apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

HADRIAN, PIUS, AND MARCUS. 493
This letter, purporting to have been written by the emperor M. Aurelius, is found
in the Life of S. Abercius § 17, as given by Symeon Metaphrastes {Patrol. Graec. cxv.
p. 1211 sq ed. Migne ;
see also the Bollandist Acta Sanctorum, October 22). The
story runs as follows ;
Abercius, bishop of Hierapolis in Lesser Phrygia in the time of M. Aurelius and
L. Verus, distinguished himself by his iconoclastic zeal against the idols of heathendom.
For this act he would have been put to death ;
but casting out devils from several
persons, who were tormented, he saved himself from his fate, and turned the tide of
popular feeling in his favour. Among other miracles he cured of blindness Phrygella
the mother of Euxenianus Publio, a man in high authority at Hierapolis and greatly
esteemed by the emperor. The evil demon, thwarted by Abercius, avenged himself
by imposing upon him a journey to Rome. Lucilla, the daughter of M. Aurelius
and Faustina, being then sixteen years old, was betrothed to L. Verus, and her father
had agreed to escort her to Ephesus, there to marry her to Verus, who was quartered
in the East on account of the war with Vologesus. The demon took possession of
her at this crisis, and cried out through her that Abercius of Hierapolis alone could
exorcise him. The letter to Euxenianus was written by M. Aurelius in consequence.
Abercius obeys the summons contained in this letter. He takes ship at Attalia and
sails to Portus, where he meets the magistriani who had returned by another route.
On his arrival in Rome, he is taken to the prefect Cornelianus, by whom he is introduced
to Faustina. The emperor himself was absent on an expedition against the
barbarians, who had crossed the Rhenish frontier and were plundering the Roman
territory. The maiden Lucilla is
brought into the hippodrome, foaming, quivering,
and lacerated by the demon. Abercius expels the demon and bids him, in revenge
for the trouble he has caused, ' take up this altar (pointing out to him with his hand a
stone altar), and carry it as far as to Hierapolis and take and place it by the south
gate'. The demon lifts
up the altar accordingly in the presence of numberless
spectators {/jLvpiwv opuivTuv 6ix^6.twv), carries it off groaning heavily, and deposits it
in Hierapolis as commanded. Faustina overjoyed desires to make some return to
Abercius for the cure of her daughter. He asks that a bath may be built in the field
where he had knelt and prayed before his departure from Hierapolis, and where in
answer to this prayer hot springs had burst out from the ground for the relief of the
sick. He further requests that a dole of three thousand bushels of corn may be given
to the poor of his city.
The empress sends orders through Cornelianus to the ' ruler
of Phrygia ' {dpxovTa. •^pvyias) for the fulfilment of his requests. The bath is built and
called 'Aypos dep/jLuv the dole is given and continued till the time of Julian, who
:
'envying the Christians this, as he did all other good things', put a stop to the distribution.
Abercius, after remaining some time in Rome, was admonished in a dream that
he must visit Syria. The empress was anxious to detain him, but at length consented
and placed a ship at his disposal. He sailed to Antioch, and from Antioch went to
Apamea, where he pacified the churches which were rent asunder by the Marcionite
heresy. He then crossed the Euphrates and visited Nisibis and the Churches of
Mesopotamia. When he declined money, in recompense for his labours, they voted
him the title of lacnroaToXos. Then he returned home. Being admonished in a dream
that his time was approaching, he ordered a square stone to be prepared for his tomb,
and upon this he placed the altar which the demon had brought from Rome, inscribing
on it the following words (rolovSi tl €Triypafj.fj.a avrcp iyxapd^as) :
'B/cXeK7-^s TToXews iroXir-qs tout iivoi-qaa '^Qv tV ^xw Kaipi^ au/xaros ivddde diaiv.