The Acts of Andrew
FIRST FRAGMENT.
The Story of Andrew and Matthias Among the Cannibals
About that time all the apostles had come together to the same place, and shared 
among themselves the countries, casting lots, in order that each might go away 
into the part that had fallen to him. By lot, then, it fell to Matthias to set 
out to the country of the man-eaters. And the men of that city used neither to 
eat bread nor drink wine; but they ate the flesh of men, and drank their blood. 
Every man, therefore, who came into their city they laid hold of, and digging 
they thrust out his eyes, and gave him a drug to drink, prepared by sorcery and 
magic; and from drinking the drug his heart was altered and his mind deranged. 
Matthias then having come into the gate of their city, the men of that city laid 
hold of him, and thrust out his eyes; and after putting them out they made him 
drink the drug of their magical deception, and led him away to the prison, and 
put beside him grass to eat, and he ate it not. For when he had partaken of 
their drug, his heart was not altered, nor his mind deranged; but he kept 
praying to God, weeping, and saying: Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake we have 
forsaken all things and have followed Thee, knowing that Thou art the helper of 
all who hope in Thee, attend then and behold what they have done to Matthias Thy 
servant, how they have made me nigh to the brutes; for Thou art He who knowest 
all things. If, therefore, Thou hast ordained that the wicked men in this city 
should eat me up, I will not by any means flee from Thy dispensation. Afford to 
me then, O Lord, the light of mine eyes, that at least I may behold what the 
wicked men in this city have in hand for me; do not forsake me, O my Lord Jesus 
Christ, and do not give me up to this bitter death. 
While Matthias was thus praying in the prison, a light shone, and there came 
forth out of the light a voice saying: Beloved Matthias, receive thy sight. And 
immediately he received his sight. And again there came forth a voice saying: Be 
of good courage, our Matthias, and be not dismayed; for I shall not by any means 
forsake thee, for I shall deliver thee from all danger; and not only thee, but 
also all thy brethren who are with thee: for I am with thee everywhere and at 
all times. But remain here twenty-seven days for the edification of many souls; 
and after that I shall send forth Andrew to thee, and he shall lead thee forth 
out of this prison; and not thee only, but also all who hear. Having said this, 
the Saviour said again to Matthias, Peace be to thee, our Matthias, and went 
into heaven. Then Matthias having beheld Him, said to the Lord: Let thy grace 
abide with me, O my Lord Jesus. 
Then Matthias therefore sat down in the prison, and sang. And it came to pass 
that, when the executioners came into the prison to bring forth the men to eat 
them, Matthias also shut his eyes, that they might not behold that he saw. And 
the executioners having come to him, read the ticket in his hand, and said among 
themselves: Yet three days, and we shall bring out this one also from the 
prison, and slay him. Because in the case of every man whom they laid hold of, 
they noted that day on which they laid hold of him, and tied a ticket to his 
right hand, that they might know the completion of the thirty days. 
And it came to pass when the twenty-seven days were fulfilled since Matthias was 
seized, the Lord appeared in the country where Andrew was teaching, and said to 
him: Rise up, and set out with thy disciples to the country of the man-eaters, 
and bring forth Matthias out of that place; for yet three days, and the men of 
the city will bring him forth and slay him for their food. And Andrew answered 
and said: My Lord, I shall not be able to accomplish the journey thither before 
the limited period of the three days; but send Thine angel quickly, that he may 
bring him out thence: for thou knowest, Lord, that I also am flesh, and shall 
not be able to go there quickly. And He says to Andrew: Obey Him who made thee, 
and Him who is able to say in a word, and 
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that city shall be removed thence, and all that dwell in it. For I command the 
horns of the winds, and they drive it thence. But rise up early, and go down to 
the sea with thy disciples, and thou shalt find a boat upon the shore, and thou 
shalt go aboard with thy disciples. And having said this, the Saviour 
again said: Peace to thee, Andrew, along with those with thee! And He went 
into the heavens. 
And Andrew having risen up early, proceeded to the sea along with his disciples; 
and having come down to the shore, he saw a little boat, and in the boat three 
men sitting. For the Lord by His own power had prepared a boat, and He it was in 
human shape a pilot in the boat; and He brought two angels whom He made to 
appear like men, and they were in the boat sitting. Andrew, therefore, having 
beheld the boat, and the three who were in it, rejoiced with exceeding great 
joy; and having gone to them, he said: Where are you going, brethren, with this 
little boat? And the Lord answered and said to him: We are going to the country 
of the man-eaters. And Andrew having beheld Jesus, did not recognise Him; for 
Jesus was hiding His Godhead, and He appeared to Andrew like a pilot. And Jesus 
having heard Andrew saying, I too am going to the country of the man-eaters, 
says to him: Every man avoids that city, and how are you going there? And Andrew 
answered and said: We have some small business to do there, and we must get 
through with it; but it thou canst, do us this kindness to convey us to the 
country of the man-eaters, to which also you intend to go. Jesus answered and 
said to them: Come on board. 
And Andrew said: I wish to make some explanation to thee, young man, before we 
come on board thy boat. And Jesus said: Say what thou wilt. And Andrew said to 
Him: We have no passage-money to give thee; we have not even bread for our 
nourishment. And Jesus answered and said to him: How, then, are you going away 
without giving us the passage-money, and without having bread for your 
nourishment? And Andrew said to Jesus, Listen, brother; do not think that it is 
through masterfulness that we do not give thee our passage-money, but we are 
disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, the good God. For He chose for Himself us 
twelve, and gave us such a commandment, saying, When you go to preach, do not 
carry money in the journey, nor bread, nor bag, nor shoes, nor staff, nor two 
coats. If, therefore, thou wilt do us the kindness, brother, tell us at once; if 
not, let us know, and we shall go and seek another boat for ourselves. And Jesus 
answered and said to Andrew: If this is the commandment which you received, and 
you keep it, come on board my boat with all joy. For I really wish you, the 
disciples of Him who is called Jesus, to come on board my boat, rather than 
those who give me of their silver and gold; for I am altogether worthy that the 
apostle of the Lord should come on board my boat. And Andrew answered and said: 
Permit me, brother, may the Lord grant thee. glory and honour. And Andrew went 
on board the boat with his disciples. 
And having gone on board, he sat down by the boat's sail. And Jesus answered and 
said to one of the angels: Rise and go down to the hold of the boat, and bring 
up three loaves, that the men may eat, lest perchance they be hungry, from 
having come to us off a long journey. And he rose and went down to the hold of 
the boat, and brought up three loaves, as the Lord commanded him; and he gave 
them the loaves. Then Jesus said to Andrew: Rise up, brother, with thy friends; 
partake of food, that you may be strong to bear the tossing of the sea. And 
Andrew answered and said to his disciples: My children, we have found great 
kindness from this man. Stand up, then, and partake of the nourishment of bread, 
that you may be strong to bear the tossing of the sea. And his disciples were 
not able to answer him a word, for they were in distress because of the sea. 
Then Jesus forced Andrew to partake himself also of the nourishment of bread 
along with his disciples. And Andrew answered and said to Jesus, not knowing 
that it was Jesus: Brother, may the Lord give thee heavenly bread out of His 
kingdom. Allow me then brother; for thou seest the children, that they are 
distressed because of the sea. And Jesus answered and said to Andrew: Assuredly 
the brethren are without experience of the sea; but inquire of them whether they 
want to go to land, and thyself to remain, until thou shalt finish thy business, 
and again come back to them. Then Andrew said to his disciples: My children, do 
you wish to go to the land, and me to remain 
here until I shall finish my business for which I have been sent? And they 
answered and said to Andrew: If we go away from thee, may we become strangers 
to the good things which the Lord hath provided for us. Now, therefore, we are 
with thee, wherever thou mayst go. 
Jesus answered and said to Andrew: If thou art truly a disciple of Him who is 
called Jesus, tell thy disciples the miracles which thy Teacher diet, that their 
soul may rejoice, and that they may forget the fear of the sea; for, behold, we 
are going to take the boat off from the land, And immediately Jesus said to one 
of the angels: Let go the boat; and he let go the boat from 
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the land. And Jesus came and sat down beside the rudder, and steered the boat. 
