From their genuine acts compiled by Esalas, a noble Armenian knight in
the troops of king Sapor, an eye witness; published in the original
Chaldaic, by Stephen Assemani, Act. Mart. Orient. t. 1, p. 211. They
were much adulterated by the Greeks in Metaphrastes. Ruinart and
Tillemont think Sapor raised no persecution before his fortieth year:
but Assemani proves from these acts, and several other monuments, a
persecution in his eighteenth year. See Praef. Gen. and p. 214, app.