Section 237
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206 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. live according to the imperial edict, his limbs were immediate* ly broken, after Perennis the judge had pronounced the sen tence. But this most approved and divinely favoured martyr, as the judge earnestly desired and entreated him to give an account of himself before the senate, delivered a most eloquent defence of the faith for which he was suffering, in the presence of all, terminated his life, by decapitation, according to the decree of the senate ; as there was a law of long standing with them, that those who had once been led to trial, and that would by no means change their purpose, should not be dismissed. But the decla rations of this martyr before the judge, and the answers that he gave to the questions of Perennis, and his whole defence before the senate, whoever wishes to know, may learn from the narra tives of ancient martyrs collected by us. CHAPTER XXII. The bishops that ^flourished at this time. IN the tenth year of the reign of Commodus, Eleutherus, who had held the episcopate for thirteen years, was succeeded by Victor. In this year, also, Julianus, who had the episcopal charge of the churches at Alexandria ten years, was succeeded by Demetrius. At this time, also, was yet living the abovementioned Serapion, bishop of Antioch, and the eighth in succession from the apostles. At Cesarea, in Palestine, Theophilus presided ; and Narcissus, who was mentioned before, had yet at the same time the administration of the church in Jerusalem. Bacchyllus was then also bishop of Corinth, in Greece, and Polycrates of the church at Ephesus, and many others besides these, as is probable, were prominent. We have only given the names of those whose orthodoxy has descended to us on record.