Then Andrew exhorted and comforted his disciples, saying: My children, who have 
given up your life to the Lord, fear not; for the Lord will not at all forsake 
you for ever. For at that time when I was alone with our Lord, we went on board 
the boat with Him, and He lay down to sleep in the boat, trying us; for He was 
not fast asleep. And a great wind having arisen, and the sea being stormy, so 
that the waves were uplifted, and came under the sail of the boat, and when we 
were in great fear, the Lord stood up and rebuked the winds, and there was a 
calm in the sea; for all things feared Him, as being made by Him. Now, 
therefore, my children, fear not. For the Lord Jesus will not at all forsake us. 
And having said this, the holy Andrew prayed in his heart that his disciples 
might be led to sleep. And as Andrew was praying, his disciples fell asleep. 
And Andrew, turning round to the Lord, not knowing that it was the Lord, said to 
Him: Tell me, O man, and show me the skill of thy steering; for I have never 
seen any man so steering in the sea as I now see thee. For sixteen years have I 
sailed the sea, and behold this is the seventeenth, and I have not seen such 
skill; for truly the boat is just as if on land. Show me then, young man, thy 
skill. Then Jesus answered and said to Andrew: We also have often sailed the 
sea, and been in danger; but since thou art a disciple of Him called Jesus, the 
sea has recognised thee that thou art righteous, and has become calm, and has 
not lifted its waves against the boat. Then Andrew cried out with a loud voice, 
saying: I thank Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, that I have met a man who glorifies 
Thy name. 
And Jesus answered and said: O Andrew, tell me, thou disciple of Him called 
Jesus, wherefore the unbelieving Jews did not believe in Him, saying that He was 
not God, but man. Show me, O disciple of Him called Jesus; for I have heard that 
He showed His Godhead to His disciples. And Andrew answered and said: Truly, 
brother, He showed us that He was God. Do not think, then, that He is man. For 
He made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that is in them. And 
Jesus answered and said: How then did the Jews not believe Him? Perhaps He did 
not do miracles before them? Andrew said: Hast thou not heard of the miracles 
which He did before them? He made the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear; 
He cleansed lepers, He changed water into wine; and having taken five loaves and 
two fishes, He made a crowd recline on the grass, and having blessed, He gave 
them to eat; and those that ate were five thousand men, and they were filled: 
and they took up what was over to them twelve baskets of fragments. And after 
all these things they did not believe Him. 
And Jesus answered and said to Andrew: Perhaps He did these miracles before the 
people, and not before the chief priests, and because of this they did not 
believe Him. 
And Andrew answered and said: Nay, brother, He did them also before the chief 
priests, not only openly, but also in secret, and they did not believe Him. 
Jesus answered and said: What are the miracles which He did in secret? Disclose 
them to me. And Andrew answered and said: O man, who hast the spirit of 
inquisitiveness, why dost thou put me to the test? And Jesus answered and said: 
I do not put thee to the test by saying this, O disciple of Him called Jesus; 
but my soul rejoices and exults, and not only mine, but also every soul that 
hears the wonders of Jesus. 
And Andrew answered and said: O child, the Lord shall fill thy soul with all joy 
and all good, as thou hast persuaded me now to relate to thee the 
miracles which our Lord did in secret. 
It came to pass as we, the twelve disciples. were going with our Lord into a 
temple of the Gentiles, that He might make known to us the ignorance of the 
devil, that the chief priests, having beheld us following Jesus, said to us, O 
wretches, why do you walk with him who says, I am the Son of God? Do you mean to 
say that God has a son? Which of you has ever at any time seen God associating 
with a woman? Is not this the son of Joseph the carpenter, and his mother is 
Mary, and his brothers James and Simon? And when we heard these words, our 
hearts were turned into weakness. And Jesus, having known that our hearts were 
giving way, took us into a desert place, and did great miracles before us, and 
displayed to us all His Godhead. And we spoke to the chief priests, saying, Come 
ye also, and see; for, behold, He has persuaded us. 
And the chief priests having come, went with us; and when we had gone into the 
temple of the Gentiles, Jesus showed us the heaven, that we might know whether 
the things were true or not. And there went in along with us thirty men of the 
people, and four chief priests. And Jesus, having looked on the right hand and 
on the left of the temple, saw two sculptured sphinxes, one on the right and one 
on the left. 
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And Jesus having turned to us, said, Behold the sign of the cross; for these are 
like the cherubim and the seraphim which are in heaven. Then Jesus, having 
looked to the right, where the sphinx was, said to it, I say unto thee, thou 
image of that which is in heaven, which the hands of craftsmen have sculptured, 
be separated from thy place, and come down, and answer and convict the chief 
priests, and show them whether I am God or man. 
And immediately at that very time the sphinx removed from its place, and having 
assumed a human voice, said, O foolish sons of Israel, not only has the blinding 
of their own hearts not been enough for them, but they also wish others to be 
blind like themselves, saying that God is man, who in the beginning fashioned 
man, and put His breath into all, who gave motion to those things which moved 
not; He it is who called Abraham, who loved his son Isaac, who brought back his 
beloved Jacob into his land; He is the Judge of living and dead; He it is who 
prepareth great benefits for those who obey Him, and prepareth punishment for 
those who believe Him not. Heed not that I am an idol that can be handled; for I 
say unto you, that the sacred places of your synagogue are more excellent. For 
though we are stones, the priests have given us only the name of a god; and 
those priests who serve the temple purify themselves, being afraid of the 
demons: for if they have had intercourse with women, they purify themselves 
seven days, because of their fear; so that they do not come into the temple 
because of us, because of the name which they have given us, that we are a god. 
But you, if you have committed fornication, take up the law of God, and go into 
the synagogue of Cool, and purify, and read, and do not reverence the glorious 
words of God. Because of this, I say unto you, that the holy things purify your 
synagogues, so that they also become churches of His only begotten Son. The 
sphinx having said this, ceased speaking. 
And we said to the chief priests, Now it is fitting that you should believe, 
because even the stones have convicted you. And the Jews answered and said, By 
magic these stones speak, and do not you think that it is a god? For if you have 
tested what has been said by the stone, you have ascertained its deception. For 
where did he find Abraham, or how did he see him? For Abraham died many years 
before he was born, and how floes he know him? 
And Jesus, having again turned to the image, said to it, Because these believe 
not that I have spoken with Abraham, go away into the land of the Canaanites, 
and go away to the double cave in the field of Mamre, where the body of Abraham 
is, and cry outside of the tomb, saying, Abraham, Abraham, whose body is in the 
tomb, and whose soul is in paradise, thus speaks He who fashioned than, who made 
thee from the beginning his friend, Rise up, thou and thy son Isaac, and the son 
of thy son Jacob, and come to the temples of the Jebusites, that we may convict 
the chief priests, in order that they may know that I am acquainted with thee, 
and thou with me. And when the sphinx heard these words, immediately she walked 
about in the presence of us all, and set out for the land of the Canaanites to 
the field of Mature, and cried outside of the tomb, as God had commanded her. 
And straightway the twelve patriarchs came forth alive out of the tomb, and 
answered and said to her, To which of us hast thou been sent? And the sphinx 
answered and said; I have been sent to the three patriarchs for testimony; but 
do ye go in, and rest until the time of the resurrection. And having heard, they 
went into the tomb and fell asleep. And the three patriarchs set out along with 
the sphinx to Jesus, and convicted the chief priests. And Jesus said to them, Go 
away to your places; and they went away. And He said also to the image, Go up to 
thy place; and straightway she went up and stood in her place. And He did also 
many other miracles, and they did not believe Him; which miracles, if I shall 
recount, thou wilt not be able to bear. And Jesus answered and said to him: I 
can bear it; for I prudently listen to profitable words. 
And when the boat was about to come near the land, Jesus bent down His head upon 
one of His angels, and was quiet. And Andrew ceased speaking; and he also, 
reclining his head upon one of his disciples, fell asleep. And Jesus said to His 
angels: Spread your hands under him, and carry Andrew and his disciples, and go 
and put them outside of the city of the man-eaters; and having laid them on the 
ground, return to me. And the angels did as Jesus commanded them, and the angels 
returned to Jesus: and He went up into the heavens with His angels. 
