Section 291
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260 ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. four women ; Ammonarium, a holy virgin, who was ingeniously tortured for a very long time by the judge, because she had plainly declared she would utter none of those expressions which he dictated; and having made good her promise, she was led away. The others were the venerable and aged Mercuria ; Dioriysia, also, who was the mother of many children, but did not love them more than the Lord. These, after the governor became ashamed to torture them to no purpose, and thus to be defeated by women, all died by the sword, without the trial by tortures. But as to Ammonarium, she, like a chief combatant, received the greatest tortures of all. Heron and Ater and Isidorus, who were Egyptians, and with them a youth named Dioscorus, about the age of fifteen, were delivered up. At first he attempted to deceive the youth with fair words, as if he could be easily brought over, and to force him by tortures, as if he would readily yield. Dioscorus, however, was neither persuaded by words nor constrained by tortures. After scourging the rest in a most savage manner, and seeing them persevere, he also delivered these to the fire. But Diosco rus was dismissed by the judge, who admired the great wisdom of his answers to the questions proposed to him, and was also illustrious in the eyes of the people, with the view, as he said, to give him further time for repentance on account of his age. And now this most godly Dioscorus is among us, expecting a longer and a more severe conflict. A certain Nemesion, also an Egyptian, was first indeed accused as a companion of thieves ; but when he had repelled this charge before the centurion, as a slander against him, in which there was no truth, being reported as a Christian, he was brought as a prisoner before the governor, He, a most unrighteous judge, inflicted a punishment more than double that of robbers, both scourges and tortures, and then committed him to the flames between thieves ; thus honouring nificatkm, there might be some reason, perhaps, for this version, the word «