And while he was devoting himself to this pursuit—as he himself somewhere records in writing—since no one at Alexandria was set apart for catechizing, all having been driven away by the threat of the persecution, certain of the heathen came to him to hear the word of God.
Of these the first he marks out as having been Plutarch, who after living nobly was also adorned with a divine martyrdom; and the second, Heraclas, Plutarch's brother, who likewise himself, having afforded with him very great proof of a philosophic life and of discipline, was counted worthy of the episcopate of the Alexandrians, the third in succession after Demetrius.
He was in his eighteenth year when he came to preside over the catechetical school. In it he also made progress at the time of the persecutions under Aquila, the governor of Alexandria, when especially he acquired a most renowned name among all who set out from the faith, on account of the welcome and eagerness which he displayed toward all the holy martyrs, both unknown and known.
For he was present not only with those who were in bonds, nor only with those being examined up to the final sentence, but also after this, accompanying the holy martyrs as they were led off to death, using great boldness of speech and coming to close quarters with the dangers; so that, as he courageously drew near and greeted the martyrs with a kiss in great boldness, the heathen populace ringed about him in its fury many a time came near to stoning him, had he not, finding the divine right hand his helper once for all, marvellously escaped.
And this same divine and heavenly grace again and again, and it is impossible to tell how often, preserved him when at that time he was plotted against on account of his exceedingly great eagerness and boldness for the word of Christ. And so great, indeed, was the war of the unbelievers against him, that they even formed gatherings and posted soldiers about the house where he dwelt, because of the multitude of those who were being catechized by him in the sacred faith.
Thus day by day the persecution against him was so kindled that the whole city no longer had room for him; he passed from house to house and was driven from every quarter, because of the multitude of those who through him were coming over to the divine teaching—since his deeds in practice too contained the truly most marvellous achievements of a most genuine philosophy.
For such as was his word, they say, such was his manner of life; and such as his manner of life, such the word he displayed. For this very reason, with the divine power aiding him, he led countless numbers on to his own zeal.
But when he saw still more pupils coming to him—the work of catechizing having been entrusted to him alone by Demetrius, the president of the church—considering the teaching of grammatical studies to be out of harmony with training in the divine lessons, without delay he broke off the pursuit of grammatical studies as unprofitable and contrary to the sacred learning.
Then, by a fitting reckoning, that he might never be in need of help from others, he gave away all the volumes of ancient literature which he had formerly studied with such fond care, and was content with the four obols a day brought to him by the one who had purchased them. And for very many years he continued to live as a philosopher in this manner, stripping from himself all the materials of youthful desires; all day long enduring no small toils of discipline, and devoting the greater part of the night to the study of the divine Scriptures, persevering as far as possible in a most philosophic life, at one time training himself in exercises of fasting, at another in measured times for sleep, which he was zealous to take by no means upon a couch, but upon the floor.
But above all he thought it needful to keep the Saviour's words in the Gospel which exhort us not to have two coats nor to use shoes, nor indeed to be worn out with anxieties about the time to come.
Nay more, employing an eagerness beyond his years, persevering in cold and nakedness, and pressing on to the utmost extreme of poverty, he greatly astounded those about him, grieving countless numbers who begged to share their goods with him, when they saw the labours he was expending upon the divine teaching; yet he himself by no means yielded in his endurance.
It is said, at any rate, that for very many years he trod the ground using no shoe whatever, and moreover for very many years abstained from the use of wine and of all things beyond necessary food, so that he actually fell into danger of overthrowing and ruining his chest.
Affording to those who beheld him such examples of a philosophic life, he naturally stirred up more of his pupils to a zeal like his own, so that already even from among the unbelieving Gentiles, and from those of learning and philosophy, not a few of no common sort were being drawn under his teaching; who, themselves also genuinely receiving through him in the depth of their souls the faith in the divine Word, came to distinction at the then-occurring season of the persecution, so that some of them, being seized, were perfected by martyrdom.