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To the Alexandrians

Dionysius of Alexandria

Section 5

About this work

Author: Dionysius of Alexandria

5. And they took the bodies of the saints on

their

upturned

hands

,

and

on

their

bosoms

,

and

closed

their

eyes

,

and

shut

their

mouths

.

And

carrying

them

in

company

,

and

laying

them

out

decently

,

they

clung

to

them

,

and

embraced

them

,

and

prepared

them

duly

with

washing

and

with

attire

.

And

then

in

a

little

while

after

they

had

the

same

services

done

for

themselves

,

as

those

who

survived

were

ever

following

those

who

departed

before

them

.

But

among

the

heathen

all

was

the

very

reverse

.

For

they

thrust

aside

any

who

began

to

be

sick

,

and

kept

aloof

even

from

their

dearest

friends

,

and

cast

the

sufferers

out

upon

the

public

roads

half

dead

,

and

left

them

unburied

,

and

treated

them

with

utter

contempt

when

they

died

,

steadily

avoiding

any

kind

of

communication

and

intercourse

with

death

;

which

,

however

,

it

was

not

easy

for

them

altogether

to

escape

,

in

spite

of

the

many

precautions

they

employed

.

Notes

9
ὑπτίαις χερσι. [See Introductory Note, p. 77.]
10
καθαιροῦντες.
11
ὁμοφοροῦντες.
12
Compare Defoe, Plague in London.]