Then Danqiyus (1)—also known as Decianus (2)—succeeded him, and the Christians suffered terribly at his hands. He slew numbers beyond reckoning, put the patriarch of Rome to death, built a vast temple, filled it with idols, and ordered the people to prostrate themselves before them and offer sacrifice; whoever refused was killed. Thus he massacred great multitudes of Christians, many of whom were crucified upon the temple itself.

He chose seven youths from the sons of the city’s nobles (3), made them his intimates, and ranked them above all others around him. They would not prostrate to the idols. When the king was informed of this, he imprisoned them, then released them, and went off on one of his excursions. The youths gathered all their possessions and gave them away in charity, then made their way to a great mountain that contained a spacious cave and hid themselves there. God cast slumber upon them, and they slept as though dead. The king ordered a doorway built across the mouth of the cave so that they might perish inside. One of his commanders took a copper plaque and inscribed on it (4) their names, their story, and what had transpired with Decianus; he placed it in a copper box, buried it inside the cave, and sealed the entrance. The king then died (5).

Another Caesar rose after him, and during his reign a heretic named Paul of Samosata (6) appeared in Antioch. He was the first to introduce the innovation concerning Christ’s divinity and humanity. Before him the Christians were united in saying that Christ was a servant, a messenger, created and fashioned, subject to his Lord, and not a single one of them disagreed. Paul, however, claimed that