De sanctis Symone et Juda apostolis
The Apostles and Their Names
The chapter opens with the etymological and spiritual significance of the names Simon and Judas.
Simon means 'obedient' or 'one who puts away sadness.' He had two surnames; he was called Simon the Zealot and Simon the Canaanite, from Cana, a village in Galilee where the Lord changed water into wine. 'Zealot' and 'Canaanite' mean the same thing, because 'Cana' means 'zeal.' He therefore possessed obedience to the commandments through his actions, sadness for the afflicted through his compassion, and zeal for souls through his constant fervor. Judas means 'confiding' or 'glorious,' or 'one who gives praise,' because he possessed the confession of faith, the glory of the kingdom, and the praise of inner joy. He had multiple surnames; he was called 'Judas of James'—meaning his brother—because he was the brother of James the Less. Secondly, he was called Thaddaeus, which means 'one who grasps the prince,' or it is derived from 'thadea' and 'deus,' where 'thadea' is said to be a royal garment. For he was a royal garment of God through the ornament of his virtues, by which he grasped the Prince, Christ; or Thaddaeus means 'as if God,' that is, 'great God,' specifically through adoption. Thirdly, he is called Lebbaeus in ecclesiastical history, which sounds like 'heart' or 'little heart,' that is, 'a cultivator of the heart,' or Lebbaeus as in 'a pot': 'heart' for his magnanimity, 'little heart' for his purity, and 'pot' for his fullness of grace, because he deserved to be like a vessel and container of virtues and grace. Abdias, Bishop of Babylon, who was ordained bishop by the apostles themselves, wrote of their passion and legend in Hebrew, which Tropeus, a disciple of Abdias, translated into Greek, and Africanus into Latin.
The Letter to King Abgar
Judas is sent to King Abgar of Edessa, who seeks healing through a miraculous image of Christ.
Simon the Zealot and Judas, also known as Thaddaeus, were brothers of James the Less and sons of Mary of Cleophas, who was married to Alphaeus. After the Lord's Ascension, Thomas sent Judas to King Abgar of Edessa. Ecclesiastical history records that the aforementioned... King Abgar sent a letter to our Lord Jesus Christ that read as follows. Abgar, King of Edessa, to Jesus, the good Savior who has appeared in the region of Jerusalem, greetings: I have heard about you and the healings you perform—that you do these things without medicines or herbs, and that by your word you make the blind see, the lame walk, lepers clean, and the dead rise again. Having heard all these things about you, I have decided in my heart that one of two things must be true: either you are God and have come down from heaven to do these things, or you are the Son of God, who does these things. Therefore, I am writing to ask that you might deign to take the trouble to come to me and cure the illness from which I have long suffered; for I have also learned that the Jews are murmuring against you and intend to plot against you. Come to me, then, for I have a small but honorable city that will be enough for both of us. The Lord Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, for you have believed in me, though you have not seen me; for it is written of me that those who do not see me will believe, and those who do see me will not believe." Regarding what you wrote to me about coming to you, I must first fulfill all the things for which I was sent, and afterward be received by... ...the One who sent me. "When I have been taken up, I will send one of my disciples to you, that he may cure you and give you life." And this is in the ecclesiastical history. Seeing, however, that Abgar could not see Christ in person... ...(according to an ancient history, as John Damascene writes in Book IV)... ...he sent a certain painter to Jesus to depict the Lord's image, so that he might at least see through an image Him whom he could not see in person. But when the painter had come to Him, he could not clearly look upon His face because of the excessive brightness that shone from it. ...nor could he focus on it or paint it as he had been commanded. Seeing this, the Lord took the painter's linen cloth, pressed it to his own face, and imprinted his image upon it, then sent it to King Abgar, who had been longing for it. What the Lord's image looked like is recorded in that same ancient history, as John of Damascus also testifies. He had clear eyes, well-defined eyebrows, a long face, and was slightly stooped, which is a sign of maturity. That letter from our Lord Jesus Christ is said to be so powerful that in the city of Edessa, no heretic or pagan can live, nor does any tyrant dare to harm it. For if at any time some nation rose up in arms against that city, some child standing on the gate would read that letter, and on that very day the enemies would either flee in terror or make peace with them, as it is said to have happened in the past. But later, the city was captured and profaned by the Saracens, the benefit being withdrawn because of the abundance of sins that had spread everywhere in the East. After the Lord was taken up, as is read in the ecclesiastical history, the Apostle Thomas sent Thaddaeus—also called Judas—to King Abgar, in accordance with God's promise. When he arrived and said he was the disciple of Jesus who had been promised, Abgar saw a certain wondrous and divine radiance on Thaddaeus's face. Struck with awe and terror, he worshipped the Lord, saying, "You are truly a disciple of Jesus, the Son of God, who said to me, 'I will send one of my disciples to you, who will heal you and grant you life.'" Thaddaeus replied, "If you believe in the Son of God, you will obtain all the desires of your heart." Abgar replied, "I truly believe, and I would gladly slaughter the Jews who crucified him if I had the chance and weren't hindered by the authority of the Romans." When Abgar was a leper (as some books record), Thaddaeus took the Savior's letter and rubbed it against his face, and he immediately regained his full health.
Spiritual Warfare in Persia
The apostles confront magicians and demons in Persia, demonstrating divine power through miracles and discernment.
Judas later preached in Mesopotamia and Pontus, while Simon preached in Egypt. Then both came to Persia, where they found two magicians, Zaroes and Arphaxat, whom Matthew had driven out of Ethiopia. At that time, Baradach, a commander for the King of Babylon, was about to set out for battle against the Indians, but he couldn't get an answer from his gods. When they went to the temple in the nearest city, they were told that the gods couldn't respond because of the apostles who had arrived. The commander then had them sought out, and once they were found, he questioned them about who they were and why they had come. They answered, "If you're asking about our lineage, we are Hebrews; if about our status, we confess that we are servants of Christ; if about our purpose, we have come here for your salvation." The commander replied, "When I have returned successfully, I will hear you out." The apostles said to him, "It's more appropriate right now for you to know the One by whose help you might be victorious, or at the very least, to find your enemies turned to peace." The leader said to them, "I see that you are more powerful than our gods; please, tell us the outcome of the war." The apostles replied, "So that you may know your gods are liars, we command them to answer your questions; then, when they speak of things they don't know, we'll prove they've been lying all along." Then the phantoms spoke. They predicted a great war and said that many people would fall in battle on both sides, and at this, the apostles began to laugh. The leader said to them, "Fear has taken hold of me, and you are laughing?" The apostles answered him, "Don't be afraid, because peace has come here with us, and tomorrow at the third hour, the envoys of the Indians will come to you and submit themselves to your authority in peace." Then the priests also laughed and said to the leader, "They only want to make you feel secure so that when you're off guard, you'll be taken by your enemies." The apostles replied, "We didn't tell you to wait a month, but a single day, and tomorrow you will emerge victorious in peace." Then the leader had both sides held in custody, so that by the outcome of the matter, the truthful could be honored and the liars punished for their crime. When the next day arrived, just as the apostles had predicted, the leader wanted to burn the priests, but the apostles stopped him, saying they hadn't been sent to kill the living, but to bring the dead to life. Amazed that they wouldn't allow the priests to be killed and that they refused to accept any of their goods, the leader brought them to the king and said, "King, these are gods hiding in human form." After the leader told the magicians everything that had happened in the presence of the apostles, they were moved by envy and claimed that the apostles were wicked and plotting against the kingdom. The leader said to them, "If you're brave enough, go and fight them." The magicians said, "If you want to see that they cannot speak while we are present, have these most eloquent men come here; if they dare to speak in our presence, you will prove us to be completely ignorant." When many advocates had been brought in, they immediately became so mute in the presence of the magicians that they could not even indicate by gestures that they were unable to speak. The magicians said to the king, "So that you may know we are gods, we'll allow them to speak, but not to walk; then we'll restore their ability to walk, but we'll make them unable to see even with their eyes open." When they had done all this, the leader brought those shamefully confused advocates to the apostles. When the advocates saw them in their rags, they despised them in their hearts. Simon said to them, "It often happens that worthless things are kept inside golden and jeweled chests, while precious necklaces of gems are placed inside the vilest wooden boxes." Whoever, therefore, desires to possess something doesn't look so much at the container, but rather expects the thing itself that is being carried. Promise, therefore, to turn away from the worship of idols and to adore only the invisible God, and we'll make the sign of the cross on your foreheads, and you'll be able to refute the magicians. Once they had done this and been signed on their foreheads, they went back to the king in the presence of the magicians; and when they could not be overcome by the magicians—but rather, in front of everyone, they insulted them—the angry magicians caused a multitude of snakes to appear, and the apostles, coming forward at the king's command, filled their cloaks with the snakes and threw them at the magicians, saying: "In the name of the Lord, you will not die, but torn by the snakes, you will give out howls of your own