THE BOOK OF THE MARTYRS OF PALESTINE

IT was in the ninth year of the reign of Diocletian, in the month of Xanthicus, which one would call April according to the Romans, about the time when the paschal festival of our Saviour took place, when Flavianus was governor of Palestine, that suddenly edicts were published—every where to raze the churches to the ground,—to destroy the Sacred Scriptures by fire,—to deprive of their dignities those that were in honour,—and to strip the freedmen of their liberty if any persisted in the Christian profession. Such was the first violence of this edict against us; but it was not long before other mandates were issued, in which it was ordered that the prelates of the churches should first be cast into prison every where, and then compelled by every artifice to offer sacrifice.