Passion of Irenaeus, Bishop of Sirmium · §2 · Origen of Alexandria

Family pleading and refusal to answer

Click or tap any sentence to jump there. The side buttons skip a paragraph.

Irenaeus has refused to offer sacrifice under torture, and now his parents and children and wives and household and neighbours and friends beg him to spare his youth while Governor Probus again urges him to offer sacrifice.

Then his parents came and saw him under torture and begged him to yield. His children clung to his feet and said, "Have pity on yourself and on us, father." His wives mourned over his face and his youth as they pleaded with him. Grief and weeping from all his parents hung over him, groaning from his household, wailing from his neighbours, and lamentation from his friends, and they all cried out to him together, "Have pity on your tender youth."

But, as has been said, Irenaeus was held by a stronger longing and kept before his eyes the sentence of the Lord, who said, "Whoever denies me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:33). So he looked past them all and answered none of them, for he was hurrying to reach the hope of his heavenly calling.

Probus the governor said, "What do you say? Let their tears turn you from your madness, think of your youth, and offer sacrifice." Irenaeus answered, "I am thinking of myself for eternity if I do not offer sacrifice." So Probus ordered him to be taken back into the custody of the prison, and after he had been shut there for many days he was afflicted with various punishments.

Greek

III. Advenientes vero parentes eius, videntes eum torqueri precabantur eum, hinc pueri pedes eius amplectentes dicebant: Miserere tui et nostri, pater; inde uxores lugentes vultum et aetatem eius precabantur. parentum vero omnium luctus et fletus erat super eum, domesticorum gemitus, vicinorum ululatus et lamentatio amicorum, qui omnes clamantes ad eum dicebant: Tenerae adolescentiae tuae miserere. sed, ut dictum est, meliore cupiditate detentus, sententiam domini ante oculos habens, quae dixit: Si quis me negaverit coram hominibus, et ego negabo eum coram patre meo qui in caelis est: omnes ergo despiciens nulli eorum respondit. festinabat enim ad supernae spem vocationis pervenire. Probus praeses dixit: Quid dicis? flectere horum lacrymis ab insania tua et consulens adolescentiae tuae sacrifica. Irenaeus respondit: Consulo mihi in perpetuum, si non sacrificavero. Probus iussit eum recipi in custodiam carceris. plurimis vero diebus ibidem clausus diversis poenis est affectus.

About this text

To set before the hearers the contest and victory of Irenaeus, bishop of Sirmium, under Diocletian and Maximian.

This passion was written by an anonymous Christian of Sirmium and names no individual reader. It belongs to the time of Diocletian and Maximian. It was written to set before its hearers the contest and victory of Irenaeus, bishop of Sirmium, and it closes by asking Christ to receive Irenaeus and to confirm his Catholic church of Sirmium in the faith.

Irenaeus is arrested and brought before Probus, governor of Pannonia, who orders him to offer sacrifice to the gods or face torture. Irenaeus refuses, welcomes suffering as sharing the passion of Christ, and holds to his confession of faith under torture and in prison. When his parents, children, wife, household, neighbours and friends beg him to spare his youth he answers no one, keeping before his eyes Christ's saying about denying Christ. After a second hearing at night he again refuses, says he worships only God and not handmade gods, disowns wife, children and parents for Christ's sake, is sentenced to drowning, asks for the sword as well, prays for his spirit and for the church of Sirmium, and is then beheaded and thrown into the Sava. The reader hears the words of Probus, the answers and prayers of Irenaeus, the plea of his family and friends, and sayings of Jesus Christ quoted by the narrator and by Irenaeus, which Irenaeus sets against the order to sacrifice.

Offer sacrifice here means performing the required pagan offering as a loyalty test. Gods are the pagan gods, described as handmade. Governor is the Roman provincial judge, bishop is the head of the local congregation, and contest is the trial pictured as ending in victory. These in the closing prayer means the people of the church of Sirmium. The work quotes Scripture without naming books. The sayings used are cited here as Exod 22:20, Matt 10:33 and Matt 10:37, and no Psalms occur.

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.