pain." When the snakes began to eat their flesh and they themselves were howling like wolves, the king and the others begged the apostles to let them be killed by the snakes. The apostles answered them: "We were sent to bring people from death to life, not to cast them from life into death." And having prayed, they ordered the snakes to take back all the poison they had poured in and then return to their own places. The magicians felt greater torment when the snakes withdrew the poison than they had when they were eating their flesh. The apostles told them, "You'll feel the pain for three days, but on the third day you'll be healed, so that you might at least turn away from your malice." After they had remained for three days, tormented beyond measure by the pain without food, drink, or sleep, the apostles came to them and said, "The Lord doesn't deign to accept forced service; therefore, rise up, be healed, and go, having the free power to do what you wish." But they, persisting in their malice, fled from them and stirred up almost all of Babylon against them. After this, the daughter of a certain duke conceived through fornication, and while giving birth to a son, she slandered a certain holy deacon, claiming he had violated her and that she had conceived by him. When the parents wanted to kill the deacon, the apostles arrived and asked when the child had been born. They answered, "Today at the first hour of the day." The apostles said, "Bring the infant here, and bring the deacon you're accusing as well." When this was done, the apostles said to the infant, "Speak, infant, in the name of the Lord, if this deacon did this." To this the infant said, "This deacon is chaste and holy, and he has never defiled his flesh." When the girl's parents insisted that the apostles find out who had committed the crime, the apostles replied, "It's right for us to absolve the innocent, but it's not right to destroy the guilty." At that same time, two extremely fierce tigers that had been kept in separate cages escaped and began devouring everyone they encountered. Then the apostles went to them and, in the name of the Lord, made them as tame as sheep.
Martyrdom and Legacy
The apostles face their final trial in Samir, where they are martyred, followed by accounts of their lasting honor and Simon's ministry in Jerusalem.
Although the apostles wanted to leave, they were asked to stay, and they remained there for a year and three months. During that time, more than sixty thousand people—not counting children, the king, and the nobles—were baptized. However, the sorcerers mentioned earlier came to a city named Samir, where there were seventy priests of the idols, and stirred them up against the apostles so that, when they arrived, they would either force them to offer sacrifice or kill them outright. When the apostles had traveled through the entire province and arrived at that city, the priests and the whole population seized them and dragged them to the temple of the sun. The demons, speaking through those possessed, began to cry out, "What do we have to do with you, apostles of the living God?" Look, we are being burned by flames at your arrival. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, "Choose one of two things: either the sudden destruction of these people or your own martyrdom." The apostles replied, "God's mercy is to be adored, that He might both convert them and lead us to the palm of martyrdom." He leads us. . When silence fell, the apostles said, "So that you may know these idols are filled with demons, watch: we command them to come out and shatter their own images." Immediately, two black and naked Ethiopians emerged from the idols, to the astonishment of everyone, and shattered them. They left with terrible cries. Seeing this, the priests rushed at the apostles and killed them on the spot. In that very hour, even though the sky was perfectly clear, lightning struck with such force that the temple itself split in three, and those two sorcerers were turned to charcoal by the bolt. The king moved the apostles' bodies to his own city and built a church of marvelous size in their honor. However, many sources regarding blessed Simon state that he was fastened to a cross—a fact attested to by Isidore in his book on the death of the apostles, Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History, Bede on the Acts of the Apostles, and Master Johannes Beleth in his Summa. They say that after preaching in Egypt, he returned to Jerusalem and, following the death of James the Less, was unanimously elected by the apostles as Bishop of Jerusalem. It is also said that before his death, he raised thirty people from the dead. Hence it is sung of him: "He restored to human life thirty dead men drowned in the waves." When he had governed the Church of Jerusalem for many years and was in his 120th year, during the time of the Emperor Trajan, when...
