E00391: Eusebius' Martyrs of Palestine includes the story of the martyrdom of *Pamphilos (martyr of Caesarea, 00140) and his companions, including Paulos of Yamnia and Oualēs of Jerusalem. Written in 311 in Caesarea (Palestine); written in Greek, but parts of the text survive only in Syriac.

Eusebius of Caesarea, Martyrs of Palestine, 11.1-28

Summary:
A native of Berytus, Pamphilos resided in the city of Caesarea, where he ministered as a presbyter of the local Christian community. Well-educated in secular subjects, as well as in Scripture and Christian doctrine, he distributed the wealth he inherited from his parents to the poor and lived a life of poverty and asceticism.

According to Eusebius' earlier report (Martyrs of Palestine 7.4-6), Pamphilos was arrested in the year 307, on the order of the governor Urbanus. After unsuccessful attempts to force him by tortures to sacrifice to the pagan gods, Pamphilos was imprisoned together with other confessors. It is related that, after his arrest, Pamphilos spent around two years in the prison of Caesarea, in the company of two other Palestinian Christians, Paulos from Yamnia and Oualēs, a deacon from Jerusalem. At some point, they were joined by a group of five Christians from Egypt, who were arrested on their way back home from Cilicia, where they attended to the needs of the local confessors.

On 16 February 310, these eight prisoners were brought into the court of Firmilianus. The five Egyptian Christians were interrogated first and, after severe tortures, were beheaded by the sword. After that, the governor questioned Pamphilos and his two companions, and, seeing no use in torturing them again, he forthwith sentenced them to be decapitated. As his sentence was being carried out, a young disciple of Pamphilos named Porphyrios intervened, demanding that the bodies of the martyrs should be given over for burial and professing publicly to be a Christian. He was at once apprehended and, after severe tortures, burnt on a slow fire. At that moment, another Christian was apprehended and executed: a native of Cappadocia and an ex-soldier, named Seleukos, who was present in the crowd of spectators, announced publicly the death of Porphyrios and saluted one of the martyrs. He was immediately arrested and brought in front of Firmilianus, who ordered him to be beheaded by the sword. The example of Seleukos was followed by another Christian spectator, Theodoulos from Caesarea, an aged member of the governor's household, who also made a gesture of greeting towards one of the martyrs. Arrested at once, he was brought in front of Firmilianus, who, infuriated by his servant's behaviour, ordered him to be crucified. Finally, one more Christian was executed during that session. A certain Ioulianos from Cappadocia, who just arrived at Caesarea, heard about the ongoing trial and rushed to the court. As he saw the bodies of the martyrs lying on the ground, he started embracing them and saluting them with a kiss. Like the rest before him, he was at once arrested and brought to the governor, who sentenced him to death by slow fire.

Following the orders of Firmilianus, the martyrs' bodies were left lying on the ground, exposed to the wild beasts and birds. However, due to the miraculous 'dispensation of God', the bodies remained intact for four days, after which they were buried 'in the accustomed manner'. In both Syriac and (surviving) Greek versions of the long recension, the narrative concludes with a passage that bears evidence about the relics of these martyrs being venerated: 'Placed in splendid church buildings and in sacred places of prayer, they were given to the people of God that they might honour them in unceasing remembrance' (ναῶν οἴκοις περικαλλέσιν ἀποτεθέντα ἐν ἱεροῖς τε προσευκτηρίοις εἰς ἄληστον μνήμην τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ λαῷ τιμᾶσθαι παραδεδομένα).

Summary: Sergey Minov