And when it was morning, Andrew, having awakened and looked up, found himself 
sitting on the ground; and having looked, he saw his disciples sleeping on the 
ground: and he wakened them, and said to them: Rise up, my children, and know 
the great dispensation that has happened to us, and learn that the Lord was with 
us in the boat, and we knew Him not; for He transformed Himself as if He were a 
pilot in 
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the boat, and humbled Himself, and appeared to us as a man, putting us to the 
test. And Andrew, recovering himself, said: Lord, I recognised Thy excellent 
words, but Thou didst not manifest Thyself to me, and because of this I did not 
know Thee. And his disciples answered and said to him: Father Andrew, do not 
think that we knew when thou wast speaking with Him in the boat, for we were 
weighed down by a most heavy sleep; and eagles came down out of the heavens, and 
lifted up our souls, and took them away into the paradise in heaven, and we saw 
great wonders. For we beheld our Lord Jesus sitting on a throne of glory, and 
all the angels round about Him. We beheld also Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, 
and all the saints; and David praised Him with a song upon his harp. And we 
beheld there you the twelve apostles standing by in the presence of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and outside of you twelve angels round about you, and each angel 
standing behind each of you, and they were like you in appearance. And we heard 
the Lord saying to the angels, Listen to the apostles in all things whatsoever 
they shall ask you. These are the things which we have seen, father Andrew, 
until thou didst awake us; and angels, who appeared like eagles, brought our 
souls into our bodies. 
Then Andrew, having heard, rejoiced with great joy that his disciples had been 
deemed worthy to behold these wonderful things. And Andrew looked up into 
heaven, and said: Appear to me, Lord Jesus Christ; for I know that Thou art 
not far from Thy servants. Pardon me, Lord, for what I have done; for I have 
beheld Thee as a man in the boat, and I have conversed with Thee as with a 
man. Now therefore, Lord, manifest Thyself to me in this place. 
And when Andrew had said this, Jesus appeared to him in the likeness of a most 
beautiful little child. And Jesus answered and said: Hail, our Andrew! And 
Andrew, having beheld Him, worshipped Him, saying: Pardon me, Lord Jesus 
Christ, for I saw Thee like a man on the sea, and conversed with Thee. What is 
there, then, wherein I have sinned, my Lord Jesus, that Thou didst not 
manifest Thyself to me on the sea? And Jesus answered and said to Andrew: Thou 
hast not sinned, but I did this to thee because thou saidst, I shall not be 
able to go to the city of the man-eaters in three days; and I have showed thee 
that I am able to do all things, and to appear to every one as I wish. Now 
therefore rise up, go into the city to Matthias, and bring him forth out of 
the prison, and all the strangers that are with him. For, behold, I show thee, 
Andrew, what thou must suffer before going into this city. They will heap upon 
thee tortures and insults, and scatter thy flesh in the ways and the streets, 
and thy blood shall flow to the ground, but they are not able to put thee to 
death; but endure, just as thou sawest me beaten, insulted, and crucified: for 
there are those who are destined to believe in this city. And having said 
this, the Saviour went into the heavens. 
And Andrew went into the city along with his disciples, and no one beheld him. 
And when he came to the prison, he saw seven warders standing at the gate 
guarding, and he prayed within himself, and they fell down and expired; and he 
marked the gate with the sign of the cross, and it opened of its own accord. And 
having gone in with his disciples, he found Matthias sitting and singing; and 
seeing him, he stood up, and they saluted each other with a holy kiss; and he 
said to Matthias: Brother, how hast thou been found here? For yet three days, 
and they will bring thee out to be food for them. Where are the great mysteries 
which thou hast been taught, and the wonderful things which we have believed? 
And Matthias said to him: Didst thou not hear the Lord saying, I shall send you 
like sheep into the midst of wolves? They straightway brought me into the 
prison, and I prayed to the Lord; and He said to me, Remain here twenty-seven 
days, and I shall send thee Andrew, and he will bring thee forth out of the 
prison. And now, behold, it has come to pass as the Lord said. 
Then Andrew, having looked, saw three men shut up eating grass naked; and he 
beat his breast, and said: Consider, O Lord, what the men suffer; how have they 
made them like the irrational brutes? And he says to Satan: Woe to thee, the 
devil, the enemy of God, and to thine angels, because the strangers here have 
done nothing to thee; and how hast thou brought upon them the punishment? how 
long dost thou war against the human race? Thou didst bring forth Adam out of 
paradise, and didst cause men to be mixed up with transgression; and the Lord 
was enraged, and brought on the deluge so as to sweep man away. And again hast 
thou made thy appearance in this city too, in order that thou mayst make those 
who are here eat men, that the end of them also may be in execration anti 
destruction, thinking in thyself that God will sweep away the work of His 
hands. Hast thou not heard that God said, I will not bring a deluge upon the 
earth? but if there is any punishment prepared, it is for the sake of 
taking vengeance upon thee. 
Then he stood up, and Andrew and Matthias prayed; and after the prayer Andrew 
laid his hands upon the faces of the blind men who were 
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in the prison, and straightway they all received their sight. And again he laid 
his hand upon their hearts, and their minds were changed into human reason. Then 
Andrew answered them: Rise up, and go into the lower parts of the city, and you 
shall find in the way a great fig-tree, and sit under the fig-tree, and eat of 
its fruit, until I come to you; but if I delay coming there, you will find 
abundance of food for yourselves: for the fruit shall not fail from the 
fig-tree, but according as you eat it shall produce more fruit, and nourish you, 
as the Lord has said. And they answered and said to Andrew: Go along with us, O 
our master, lest perchance the wicked men of this city again see us, and shut us 
up, and inflict upon us greater and more dreadful tortures than they have 
inflicted upon us. And Andrew answered and said to them: Go; for in truth I sag 
to you, that as you go, not a dog shall bark with his tongue against you. And 
there were in all two hundred and seventy men and forty-nine women whom Andrew 
released from the prison. And the men went as the blessed Andrew said to them; 
and he made Matthias go along with his disciples out of the eastern gate of the 
city. And Andrew commanded a cloud, and the cloud took up Matthias and the 
disciples of Andrew; and the cloud set them down on the mountain where Peter was 
teaching, and they remained beside him. 
And Andrew, having gone forth from the prison, walked about in the city; and 
having seen a brazen pillar, and a statue standing upon it, he came and sat down 
behind that pillar until he should see what should happen. And it happened that 
the executioners went to the prison to bring out the men for their food, 
according to the custom; and they found the doors of the prison opened, and the 
guards that guarded it lying dead upon the ground. And straightway they went, 
and reported to the rulers of the city, saying: We found the prison opened, and 
having gone inside we found nobody; but we found the guards lying dead upon the 
ground. And the rulers having heard this, said among themselves: What, then, has 
happened? You do not mean to say that some persons have gone into the prison of 
the city, and have killed the warders, and taken away those that were shut up? 
And they spoke to the executioners, saying: Go to the prison, and bring the men 
that are dead, that we may eat them up to-day. And let us go to-morrow, and 
bring together all the old men of the city, that they may cast lots upon 
themselves, until the seven lots come, and we slay seven each day. And they 
shall be to us for food until we may choose young men, and put them in boats as 
sailors, that they may go away to the countries round about, and attack them, 
and bring some men here, that they may be for food to us. 
And the executioners went to the prison, and brought the seven men that were 
dead; and there was an oven built in the midst of the city, and there lay in the 
oven a large trough in which they killed the men, and their blood ran down into 
the trough, and they drew out of the blood and drank it. And they brought the 
men, and. put them into the trough. And when the executioners were lifting their 
hands against them, Andrew heard a voice, saying: Behold, Andrew, what is 
happening in this city. And Andrew having beheld, prayed to the Lord, saying: 
Lord Jesus Christ, who didst order me to come into this city, do not suffer 
those in this city to do any evil, but let the knives go out of the hands of the 
wicked ones. And straightway the knives of the wicked men fell, and their hands 
were turned into stone. And the rulers, having seen what had happened, wept, 
saying: Woe unto us, for here are the magicians who have gone into the prison, 
and brought out the men; for, behold, they have bewitched these also. What, 
then, shall we do? Let us go now, and gather together the old men of the city, 
seeing that we are hungry. 
And they went and gathered them together, and found two hundred and seventeen; 
and they brought them to the rulers, and they made them cast lots, and the lot 
came upon seven old men. And one of those taken by lot answered and said to the 
officers: I pray you, I have for myself one son; take him, and slay him instead 
of me, and let me go. And the officers answered and said to him: We cannot take 
thy son, unless we bring him first to our superiors. And the officers went and 
told the rulers. And the rulers answered and said to the officers: If he give us 
his son instead of himself, let him go. And the officers went and told the old 
man. And the old man answered and said to them: I have also a daughter along 
with my son; take them, and kill them, only let me go. And he gave his children 
to the officers, that they might kill them. And the children wept to each other, 
and prayed the officers, saying: We pray you do not kill us, as we are of so 
small a size; but let us complete our size, and so kill us. For it was a custom 
in that city, and they did not bury their dead, but ate them up. And the 
officers did not hearken to the children, nor take pity upon them, but carried 
them to the trough weeping and praying. 