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Symon interpretatur obediens vel ponens tristitiam, Hic habuit duplex cognomen, Dictus est enim Symon Zelotes et Symon Cananaeus à Cana vico Galilaeae, ubi dominus aquam in vinum mutavit, et idem est Zelotes, quod Cananaeus, Cana enim Zelus interpretatur. Habuit igitur obedientiam praeceptorum per exsecutionem, tristitiam afílictorum per compassionem , zelum animarum per constantem fervorem. —Judas interpretatur confidens vel gloriosus, vel Judas quasi jubilum dans, Ipse enim habuit confessionem fidei, gloriam regni et jubilum interni gaudii, Hic multiplex habuit cognomen, dictus est enim Judas Jacobi, supple frater; fuit enim frater Jacobi minoris. Secundo dictus est Thaddaeus, quod interpretatur apprehendens principem, vel dicitur Thaddaeus a thadea et deus, Thadea dicitur esse vestis regia. Ipse enim fuit vestis regia Dei per ornamentum virtutum, per quam apprehendit principem Christum, Vel Thaddaeus quasi tam Deus, id est magnus Deus, scilicet per adoptionem. Tertio dietus est in hystoria ecclesiastica Lebbaeus, quod sonat quasi cor vel corculus, id est cordis cultor, vel Lebbaeus, quasi lebes; cor per magnanimitatem, corculus per puritatem, lebes per gratiarum plenitadinem, quia quasi olla et vas virtutum et gratiae esse promeruit, Eorum passionem et legendam hebrayce Abdias episcopus Babyloniae ab ipsis apostolis episcopus ordinatus scripsit, quam Tropeus Abdiae discipulus transtulit in graecum, Africanus in latinum.
Symon Cananaeus et Judas, qni et Thaddaeus, fralres fuerunt Jacobi minoris et filii Mariae Cleophae, quae Alpheo nupta fuit. Judas vero adAbgarum regem Edessae a Thoma missus fuit post ascensionem domini. Legitur enim in ecclesiastica hystoria, quod praedictus. rex Abgarus domino nostro Jesu Christo in hunc modum epistolam destinavit. Abgarus rex Euchaniae filius Jesu salvatori bono, qui apparuit in locis Hierosolimorum, salntem: Auditum est mihi de te et sanitatibus, quas facis, quod sine medicamentis aut herbis fiant ista per te, et quod verbo facis caecos videre, claudos ambulare, leprosos mundari et mortuos reviviscere. Quibus omnibus auditis de te statui in animo meo unum esse de duobus, ant quia tu sis Deus et descenderis de coelo, ut haec facias, aut quod filius Dei sis, qui haec facis. Propterea ergo scribens rogaverim te, ut digneris fatigari usque ad me et aegritudinem meam, qua diu laboravi, curare, Nam et illud comperi, quod Judaei murmurant adversum te, volunt insidiari tibi. Veni ergo ad me, quia est mihi parva civitas, sed honesta, quae utrisque sufficiet.
