10. Die Akten der Edessenischen Bekenner Gurjas, Samonas und Abibos, aus dem Nachlass von Oscar von Gebhardt[132]

[132] Guria, Shmona and Habib were the Edessan martyrs during the reign of Diocletian [r. 284-305]. The original texts on the Martyrdoms of the Saints were composed at the end of the 4th century CE. There are two modern editions. The first is based on the Greek texts. The second is based on the Syriac texts. Only the Greek version refers to the Hephthalites, the Syriac version refers to them as “Huns”.

10.1 [ii]

10.1.1 The Hephthalite Huns reside to the East, next to Persia. This awful and barbaric nation, not many years after putting the martyrs to death, brought many disasters to the Romans, reaching even Edessa and looting its surrounding regions. The Roman kings (emperors) fiercely resisted them and, within a short period, gathered a great army to defend Edessa with the aim of keeping it safe, taking courage from the sayings of Jesus Christ, who had communicated to Avgarus[133], that the city would never succumb to barbarians; and the icon of Jesus was firstly sent to this city and Avgarus. The Huns, thus, stormed the city, believing that they will easily take it. The Romans sent an army to the support the residents of Edessa, to prevent the city from falling to the Huns.[134]87 ... While the Huns and the Persians agreed to campaign again, after a certain period, against these regions, the Roman king sends once more a large number of soldiers in order to protect these lands; together with these (Roman) troops, also comes he who has done evil to (has harmed) the daughter.88 [Translated into English by Michael Kordosis and Stefanos Kordosis]

[133] Avgarus was the King of Edessa during Jesus Christ’s life. He was the ruler who received the first image of Christ, the so-called holy tissue (άγιο μανδύλιο), which was a piece of sheet that was put over Jesus Christ when he was crucified. From the blood in his face his image was depicted. — English translators’ note

[134] In this record the Hephthalites and the Huns in Europe seem to be confused.