And it happened, as they were lending them away to kill them, that Andrew, 
having beheld what happened, shed tears; and weeping, he looked up to heaven and 
said: Lord Jesus 
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Christ, as Thou didst hear me in the case of the dead men, and didst not suffer 
them to be eaten up, so also now hear me, that the executioners may not inflict 
death upon these children, but that the knives may be loosened out of the hands 
of the executioners. And straightway the knives were loosened, and fell out of 
the hands of the executioners. And when this came to pass, the 
executioners, having beheld what had happened, were exceedingly afraid. And 
Andrew, seeing what had happened, glorified the Lord because He had listened 
to him in every work. And the rulers, having beheld what 
had happened, wept with a great weeping, saying: Woe unto us! what are we to 
do? And, behold, the devil appeared in the likeness of an old man, and began 
to say in the midst of all: Woe unto you! because you are now dying, having no 
food; what can sheep and oxen do for you? They will not at all be enough for 
you. But rise up, and make a search here for one who has come to the city, a 
stranger named Andrew, and kill him; for if you do not, he will not permit you 
to carry on this practice longer: for it was he who let loose the men out of 
the prison. Assuredly the man is in this city, and you have not seen him. 
Now, therefore, rise and make search for him, in order that henceforward you 
may be able to collect your food. 
And Andrew saw the devil, how he was talking to the multitudes; but the devil 
did not see the blessed Andrew. Then Andrew answered the devil, and said: O 
Belial most fiendish, who art the foe of every creature; but my Lord Jesus 
Christ will bring thee down to the abyss. And the devil, having heard this, 
said: I hear thy voice indeed, and I know thy voice, but where thou art standing 
I know not. And Andrew answered and said to the devil: Why, then, hast thou been 
called Amael? is it not because thou art blind, not seeing all the saints? And 
the devil, having heard this, said to the citizens: Look round now for him 
speaking to me, for he is the man. And the citizens, having run in different 
directions, shut the gates of the city, and searched for the blessed one, and 
did not see him. Then the Lord showed Himself to Andrew, and said to him; 
Andrew, rise up and show thyself to them, that they may learn my power, and the 
powerlessness of the devil working in them. 
Then Andrew rose up, and said in presence of all: Behold, I am Andrew whom you 
seek. And the multitudes ran upon him, and laid hold of him, saying: What thou 
hast done to us, we also will do to thee. And they reasoned among themselves, 
saying: By what death shall we kill him? And they said to each other: If we take 
off his head, his death is not torture; and if we burn him, he will not be for 
food to us. Then one of them, the devil having entered into him, answered and 
said to the multitudes: As he has done to us, so let us also do to him. Let us 
rise up, then, and fasten a rope to his neck, and drag him through all the 
streets and lanes of the city; and when he is dead, we shall share his body. And 
they did as he said to them; and having fastened a rope round his neck, they 
dragged him through the streets and lanes of the city, and the flesh of the 
blessed Andrew stuck to the ground, and his blood flowed to the ground like 
water. And when it was evening they cast him into the prison, having bound his 
hands behind him; and he was in sore distress. 
And in the morning again they brought him out, and having fastened a rope round 
his neck, they dragged him about; and again his flesh stuck to the ground, and 
his blood flowed. And the blessed one wept and prayed, saying: Do not forsake 
me, my Lord Jesus Christ; for I know that Thou art not far from Thy servants. 
And as he was praying, the devil walked behind, and said to the multitudes: 
Strike him on the mouth, that he may not speak. 
And when it was evening they took him again to the prison, having bound 
his hands behind him, and left him till the morrow again. And the devil having 
taken with himself seven demons whom the blessed one had cast out of the 
countries round about, and having gone into the prison, they stood before him, 
wishing to kill him. And the demons answered and said to Andrew: Now hast thou 
fallen into our hands; where is thy glory and thy exultation, thou that 
raisest thyself up against us, and dishonourest us, and tellest our doings to 
the people in every place and country, and hast made our workshops and our 
temples to become desolate, in order that sacrifices may not be brought to 
them? Because of this, then, we shall also kill time, like thy teacher called 
Jesus, and John whom Herod beheaded. 
And they stood before Andrew, wishing to kill him; and having beheld the seal 
upon his forehead which the Lord gave him, they were afraid, and did not come 
near him, but fled. And the devil said to them: Why have you fled from him, my 
children, and not killed him? And the de- 
524 
mons answered and said to the devil: We cannot kill him, but kill him if thou 
art able; for we knew him before he came into the distress of his humiliation. 
Then one of the demons answered and said: We cannot kill him, but come let us 
mock him in the distress of his humiliation. And the demons came and stood 
before him, and scoffed at him. And the blessed one hearing, wept; and there 
came to him a voice saying: Andrew, why weepest thou? And it was the voice of 
the devil changed. And Andrew answered and said: I am weeping because God 
commanded me, saying, Be patient toward them. And the devil said: If thou canst 
do anything, do it. And Andrew answered and said: Is it for this, then, that you 
do these things to me? But forbid it that I should disobey the commandment of my 
Lord; for if the Lord shall make for me a charge in this city, I shall chastise 
you as you deserve. And having heard this, they fled. 
And when it was morning they brought him out again, and having fastened a rope 
about his neck, they dragged him; and again his flesh stuck to the ground, and 
his blood flowed to the ground like water. And the blessed one, as he was being 
dragged along, wept, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, be not displeased with me; for 
Thou knowest, Lord, what the fiend has inflicted upon me, along with his demons. 
These tortures are enough, my Lord; for, behold, I am dragged about for three 
days. But do Thou, Lord, remember that Thou wast three hours upon the cross, and 
didst cry out to the Father, My Father, why hast Thou forsaken me? Where are Thy 
words, Lord, which Thou spakest to us, confirming us, when we walked about with 
Thee, saying to us, Ye shall not lose one hair? Consider, then, Lord, what has 
become of my flesh, and the hairs of my head. Then Jesus said to Andrew: O our 
Andrew, the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass 
away. Turn thyself then, Andrew, and behold thy flesh that has fallen, and thy 
hair, what has become of them. And Andrew turned, and saw great trees springing 
up, bearing fruit; and he glorified God. 
And when it was evening they took him up again, and cast him into the prison, 
having bound his hands behind him; and he was exceedingly exhausted. And the men 
of the city said among themselves: Perhaps he dies in the night, and we do not 
find him alive on the following day; for he was languid, and his flesh was 
spent. 
And the Lord appeared in the prison, and having stretched oat His hand, said to 
Andrew: Give me thy hand, and rise up whole. And Andrew, having beheld the Lord 
Jesus, gave Him his hand, and rose up whole. And falling down, he worshipped 
Him, and said: I thank Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou hast speedily 
brought help to me. And Andrew, having looked into the middle of the prison, saw 
a pillar standing, and upon the pillar there stood an alabaster statue. And 
Andrew, having gone up to the statue, unfolded his hands seven times, and said 
to the pillar, and the statue upon it: Fear the sign of the cross, which the 
heaven and the earth dread; and let the statue set upon the pillar bring up much 
water through its mouth, until all who are in this city be punished. And say 
not, I am stone, and am not worthy to praise the Lord, for the Lord fashioned us 
from the earth; but you are pure, because that out of you He gave the tables of 
the law. When the blessed Andrew had said this, straightway the stone statue 
cast out of its mouth water in abundance, as if out of a canal. And the water 
stood high upon the earth; and it was exceedingly acrid, eating into the flesh 
of men. 
And when it was morning, the men of the city saw it, and began to flee, saying 
in themselves: Woe to us! because we are now dying. And the water killed their 
cattle and their children; and they began to flee out of the city. Then Andrew 
prayed, saying: Lord Jesus Christ, in whom I have hoped that this miracle should 
come upon this city, forsake me not, but send Michael Thy archangel in a cloud 
of fire, and be a wall round the city, that no one may be able to escape out of 
the fire. And straightway a cloud of fire came down and encircled the city like 
a wall; and the water was as high as the neck of those men, and it was eating 
them up exceedingly. And they wept, saying: Woe to us! for all these things have 
come upon us because of the stranger who is in the prison. Let us go and release 
him, lest perchance we die. 
