Eusebius of Caesarea, in his Martyrs of Palestine (5.2-3), narrates the martyrdom of *Aidesios from Lycia (martyr of Alexandria, S00179). Written in Greek at Caesarea (Palestine), in 311, a longer version of the text survives only in a later Syriac translation.
Evidence ID
E00319
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Major author/Major anonymous work
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea, Martyrs of Palestine, 5.2-3
Summary:
Brother of *Apphianos from Lycia (S00159), Aidesios likewise had a good secular education and studied in Caesarea under *Pamphilos of Caesarea (S00140). At some point, he was arrested and, after a period of torture and imprisonment, sent to the copper mines in Palestine. After his release from the mines, Aidesios came to the city of Alexandria in Egypt. There, he publicly attacked and beat up the local governor Hierocles for his 'offensive conduct towards the martyrs of God,' such as sending Christian virgins to brothels. As a consequence, he underwent severe tortures and was cast alive into the sea.
Summary: Sergey Minov
Non Liturgical Activity
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesOfficials
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 Aidesios: ed. Cureton 1861, pp. 19*-21* (long recension); ed. Schwartz et al. 1999, vol. 2, pp. 919-920 (short and long recensions); English trans. Lawlor and Oulton 1927-1928, vol. 1, pp. 353-354.
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 / 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
24/02/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00179 | Aidesios from Lycia, martyr of Alexandria | Αἰδέσιος | Certain |
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