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Narrative of St Drusis

tr. Lewis, 1900

Chapter 5

Again, the martyrdom of Saint Drusis, and of those who were martyred with her in Antioch, in the reign of Trajan, the bad and wicked man. He had a daughter, a child of his [own] body, but not of his [own] faith. This Trajan had a burning desire and solicitude to build a public bath in the city of Antioch in Syria, and all the more because of his partners in wickedness, inasmuch as both by name and by nature he was a tyrant.

He had also a sinful ardour and a great eagerness in seeking to destroy and suppress the holy people of the Christians. Therefore he was considering and imagining evil things every day against the worshippers of the Christ. And when he had put three people to death every day, he went to see the work of the building of his public bath; for he would not go previously to look at it until he had put many Christians to death: the corpses of the saints lying unburied in various places.

Now there were five virgin-nuns, three of them being virgins and sisters and also their mother. And they had a spiritual sister who was named Sufu. These lived in a convent, and they went out by night and stole the bodies of the saints who had been slain by the wicked Trajan. And they wrapped them up and hid them in the garden of their convent, anointing their limbs with sweet ointment. But this matter was made known to the wicked Trajan; that women were coming by night and stealing the corpses of these unclean Christians. And if they were permitted to act thus, every one would be driven from the house of the gods, through the function of services to their corpses. And when the lamb of the Christ, Drusis, heard what had been said by her father about these people, she was moved to penitence in her spirit, and she stole a costly and valuable garment belonging to her father, and she ran away whilst the men of her body-guard were sunk in sleep; and when she went out, she saw these sister-nuns carrying the corpses of these holy martyrs, and she went with them into their convent, she also carrying a corpse on her pure back; rejoicing and exulting because of the good [fortune] that Sufu had received her amongst them.

But Adrianus was the adviser of the Emperor Trajan, and was also the betrothed bridegroom of the maiden Drusina; and he advised Trajan, saying, “My Lord the Emperor, command the soldiers to guard the city by night, that we may know who these are who steal the bones of the Christians who have met with a violent death.” And this counsel was pleasing in the eyes of Trajan, and he himself gave orders to the soldiers, saying, “Watch and arrest for me those who steal the pestilent and unclean bones of these Christians, so that I may know because of what hope and expectation they do this.”

Now whilst the soldiers were doing what they had been commanded by the Emperor [to do,] they found these five nuns with Drusina, who were accompanying and wrapping up the bodies of the saints, and they imprisoned these five carefully and put irons on their feet. Then they came to Drusis, and when they saw her, they said to each other, “Let us not put irons on this one, lest he take pity, like a father, on his daughter, and lay evil things upon us. But, nevertheless, let us be careful with her, and keep her till the morning.”

And when the morning came, they made it known to Trajan, saying, “My Lord the Emperor, the gods have fulfilled thy desire; but one thing prevents and restrains us from speaking in thy presence.” Then he said to them, “Fear not.” Then the soldiers of the wicked (Emperor) replied to him, saying: “We found five nuns whose faces were shining like the stars of heaven, and we imprisoned these nuns and put them in irons. But when we were going to lay hands on the sixth, we saw her face shining and beaming more than the sun; and on her therefore we did not dare to put irons; lest haply thy divinity should be angry with us. For she is our mistress, the daughter of the Emperor.” Now when Trajan and his son-in-law Adrianus heard this they were very angry and they said to the soldiers, “O what a cruel death ye shall die! My lady Drusis is in her bed-chamber, and how say ye that she is imprisoned outside?” And the Emperor summoned the body-guards of his daughter, and inquired from them where Drusis was. But they said to him, “O Lord the Emperor, our life and our death are in thy hands. Whilst we were sleeping, we did not know what became of her.” Then Trajan was persuaded, and believed what the lictors had said to him. And Adrianus counselled along with the priests, the teachers of evil, saying, “How hast thou commanded that these five women should die?” Some of them were saying that they should be thrown into the river Orontes, and be drowned; and others were saying, “Nay, but shame them and put them in the pillory¹.” Adrianus said: “My Lord the Emperor, behold! there is the public hall, and nothing is wanting but that we should set up its own foundry. Command therefore, my Lord the Emperor, that there be a great furnace, and let copper things be fused in it, so that when they are consumed in it, not a single bone of them may be visible.” And this counsel pleased every one, and he sent and summoned the smelters of statues, and said to them: “Prepare a furnace for yourselves, lofty in height, and throw these wicked women into it. And whilst ye are heating them, pour copper upon them, so that their floor and the copper may become one; and then arrange it and make from them the bottom of brass. I desire then that at the feast of the consecration of the public bath, in the high place which is called Apollonia I may do what will appease the gods.” And he commanded that Drusina should be kept with great care, saying, “Perhaps she will repent of what she has formerly done. And what the gods have bestowed upon her I will repay to them instead of her. For the faith of the Christians is the strongest of all witchcrafts; and it is very difficult for those who are falling into it to change to another religion.”