And they went out, crying with a loud voice: God of the stranger, take away from 
us this water. And the apostle knew that they were in great 
affliction, and said to the alabaster statue: Stop the water, for they have 
repented. And I say to thee, that if the citizens of this city shall believe. 
I will build a church, and place thee in it, because thou hast done me this 
service. And the statue ceased flowing, and no longer brought forth water. 
And the men of the city, having come out to the doors of the prison, cried 
out, saying. Have pity upon us, God of the stranger, and do not according to 
our unbelief, and according to what we have done to this man, but 
525 
take away from us this water. And Andrew came forth out of the prison; and the 
water ran this way and that from the feet of the blessed Andrew. Then all the 
multitude seeing him, all cried out: Have pity upon us. 
And the old man having come who gave up his children that they should slay them 
instead of him, prayed at the feet of the blessed Andrew, saying: Have pity upon 
me. And the holy Andrew answered and said to the old man: I wonder how thou 
sayest, Have pity upon me; for thou hadst no pity upon thy children, but gavest 
them up to be slain instead of thee. Therefore I say unto thee, At what hour 
this water goes away, into the abyss shalt thou go, with the fourteen 
executioners who slay the men every day. And he came to the place of the trough, 
where they used to slay the men. And the blessed one, having looked up to 
heaven, prayed before all the multitude; and the earth was opened, and swallowed 
up the water, along with the old man. He was carried down into the abyss, with 
the executioners. And the men, having seen what bad happened, were exceedingly 
afraid, and began to say: Woe unto us because this man is from God; and now he 
will kill us because of the afflictions which we have caused him. For, behold, 
what he said to the executioners and the old man has befallen them. Now, 
therefore, he will command the fire, and it will burn us. And Andrew, having 
heard, said to them: Fear not, children; for I shall not send these also to 
Hades; but those have gone, that you may believe in our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 
Then the holy Andrew ordered to be brought up all who had died in the water. And 
they were not able to bring them; for there had died a great multitude both of 
men, and women, and children, and cattle. 
Then Andrew prayed, and they all came to life. And after these things he drew a 
plan of a church, and he caused the church to be built. And he baptized 
them, and gave them the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying to them: 
Stand by these, in order that you may know the mysteries of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. And they all prayed him: We pray thee, stay with us a few days, that 
we may be filled with thy fountain, because we are newly planted. And he 
did not comply with their request, but said to them: I shall go first to my 
disciples. And the children followed after, weeping and praying, with the men; 
and they cast ashes upon their heads. And he did not comply with them, but 
said: I shall go to my disciples, and after that I shall come again to you. 
And he went his way. 
And the Lord Jesus Christ came down, being like a comely little child, and met 
Andrew, and said: Andrew, why hast thou come out and left them without fruit, 
and hast not had compassion upon the children that followed after thee, and the 
men entreating thee, Stay with us a few days? For the cry of them and the 
weeping has come up to heaven. Now therefore return, and go into the city, and 
remain there seven days, until I shall confirm their souls in the faith; and 
then thou shalt go away into the country of the barbarians, thou and thy 
disciples. And after going into this city, thou shalt proclaim my Gospel, and 
bring up the men who are in the abyss. And thou shall do what I command thee. 
Then Andrew turned and went into the city, saying: I thank Thee, my Lord Jesus 
Christ, who wishest to save every soul, that Thou bast not allowed me to go 
forth out of this city in mine anger. And when be had come into the city, they, 
seeing him, rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And he stayed there seven days, 
teaching and confirming them in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the seven days having 
been fulfilled, it came to pass, while the blessed Andrew was going out, all 
came together to him, from the child even to the elder, and sent him on his way, 
saying: There is one God, the God of Andrew, and one Lord Jesus Christ, who 
alone doeth wonders; to whom be glory and strength for ever. Amen. 
SECOND FRAGMENT.
The Story of Peter and Andrew
It came to pass when Andrew the apostle of Christ went forth from the city of 
the man-eaters, behold a luminous cloud snatched him up, and carried him away to 
the mountain where Peter and Matthew and Alexander were sitting. And when he saw 
them, they saluted him with great joy. Then Peter says to him: What has happened 
to thee, brother Andrew? Hast thou sown the word of truth in the country of the 
man-eaters or not? Andrew says to him: Yes, father Peter, through thy prayers; 
but the men of that city have done me many mischiefs, for they dragged me 
through their street three days, so that my blood stained the whole street. 
Peter says to him: Be a man in the Lord, brother Andrew, and come hither, and 
rest from thy labour. For if the good husbandman laboriously till the ground, it 
will also bear fruit, and straightway all his toil wilt be turned into joy; but 
if he toil, and his land bring forth no fruit, he has double toil. 
And while he was thus speaking, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to them in the 
form of a child, and said to them: Hail, Peter, bishop of the whole of my 
Church! hail, Andrew! My co-heirs, be courageous, and struggle for mankind; for 
verily I say unto you, you shall endure toils in this world for mankind. But be 
bold; I will give you rest in one hour of repose in the kingdom of my Father. 
Arise, then, and go into the city of the barbarians, and preach in it; and I 
will be with you in the wonders that shall happen in it by your hands. And the 
Lord Jesus, after saluting them, went up into the heavens in glory. 
And Peter, and Andrew, and Alexander, and Rufus, and Matthias, went into the 
city of the barbarians. And after they had come near the city, Andrew answered 
and said to Peter: Father Peter, bare we again to undergo toils in this city, as 
in the country of the man-eaters? Peter says to him: I do not know. But, behold, 
there is an old man before us sowing in his field: if we go up to him, let us 
say to him, Give us bread; and if he give us bread, we may know that we are not 
to suffer m tins city; but if he say to us, We have no bread, on the other hand, 
we shall know that suffering again awaits us. And when they came up to the old 
man, Peter says to him: Hail, farmer! And the farmer says to them: Hail you too, 
merchants! Peter says to him: Have you bread to give to these children, for we 
have been in want? The old man says to them: Wait a little, and look after the 
oxen, and the plough, and the land, that I may go into the city, and get you 
loaves. Peter says to him: If you provide hospitality for us, we shall took 
after the cattle and the field. The old man says: So be it. Peter says to him: 
Are the oxen your own? The old man says: No; I have them on hire. Peter says to 
him: Go into the city. And the old man went into the city. And Peter arose, and 
girded up his cloak and his under-garment, and says to Andrew: It is not right 
for us to rest and be idle; above all, when the old man is working for us, 
having left his own work. Then Peter took hold of the plough, and sowed the 
wheat. And Andrew was behind the oxen, and says to Peter: Father Peter, why dost 
thou bring toil upon us, especially when we have work enough already! Then 
Andrew took the plough out of Peter's hand, and sowed the wheat, saying: O seed 
cast into the ground in the field of the righteous, come up, and come to the 
light. Let the young men of the city therefore come forth, whom I found in the 
pit of destruction until to-day; for, behold, the apostles of Christ are coming 
into the city, pardoning the sins of those who believe in them, and healing 
every disease, and every sickness. Pray ye for me, that He may have mercy upon 
me, and that I may be delivered from this strait. 
And many of the multitude believed in Christ, because of the saying of the 
woman; and they fell at the feet of the apostles, and adored them. 
527 
And they laid their hands upon them. And they healed those in the city that were 
sick, and gave sight to the blind and, hearing to the deaf, and drove out the 
demons. All the multitude glorified the Father, and the Son, and the Holy 
Spirit. 
And there was a certain rich man in the city, by name Onesiphorus. He, having 
seen the miracles done by the apostles, says to them: If I believe in your God, 
can I also do a miracle like you? Andrew says to him: If thou wilt forsake all 
that belongs to thee, and thy wife and thy children, as we also have done, then 
thou also shalt do miracles. When Onesiphorus heard this, he was filled with 
rage, and took his scarf and threw it over Andrew's neck, and struck him, and 
said to him: Thou art a sorcerer. How dost thou force me to abandon my wife, and 
my children, and my goods? Then Peter, having turned and seen him striking 
Andrew, says to him: Man, stop now striking Andrew. 
