Ante-Nicene Fathers (Volume 6) - VIII - Extant Writings of Julius Africanus

Required reading
Ante-Nicene Fathers (Vol 6) (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Extant Writings of Julius Africanus.

My summary
Today we work through writings that are generally considered to be from Julius Africanus.

Firstly we read the epistle to Aristides which concludes that the two genealogies for Jesus are because Mary's husband Joseph had two fathers, one by biology and one by law.

Then we read a narrative of events happening in Persia at the birth of Christ.

Next we examine a chronology of mankind, mostly concerned with Old Testament history.

Then we conclude with an account of the passion of St Symphorosa and her seven sons.

What grabbed me
Some strange reading material today. 

But I appreciated the report of the martyrdom of Symphorosa:
'The Emperor Adrian said to the holy Symphorosa: "Either sacrifice thou along with thy sons to the omnipotent gods, or else I shall cause thee to be sacrificed thyself, together with thy sons." The blessed Symphorosa answered: "And whence is this great good to me, that I should be deemed worthy along with my sons to be offered as an oblation to God?" The Emperor Adrian said: "I shall cause thee to be sacrificed to my gods." The blessed Symphorosa replied: "Thy gods cannot take me in sacrifice; but if I am burned for the name of Christ, my God, I shall rather consume those demons of thine." The Emperor Adrian said: "Choose thou one of these alternatives: either sacrifice to my gods, or perish by an evil death." The blessed Symphorosa replied: "Thou thinkest that my mind can be altered by some kind of terror; whereas I long to rest with my husband Getulius, whom thou didst put to death for Christ's name." Then the Emperor Adrian ordered her to be led away to the temple of Hercules, and there first to be beaten with blows on the cheek, and afterwards to be suspended by the hair. But when by no argument and by no terror could he divert her from her good resolution, he ordered her to be thrown into the river with a large stone fastened to her neck. And her brother Eugenius, principal of the district of Tiber, picked up her body, and buried it in a suburb of the same city.'

A godly witness for Christ.

Next week's readingCommence the writings of Anatolius and minor writers.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.