Martyrdom of Pionius and Companions 21–23

Anonymous · Martyrdom of Pionius and Companions · 250 (the text may be later) · unknown · 3 passages

Greek text: Gebhardt 1902 (OCR made for this site).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

Chapter 21

21Gebhardt, 113

ἀπελθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ μετὰ σπουδῆς εἰς τὸ στάδιον διὰ τὸ πρόϑυμον τῆς πίστεως καὶ ἐπιστάντος τοῦ κομενταρησίου ἑκὼν ἀπεδύσατο. εἶτα κατανοήσας τὸ ἁγνὸν καὶ εὔσχημον τοῦ σώματος ἑαυτοῦ πολλῆς ἐπλήσθη χαρᾶς, ἀναβλέψας δὲ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ εὐχαριστήσας τῷ τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν διατηρήσαντι ϑεῷ ἥπλωσεν ἑαυτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ παρέδωκε τῷ στρατιώτῃ πείρειν τοὺς ἥλους. καϑηλωϑέντι δὲ αὐτῷ πάλιν ὁ δημόσιος εἶπεν" Μετανόησον καὶ ἀρϑήσονταί σου οἱ ἦλοι. ὃ δὲ ἀπεχρίϑη: Ἠισϑόμην γὰρ ὅτι ἔνεισι, καὶ συννοήσας ὀλίγον εἶπεν" Διὰ τοῦτο σπεύδω ἵνα ϑᾶττον ἐγερϑῶ, δηλῶν τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν. ἀνώρϑωσαν οὖν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ λοιπὸν μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ πρεσβύτερόν τινα Μητρόδωρον τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Μαρκιωνιστῶν. ἔτυχεν δὲ τὸν μὲν Πιόνιον ἐκ δεξιῶν, τὸν δὲ Μητρόδωρον ἐξ ἀριστερῶν, πλὴν ἀμφότεροι ἔβλεπον πρὸς ἀνατολάς. προσενεγκάντων δὲ αὐτῶν τὴν ὕλην καὶ τὰ ξύλα κύκλῳ περισωρευσάντων ὃ μὲν Πιόνιος συνέκλεισε τοὺς ὀφϑαλμούς, ὥστε τὸν ὄχλον ὑπολαβεῖν ὅτι ἀπέπνευσεν. ὁ δὲ κατὰ τὸ ἀπόρρητον εὐχόμενος ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος τῆς εὐχῆς ἀνέβλεψεν. ἤδη δὲ τῆς φλογὸς αἰρομένης γεγηϑότι προσώπῳ τελευταῖον εἰπὼν τὸ ἀμὴν καὶ λέξας" Κύριε, δέξαι μου τὴν ψυχήν, ὡς ἐρευγόμενος ἡσύχως καὶ ἀπόνως ἀπέπνευσε καὶ παρακαταϑήκην ἔδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα τῷ πατρὶ τῷ πᾶν αἷμα καὶ πᾶσαν ψυχὴν ἀδίκως κατακριϑεῖσαν ἐπαγγειλαμένῳ φυλάξαι.

