Eusebius of Caesarea, in his Martyrs of Palestine (1.5), narrates the martyrdom of *Zakchaios from Gadara and Alpheios from Caesarea (martyrs of Caesarea of Palestine, S00119), on 17 November 303. Written in Greek at Caesarea (Palestine) in 311; a longer version of the text survives only in a later Syriac translation.
Evidence ID
E00297
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Major author/Major anonymous work
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea, Martyrs of Palestine, 1.5
Summary:
During the celebrations of the twentieth anniversary of the emperors' rule (= 303), the Roman governor of Caesarea, Flavianus, ordered several Christians who were imprisoned in the city's prison to be put on trial. Among them were Zakchaios, a deacon from Gadara, and Alpheios, a native of Eleutheropolis who served as reader, preacher and exorcist in the church of Caesarea. After several sessions of torture, the two martyrs were brought to the court on 17 November. Following their refusal to offer sacrifice to the emperors, both were sentenced to death and beheaded by the sword.
Summary: Sergey Minov
FestivalsEcclesiastics - lesser clergy
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 Zakchaios and Alpheios: ed. Cureton 1861, pp. 5*-7* (long recension); ed. Schwartz et al. 1999, vol. 2, 908-909 (short recension); English trans. Lawlor and Oulton 1927-1928, vol. 1, 334-336.
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 martyrs' commemoration, the record of the date of their deaths might suggest that they were 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).
Record Created By
Sergey Minov
Date of Entry
16/02/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00119 | Zakchaios and Alpheios, martyrs of Caesarea of Palestine | Ἄλφειος καὶ Ζακχαῖος ܙܟܝ ܘܐܠܦܝܘܤ | Certain |
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