THE CHOOSING OF THE SEVENTY HOLY APOSTLES
As recounted by Dorotheus, Bishop of Tyre, an ancient and pious man, who
became a martyr in the reign of the emperors Licinius and Constantine.
This above-mentioned and exemplary man left us various writings in Greek and
Latin, for he was proficient in both languages and possessed of great
intelligence. After the death of Diocletian and Licinius, he returned home and
ruled the church of Tyre until Julian the torturer came to power; for Julian did
not kill Christians openly, but secretly through his princes. Dorotheus came once
more to the city of Odessus polis, where he was seized by Julian’s princes
and suffered many tortures in his very old age for confessing Christ, and died as
a martyr at the age of one hundred and seventy. This saintly Dorotheus speaks of
the seventy apostles and disciples of Christ, many of whom were bishops among
different peoples, while others served as preachers, whom the divine Paul
mentions in tile salutations in his epistles. Many years after the resurrection
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, he found all of them and recorded them,
their names being as follows:
- JACOB , brother of the Lord, first bishop of
Jerusalem, who was ordained by the Lord Himself, whose head was crushed by a
whiffletree and he died.
- CLEOPAS was the second bishop of Jerusalem like
Simeon, brother of the Lord; he saw the Lord after the resurrection, and died
crucified by Emperor Dometian.
- THADDEUS , who carried the letter to Avgar in
Edessa: he cured the latter of his illness.
- ANANIAS , who baptized the holy Apostle Paul, was
bishop of Damascus.
- STEPHEN , the first martyr, died after being
stoned by the Jews.
- PHILIP , one of the seven [deacons], who baptized
Simon the sorcerer and Canalace’s eunuch, was bishop of Asian
Tralia.
- PROCHORUS , also one of the seven, was bishop of
Bithynian Nicomedia.
- NICANOR , one of the seven, died on the same day
as Saint
- Stephen , together with two thousand believers in
Christ.
- TIMON , one of the seven, was bishop of the island
of Arabia, and died after being burned by the Hellenes.
- PARMENAS , also one of the seven, died in front of
the apostles’ eyes while he was serving.
- NICOLAS , also one of the seven, was bishop of
Samaria; but he deviated from the true faith together with Simon.
- BARNABAS , who served the Word together with Paul,
and preached Christ in peace, was bishop of Milan.
- MARK the Evangelist was ordained bishop of
Alexandria by the Apostle Peter.
- SILAS who preached the Gospel together with Paul,
was bishop of Corinth.
- LUKE , who preached the Gospel all over the world
together with Paul, was bishop of Salonika. Luke the Evangelist came from
Syrian Antioch, and went to Macedonian Thebes as a doctor during the reign of
Emperor Trajan. He first wrote the holy Gospel to a certain ruler Theophilus,
who believed in Christ. Then, many years after the passion of our Lord, and the
holy Apostle Peter having commanded him to narrate the acts of the holy
apostles, Saint Luke narrated the acts of the holy apostles to the same
TheophiIus, And having done this, he gave up his soul to God in peace; and thus
he died in Thebes. His holy relics were translated from Thebes to the church of
the Holy Apostles, and were layed under the altar table.
- SILVANUS , who preached the Gospel together with
bishop of Salonika.
- CRISPUS , whom the apostle (Paul) mentions in his
epistle to Timothy, was bishop of Galilean Chalcedon.
- EPENETUS , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle Romans, was bishop of Carthage.
- ANDRONICUS , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Pannonia.
- AMPLIAS , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans. was bishop of Odissa.
- URBAN , whom the apostle mentions in the epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Macedonia.
- STACHYS , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans; when Andrew the apostle, traversing the sea of Hellespont,
reached Agricopolis, he ordained Stachys as bishop of Byzantium.
- APELLES , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Heraklion.
- PHYGELLUS was bishop of Ephesus; later he
converted to Simon’s teaching.
- HERMOGENES was bishop of Thracian Megara.