apelthontos de autou meta spoudēs eis to stadion dia to proϑymon tēs pisteōs kai epistantos tou komentarēsiou hekōn apedysato. eita katanoēsas to hagnon kai euschēmon tou sōmatos heautou pollēs eplēsthē charas, anablepsas de eis ton ouranon kai eucharistēsas tǭ toiouton auton diatērēsanti ϑeǭ hēplōsen heauton epi tou xylou kai paredōke tǭ stratiōtę̄ peirein tous hēlous. kaϑēlōϑenti de autǭ palin ho dēmosios eipen" Metanoēson kai arϑēsontai sou hoi ēloi. ho de apechriϑē: Ēisϑomēn gar hoti eneisi, kai synnoēsas oligon eipen" Dia touto speudō hina ϑatton egerϑō, dēlōn tēn ek nekrōn anastasin. anōrϑōsan oun auton epi tou xylou, kai loipon meta tauta kai presbyteron tina Mētrodōron tēs haireseōs tōn Markiōnistōn. etychen de ton men Pionion ek dexiōn, ton de Mētrodōron ex aristerōn, plēn amphoteroi eblepon pros anatolas. prosenenkantōn de autōn tēn hylēn kai ta xyla kyklǭ perisōreusantōn ho men Pionios synekleise tous ophϑalmous, hōste ton ochlon hypolabein hoti apepneusen. ho de kata to aporrēton euchomenos elthōn epi to telos tēs euchēs aneblepsen. ēdē de tēs phlogos airomenēs gegēϑoti prosōpǭ teleutaion eipōn to amēn kai lexas" Kyrie, dexai mou tēn psychēn, hōs ereugomenos hēsychōs kai aponōs apepneuse kai parakataϑēkēn edōke to pneuma tǭ patri tǭ pan haima kai pasan psychēn adikōs katakriϑeisan epangeilamenǭ phylaxai.

He went off eagerly to the stadium because of the readiness of his faith, and when the commentariensis stood by, he undressed of his own accord. Then, observing the purity and seemliness of his own body, he was filled with great joy; and looking up to heaven and giving thanks to God who had kept him so, he stretched himself out on the wood and gave himself to the soldier to drive in the nails. When he had been nailed, the public slave said to him again, “Change your mind, and the nails will be taken out.” He answered, “I felt that they are in.” And after reflecting a little, he said, “This is why I am hastening: that I may rise the sooner”—meaning the resurrection from the dead. So they raised him upright on the wood, and after that also a certain presbyter of the Marcionite sect, Metrodorus. It happened that Pionius was on the right and Metrodorus on the left; but both faced east. When they had brought the fuel and heaped the wood around them, Pionius closed his eyes, so that the crowd supposed he had died. But he was praying in secret, and when he came to the end of his prayer he opened his eyes. As the flame was already rising, with a joyful face he said the last Amen, and saying, “Lord, receive my soul,” he breathed his last quietly and painlessly, as though belching, and gave his spirit in trust to the Father, who has promised to guard all blood and every soul unjustly condemned.

Acts 7:59 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 23:46 (echo, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Pionius is nailed to the stake and dies in the fire beside a Marcionite presbyter.

Cf. Acts 7:59; Luke 23:46. Metrodorus, a Marcionite presbyter, was executed with him.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR garble; OCR slip; OCR slips; section numeral; section numeral; OCR slip; split word; OCR slip; stray marks; stray word): πέστεως xoi → πίστεως καὶ; κχομενταρησίου → κομενταρησίου; εἶτα τὸ κατανοήσας → εἶτα κατανοήσας; xai δὔσχημον → καὶ εὔσχημον; οὐρανὸν xai εὐχαριστήσας → οὐρανὸν καὶ εὐχαριστήσας; παρέδωχε τῷ στρατιώτῃ πεῖραν → παρέδωκε τῷ στρατιώτῃ πείρειν; ὃ καϑηλωϑέντι → καϑηλωϑέντι; ΜΜετανόησον καὶ ἐρϑήσονταί → Μετανόησον καὶ ἀρϑήσονταί; σπείδω → σπεύδω; ἐπὲ τοῦ ξύλου, xai → ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ; Μαρχιωνιστῶν → Μαρκιωνιστῶν; Ἴ προσενδγχκάντων → προσενεγκάντων; Gore τὸν ὄχλον → ὥστε τὸν ὄχλον; ὃ ἤδη δὲ → ἤδη δὲ; δέξαε μου → δέξαι μου; παρα- καταϑήκην ἔδωχε → παρακαταϑήκην ἔδωκε; κατακχριϑεῖσαν → κατακριϑεῖσαν; φυλάξαι. ': → φυλάξαι..

