ÀJ. 255. TAÌXBIAXr TAXES FBISOXEB. which time a terrible pestilence raged throughout almost all the provinces of the Roman empire, beyond a question as divine vengeance for the injuries done to the name of Christ. At the same time, the presbyter Origen, whom we have spoken of above, died. His writings are found, in some passages, to be corrupted by heretical errors. For he asserted that all who had ended their Uvee in sins, even in the greatest, and the devil and all his angels, are to be purified after a long time, and restored to the kingdom of God ; and that some again fall into torments, and again return to happiness. And he says that all rational Creatures always have been, and always will be, going through these alternations of happiness and misery. He is related to have published a thousand tracts and more, and many books of commentaries ; and he castrated himself for the sake of chastity, although he did not do it scientifically. And he acted in that, as the pilot of a ship would, who, seeing a tempest coming, for the sake of avoiding the storm, were m a passion to break his rudder, and bury the vessel in the waves. At the same time, Cyprian, the light of the doctors, flourished at Carthage. In this year, also, Cornelius was elected bishop of the city of Rome, and held the chair two years and as many months, and ten days. He, being asked by a certain matron named Lacinia, for the bodies of Peter and Paul, took them out of the catacombs by night, and Lucinia placed the body of the blessed Paul in her farm in the road to Ostia, where he was beheaded. The corpse of the blessed Peter, pope Cornelius placed near the spot where he had been crucified. The same year, Gallus and Volusianus, while carrying on a civil war against jEmilianus, who was plotting a revolution, were slain : and JSmilianus also died in the third month of his tyranny. 4..D. 253. Valerian succeeded to the empire with his son Gallienus, and reigned fifteen years. He was the first person • ho worshipped the saints to such a degree that his house • as believed by the faithful to be the church of God. A..D. 254. Lucius was elected bishop of the city of Rome, and held the chair three years, three months, and three days. i.n. 255. Valerian, immediately after having set on foot the eighth persecution against the Christians, was taken prisoner by Sapor, king of Persia, and deprived of his eyes, and kept in ignominious slavery %mong the Persians as long as he lived; and he lived tò a great age. Gallienus, terrified by so