Jerome. Lives of Illustrious Men 67
67 Cyprian the bishop PL 23, 677
Cyprian of Africa, at first was famous as a teacher of rhetoric, and afterwards on the persuasion of the presbyter Caecilius, from whom he received his surname, he became a Christian, and gave all his substance to the poor. Not long after he was inducted into the presbytery, and was also made bishop of Carthage. It is unnecessary to make a catalogue of the works of his genius, since they are more conspicuous than the sun.
He was put to death under the Emperors Valerian and Gallienus, in the eighth persecution, on the same day that Cornelius was put to death at Rome, but not in the same year.
Cyprianus Afer, primum gloriose rhetoricam docuit; exinde suadente presbytero Caecilio, a quo et cognomentum sortitus est, Christianus factus, omnem substantiam suam pauperibus erogavit, ac post non multum temporis electus in presbyterum, etiam episcopus Carthaginiensis constitutus est. Hujus ingenii superfluum est indicem texere, cum sole clariora sint ejus opera. Passus est sub Valeriano et Galieno principibus, persecutione octava, eodem die quo Romae Cornelius, sed non eodem anno.
Κυπριανὸς Ἄφρος, πρῶτον ἐνδόξως τὴν ῥητορικὴν διδάξας, πεισθεὶς παρὰ Κεκιλίου πρεσβυτέρου, οὗ καὶ τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν ἐκληρώσατο, Χριστιανὸς γενόμενος, πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν περιουσίαν τοῖς πτωχοῖς διέδωκε, καὶ μετ' οὐ πολὺ καταταγεὶς εἰς πρεσβύτερον καὶ ἐπίσκοπος ἐγένετο Καρθαγένης. Τούτου τὸν τῆς εὐφυΐας κατάλογον ὑφαίνειν, περισσὸν ἡγοῦμαι, διὰ τὸ λαμπρότερα εἶναι τοῦ ἡλίου τὰ τούτου συντάγματα. Ἔπαθεν ἐπὶ Βαλεριανοῦ καὶ Γαλιήνου βασιλέων, διωγμῷ ὀγδόῳ αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ἐν ᾗ ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ Κορνήλιος, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ἐνιαυτῷ.