the Persian king gained the upper hand over him and killed him, putting a great many of his followers to the sword.

The bishop of Caesarea related that he was sitting in his sanctuary and, opposite him, stood a panel bearing the image of Saint Mercurius the Martyr. He looked at the panel and saw that the martyr’s image had disappeared, and he was astonished at its absence. Scarcely an hour had passed before the image re-appeared on the panel, and on the tip of the spear depicted in the saint’s hand there was something resembling blood. He marvelled at this and remained perplexed until news reached him that the impious king had been killed in the battle. He then understood that Saint Mercurius the Martyr had slain him because of the king’s intense hatred of the Christians and his resolve to revive idol-worship.

He went on to name a number of patriarchs and bishops—some Arians, some Manichaeans, others Melkites—and described the strife that erupted among them, each faction zealously supporting its own patriarch until they began killing and exiling one another.

He further stated that the Christians’ opinions diverged, their doctrines multiplied, Arius’s teaching came to dominate them, and they set a king over themselves whose name was Theodosius, and that