Persecution of Longinus
Herod was furious and ordered that the man be thrown into the inner prison, with a golden necklace around his neck and heavy chains placed around his neck and waist, until he could devise many torments for him. After that, he would have the man's head cut off. He then issued a decree that all infants in Bethlehem, from two years old and under, were to be killed. The soldiers carried out the king's orders and slaughtered all the infants.
Herod's rage was fueled by his deception at the hands of the Magi, and he summoned Longinus, ordering him to be brought before him. When Longinus was led in, the king noticed that he was wearing a golden necklace around his neck, a royal cloak, and a sword at his waist. Herod was enraged and roared like a lion, demanding to know why his nobles had not removed the necklace, sword, and cloak. The nobles replied that they had followed the king's orders, but they did not know who had dressed Longinus in the royal attire. Herod then turned to Longinus and demanded that he confess who had given him the royal clothes.
I speak the truth and do not lie, for I have received my testimony from none other than the eternal King Jesus Christ himself. Herod, however, was skeptical and asked, 'Who is it that has clothed you in this garment?' The holy Longinus replied, 'It was the Lord himself who sent his angel to clothe me in this garment and to seal me with the seal of the eternal King Jesus Christ.'
Herod, unconvinced by Longinus' words, ordered his magistrates to take the garment from him and burn it with fire, believing that Longinus was lying about receiving it from his king. But when the magistrates approached Longinus, they found that they could not take the garment from him, for it seemed to be surrounded by a shadow. They reported back to Herod, saying, 'We see him clothed in a shadow, and we cannot take anything from him.' Herod, realizing that there was something supernatural at work, exclaimed, 'Now I know that there is magic in making the cloak invisible.' The holy Longinus, however, denied any knowledge of magic, saying, 'By the heavenly King who came down from heaven, I do not know what magic is, for he himself hates magicians and sorcerers. How can I, being his servant, have a heart polluted with magic and deceit? But I tell you that the power of God has surrounded me and protects me.' Herod, troubled by Longinus' responses, ordered his soldiers to pierce him.
Now I am relieved, having suffered for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, having become his friend and being loved by him. For I was held in great fear because of your evil machinations.
Herod, however, was not so easily swayed, and his anger towards Longinus, the ungodly soldier, only intensified. He ordered his magistrates to strike Longinus with three blows of wood and to put heavy iron on him, so that, being melted and torn apart, he may lose his strength and beauty. But despite the brutal treatment, Longinus remained unbroken, and his face continued to shine as if it were the face of an angel. When Herod saw him, he was furious, and his anger was directed not only at Longinus but also at his own magistrates, whom he expelled in a fit of rage.
Greek
ἀκαθοσίωτον, καὶ ἐμβά λετε αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἐσωτέραν φυλακήν, περιθέντες αὐτῷ κλοιὰ στι βαρὰ κατὰ τοῦ τραχήλου καὶ τῶν μέσων, μέχρις οὗ ἐπινοήσω αὐ τῷ βασάνους πολλάς. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο κελεύσω τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐ τοῦ ἀποτμηθῆναι.» 5 Καὶ εὐθέως τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐξέθετο δόγμα τοιοῦτον, λέ γων τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ στρατιώταις· «Τὰ νήπια τὰ ἐν Βηθλεὲμ "3ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω"3 ἕως αὐθημερινοῦ ἀνέλετε αὐτά.» Καὶ ἐξ ῆλθον οἱ στρατιῶται κατὰ τὸ δόγμα τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἀνεῖλον πάντα τὰ νήπια. Ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης, θυμομαχῶν διὰ τὸν σωτῆρα ὅτι ἐνεπαίχθη ὑπὸ τῶν Μάγων, μετακαλεσάμενος τὸν ἅγιον Λογγῖνον, προκαθίσας ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι. Ἀγομένου δὲ αὐτοῦ, εἶδεν ὁ βασιλεὺς μανιάκην χρυσοῦν περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐ τοῦ καὶ χλαμύδα βασιλικὴν περικειμένην τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ σπάθην πε ρὶ τὴν ὀσφῦν αὐτοῦ· ἔβρυξεν δὲ ὡς λέων καὶ ἐμαίνετο ὡς θηρίον κατὰ τῶν μεγιστάνων αὐτοῦ, λέγων· «Οὐχὶ εἶπον ὑμῖν, ὦ κάκισ τοι στρατιῶται, ἄρατε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τό<ν> τε μανιάκην καὶ τὴν σπάθην καὶ τὴν ἐσθῆτα;» 6 Καὶ εἶπαν οἱ μεγιστᾶνες πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· «Μὰ τὴν σὴν ὑγίειαν, βασιλεῦ, κατὰ τὸ σὸν πρόσταγμα ἐποιήσαμεν, καὶ ἀπο δύσαντες αὐτὸν οὕτως ἐβάλομεν εἰς τὴν φυλακήν· πόθεν δὲ αὐτῷ ἡ στολὴ αὕτη ἢ τίς ὁ ἐνδύσας αὐτόν, ἡμεῖς οὐκ οἴδαμεν.» Ὁ δὲ Ἡ ρῴδης εἶπεν πρὸς τὸν ἅγιον Λογγῖνον· «Ἄθλιε, ὁ ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ δό ξης καταβαλών, ὁμολόγησόν μοι πρὸ βασάνων τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἐνδύσας σε τὴν στολὴν ταύτην.» Ὁ δὲ ἅγιος Λογγῖνος εἶπεν· «Ὡς ἐπ' ἀληθείας λέγω καὶ οὐ ψεύδομαι, οὐκ ἔλαβον παρ' ἑτέρου τινὸς εἰ μὴ παρὰ τοῦ αἰωνίου βασιλέως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» Εἶπεν δὲ ὁ Ἡρῴδης· «Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐνδύσας σε τὴν στολὴν ταύτην;» Ὁ δὲ ἅγιος Λογγῖνος εἶπεν· «Αὐτὸς ἀπέστειλεν τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ καὶ πε ριέθηκέν μοι τὴν ἐσθῆτα ταύτην καὶ ἐσφραγίσατό με τῇ σφραγῖδι τοῦ αἰωνίου βασιλέως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» 7 Ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης εἶπεν τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ· «Ἐπειδὴ μάλα ψεύδεται, οἰόμενος παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ δεδωρῆσθαι τὰ προσόντα αὐτῷ, ἐπάραντες οὖν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐσθῆτα τὴν πε ρικειμένην αὐτῷ πυρὶ κατακαύσετε.» Οἱ δὲ μεγιστᾶνες προσ ῆλθον ποιῆσαι τὸ προσταχθὲν αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐδὲν ηὕρισκον ψηλα φῆσαι ἢ ἀφελεῖν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. «Τί», εἶπαν οὖν οἱ μεγιστᾶνες πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, «ἰδοὺ ὡς σκιὰν ὁρῶμεν περιβεβλῆσθαι αὐτῷ τὴν ἐσθῆτα, καὶ οὐ δυνάμεθα ἆραί τι ἀπ' αὐτοῦ.» Εἶπεν δὲ Ἡρῴδης· «Μὰ τὴν Ἀδραστείαν τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις, νῦν ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι μά γος ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ τὸ περιβόλαιον ἀφανὲς καθιστᾶν.» Ὁ δὲ ἅγιος Λογγῖνος εἶπεν· «Μὰ τὸν ἐπουράνιον βασιλέα τὸν κατελθόντα νῦν ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, τί ἐστιν μαγεία οὐκ οἶδα· καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς μισεῖ τοὺς μάγους καὶ τοὺς φαρμάκους. Καὶ πῶς ἐγώ, δοῦλος αὐτοῦ ὤν, δύναμαι κεκτῆσθαι καρδίαν ῥυπαρὰν μαγείας καὶ δόλου; Ἀλλὰ εἶπόν σοι ὅτι δύναμις θεοῦ περιήστραψέν με καὶ αὕτη με φυλάττει.» 8 Ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης, ταραχθεὶς ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀποκρίσεσιν Λογγίνου, προσέταξεν τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ στρατιώταις πλουμβατίζεσθαι αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ ἅγιος Λογγῖνος εἶπεν· «Νῦν ἀναπέπαυμαι πάσχων ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, αὐτοῦ φίλος γενόμενος καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἀγαπηθείς· πολλῷ γὰρ φόβῳ ἤμην κατ εχόμενος διὰ τὰς κακομηχανίας σου.» Ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης βρύξας τοὺς ὀδόντας κατὰ τοῦ Λογγίνου λέγει τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ· «Λογγῖνον τὸν ἀκαθοσίωτον στρατιώτην εἰς τρία κεντήματα βαλόντες τοῦ ξύλου, περίθετε αὐτῷ σίδηρα βαρέα, ὅπως τηκό μενος καὶ διασπώμενος ἀτονήσῃ τῇ δυνάμει καὶ τῷ κάλλει δυσ ειδὴς γένηται, ἵνα ἰδόντες αὐτὸν στενάξωσιν πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ γνωρίζοντες αὐτὸν τὸ πρῶτον.» 2 9 Καὶ ἐποίησαν τὰ προσταχθέντα αὐτοῖς. Ποιήσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ ἡμέρας τριάκοντα, τῶν κλοιῶν ἀβαρῶς αὐ τῷ ἐπικειμένων, πάλιν ἐπεζήτησεν ὁ Ἡρῴδης τὸν ἅγιον Λογ γῖνον, λέγων τοῖς μεγιστᾶσιν αὐτοῦ· «Παραστήσατέ μοι τὸν δέσμιον Λογγῖνον ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος, ὅπως ἰδὼν αὐτὸν σκυθρω πὸν καὶ μεμαραμμένον, ἀναπαύσωμαι.» Οἱ δὲ μεγιστᾶνες, ἀπ ελθόντες ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ καὶ ἰδόντες τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐξα στράπτον, ἐφοβήθησαν τοῦ προσαγαγεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ βήμα τος· πλὴν παραλαβόντες αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ προσταχθὲν αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ Ἡρῴδου, ἤγαγον ἐπὶ τοῦ βήματος τὸν καλὸν ἀγωνιστὴν τοῦ Χρι στοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἡρῴδης, ἑωρακὼς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ πρόσ-ωπον ἀγγέλου, ἔβρυξεν τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτοῦ κατὰ τῶν μεγι στάνων αὐτοῦ καὶ διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν· «Ἀντὶ τιμωριῶν παρεστήσατέ μοι τὸν δέσμιον τοῦτον.» 10 Καὶ μανεὶς ὁ Ἡρῴδης κατὰ τῶν μεγιστάνων αὐτοῦ ἐξώ ρισεν αὐτούς, τοὺς
About this text
Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homilia ii in sanctum Longinum centurionem (Greek).
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 93 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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.