Onesiphorus says to him: I see that thou art more sensible than he. Do thou 
then tell me to leave my wife, and my children, and my goods. What dost thou 
say? Peter says to him: One thing I say unto thee: it is easier for a camel to 
go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to go into the kingdom of 
heaven. When Onesiphorus heard this, he was even more filled with rage and 
anger, and took his scarf off the neck of Andrew, and threw it upon the neck of 
Peter; and so he dragged him along, saying: Verily thou art a great sorcerer, 
more than the other; for a camel cannot go through the eye of a needle. But if 
thou wilt show me this miracle, I will believe in thy God; and not only I, but 
also the whole city. But if not, thou shalt be grievously 
punished in the midst of the city. And when Peter heard this, he was 
exceedingly grieved, and stood and stretched forth his hands towards heaven, 
and prayed, saying: O Lord our God, listen to me at this time; for they will 
ensnare us from Thine own words: for no prophet has spoken to set forth this 
his explanation, and no patriarch that we might learn the interpretation of 
it; and now we seek for ourselves the explanation with boldness. Do Thou then, 
Lord, not overlook us: for thou art He who is praised by the cherubim. 
And after he had said this, the Saviour appeared in the form of a child of 
twelve years old, wearing a linen garment; and He says to them: Be courageous, 
and tremble not, my chosen disciples; for I am with you always. Let the needle 
and the camel be brought. And after saying this, He went up into the heavens. 
And there was a certain merchant in the city who had believed in the Lord 
through the Apostie Philip; and when he heard of this, he ran and searched for 
a needle with a big eye, to do a favour to the apostles. When Peter learned 
this, he said: My son, do not search for a big needle; for nothing is 
impossible with God: rather bring us a small needle. And after the needle had 
been brought, and all the multitude of the city were standing by to see, Peter 
looked up and saw a camel coming. And he ordered her to be brought. Then he 
fixed the needle in the ground, and cried out with a loud voice, saying: In 
the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, I order 
thee, O camel, to go through the eye of the needle. Then the eye of the needle 
was opened like a gate, and the camel went through it, and all the multitude 
saw it. Again Peter says to the camel: Go again through the needle. And the 
camel went a second time. When Onesiphorus saw this, he said to Peter; Truly 
thou art a great sorcerer; but I do not believe unless I send and bring a 
camel and a needle. And he called one of his servants, and said to him 
privately: Go and bring me here a camel and a needle; find also a polluted 
woman, and force her to come here: for these men are sorcerers. And Peter 
having learned the mystery through the Spirit, says to Onesiphorus: Send and 
bring the camel, and the woman, and the needle. And when they brought them, 
Peter took the needle, and fixed it in the ground. And the woman was sitting 
on the camel. Then Peter says: In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ the 
crucified, I order thee, O camel, to go through this needle. And immediately 
the eye of the needle was opened, and became like a gate, and the camel went 
through it. Peter again says to the camel: Go through it again, that all may 
see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, in order that some may believe on Him. 
Then the camel again went through the needle. And Onesiphorus seeing it, cried 
out, and said: Truly great is the God of Peter and Andrew, and I from this 
time forth believe in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now then, hear my 
words, O Peter. I have corn lands, vineyards, and fields; I have also 
twenty-seven pounds of gold, and fifty pounds of silver; and i have very many 
slaves. I give my possessions to the poor, that I also may do one miracle like 
you. And Peter was grieved lest the powers should not work in him, seeing that 
he had not received the seal in Christ. And while he was considering this, 
behold, a voice out of the heaven saying to him: Do to him what he wishes, 
because I will accomplish for him what he desires. Peter says to him: My son, 
come hither; do as we do. And Onesiphorus came up, and stood before the camel 
and the needle, and said: In then . . . (Here the MS. ends.) 
THIRD FRAGMENT.
The Martyrdom of Andrew
What we have all, both presbyters and deacons of the churches of Achaia, beheld 
with our eyes, we have written to all the churches established in the name of 
Christ Jesus, both in the east and west, north and south. Peace to you, and to 
all who believe in one God, perfect Trinity, true Father unbegotten, true Son 
only-begotten, true Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father, and abiding in the 
Son, in order that there may be shown one Holy Spirit subsisting in the Father 
and Son in precious Godhead. This faith we have learned from the blessed Andrew, 
the apostle of oar Lord Jesus Christ, whose passion also we, having seen it set 
forth before our eyes, have not hesitated to give an account of, according to 
the degree of ability we have. Accordingly the proconsul AEgeates, having come 
into the city of Patras, began to compel those believing in Christ to worship 
the idols; to whom the blessed Andrew, running up, said: It behoved thee, being 
a judge of men, to acknowledge thy Judge who is in the heaven, and having 
acknowledged Him, to worship Him; and worshipping Him who is the true God, to 
turn away thy thoughts from those which are not true gods. 
To whom AEgeates said: Art thou Andrew, who destroyest the temples of the gods, 
and persuadest men about the religion which, having lately made its appearance, 
the emperors of the Romans have given orders to suppress? 
The blessed Andrew said: The emperors of the Romans have never recognised the 
truth. And this the Son of God, who came on account of the salvation of men, 
manifestly teaches--that these idols are not only not gods, but also most 
shameful demons, and hostile to the human race, teaching men to offend God, so 
that, by being offended, He turns away and will not hearken; that therefore, by 
His turning away and not hearkening, they may be held captive by the devil; and 
that they might work them to such a degree, that when they go out of the body 
they may be found deserted and naked, carrying nothing with them bat sins. 
AEgeates said: These are superfluous and vain words: as for your Jesus, for 
proclaiming these things to the Jews they nailed him to the tree of the cross. 
The blessed Andrew answering, said: Oh, if thou wouldst recognise the mystery of 
the cross, with what reasonable love the Author of the life of the human race 
for our restoration endured this tree of the cross, not unwillingly, but 
willingly! 
AEgeates said: Seeing that, betrayed by his own disciple, and seized by the 
Jews, he was brought before the procurator, and according to their request was 
nailed up by the procurator's soldiers, in what way dost thou say that he 
willingly endured the tree of the cross? 
The holy Andrew said: For this reason I say willingly, since I was with Him when 
he was betrayed by His disciple. For before He was betrayed, He spoke to us to 
the effect that He should be betrayed and crucified for the salvation of men, 
and foretold that He should rise again on the third day. To whom my 
brother Peter said, Far be it from thee, Lord; let this by no means be. And 
so, being angry, He said to Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou art not 
disposed to the things of God. And in order that He might most fully explain 
that He willingly underwent the passion, He said to us, I have power to lay 
down my life, and I have power to take it again. And, last of all, while He 
was supping with us, He said, One of you will betray me. At these words, 
therefore, all becoming exceedingly grieved, in order that the surmise might 
be free from doubt, He made it clear, saying, To whomsoever I shall give the 
piece of bread out of my hand, he it is who betrays me. When, therefore, He 
gave it to one of our fellow-disciples, and gave an account of things to come 
as if they were already present, 
512 
He showed that He was to be willingly betrayed. For neither did He run away, and 
leave His betrayer at fault; but remaining in the place in which He knew that he 
was, He awaited him 
AEgeates said: I wonder that thou, being a sensible man, shouldst wish to uphold 
him on any terms whatever; for, whether willingly or unwillingly, all the same, 
thou admittest that he was fastened to the cross. 
The blessed Andrew said: This is what I said, if now thou apprehendest, that 
great is the mystery of the cross, which, if thou wishest, as is likely, to 
hear, attend to me. 
AEgeates said: A mystery it cannot be called, but a punishment. 
The blessed Andrew said: This punishment is the mystery of man's restoration. If 
thou wilt listen with any attention, thou wilt prove it. 
AEgeates said: I indeed will hear patiently; but thou, unless thou 
submissively obey me, shalt receive the mystery of the cross in thyself. 
The blessed Andrew answered: If I had been afraid of the tree of the cross, I 
should not have proclaimed the glory of the cross. 
AEgeates said: Thy speech is foolish, because thou proclaimest that the cross is 
not a punishment, and through thy foolhardiness thou art not afraid of the 
punishment of death. 
The holy Andrew said: It is not through foolhardiness, but through faith, that I 
am not afraid of the punishment of death; for the death of sins is hard. And on 
this account I wish thee to hear the mystery of the cross, in order that thou 
perhaps, acknowledging it, mayst believe, and believing, mayst come somehow or 
other to the renewing of thy soul. 
AEgeates said: That which is shown to have perished is for renewing. Do you mean 
that my soul has perished, that thou makest me come to the renewing of it 
through the faith, I know not what, of which thou hast spoken? 
