawlor, H.J., and Oulton, J.E.L. (trans.), The Ecclesiastical History and the Martyrs of Palestine. 2 vols (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1927-1928).
Schwartz, E., Mommsen, T., and Winkelmann, F. (eds.), Eusebius Werke, Band 2, Teil 2 (Die griechischen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten Jahrhunderte NF 6/2; 2nd ed.; Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1999).
Sergey Minov
16/02/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00118 | Prokopios, martyr of Caesarea of Palestine | ܦܪܩܦܤ | Certain |
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