But Philip, having reigned seven years, was succeeded by Decius, who, on account of his enmity toward Philip, raised a persecution against the churches, in which Fabian was perfected by martyrdom at Rome, and Cornelius succeeded to the episcopate.
And in Palestine, Alexander, the bishop of the church of Jerusalem, again stood for Christ's sake before the governor's tribunals at Caesarea, and, being distinguished by a second confession, underwent imprisonment, crowned with a ripe old age and venerable grey hairs.
And after his splendid and conspicuous testimony before the governor's tribunals, he fell asleep in the prison; and Mazabanes was designated as successor to the episcopate in Jerusalem.
Now as for the things that befell Origen in the persecution—of what kind and how many they were, and what manner of end he met, when the evil demon arrayed his whole army in rivalry against the man and warred against him with every device and power, and assailed him beyond all others who were warred against at that time—what and how many bonds and bodily tortures the man endured for the sake of the word of Christ, and the punishments under the iron collar and in the depths of the prison, and how for very many days, with his feet stretched apart four spaces in the stocks of the torture-chamber, he bore steadfastly the threats of fire and whatever else was brought against him by his enemies; and of what kind was the end that befell his case, since the judge contended with all his might and zeal by no means to put him to death; and what sayings he left behind after these things, full of help for those in need of restoration—of all this very many letters of the man contain the truth at once and the exact account.