The blessed Andrew answered: This it is which I desired time to learn, which 
also I shall teach and make manifest, that though the souls of men are 
destroyed, they shall be renewed through the mystery of the cross. For the first 
man through the tree of transgression brought in death; and it was 
necessary for the human race, that through the suffering of the tree, death, 
which had come into the world, should be driven out. And since the first man, 
who brought death into the world through the transgression of the tree, had 
been produced from the spotless earth, it was necessary that the Son of God 
should be begotten a perfect man from the spotless virgin, that He should 
restore eternal life, which men had lost through Adam, and should cut off 
the tree of carnal appetite through the tree of the 
cross. Hanging upon the cross, He stretched out His blameless hands for the 
hands which had been incontinently stretched out; for the most sweet food of the 
forbidden tree He received gall for food; and taking our mortality upon Himself, 
He made a gift of His immortality to us. 
AEgeates said: With these words thou shalt be able to lead away those who shall 
believe in thee; but unless thou hast come to grant me this, that thou offer 
sacrifices to the almighty gods, I shall order thee, after having been scourged, 
to be fastened to that very cross which thou commendest. 
The blessed Andrew said: To God Almighty, who alone is true, I bring sacrifice 
day by day not the smoke of incense, nor the flesh of bellowing bulls, nor the 
blood of goats, but sacrificing a spotless lamb day by day on the altar of the 
cross; and though all the people of the I faithful partake of His body and drink 
His blood, the Lamb that has been sacrificed remains after this entire and 
alive. Truly, therefore, is He sacrificed, andtruly is His body eaten by the 
people, and His blood is likewise drunk; nevertheless, as I have said, He 
remains entire, and spotless, and alive. 
AEgeates said: How can this be? 
The blessed Andrew said: If thou wouldest know, take the form of a disciple, 
that thou mayst learn what thou art inquiring after. 
AEgeates said: I will exact of thee through tortures the gift of this knowledge. 

The blessed Andrew declared: I wonder that thou, being an intelligent man, 
shouldest fall into the folly of thinking that thou mayst be able to persuade 
me, through thy tortures, to disclose to thee the sacred things of God. Thou 
hast heard the mystery of the cross, thou hast heard the mystery of the 
sacrifice. If thou be lievest in Christ the Son of God, who was crucified, I 
shall altogether disclose to thee in what manner the Lamb that has been slain 
may live, after having been sacrificed and eaten, remaining in His kingdom 
entire and spotless. 
AEgeates said: And by what means does the lamb remain in his kingdom after he 
has been slain and eaten by all the people, as thou hast said? 
The blessed Andrew said: If thou believest with all thy heart, thou shalt be 
able to learn: but if thou believest not, thou shalt not by any means attain to 
the idea of such truth. 
Then AEgeates, enraged, ordered him to be shut up in prison, where, when he was 
shut up, a multitude of the people came together to him 
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from almost all the province, so that they wished to kill AEgeates, and by 
breaking down the doors of the prison to set free the blessed Andrew the 
apostle. 
Them the blessed Andrew admonished in these words, saying: Do not stir up the 
peace of our Lord Jesus Christ into seditious and devilish uproar. For my Lord, 
when He was betrayed, endured it with all patience; He did not strive, He did 
not cry out, nor in the streets did any one hear Him crying out. Therefore do ye 
also keep silence, quietness, and peace; and hinder not my martyrdom, but rather 
get yourselves also ready beforehand as athletes to the Lord, in order that you 
may overcome threatenings by a soul that has no fear of man, and that you may 
get the better of injuries through the endurance of the body. For this temporary 
fall is not to be feared; but that should be feared which has no end. The fear 
of men, then, is like smoke which, while it is raised and gathered together, 
disappears. And those torments ought to be feared which never have an end. For 
these torments, which happen to be somewhat light, any one can bear; but if they 
are heavy, they soon destroy life. But those torments are everlasting, where 
there are daily weepings, and mournings, and lamentations, and never-ending 
torture, to which the proconsul AEgeates is not afraid to go. Be ye therefore 
rather prepared for this, that through temporary afflictions ye may attain to 
everlasting rest, and may flourish for ever, and reign with Christ. 
The holy Apostle Andrew having admonished the people with these and such like 
words through the whole night, when the light of day dawned, AEgeates having 
sent for him, ordered the blessed Andrew to be brought to him; and having sat 
down upon the tribunal, he said: I have thought that thou, by thy reflection 
during the night, hast turned away thy thoughts from folly, and 
given up thy commendation of Christ that thou mightst be able to be with us, 
and not throw away the pleasures of life; for it is folly to come for any 
purpose to the suffering of the cross, and to give oneself up to most shameful 
punishments and burnings. 
The holy Andrew answered: I shall be able to have joy with thee, if thou wilt 
believe in Christ, and throw away the worship of idols; for Christ has sent me 
to this province, in which I have acquired for Christ a people not the smallest. 

AEgeates said: For this reason I compel thee to make a libation, that these 
people who have been deceived by thee may forsake the vanity of thy teaching, 
and may themselves offer grateful libations to the gods; for not even one city 
has remained in Achaia in which their temples have not been forsaken and 
deserted. And now, through thee, let them be again restored to the worship of 
the images, in order that the gods also, who have been enraged against thee, 
being pleased by this, may bring it about that thou mayst return to their 
friendship anti ours. But if not, thou awaitest varied tortures, on account of 
the vengeance of the gods; and after these, fastened to the tree of the cross 
which thou commendest, thou shall die. 
The holy Andrew said: Listen, O son of death and chaff made ready for eternal 
burnings, to me, the servant of God and apostle of Jesus Christ. Until now I 
have conversed with thee kindly about the perfection of the faith, in order that 
thou, receiving the exposition of the truth, being made perfect as its 
vindicator, mightst despise vain idols, and worship God, who is in the heavens; 
but since thou remainest in the same shamelessness at last, and thinkest me to 
be afraid because of thy threats, bring against me whatever may seem to thee 
greater in the way of tortures. For the more shall I be well pleasing to my 
King, the more I shall endure in tortures for the confession of His name. 
Then the proconsul AEgeates, being enraged, ordered the apostle of Christ to be 
afflicted by tortures. Being stretched out, therefore, by seven times three 
soldiers, and beaten with violence, he was lifted up and brought before the 
impious AEgeates. And he spoke to him thus: Listen to me, Andrew, and withdraw 
thy thoughts from the outpouring of thy blood; but if thou wilt not hearken to 
me, I shall cause thee to perish on the tree of the cross. 
The holy Andrew said: I am a slave of the cross of Christ, and I ought rather to 
pray to attain to the trophy of the cross than to be afraid; but for thee is 
laid up eternal torment, which, however, thou mayst escape after thou hast 
tested my endurance, if thou wilt believe in my Christ. For I am afflicted about 
thy destruction, and I am not disturbed about my own suffering. For my suffering 
takes up a space of one day, or two at most; but thy torment for endless ages 
shall never come to a close. Wherefore 
henceforward cease from adding to thy miseries, and lighting up everlasting 
fire for thyself. 
AEgeates then being enraged, ordered the blessed Andrew to be fastened to the 
cross. And he having left them all, goes up to the cross, and says to it with a 
clear voice: Rejoice, O cross, which has been consecrated by the body 
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of Christ, and adorned by His limbs as if with pearls. Assuredly before my Lord 
went up on thee, thou hadst much earthly fear; but now invested with heavenly 
longing, thou art fitted up according to my prayer. For I know, from those who 
believe, how many graces thou hast in Him, how many gifts prepared beforehand. 
Free from care, then, and with joy, I come to thee, that thou also exulting 
mayst receive me, the disciple of Him that was hanged upon thee; because thou 
hast been always faithful to me, and I have desired to embrace thee. O good 
cross, which hast received comeliness and beauty from the limbs of the Lord; O 
much longed for, and earnestly desired, and fervently sought after, and already 
prepared beforehand for my soul longing for thee, take me away from men, and 
restore me to my Master, in order that through thee He may accept me who through 
thee has redeemed me. 
And having thus spoken, the blessed Andrew, standing on the ground, and looking 
earnestly upon the cross, stripped himself and gave his clothes to the 
executioners, having urged the brethren that the executioners should come and do 
what had been commanded them; for they were standing at some distance. And they 
having come up, lifted him on the cross; and having stretched his body across 
with ropes, they only bound his feet, but did not sever his joints, having 
received this order from the proconsul: for he wished him to be in distress 
while hanging, and in the night-time, as he was suspended, to be eaten up alive 
by dogs. 
