E01217: After the news of the abolition of the chrysargyron tax by emperor Anastasius reaches Edessa (Mesopotamia) in the year 498, its citizens in thanks process to the martyrium church of *Sergios (soldier and martyr of Rusafa, S00023) and *Symeon the Elder (stylite of Qal‘at Sim‘ān, ob. 459, S00343), located outside of the city, where a solemn Eucharist is performed. Record in the Syriac Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite (6th c.).

Chronicle of Pseudo-Joshua the Stylite 31

ܒܗ̇ ܕܝܢ ܒܗܕܐ ܫܢܬܐ ܐܬܐ ܦܘܩܕܢܐ ܕܐܢܣܛܘܤ ܡܠܟܐ. ܕܢܫܬܒܩ ܕܗܒܐ ܕܝܗܒܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܐܘܡ̈ܢܐ ܚܕܐ ܠܐܖ̈ܒܥ ܫ̈ܢܝܢ. ܘܢܬܚܪܪܘܢ ܡܢ ܡܐܕܬܐ. ܠܐ ܗܘܐ ܠܐܘܪܗܝ ܒܠܚܘܕ ܐܬܐ ܗܘܐ ܗܢܐ ܦܘܩܕܢܐ. ܐܠܐ ܠܟܠܗܝܢ ܡܕܝ̈ܢܬܐ ܕܐܘܚܕܢܐ ܕܖ̈ܗܘܡܝܐ. ܝܗܒܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܕܝܢ ܐܘܖ̈ܗܝܐ ܚܕܐ ܠܐܖ̈ܒܥ ܫܢ̈ܝܢ. ܠܝܛܖ̈ܐ ܕܕܗܒܐ ܡ̈ܐܐ ܘܐܖ̈ܒܥܝܢ. ܘܚܕܝܬ ܟܠܗ̇ ܡܕܝܢܬܐ. ܘܠܒܫܘ ܚܘܖ̈ܐ ܟܠܗܘܢ. ܡܢ ܪܒܐ ܘܥܕܡܐ ܠܙܥܘܪܐ. ܘܛܥܢ ܩܖ̈ܝܘܢܐ ܟܕ ܢܗܖ̈ܝܢ ܘܦܝܖ̈ܡܐ ܟܕ ܡܥܛܖ̈ܝܢ. ܘܢܦܩܘ ܒܡܙܡܘܖ̈ܐ ܘܒܬܫ̈ܒܚܬܐ. ܟܕ ܡܘܕܝܢ ܠܐܠܗܐ ܘܡܩܠܣܝܢ ܠܡܠܟܐ. ܠܒܝܬ ܣܗ̈ܕܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܣܪܓܝܤ ܘܕܡܪܝ ܫܡܥܘܢ. ܘܩܪܒܘ ܬܡܘܢ ܩܘܪܒܢܐ. ܘܥܠܘ ܠܡܕܝܢܬܐ ܘܥܒܕ ܥܐܕܐ ܕܚܕܘܬܐ ܘܕܒܣ̈ܡܐ ܟܠܗ ܫܒܬܐ. ܘܐܩܝܡܘ ܕܢܗܘܘܢ ܥܒܕܝܢ ܠܗ ܠܥܐܕܐ ܗܢܐ ܟܠ ܫܢܐ ܒܫܢܐ. ܘܓܢܝܢ ܗܘܘ ܘܒܣܡܝܢ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܐܘ̈ܡܢܐ. ܘܣܚܝܢ ܘܣܡܟܝܢ ܒܕܪܬܐ ܕܥܕܬܐ. ܘܒܟܠܗܘܢ ܐܣ̈ܛܘܐ ܕܡܕܝܢܬܐ.

'The edict of the emperor Anastasius arrived this year, remitting the gold which tradesmen paid every four years and freeing them from the tax. This edict did not go only to Edessa, but to all cities of the Roman domain. The Edessenes’ four-year payment had been one hundred and forty pounds of gold, and the whole city rejoiced (at its remission). They all dressed up in white, from the greatest to the least, and carrying lighted candles and burning censers, to the accompaniment of psalms and hymns, they went out to the martyrion of Mar Sergios and Mar Simon, thanking God and praising the emperor. There they held a eucharist, and on coming back into the city they extended the feast of joy and pleasure for a whole week, and decreed that they would celebrate this feast every year. All the tradesmen sat around and had a good time, [bathing and] relaxing in the courtyard of the (City) Church and all the city’s colonnades.'

Ed. Chabot 1927-1949, v. 1, pp. 257-258; trans. Trombley and Watt 2000, p. 30.