Dominus autem Jesus in haeo verba sibi respondit: beatus es, qui credidisti in me, cum ipse non videris me, Scriptum est enim de me, quia hi, qui me non vident, credent, et hi, qui me vident, non credent. De eo autem, quod scripsisti ad me, ut veniam ad te, oportet me haec omnia complere, propter quae missus sum, et postea recipi me ab. eo, a quo missus sum. Cam ergo assumtus funero, aliquem de discipulis meis mittam ad te, ut curet te et vivificet te, Et haec in hystoria ecclesiastica, Videns autem Abgarus, quod praesentialiter Christum. videre non posset (secundum quod in qnadam antiqua hystoria invenitur, sicnt Johannes Damascenus in libro IV. testatur) pictorem quendam ad Jesum misit, ut domini imaginem figuraret, ut sic ipsum saltem per imaginem conspiceret, quem in facie videre non poterat. Sed cum ad eum pictor venisset, propter nimiam fulgorem, qui ab ejus facie procedebat, in ejus faciem clare nequibat videre. vel intendere nec ipsam, ut sibi jussum fuerat, figurare.
Quod cernens dominus, vestimentum linteum ipsius pictoris accipiens et snae faciei superimponens, sui ipsius imaginem eidem impressit ac desideranti regi Abgaro destinavit. Cnujusmodi autem imaginis dominus fnerit, in eadem antiqua hystoria legitur (sicnt idem Johannes testatur). Fuit enim bene oculatus, bene superciliatus, longum vultum habuit et fuit acclivis, quod est signum maturitatis, Illa autem epistola domini nostri Jesu Christi tantae virtutis esse dicitur, ut in illa civitate Edessa nullas haereticus vel paganus vivere valeat nec tyrannus aliquis eidem nocere praesumat. Nam si aliquando gens aliqua armata manu contra illam civitatem insurrexerit, infans aliquis super portam stans epistolam illam legit et ea die hostes aut territi fugiunt aut pacati cum iis componunt, sicut fertur olim fuisse adimpletum, Sed postmodum civitas a Saracenis capta fuit et profanata, sublato beneficio propter abundantiam peccatorum in oriente undique patefactam. Postquam vero dominus assumtus est (ut in hystoria ecclesiastica legitur), misit Thomas apostolus Thaddaeum, qui et Judas dictus est, ad Abgarum regem secundum Dei promissionem. Qui cum ad eum venisset et se discipulum Jesu sibi promissum dixisset, vidit Abgarus in vultu Thaddaei qnendam mirum et divinum splendorem. Quo viso stupefactus et territus dominum adoravit dicens: vere discipulus es Jesu filii Dei, qui mihi dixerat, mittam aliquem ad te de discipulis meis, qui te curet et tibi vitam praestet. Cui Thaddaeus: si in Dei filiun credideris, omnia tui cordis desideria obtinebis.
Gui Abgarus: credo vere, et Judaeos, qui eum crucifixerunt, libenter trucidarem, si mihi possibilitas adesset et nequaquam Romanorum auctoritas impediret. Cam igitur Abgarus (ut in aliquibus libris legitur), leprosus esset, Thaddaeus epistolam salvatoris accepit et de ea ejus faciem confricavit et statim plenam sanita49 tem recepit,
Judas autem postea in Mesopotamia et Ponto praedicavit, Symon vero in Aegypto. Deinde in Persidem ambo venerunt et ibidem duos magos, Zaroen et Arphaxat, quos Matthaeus de Aethiopia fugaverat, invenerunt. Tunc Baradach, dux regis Babyloniae, contra Indos ad proelium profecturus nullum a Diis suis potuit habere responsum. Pergentes autem ad fanum proximae civitatis ibidem habuerunt responsum, quod propter apostolos, qui venerunt, Dii respondere non possent. Tunc dnx eos inquiri fecit et inventos, quinam essent vel qua de re venissent, inquisivit. Qui responderunt: si genus quaeris, hebraci sümus, si condilionem, servos Christi nos esse fatemur, si causam, salutis vestrae causa huc venimus. Quibus dux respondit: -cum felix reversus fuero, audiam vos. Cui apostoli: modo magis congruum est, te cognoscere illum, cujus ope vincere possis, vel certe rebelles pacatissimos invenire.
