The Story of Trajan, Lulianus, and Pappas

What is Trajan’s Day? They said: When Trajan tried to kill Lulianus and his [Lulianus’] brother Pappas in Laodicea, [Trajan] said to them, “If you are from the people of Ḥ ananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, let your God come and rescue you from my hand, in the way [God] saved Ḥ ananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar!” [Lulianus and Pappas] said to him, “Ḥ ananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were entirely righteous people, and they were worthy of a miracle being performed for them, and Nebuchadnezzar was a proper king, and it was proper that a miracle be performed through him. But this wicked person [i.e., Trajan] is a common person, and it is not proper that a miracle be performed through him. And we are liable for destruction by the divine, and if you do not kill us, there are many other killers that the divine has [to send against us] and many bears and lions that the divine has in God’s world that can injure and kill us. But the Holy One only gave us into your hands so that God would avenge our blood from you in the future.” Even though [they said this, Trajan] killed them immediately. Some said: They did not move from there until two dispatchers arrived from Rome and split [Trajan’s] skull with clubs.

Translated by Matthew Goldstone.