Topics: Martyrdom, Eschatology, Heresy

Cite (SBL): Act. 21 (Gebhardt, 113; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-pionii/21/#p-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Translation: Translated by Claude from the original (Gebhardt, Acta martyrum selecta, 1902, or Knopf, Ausgewählte Märtyrerakten, 1913; new OCR, slips corrected as logged); compared afterwards with ANF where it has the text, otherwise re-read against the original.

Chapter 22

22Gebhardt, 114

Τοιοῦτον βίον διανύσας ὁ μακάριος Πιόνιος ἀμώμητον ἀνέγκλητον ἀδιάφϑορον, ἀεὶ τὴν γνώμην ἔχων τεταμένην εἰς ϑεὸν παντοχράτορα καὶ εἰς τὸν μεσίτην ϑεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν, τοιούτου κατηξιώϑη τέλους, καὶ τὸν μέγαν ἀγῶνα νικήσας διῆλθε διὰ τῆς στενῆς ϑύρας εἰς τὸ πλατὺ καὶ μέγα φῶς. ἐσημάνϑη δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ στέφανος καὶ διὰ τοῦ σώματος. μετὰ γὰρ τὸ κατασβεσϑῆναι τὸ πῦρ τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν εἴδομεν οἱ παραγενόμενοι ὁποῖόν τε τὸ σῶμα ἀκμάζοντος ἀϑλητοῦ κεκοσμημένου. καὶ γὰρ τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ ⟨οὐ⟩ κυλλὰ ἐγένοντο καὶ αἱ τρίχες ἐν χρῷ τῆς κεφαλῆς προσεκάϑηντο, τὸ δὲ γένειον αὐτοῦ ὡς ἰούλοις ἐπανϑοῦσιν ἐκεκόσμητο. ἐπέλαμπε δὲ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, πάλιν χάρις ϑαυμαστή, ὥστε τοὺς Χριστιανοὺς στηριχϑῆναι μᾶλλον τῇ πίστει, τοὺς δὲ ἀπίστους πτοηϑέντας καὶ τὸ συνειδὸς ἔχοντας πεφοβημένον κατελϑεῖν.

Toiouton bion dianysas ho makarios Pionios amōmēton anenklēton adiaphϑoron, aei tēn gnōmēn echōn tetamenēn eis ϑeon pantochratora kai eis ton mesitēn ϑeou kai anthrōpōn Iēsoun Christon ton kyrion hēmōn, toioutou katēxiōϑē telous, kai ton megan agōna nikēsas diēlthe dia tēs stenēs ϑyras eis to platy kai mega phōs. esēmanϑē de autou ho stephanos kai dia tou sōmatos. meta gar to katasbesϑēnai to pyr toiouton auton eidomen hoi paragenomenoi hopoion te to sōma akmazontos aϑlētou kekosmēmenou. kai gar ta ōta autou ⟨ou⟩ kylla egenonto kai hai triches en chrǭ tēs kephalēs prosekaϑēnto, to de geneion autou hōs ioulois epanϑousin ekekosmēto. epelampe de kai to prosōpon autou, palin charis ϑaumastē, hōste tous Christianous stērichϑēnai mallon tę̄ pistei, tous de apistous ptoēϑentas kai to syneidos echontas pephobēmenon katelϑein.

Having lived such a life—blameless, irreproachable, uncorrupted—his mind always intent on God almighty and on the mediator between God and men, Jesus Christ our Lord, the blessed Pionius was found worthy of such an end; and having won the great contest, he passed through the narrow gate into the broad and great light. His crown was made manifest through his body as well. For after the fire had been put out, we who were present saw him like the body of an athlete in his prime, fully adorned. For his ears were ⟨not⟩ crumpled, the hair on his head lay close to the skin, and his beard was adorned as with the first bloom of down. His face too shone—again a wonderful grace—so that the Christians were strengthened all the more in the faith, while the unbelievers went away terrified, their consciences afraid.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

1 Tim 2:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 7:13 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Pionius's body is found unharmed by the fire, a sign of his crown.

