(see below), collected a great number of relics of these martyrs and brought them to his own city, which was then called Martyropolis. The Byzantine Menaia commemorates on February 6 "the holy martyrs who rest at Martyropolis, and St. Maruthas, who raised up the city in the name of the martyrs." A Syriac Calendar in the Vatican has this commemoration on Friday after Easter.[1] But there are many thousands of martyrs under Shapur whose names are not known. Sozomen tells the story of his persecution, and counts 16,000 as known.[2]
During Shapur II's reign an event of great importance to the Persian Church happened. Persia took the city of Nisibis in 363 (p. 26), and so this important see and theological school are henceforth Persian. Shapur's brother, Ardashir II (379–383), continued the persecution. But after his death there was peace for a time.[3] Two rather mysterious Bishops of Seleucia now appear, Tamuzâ and Ḳayumâ. Labourt doubts their existence:[4] Wigram defends it.[5] Then comes Isaac (Īsḥâḳ) I (399–410), contemporary with King Yazdagird[6] I (399–420). During this time of peace after the first great persecution the Persian Church was thoroughly reorganized.
The chief agent of this reorganization was Mâruthâ of Maiferḳaṭ, already mentioned. Maiferḳaṭ was just over the frontier between the Tigris and Lake Van. Mâruthâ came to Persia as ambassador from Theodosius II (408-450); while he was there he used his influence as representing the "Western Fathers"[7] to arrange the affairs of the distracted Christians in Persia. King Yazdagird was well disposed towards him[8] and the Christians, and encouraged the work. In spite of her heroic suffering under persecution,
- ↑ Nilles: op. cit. ii. 334–335, and note 2.
- ↑ Hist. Eccl. ii. 14 (P.G. lxvii. 969). A much fuller account will be found in Labourt: op. cit. 63–82; and Wigram: op. cit. 56–76.
- ↑ Peace with Rome and for the Persian Christians. These two generally go together.
- ↑ Op. cit. 85–86, note 4.
- ↑ Op. cit. 101–102.
- ↑ That is, I believe, the Persian form. In Syriac he is Yazdgerd, in Arabic Yazdashir.
- ↑ Being a suffragan of Edessa.
- ↑ Socrates (Hist. Eccl. vii. 8; P.G. lxvii. 752) and others say that Mâruthâ was a physician, and healed the king of a bad headache. Yazdagird was very friendly towards Christians at first; so much so that they hoped to find in him the Persian Constantine, and the Mazdaeans thought him an apostate. But at the end he became a fierce persecutor (p. 50).
