Disputation of Achatius · §1 · Acts of the Martyrs

Christians pray for the emperor but sacrifice only to God

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Martianus the prefect interrogates Achatius, who argues Christians honor the emperor by constant prayer for his life and rule.

Whenever we recall the glorious deeds of God's servants, we give thanks to Him who guards the sufferer in his punishment and crowns the victor in his glory.

Martianus, a prefect of consular rank appointed by the Emperor Decius and an enemy of the Christian faith, ordered Achatius to be brought before him, for he had heard that Achatius was a follower and a refuge of that faith. When Achatius was led in, Martianus said to him, "As a man who lives under Roman laws, you ought to love our rulers."

Achatius answered, "Who holds the emperor more dear, and by whom is he so loved, as he is by Christians? Our prayer for him is constant and unceasing, that he may live a long life in this world, that he may govern the peoples with just power and enjoy a time of peace above all in his reign, and then that the soldiers may be kept safe and the world and the earth may stand secure."

Martianus said, "This I praise as well, but so that the emperor may know your loyalty more fully, pay sacrifice to him along with us." Achatius said, "I beseech my Lord, who is true and great, for the safety of the king, but sacrifice neither does He demand nor ought we to pay in full. For who would pay sacred rites to a man?"

Greek

I. Quotiescumque servorum dei gloriosa facta memoramus, illi referimus gratiam qui et patientem tuetur in poena et victorem coronat in gloria. Martianus itaque consularis a Decio imperatore praefectus, Christianae legis inimicus, Achatium ad se iussit adduci, quem [secutum — sense: a follower and support; R reads Antiochiae regionis for illius religionis] quoddam ac refugium illius religionis audierat, et eo introducto ad se ait: Debes amare principes nostros, homo Romanis legibus vivens. respondit Achatius: Et cui magis cordi est vel a quo sic diligitur imperator, quemadmodum ab hominibus Christianis? assidua enim nobis est pro eo ac iugis oratio, ut prolixum aevum in hac luce conficiat ac iusta populos potestate moderetur et pacatum maxime imperii sui tempus accipiat; deinde pro salute militum et pro statu mundi et orbis. Martianus ait: Haec et ipse collaudo; sed ut obsequium tuum plenius imperator agnoscat, sacrificium illi solve nobiscum. Achatius dixit: Ego dominum meum, qui est verus et magnus, pro salute regis obtestor, sacrificium vero nec ille exigere, nec nos debemus exsolvere. quis enim homini sacra persoluat?

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Martianus, consular prefect under Decius, has Achatius brought before him to require sacrifice with him to the emperor's gods.

This work is anonymous and names no addressee. It is a disputation in dialogue form set under Decius, in which Martianus, consular prefect, has Achatius brought before him to require sacrifice with him to the emperor's gods. The narrator presents the interrogation as remembrance of the deeds of God's servants, ending with imprisonment and referral of the record to Decius, and the clause explaining why Achatius was singled out is corrupt and uncertain.

Achatius argues that Christians honor the emperor by constant prayer for his life, just rule, armies and world peace, but sacrifice is owed to the true God, not to a man, identified as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Most High Adonai above cherubim and seraphim. He rejects Apollo, Hyacinth, Neptune, Asclepius, Venus, Jupiter, Juno and the rest of that sort, refuses to deny Christ who will judge living and dead, and refuses to name those of the whole church or accept the charge of sorcery. The reader meets Achatius, also called Agathangelus, Martianus, Decius, Jesus Christ, Adam, and Piso and Menander, whose place in one clause as separate bishop and presbyter or as further titles of the speaker is uncertain, and hears judgment sayings, a saying of Christ, and a psalm quoted by Achatius, with Martianus as the voice argued against.

Here sacrifice means pagan offering demanded as proof of loyalty, true God means the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob opposed to visible gods, and gods means Apollo, Jupiter, Juno and others. Son of God and Word of truth name Jesus Christ, Christian faith means the life under attack, whole church means the universal Christian people, deny means public disowning under threat, force means judicial compulsion to sacrifice, and sorcerers states the charge against Christians. Quotations come without book names, introduced by prophet cries, it is written, and again, and psalms follow old numbering about one number lower than modern numbering, cited as Gen, Ps, Matt and Rom, while one passage about the rest of that sort stands in an unreadable gap.

Printed text used

Translated from Oscar von Gebhardt, Acta martyrum selecta (Berlin: A. Duncker, 1902) (Latin)

This work has passed our source check. We made this study translation with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open Greek on any section to see the source text. It is not a critical edition.

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