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 Death
of a Nobel
Youth:
HIPPOLYTUS OF ROME
THE EXTANT WORKS AND FRAGMENTS OF HIPPOLYTUS.
180-230 EST.
[TRANSLATED BY THE REV. S. D. F. SALMOND.]
THE STORY OF A MAIDEN OF CORINTH, AND A CERTAIN
MAGISTRIANUS
The account given by Hippolytus, the friend of the
apostles:
In another little book bearing the name of
Hippolytus, the friend of the apostles, I found a story of the
following nature: - There lived a certain most noble and beautiful
maiden in the city of Corinth, in the careful exercise of a virtuous
life. At that time some persons falsely charged her before the judge
there, who was a Greek, with cursing the times, and the princes, and
the images. Now those who trafficked in such things, brought her
beauty under the notice of the impious judge, who lusted after
women. And he gladly received the accusation with his equine ears
and lascivious thoughts. And when she was brought before the
bloodstained (judge), he was driven still more frantic with
profligate passion. But when, after bringing every device to bear
upon her, the profane than could not gain over this woman of God, he
subjected the noble maiden to various outrages. And when he failed
in these too, and was unable to seduce her from her confession of
Christ, the cruel judge became furious against her, and gave her
over to a punishment of the following nature: Placing the chaste
maiden in a brothel, he charged the manager, saying, Take this
woman, and bring me three nummi by her every day. And the man,
exacting the money from her by her dishonour, gave her up to any who
sought her in the brothel. And when the women-hunters knew that,
they came to the brothel, and, paying the price lint upon their
iniquity, sought to seduce her. But this most honourable maiden,
taking counsel with herself to deceive them, called them to her, and
earnestly besought them, saying: I have a certain ulceration of the
pudenda, which has an extremely hateful stench; and I am afraid that
ye might come to hate me on account of the abominable sore. Grant me
therefore a few days, and then ye may have me even for nothing. With
these words the blessed maiden gained over the profligates, and
dismissed them for a time. And with most fitting prayers she
importuned God, and with contrite supplications she sought to turn
Him to compassion. God, therefore, who knew her thoughts, and
understood how the chaste maiden was distressed in heart for her
purity, gave ear to her; and the Guardian of the safety of all men
in those days interposed with His arrangements in the following
manner: - Of a certain person Magistrianus.
There was a certain young man, Magistrianus, comely
in his personal appearance, and of a pious mind, whom God had
inspired with such a burning spiritual zeal, that he despised even
death itself. He, coming under the guise of profligacy, goes in,
when the evening was far gone, to the fellow who kept the women, and
pays him five nummi, and says to him, Permit me to spend this night
with this damsel. Entering then with her into the private apartment,
he says to her, rise, save you. And taking off her garments, and
dressing her in his own attire, his night-gown, his cloak, and all
the habiliments of a man, he says to her, wrap yourself up with the
top of your cloak, and go out; and doing so, and signing herself
entirely with the mystery of the cross, she went forth uncorrupt
place, and was preserved perfectly stainless by the grace of Christ,
and by the instrumentality of the young man, who by his own blood
delivered her from dishonour. And on the following day the matter
became known, and Magistrianus was brought before the infuriated
judge. And when the cruel tyrant had examined the noble champion of
Christ, and had learned all, he ordered him to be thrown to the wild
beasts, that in this, too, the honour-hating demon might be put to
shame. For, whereas he thought to involve the noble youth in an
unhallowed punishment, he exhibited him as a double martyr for
Christ, inasmuch as he had both striven nobly for his own immortal
soul, and persevered manfully in labours also in behalf of that
noble and blessed maiden. Wherefore also he was deemed worthy of
double honour with Christ, and of the illustrious and blessed crowns
by His goodness.
 
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