Baring-Gould’s sources: By the Latins on April 7th; by the Greeks on Jan. 29th. Authority: — Theodoret, B. of Cyrus, in his Philotheus and Hist Ecclesiastica. Also Theophanes. Theodoret had been taken to visit him and received his blessing when he was a child.] Aphraates was a Persian by birth, of an illustrious, heathen family, of the race of the Magi. On his conversion to Christianity, he abandoned his country, and retired into a cell near Edessa. After having spent some tipie there he came to Antioch, then tom with heresy. He took lessons in Greek, and laboured in his broken jargon of Persian and 1 As when Paul persecuted the Church, Christ addressed him with, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me.”— Acts ix. 4. April f.J S. Aphraates.
Greek to sustain the Catholics, then united under Flavian and Diodorus, against the Arians [followers of Arius, who taught that the Son is a created being, not fully God], who were supported by the Emperor Valens. 1 Acting in concert with these champions of the Catholic cause, he sent Acacius of Beroea to S. Julian Sabas, that he might urge him to come to Antioch to confirm the faithful The presence of the emperor in Antioch did not intimidate him. One day Valens met him hastening to the oratory by the river's side where the Catholics met “ Whither in such haste ?” asked the emperor. “Sire! I am going to pray for the whole world, but especially for the empire.”
“ But why dost thou, who professest a solitary life, come forth from thy cell and mix with a throng in public assemblies ?”
“ Prince,” said the holy man; “ if I were a young virgin sitting at home in my bower, and my father's house caught fire, what wouldest thou counsel me ? — To sit still and be burnt or to bestir myself to extinguish the blaze ?” “ Why, man, labour to put the fire out” “I am doing so now, Sire! My Father's house is on fire, heresy is consuming it, and I rush forth from my bower to arrest the conflagration. Fare thee well 1 ” and he sped away, staff in hand.
The story is told of him that Anthiraius, afterward (in 405) prefect of Antioch, but then an ambassador to Persia, passing through Antioch visited him and presented him with a coat “ Sir,” said the hermit; “ I have a dear old friend who has been with me many years. Would you have me change him for a new friend ?” “ Certainly not” said Anthimius. “Then,” said the hermit, “you will excuse me if I stick to my old coat”
1 See life of S. Meletlus, Feb. lath. VOL. IV. 8