Then Adrianus was inciting him, saying, “As thy majesty has commanded, I will arrange these [women] in order in the furnaces of Apollonia, near [this]. Command therefore, my Lord the Emperor, that it be proclaimed this day.” Then he decreed a law and commandment in all the town after this manner: “Men of Antioch, all ye who believe in the gods, prepare yourselves and go up with us in the beginning of the month of Tammuz. For I desire and am ready to celebrate the consecration of the public bath of Trajan along with that of Zeus, that is, [in] the temples of Zeus and of Apollo. All therefore who hated the Christ, and were worshippers of idols, go ye up with songs and choruses, and in dazzling white dresses with me to the consecration of the public bath.” And every one therefore who went in to wash himself, when he opened the first door of the building, fell down instantly and gave up the ghost, so that no man was able to enter by that first door. Then they made known this matter to the wicked Trajan. And the priests of vanities and servants of worthless idols said in his presence, “O Emperor, these bones which have been melted in that copper have removed the mercies of the gods. But command that there be second furnaces and thus shalt thou purify the public bath.”

And when these things had been so done, Adrianus counselled that the first copper of the furnace should be set up in the middle of this, and that they should place them (the women) in the public bath for the scorn and contempt of every one. Then there appeared to the wicked Trajan in a dream five pure lambs feeding in a park, and the shepherd who tended them answered and said to the bad and wicked Trajan, “Those whom thou hast expected to expose to scorn, the good and gentle Shepherd has snatched them from thee, and has put them in that place to which Drusina also is ready to enter without stain.” And when the wicked man awoke he was very angry, because that after their death those handmaids of God would be bringing shame to his conscience and to his counsels. Then he commanded that there should be two furnaces, and that they should be heated every day.

And when first he arose from his sleep he issued a decree after this fashion: “Ye men of Galilee, ye who worship the Crucified One, save yourselves from tortures, and me also from troubles; and let each of you throw himself into these furnaces. For every time that I do something to diminish you, your God makes you to increase greatly.”

Now when this decree was ordained, the lamb of God, Drusina, listened, and every one of the Christians came, and, with the loving fervour of faith, threw himself into the furnace, whilst the Lord wrought miracles and wonders by their means. But the simple lamb Drusina threw her glance up towards heaven, and said: “O Lord God, if Thou hast willed the salvation of Thy handmaiden, chase away from me the vain fear of Trajan’s threats. Receive me also in Thine espousals, and deliver me from wedlock with the wicked Adrianus. And plunge my custodians in sleep, and deliver me from them.” And she took off the imperial robe and ran away with the intention of throwing herself into one of the furnaces with those who believed in the Christ. And when she came and stood beside the first furnace in the vicinity of the public bath of her father Trajan, she came to herself and said, “Behold! Drusina is going to God’s presence, and she has no wedding garment. How shall I who have received no purification go to that Holy One? How shall I go, being unbaptized? I will go towards the second furnace. Perhaps one of God’s servants will be found and he will baptize me and I shall go adorned as a bride.” And when she came near to the second furnace, she saw all those who had thrown themselves [into it] for the sake of the Christ, and it grieved her much. And she saw a well of water to the north of the second furnace; and she lifted up her eyes² to heaven and said: “King of all kings, behold for Thy sake I have left my imperial palace, so that Thou mayest place me amongst the doorkeepers of Thy kingdom. Thou art pure and holy......look on me and baptize me by the Holy Spirit. Come therefore, Thou beloved Son, with the blessed and immortal Father, in thy Holy life-giving Spirit, and baptize me in this place, and let all the holy angels say Amen.”

And when she had said, Amen, she took sweet salve and promptly anointed her whole body, and threw herself into the well. And thus was the holy Drusina crowned. But she lived for seven days after her immersion in the font, when she had partaken of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus the Christ from the hands of the holy angels. And on the eighth day she died³ by being burnt in the furnace with those believers, and surrendered her spirit, to the glory of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus the Christ, to whom be praise and honour for ever.

Here endeth the story of Drusina, and of those who were martyred with her.

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