Acts of Cyprian · §6 · Origen of Alexandria

Beheaded at the field and carried away by night

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After Cyprian thanks God for the death sentence, the crowd of fellow Christians follows him to the execution ground where he is beheaded and his body is later removed for burial.

After this sentence the crowd of fellow Christians said, "Let us be beheaded with him." An uproar among the fellow Christians broke out over this, and a large crowd followed him. So Cyprian was led out to the field of Sextus. There he stripped off his hooded cloak and thick outer cloak, bent his knee to the ground, and threw himself before the Lord in prayer. When he had stripped off his long tunic and handed it to the deacons, he stood in his linen tunic and began to await the executioner.

When the executioner arrived, Cyprian ordered his own people to give the executioner twenty-five gold pieces. Linen cloths and handkerchiefs were laid before him by fellow Christians. Then blessed Cyprian covered his eyes with his own hand. Since he could not tie the ends of the handkerchief for himself, Julian the priest and Julian the subdeacon tied them for him. So blessed Cyprian suffered, and his body was laid nearby because of the curiosity of the pagans. Then by night it was taken up and carried with candles and torches to the grounds of Macrobius Candidianus on the Mappalian Way near the pools, escorted with vows and great triumph. A few days later Galerius Maximus the governor died.

Greek

V. Post hanc vero sententiam turba fratrum dicebat: Et nos cum ipso decollemur. propter hoc tumultus fratrum exortus est et multa turba eum prosecuta est. et ita idem Cyprianus in agrum Sexti productus est et ibi se lacerna byrro exspoliavit et genu in terra flexit et in orationem se domino prostravit. et cum se dalmatica exspoliasset et diaconibus tradidisset, in linea stetit et coepit spiculatorem sustinere. cum venisset autem spiculator, iussit suis ut eidem spiculatori viginti quinque aureos darent. linteamina vero et manualia a fratribus ante eum mittebantur. postea vero beatus Cyprianus manu sua oculos sibi texit. qui cum lacinias manuales ligare sibi non potuisset, Iulianus presbyter et Iulianus subdiaconus ei ligaverunt. ita beatus Cyprianus passus est, eiusque corpus propter gentilium curiositatem in proximo positum est. inde per noctem sublatum cum cereis et scolacibus ad areas Macrobii Candidiani procuratoris, quae sunt in via Mappaliensi, iuxta piscinas, cum voto et triumpho magno deductum est. post paucos autem dies Galerius Maximus proconsul decessit.

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.