- DEMAS , whom the apostle mentions in his second
epistle to Timothy, opposed the teaching of God just as Phygellus and
Hermogenes did; Demas loved this present world and in Salonika was a priest of
the idols; he was one of whom the apostle John writes: they came from us, but
were not one of us. APOLLOS, whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of Smyrna
before Saint Polycarpus.
- ARISTOBULUS , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Britannia.
- NARCISSUS , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Athens.
- HERODION , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Patfas.
- AGABUS , who is mentioned in the acts of the
apostles, who received the gift of prophecy.
- RUFUS , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Thebes.
- ASYNCRITUS , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Hyrcania.
- PHLEGON , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Colossians, was bishop of Marathon.
- HERMAS , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Dalmatia.
- PATROBAS , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Pottole.
- HERMES , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Philipopolis.
- LINUS , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Rome after the holy apostle Peter.
- GAIUS , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Ephesus after the apostle Timotheus.
- PHILOGOGUS , whom the apostle [Paul] mentions, was
ordained bishop of Sinope by Andrew the apostle.
- RODION , whom the apostle mentions, was beheaded
by Nero in Rome, together with the holy apostle Peter.
- LUCIUS , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Syrian Laodicea.
- JASON , whom the apostle mentions in his epistle
to the Romans, was bishop of Tarsis.
- SOSIPATER , whom the apostle mentions in his
epistle to the Romans, was bishop of Iconium.
- TERTIUS , who wrote the epistle to the Romans, was
the second bishop of Iconium.
- ERASTUS , whom the apostle mentions, was
chamberlain of the church in Jerusalem; later he was bishop of Paneas.
- APOLLOS , whom the apostle mentions to the
Corinthians, was bishop of Caesarea.
- CEPHAS was bishop of Iconium.
- SOSTHENES , whom the apostle mentions, was bishop
of Colophon.
- TYCHICUS . whom the apostle mentions, was also
bishop of Colophon.
- EPAPHRAS , whom the apostle mentions, was bishop
of Andriaca.
- CAESAR , whom the apostle mentions, was bishop in
Dyrrhachium.
- MARK , the nephew of Barnabas, whom the apostle
mentions, was bishop of Apollonias.
- JESUS , called Justus, whom the apostle mentions
in the Acts, was bishop of Eleutheropolis.
- ARTEMUS , whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of
Lystra.
- CLEMENT , whom the apostle mentions, saying:
“and with Clement, and with my other fellowworkers,” was bishop of
Sardice.
- ONESIPHORUS , whom the apostle mentions, was
bishop of Cyrene.
- TYCHICUS , whom the apostle mentions, was the
first bishop of Bithynian Chalcedon.
- QUARTUS , whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of
Berytus.
- CARPUS , whom the apostle mentions, was bishop of
Thracian Berrhoe.
- EUODIUS was bishop of Antioch after Saint
Peter.
- ARISTARCHUS , whom the apostle mentions, was
bishop of Syrian Apamea.
- MARK , called John, who is mentioned by Luke in
the Acts, was bishop of Byblos.
- ZENAS the lawyer, whom the apostle mentions, was
bishop of Giospolis.
- PHILEMON , to whom the apostle Paul wrote an
epistle, was bishop of Gaza.
- Another ARISTARCHUS,
- PUDENS ,
- TROPHIMUS : these three suffered together with the
apostle Paul through all his persecutions; in the end they were beheaded in
Rome by Emperor Nero.
- ONESIMUS died in Potiole at the hands of the Roman
ruler Tertillus.
All of these were bishops among the pagans. The saintly and most-blessed
Dorotheus, while he was bishop of the church of Tyre, wrote about them and left
his writings to the church, in order to commemorate the holy apostles, about whom
even Paul wrote, saying: they were servants of God before us. May no one
disbelieve it, for it is the truth.
This listing is found in the introductory material of the Slavonic
Apostolos