Quibus dux: Diis nostris potentiores vos video, finem belli nobis, rogo, praedicite. Cui apostoli: ut Deos tuos mendaces esse cognoscas, jubemus illos ad quaesita dare responsa, ut, dum dixerint, quae ignorant, probemus eos per omnia esse mentitos. Tunc phantastici. grande bellum dixerunt futurum et multum populum hinc inde proelio ruiturum, Tunc apostoli ridere coeperunt. Dicit iis dux: me timor invasit, ct vos ridetis? Cui apostoli: noli timere, quia pax huc nobiscum intravit, et cras hora diei tertia legati Indorum ad te venient et tuae se potestati cum pace subjicient. Tunc pontifices risum etiam levaverunt et duci dixerunt: ad hoc isti te securum reddere volunt, ut, dum incautus fueris, ab adversariis occuperis. Cui apostoli: non diximus tibi, exspecta unum mensem, sed unum diem, et cras in pace victor exsistes: Tunc dux utrosque custodiri fecit, ut ex rei exitu veraces honorarentur et mendaces pro crimine punirentur.
Cum ergo in crastinum, quod apostoli praedixerant, evenisset et dux incendere voluisset pontifices, prohibuerunt apostoli, ne hoc fieret, cum ipsi non viventes occidere, sed mortuos vivificare missi essent, Tunc dux valde miratus, quod cos occidi non permitterent et quia de bonis illorum aliquid recipere nollent, eos ad regem duxit dicens: isti, rex, sunt Dii latentes in effigie hominum. Cumque sibi omnia praesentibus praedictis magis narrasset, zelo invidiae magi commoti dixerunt eos malignos esse et contra regnum subtiliter cogitare. Dixit iis dux: si audetis, cum iisconfligite.
Cni magi: si vis videre, quia nobis praesentibus loqui non poterunt, veniant huc viri eloquentissimi, et si coram nobis ausi loqui fuerint, nos per omnia imperitos probabis. Cum autem plurimi advocati adducti fuissent, continuo coram magis ita muti facti sunt, ut nec nutibus, quod loqui non poterant, indicarent. Dixeruntque magi ad regem: ut scias nos Deos esse, permittemus eos loqui, sed ambulare non posse, iterumque reddemus iis gressum, sed faciemus eos aperlis oculis non videre. Qui cum haec omnia fecissent, dux advocatos illos turpiter confusos ad apostolos duxit. Quos cum advocati pannosos vidissent, eos in animo contemserunt. Quibus Symon: saepe evenit, ut intra scrinia aurea et gemmata vilia quaeque habeantur inclusa et intra vilissimas ct ligneas capsas sint gemmarum monilia pretiosa composita. Quicumque ergo alicujus rei cupit esse possessor, non magnopere gestatorium, sed ipsum, quod gestatur, exspectat. Promittite igitur, vos ab ydolorum cultura discedere et solum Deum invisibilem adorare, et nos signum crucis in frontibus vestris faciemus et magos confutare poteritis.
Quod cum fecissent et in frontibus consignati essent, ad regem coram magis iterum ingressi sunt, et cum a magis superari non possent, imo ipsis coram omnibus insultarent, irati magi multitudinem serpentium advenire fecerunt, statimque ad jussum regis venientes apostoli pallia sua de serpentibus impleverunt et in magos projecerunt dicentes:. in nomine domini non moriemini, sed a serpentibus lacerati dolorum vestrorum mugitus dabitis, Cum ergo serpentes carnes eorum comederent et ipsi tamquam lupi ulularent, rex et caeteri rogabant apostolos, ut eos a serpentibus occidi permitterent, Quibus apostoli responderunt: nos missi sumus reducere de morte ad vitam, non vita praecipitare in mortem, et facta oratione jusserunt serpentibus, ut omne venenum, quod infuderant, revocarent et postmodum ad loca sua redirent, Majores autem eruciatus magi sensernnt, cum venena serpentes retraherent, quam cum ante carnes comederent. Quibus apostoli dixerunt: tribus diebus dolores sentielis, tertia vero die sani eritis, nt vel sic a vestra malitia recedatis, Cum ergo tribus diebus sine cibo et potn ac somno doloribus nimium cruciati mansissent, apostoli venientes ad eos dixerunt: non dignatur dominus habere coacta servitia, ideoque surgite sani et abite habentes liberam facultatem faciendi, quae vultis. Illi autem in malitia perdurantes ab iis fugerunt et paene contra eos totam Babyloniam commoverunt. Post hoc filia cujusdam ducis ex fornicatione concepit et filium parturiens quendam sanctum dyaconum infamavit, qui eam violaverit et ex ipso conceperit. Cum autem parentes dyaconum occidere vellent, apostoli adveniunt et, quando puer natus sit, requirunt. Qui responderunt: hodie hora prima diei, Dixeruntque apostoli: infantem huc adducite et dyaconum, quem accusatis, huc eliam perducite, Quod cum factnm essel, apostoli infanti dixerunt: die, infans, in nomine domini, si iste dyaconus hoc praesumsit. Ad hoo infans: iste, inquit, dyaconus castus et sanctus est nec unquam carnem suam coinquinavit.
