Chapter IX
1 Thecla thrown naked to the wild beasts;
2 but they all refuse to attack her.
8 She baptizes herself in a pit of water.
10 Other wild beasts refuse to injure her.
11 Tied to wild bulls.
13 Miraculously saved.
21. Released.
24 Entertained by Trifina,
THEN Thecla was taken out of
the hand of Trifina, stripped
naked, had a girdle put on, and
thrown into the place appointed
for fighting with the beasts: and
the lions and the bears were let
loose upon her.
2 But a she-lion, which was of
all the most fierce, ran to Thecla,
and fell down at her feet. Upon
which the multitude of women
shouted aloud.
3 Then a she-bear ran fiercely
towards her, but the she lion met
the bear, and tore it in pieces.
4 Again a he-lion, who had been
wont to devour men, and which
belonged to Alexander, ran towards
her; but the she-lion encountered
the he-lion, and they killed each
other.
5 Then the women were under
a greater concern, because the
she-lion, which had helped Thecla,
was dead.
6 Afterwards they brought out
many other wild beasts; but Thecla
stood with her hands stretched
towards heaven, and prayed; and
when she had done praying, she
turned about, and saw a pit of
water, and said, Now it is a proper
time for me to be baptized.
7 Accordingly she threw herself
into the water, and said, In thy
name, O my Lord Jesus Christ, I
am this last day baptized. The
women and the people seeing this,
cried out and said, Do not throw
yourself into the water. And the
governor himself cried out, to
think that the fish (sea-calves)
were like to devour so much
beauty.
8 Notwithstanding all this,
Thecla threw herself into the water,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But the fish (sea-calves) when
they saw the lightning and fire,
were killed, and swam dead upon
the surface of the water, and a
cloud of fire surrounded Thecla;
so that as the beasts could not
come near her, so the people could
not see her nakedness.
10 Yet they turned other wild
beasts upon her; upon which they
made a very mournful outcry; and
some of them scattered spikenard,
others cassia, others amomus (a
sort of spikenard, or the herb of
Jerusalem, or ladies rose), others
ointment; so that the quantity of
ointment was large, in proportion
to the number of people; and upon
this all the beasts lay as though
they had been fast asleep, and did
not touch Thecla.
11 Whereupon Alexander said
to the governor, I have some very
terrible bulls; let us bind her to
them. To which the governor, with
concern, replied, You may do what
you think fit.
12 Then they put a cord round
Thecla’s waist, which bound also
her feet, and with it tied her to
the bulls, to whose privy-parts they
applied red-hot irons, that so they
being the more tormented, might
more violently drag Thecla about,
till they had killed her.
13 The bulls accordingly tore
about, making a most hideous noise;
but the flame which was about Thecla,
burnt off the cords which were
fastened to the members of the
bulls, and she stood in the middle
of the stage, as unconcerned as
if she had not been bound.
14 But in the mean time Trifina,
who sat upon one of the benches,
fainted away and died; upon which
the whole city was under a very
great concern.
15 And Alexander himself was
afraid, and desired the governor,
saying: I entreat you, take
compassion on me and the city,
and release this woman, who has
fought with the beasts; lest both
you and I, and the whole city,
be destroyed;
16 For if Caesar should have any
account of what has passed now,
he will certainly immediately
destroy the city, because Trifina,
a person of royal extract, and a
relation of his, is dead upon her
seat.
17 Upon this the governor called
Thecla from among the beasts to him,
and said to her, Who art thou? and
what are thy circumstances, that not
one of the beasts will touch thee?
18 Thecla replied to him; I am
a servant of the living God; and
as to my state, I am a believer on
Jesus Christ his Son, in whom
God is well pleased; and for that
reason none of the beasts could
touch me.
19 He alone is the way to eternal
salvation, and the foundation of
eternal life. He is a refuge to
those who are in distress; a support
to the afflicted, hope and defence
to those who are hopeless; and in
a word, all those who do not
believe on him, shall not live,
but suffer eternal death.
20 When the governor heard these
things, he ordered her clothes
to be brought, and said to her,
Put on your clothes.
21 Thecla replied: May that God
who clothed me when I was naked
among the beasts, in the day of
judgment clothe your soul with
the robe of salvation. Then she
took her clothes, and put them
on; and the governor immediately
published an order in these words:
I release to you Thecla the servant
of God.
22 Upon which the women cried
out together with a loud voice,
and with one accord gave praise
unto God, and said; There is but
one God, who is the God of Thecla;
the one God who hath delivered
Thecla.
23 So loud were their voices,
that the whole city seemed to be
shaken; and Trifina herself heard
the glad tidings, and arose again,
and ran with the multitude to
meet Thecla; and embracing her,
said: Now I believe there shall
be a resurrection of the dead;
now I am persuaded that my daughter
is alive. Come therefore home
with me, my daughter Thecla, and
I will make all over that I have
to you.
24 So Thecla went with Trifina,
and was entertained there a few
days, teaching her the word of the
Lord, whereby many young women
were converted; and there was
great joy in the family of Trifina.
25 But Thecla longed to see Paul,
and inquired and sent every where
to find him; and when at length
she was informed that he was at
Myra, in Lycia, she took with her
many young men and women; and
putting on a girdle, and dressing
herself in the habit of a man,
she went to him to Myra in Lycia,
and there found Paul preaching
the word of God; and she stood
by him among the throng.