The honours of martyrs
ought to be very eagerly coveted by all who rest their hopes on the
Lord, and more especially by you who seek after virtue. By your
disposition towards the great and good among your fellow servants you
are shewing your affection to our common Lord. Moreover, a
special reason for this is to be found in the tie, as it were, of
blood, which binds the life of exact discipline to those who have been
made perfect through endurance. Since then Eupsychius and Damas
and their company are most illustrious among martyrs, and their memory
is yearly kept in our city and all the neighbourhood, the Church,
calling on you by my voice, reminds you to keep up your ancient custom
of paying a visit. A great and good work lies before you among
the people, who desire to be edified by you, and are anxious for the
reward dependent on the honour paid to the martyrs. Receive,
therefore, my supplications, and consent of your kindness to give at
the cost of small trouble to yourselves a great boon to me.
cf. p. 184, n. cf.
Proleg. Eupsychius, a noble bridegroom of Cæsarea,
was martyred under Julian for his share in the demolition of the
temple of Fortune. Soz. v. 11. cf. Greg.
Naz., Ep. ad Bas. lviii. September 7 was the day
of the feast at Cæsarea.