Cum autem parentes puellae instarent, ut apostoli quaererent, quis auctor hujus sceleris fuisset, responderunt apostoli: nos innocentes absolvere decet, nocentes perdere non decet, Tunc etiam temporis contigit, ut duae tigrides ferocissimae, quae in singulis caveis clausae erant, fugerent et omnes, qui sibi occurrerent, devorarent. Tunc apostoli ad eas venerunt et in nomine domini eas velut oves mansuetas fecerunt. Volentibus autem apostolis inde discedere, rogati per aunum et tres menses ibidem permanserunt, in quo spatio plus quam LX millia hominum: exceptis parvulis enm rege et principibus baptizati sunt, Praedicli autem magi ad quandam civitatem nomineSamir, ubi erant LXX ydolorum pontifices, venerunt et eos contra apostolos concitaverunt, ut, cum illuc venissent, aut eos sacrificare compellerent ant penitus necarent, Perlastrata igitur universa provincia cum apostoli ad praedictam civitatem veuissent, ecce praedicti pontifices cum universo populo eos capiant et ad templum solis deducunt. Daemones antem per energumenos clamare coeperunt: quid nobis et vobis, apostoli Dei vivi? Ecce in ingressu vestro flammis exurimur. Tunc angelus domini iis apparens dixit: unum e duobus eligite, aut horum repentinum interitum aut vestrum marlirium, Cui apostoli: )adoranda estDei misericordia, ut et istos convertat et nos ad palmam martirii. perducat, . .
Facto autem silentio apostoli dixerunt: ut sciatis, quod haec ydola daemonibus plena sunt, ecce iis imperamus, ut exeant et singuli simulacra sua coníringant. Statimque duo Aethiopes migri et nudi cunctis stupentibus de simulacris exierunt et confractis illis. cum diris vocibus abscesserunt. Quod videntes pontifices in apostolos irruerunt et eos protinns trucidarunt. In ipsa antem hora, cum nimia esset coeli serenitas, tanta fulgura exstiterunt, ut templum ipsum trifarie sciuderetur et illi duo magi in carbones ictu fulguris verterentur. Rex autem corpora apostolorum ad suam urbem transtulit et in honorem eornm ecclesiam mirae magnitudinis fabricavit, De beato autem Symone pluribus locis invenitur, quod crucis patibulo sit affixus, quod etiam Ysidorus in libro de obitu apostolorum et Eusebius in hystoria ecclesiastica et Beda super actus apostolorum et magister Johannes Beleth in summa sua testantur, Cum enim, ut ajunt, in Aegypto praedicasset, Hierosolimam rediit et post mortem Jacohi minoris in episcopum Hierosolimitanum ab apostolis unanimiter est electus et ante mortem suam XXX mortuos suscitasse narratur. Unde cantatur de eo: ter denos mortuos fluctibus mersos humanae vitae reddidit, Gum autem ecclesiam Hierosolimitanam per annos multos rexisset et CXX annum ageret, tempore Trajani imperatoris, cum
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
Chosen Portion serves the Golden Legend as a daily portion on iOS, free, alongside the full Sub Rosa archive
The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
- 240 chapters - enough daily readings to cover a full liturgical year and beyond
- Daily reminders so the plan survives busy weeks