Eusebius of Caesarea, in his Martyrs of Palestine (13.1-3), narrates the martyrdom of *Peleus, Neilos, Patermouthios and Elias (martyrs of the Phaeno copper mines, S00197). Written in Greek at Caesarea (Palestine), in 311; a longer version of the text survives only in a later Syriac translation.
Evidence ID
E00384
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Accounts of martyrdom
Major author/Major anonymous work
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea, Martyrs of Palestine, 13.1-3
Summary:
On 19 September 310, the dux of Palestine ordered the execution of four Egyptian Christians imprisoned at the copper mines of Phaeno in Palestine: the bishops Peleus and Neilos, and the laymen Patermouthios and Elias, in order to install fear in their fellow believers. After undergoing tortures, they were put to death by fire.
Summary: Sergey Minov
Non Liturgical Activity
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
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.Peleus, Neilos, Patermouthios, and Elias: ed. Cureton 1861, pp. 49*-50* (long recension); ed. Schwartz et al. 1999, vol. 2, p. 947 (short recension); English trans. Lawlor and Oulton 1927-1928, vol. 1, pp. 395-397.
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 an annual celebration in Caesarea.For a full discussion of the Egyptian Christians sentenced to the copper mines of Palestine, see E02383.
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
13/04/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00197 | Peleus, Neilos, Patermouthios and Elias, martyrs of the Phaeno copper mines | Πηλεύς, Νεῖλος, Πατερμούθιος | Certain |
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