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Remains of the Second and Third Centuries
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Introductory Notice to Remains of the Second and Third Centuries.
[3843] The dispensation is, that those who denied were not set free, but confined with the others; and that this harsh treatment and sad state of mind confirmed the resolution of those not yet apprehended to confess Christ. Various other explanations have been given, but this seems the most reasonable.
[3846] Of Christian.
[3847] We have adopted here an emendation of Routh’s. The literal version of the common text is: “The testimonies of their departure were divided into every form.”
[3848] The Greek is εἰς τὸ δημόσιον, was led “to the public building” to the wild beasts. The public building is taken to be the amphitheatre.
[3849] The words “several times” are represented in Greek by διὰ πλειόνων κλήρων, lit. “through several lots.” When there were several athletes to contend, the pairs were determined by lot. After the first contest the victors were again formed into pairs by lot, until finally there should be but one pair left. See the process at the Olympic games described in Lucian Hermotimus, c. xl. p. 782.
[3850] The bestiarii, before fighting with wild beasts, had to run the gauntlet.
[3851] Rufinus translates jugulati sunt. Probably, “killed with the sword.” The term may have been a technical one, being applied to the gladiators or bestiarii, whose death may have been looked on as a sacrifice to a god or a dead-hero.
[3852] Blandina was a slave: hence the mode of punishment. On this matter see Lipsius, De Cruce. [And my note, p. 784.]
[3853] Lord Hailes remarks that this alludes to Isa. xxvii. 1.
[3855] Heinichen renders “the bride’s garment,” and explains in the following manner. The bride is the Church, the garment Christ, and the sons of perdition had no ideas what garment the Church of Christ should wear, had no idea that they should be clothed with Christ, and be filled with His Spirit. It is generally taken to be the marriage garment of Matt. xxii. 12.
[3856] She may have been his sister by birth, as some have supposed, but the term “sister” would have been applied had she been connected by no other tie than that of a common faith.
[3857] Rev. xxii. 11. Lardner thinks the passage is quoted from Dan. xii. 10. Credib., part ii. c. 16.
[3858] παλιγγενεσία. The term refers here to the new state of affairs at the end of the world.
[3861] The Greek is τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς τῶν μαρτύρων προσηγορίαν, generally translated, “offered to them by their brethren.”
[3863] The Greek is, πᾶσι μὲν ἀπελογοῦντο. Rufinus translated, “Placabant omnes, neminem accusabant.” Valesius thought that the words ought to be translated, “They rendered an account of their faith to all;” or, “They defended themselves before all.” Heinichen has justified the translation in the text by an appeal to a passage in Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., iv. 15.
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