Acts of Cyprian · §5 · Origen of Alexandria

The sentence of death by the sword

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Galerius Maximus, the governor who retries Cyprian after exile, speaks the sentence after conferring with his council.

After conferring with his council, Galerius Maximus pronounced the sentence, only with difficulty and reluctance, in these words: "You have lived for a long time with a sacrilegious mind. You have gathered very many followers of a wicked conspiracy to yourself. You have made yourself an enemy to the Roman gods and the sacred laws. Even the dutiful and most sacred rulers Valerian and Gallienus, the emperors, and Valerian, the most noble Caesar, could not bring you back to the sect of their worship rites."

"Therefore, since you have been caught as the author and bearer of the standard of the vilest crimes, you yourself will serve as a warning to those you gathered with you through your crime. Discipline will be made binding by your blood." After saying this, he read the decree from the tablet: "It is decided that Thascius Cyprian be punished by the sword." Cyprian the bishop said, "Thanks be to God."

Greek

IV. Galerius Maximus collocutus cum concilio sententiam vix et aegre dixit verbis huiusmodi: Diu sacrilega mente vixisti et plurimos nefariae tibi conspirationis homines adgregasti et inimicum te diis Romanis et sacris legibus constituisti, nec te pii et sacratissimi principes Valerianus et Gallienus Augusti et Valerianus nobilissimus Caesar ad sectam caeremoniarum suarum revocare potuerunt. et ideo cum sis nequissimorum criminum auctor et signifer deprehensus, eris ipse documento his quos scelere tuo tecum adgregasti: sanguine tuo sancietur disciplina. et his dictis decretum ex tabella recitavit: Thascium Cyprianum gladio animadverti placet. Cyprianus episcopus dixit: Deo gratias.

About this text

The work preserves a sequential record of Bishop Cyprian's interrogations, condemnation, and execution at Carthage for communal memory.

This work is anonymous and names no addressee. It follows in sequence the interrogations, condemnation and execution of Cyprian at Carthage for communal memory, and it states its purpose only in its closing doxology.

Before Paternus the governor, Cyprian confesses that he is a Christian and bishop who worships only the one true creator God and refuses the worship rites, and he refuses to name the priests. After exile at Curubis he is brought before Galerius Maximus the next governor, where he again admits his leadership and refuses the rites ordered by the emperors Valerian and Gallienus. Galerius Maximus consults his council and condemns him as organizer of an unlawful association hostile to Roman gods and laws. He is executed by the sword, thanks God, and is carried away by night by fellow Christians for burial on the grounds of Macrobius Candidianus, with Julian the priest and Julian the subdeacon helping to blindfold him. The speeches of Paternus, Cyprian, Galerius Maximus and the crowd of fellow Christians are quoted in direct exchange, with Cyprian answering the two governors.

Here bishop means leader of the local Christians, priests means its subordinate clergy, governor means the Roman governor judging the case, worship rites means the acts of Roman worship demanded, gatherings means forbidden Christian gatherings, cemeteries means places for burial that Christians were forbidden to enter, and fellow Christians means those accompanying and burying Cyprian. No book of the Bible is formally quoted and no titles occur. The only biblical language is Cyprian's creator formula of the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, which recalls Exodus, Acts and Revelation.

This work has passed this project's source check. This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.