1 Tim 2:5; Matt 7:13–14. “Not” is the editor's supplement.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR garble; OCR garble; section numeral; the editor's supplement; OCR slip; line number in the text): μακάριος ιδ Πιόνιος → μακάριος Πιόνιος; τοιὀῦτον → τοιοῦτον; οἱ παραγενόμενον → οἱ παραγενόμενοι; ἀϑλητοῖ κεχοσμημένου. ? xai γὰρ τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ (09) μυλλὰ δγένοντο καὶ αἵ → ἀϑλητοῦ κεκοσμημένου. καὶ γὰρ τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ ⟨οὐ⟩ κυλλὰ ἐγένοντο καὶ αἱ; Οὐτίστους → ἀπίστους.

Topics: Martyrdom

Cite (SBL): Act. 22 (Gebhardt, 114; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-pionii/21/#p-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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Chapter 23

23Gebhardt, 114

Ταῦτα ἐπράχϑη ἐπὶ ἀνθυπάτου τῆς Ἀσίας Ἰουλίου Πρόκλου Κυντιλλιανοῦ, ὑπατευόντων αὐτοκράτορος Γ. Μεσίου Κοΐντου Τραιανοῦ Δεκίου Σεβαστοῦ τὸ δεύτερον καὶ Οὐεττίου Γρατοῦ, πρὸ τεσσάρων εἰδῶν Μαρτίων κατὰ Ῥωμαίους, κατὰ δὲ ᾿Ασιανοὺς μηνὸς ἕκτου ἐννεακαιδεκάτῃ, ἡμέρᾳ σαββάτῳ, ὥρᾳ δεκάτῃ, κατὰ δὲ ἡμᾶς βασιλεύοντος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἷς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.

Tauta eprachϑē epi anthypatou tēs Asias Iouliou Proklou Kyntillianou, hypateuontōn autokratoros G. Mesiou Koïntou Traianou Dekiou Sebastou to deuteron kai Ouettiou Gratou, pro tessarōn eidōn Martiōn kata Rhōmaious, kata de ᾿Asianous mēnos hektou enneakaidekatę̄, hēmerą sabbatǭ, hōrą dekatę̄, kata de hēmas basileuontos tou kyriou hēmōn Iēsou Christou; hǭ hē doxa heis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn, amēn.

These things were done when Julius Proculus Quintilianus was proconsul of Asia, in the consulship of the emperor Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius Augustus, for the second time, and Vettius Gratus, on the fourth day before the Ides of March according to the Romans, and according to the Asians on the nineteenth of the sixth month, on a Sabbath day, at the tenth hour; but according to us in the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Date of the martyrdom: 12 March 250.

The manuscript's garbled form of the consular date, given in the editor's apparatus, has been removed from the text.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (OCR garble; OCR slip; OCR slips; line number in the text; the editor's apparatus leaked into the text): τῆς «σίας → τῆς Ἀσίας; Κυντιλλιανοῖ → Κυντιλλιανοῦ; αὔτοκράτορος I. Μεσίου Κίντου Τραιανοῦ 4exíov → αὐτοκράτορος Γ. Μεσίου Κοΐντου Τραιανοῦ Δεκίου; εἰδῶν e5 Μαρτίων → εἰδῶν Μαρτίων; Éxvov ἐννεακαιδεκάτη → ἕκτου ἐννεακαιδεκάτῃ; χατὰ δὲ ἡμᾶς → κατὰ δὲ ἡμᾶς; Ἰησοῖ Χριστοῖ * → Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·; καὶ κυντιλλιανοῦ ὑπατευόντων" αὐτοκράτορος τὸ τρίτον μεσίου κύντον τραϊανοῖ καὶ δελτίου γρατοῦ τραϊανοῦ δεκίου σεβαστοῦ" καὶ δελτίον γρατοῦ τὸ δεύτερονʼ πρὸ τεσσάρων ἴδων xvÀ, cod. → .

Topics: Martyrdom

Cite (SBL): Act. 23 (Gebhardt, 114; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/martyrium-pionii/21/#p-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)

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