And a great multitude of the brethren stood by, nearly twenty thousand; and 
having beheld the executioners standing off, and that they had done to the 
blessed one nothing of what those who were hanged up suffer, they thought that 
they would again hear something from him; for assuredly, as he was hanging, he 
moved his head smiling. And Stratocles inquired of him: Why art thou smiling, 
Andrew, servant of God? Thy laughter makes us mourn and weep, because we are 
deprived of thee. And the blessed Andrew answered him: Shall I not laugh at all, 
my son Stratocles, at the empty stratagem of AEgeates, through which he thinks 
to take vengeance upon us? We have nothing to do with him and his plans. He 
cannot hear; for if he could, he would be aware, having learned it by 
experience, that a man of Jesus is unpunished. 
And having thus spoken, he discoursed to them all in common, for the people ran 
together enraged at the unjust judgment of AEgeates: Ye men standing by me, and 
women, and children, and elders, bond and free, and as many as will hear; I 
beseech you, forsake all this life, ye who have for my sake assembled here; and 
hasten to take upon you my life, which leads to heavenly things, and once for 
all despise all temporary things, confirming the purposes of those who believe 
in Christ. And he exhorted them all, teaching that the sufferings of this 
transitory life are not worthy to be compared with the future recompense of the 
eternal life. 
And the multitude hearing what was said by him, did not stand off from the 
place, and the blessed Andrew continued the rather to say to them more than he 
had spoken. And so much was said by him, that a space of three days and nights 
was taken up, and no one was tired and went away from him. And when also on the 
fourth day they beheld his nobleness, and the unweariedness of his intellect, 
and the multitude of his words, and the serviceableness of his exhortations, and 
the stedfastness of his soul, and the sobriety of his spirit, and the fixedness 
of his mind, and the perfection of his reason, they were enraged against 
AEgeates; and all with one accord hastened to the tribunal, and cried out 
against AEgeates, who was sitting, saying: What is thy judgment, O proconsul? 
Thou hast judged wickedly; thy awards are impious. In what has the man done 
wrong; what evil has he done? The city has been put in an uproar; thou grievest 
us all; do not betray Caesar's city. Grant willingly to the Achaians a just man; 
grant willingly to us a God-fearing man; do not put to death a godly man. Four 
days he has been hanging, and is alive; having eaten nothing, he has filled us 
all. Take down the man from the cross, and we shall all seek after wisdom; 
release the man, and to all Achaia will mercy be shown. It is not necessary that 
he should suffer this, because, though hanging, he does not cease proclaiming 
the truth. 
And when the proconsul refused to listen to them, at first indeed signing with 
his hand to the crowd to take themselves off, they began to be emboldened 
against him, being in number about twenty thousand. And the proconsul having 
beheld that they had somehow become maddened, afraid that something frightful 
would befall him, rose up from the tribunal and went away with them, having 
promised to set free the blessed Andrew. And some went on before to tell the 
apostle the cause for which they came to the place. 
While all the crowd, therefore, was exulting that the blessed Andrew was going 
to be set free, the proconsul having come up, and all the 
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brethren rejoicing along with Maximilla, the blessed Andrew, having heard this, 
said to the brethren standing by: What is it necessary for me to say to him, 
when I am departing to the Lord, that will I also say. For what reason hast thou 
again come to us, AEgeates? On what account dost thou, being a stranger to us, 
come to us? What wilt thou again dare to do, what to contrive? Tell us. Hast 
thou come to release us, as having changed thy mind? I would not agree with thee 
that thou hadst really changed thy mind. Nor would I believe thee, saying that 
thou art my friend. Dost thou, O proconsul, release him that has been bound? By 
no means. For I have One with whom I shall be for ever; I have One with whom I 
shall live to countless ages. To Him I go; to Him I hasten, who also having made 
thee known to me, has said to me, Let not that fearful man terrify thee; do not 
think that he will lay hold of thee, who art mine: for he is thine enemy. 
Therefore, having known thee through him who has turned towards me, I am 
delivered from thee. But if thou wishest to believe in Christ, there will be 
opened up for time, as I promised thee, a way of access; but if thou hast come 
only to release me, I shall not be able after this to be brought down from this 
cross alive in the body. For I and my kinsmen depart to our own, allowing thee 
to be what thou art, and what thou dost not know about thyself. For already I 
see my King, already I worship Him, already I stand before Him, where the 
fellowship of the angels is, where He reigns the only emperor, where there is 
light without night, where the flowers never fade, where trouble is never known, 
nor the name of grief heard, where there are cheerfulness and exultation that 
have no end. O blessed cross! without the longing for thee, no one enters into 
that place. But I am distressed, AEgeates, about thine own miseries, because 
eternal perdition is ready to receive thee. Run then, for thine own sake, O 
pitiable one, while yet thou canst, lest perchance thou shouldst wish then when 
thou canst not. 
When, therefore, he attempted to come near the tree of the cross, so as to 
release the blessed Andrew, with all the city applauding him, the holy Andrew 
said with a loud voice: Do not suffer Andrew, bound upon Thy tree, to be 
released, O Lord; do not give me who am in Thy mystery to the shameless devil. O 
Jesus Christ, let not Thine adversary release me, who have been hanged by Thy 
favour; O Father, let this insignificant man no longer humble him who has known 
Thy greatness. The executioners, therefore, putting out their hands, were not 
able at all to touch him. Others, then, and others endeavoured to release him, 
and no one at all was able to come near him; for their arms were benumbed. 
Then the blessed Andrew, having adjured the people, said: I entreat you 
earnestly, brethren, that I may first make one prayer to my Lord. So then set 
about releasing me. All the people therefore kept quiet because of the 
adjuration. Then the blessed Andrew, with a loud cry, said: Do not permit, O 
Lord, Thy servant at this time to be removed from Thee; for it is time that my 
body be committed to the earth, and Thou shalt order me to come to Thee. Thou 
who givest eternal life, my Teacher whom I have loved, whom on this cross I 
confess, whom I know, whom I possess, receive me, O Lord; and as I have 
confessed Thee and obeyed Thee, so now in this word hearken to me; and, before 
my body come down from the cross, receive me to Thyself, that through my 
departure there may be access to Thee of many of my kindred, finding rest for 
themselves in Thy majesty. 
When, therefore, he had said this, he became in the sight of all glad and 
exulting; for an exceeding splendour like lightning coming forth out of heaven 
shone down upon him, and so encircled him, that in consequence of such 
brightness mortal eyes could not look upon him at all. And the dazzling light 
remained about the space of half an hour. And when he had thus spoken and 
glorified the Lord still more, the light withdrew itself, and he gave up the 
ghost, and along with the brightness itself he departed to the Lord in giving 
Him thanks. 
And after the decease of the most blessed Andrew the apostle, Maximilla being 
the most powerful of the notable women, and continuing among those who had come, 
as soon as she learned that the apostle had departed to the Lord, came up and 
turned her attention to the cross, along with Stratocles, taking no heed at all 
of those standing by, and with reverence took down the body of the most blessed 
apostle from the cross. And when it was evening, bestowing upon him the 
necessary care, she prepared the body for burial with costly spices, and aid it 
in her own tomb. For she had been parted from AEgeates on account of his brutal 
disposition and lawless conduct, having chosen for herself a holy and quiet 
life; and having been united to the love of Christ, she spent her life blessedly 
along with the brethren. 
AEgeates had been very importunate with her, and promised that he would make her 
mistress of his wealth; but not having been able to persuade her, he was greatly 
enraged, and was determined to make a public charge against all 
516 
the people, and to send to Caesar an accusation against both Maximilla and all 
the people. And while he was arranging these things in the presence of his 
officers, at the dead of night he rose up, and unseen by all his people, having 
been tormented by the devil, he fell down from a great height, and rolling into 
the midst of the market-place of the city, breathed his last. 
And this was reported to his brother Stratocles; and he sent his servants, 
having told them that they should bury him among those who had died a violent 
death. But he sought nothing of his substance, saying: Let not my Lord Jesus 
Christ, in whom I have believed, suffer me to touch anything whatever of the 
goods of my brother, that the condemnation of him who dared to cut off the 
apostle of the Lord may not disgrace me. 
These things were done in the province of Achaia, in the city of Patras on the 
day before the kalends of December, where his good deeds are kept in mind even 
to this day, to the glory and praise of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory 
for ever and ever. Amen.