Part One

but also neatly and elegantly to write letters in that language. On this account I congratulate you, as it is fitting to congratulate one’s friends on their success and good deeds. I also advise and exhort you not to desist from such distinguished beginnings, nor to betray the good hope of your noble parents; but by long-suffering and patience in labor, may you reach the summit of that glory for which you strive. The new year, which we are soon to enter, God willing, I pray may be most fortunate for you. And since according to ancient custom it is the practice to send gifts around the Kalends of January, as a small token I send you this golden tetrastich of Gregory of Nazianzus:

Work without speech is better than a word without deeds. No one has ever been exalted by words alone, But deeds lift up many without words; For grace is not of the speaker, but of the doer.

Farewell, dearest head. Rome, December 27, 1661. ^B

PARS PRIMA OF THE MENOLOGION OF THE GREEKS, FROM THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER TO NOVEMBER

1. Here now, O observer, look rightly, An excellent work from excellent things: God’s most beautiful work, striking the mind with awe, A work rightly delighting every creature. For He Himself above, as God and Lord, Having adorned the heavens with the dances of the stars, Which He extended like a skin by His word, Illuminates the world with all-wise providence. But he who portrays this in his ways, King of the whole earth, sun of the purple, Basil, child of the swaddling clothes, Most excellent in both: in triumphs and in words; As if creating a second heaven in this book, Extended from skins, as nature requires, Bearing like luminaries beautiful figures: First, that of the God-man Word Himself; Then of the Mother who gave birth without seed; Of wise men, prophets, angels, archangels; ^D It gladdens the whole mind of the orthodox, And delights every vision with pleasantness. But those whom he portrayed with colors, May he find all of them as helpers in his affairs, As collaborators in his endeavors, as comrades in battle.

^A Restrainers of depraved affections, healers of diseases; in the judgment, however, especially before the Lord, fervent mediators, procurers of the supernal ^B Glory, hidden ones, and of the divine sovereignty.

IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER

ON THE FIRST DAY

The Beginning of the Indiction.

The Church of God celebrates the feast of the Indiction, having received this from the ancients, because it was thought to be the beginning of time from this day. For the Romans called the beginning and the definition an "indiction." Therefore, the first day of the month of September is the definition and beginning of the whole year. And since Christ our God, wishing to bless the beginning of time, or rather the whole of time which He Himself created before the ages, entered into the synagogue of the Jews, and there was delivered to Him the book of the prophet Isaiah; and having opened it, He found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore He has anointed me; He has sent me to preach the gospel to the poor, to preach remission to the captives, and sight to the blind, to call the acceptable year of the Lord." And having returned the book to the minister, He sat down. From that time forth, He granted to us Christians this holy feast, which we, celebrating with eagerness, render thanks to Him.

On the same day. Memory of our holy Father Simeon the Stylite.

Holy Simeon was from Antioch; and while he was yet a youth, he was commanded by his parents to herd sheep. Having stopped one time because of the winter from herding the sheep, he went away to the church of God in order to pray. And by coincidence, he heard the holy Gospel being read: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And he abandoned his parents and everything. And he went away to the laura, called the mandra, and he became a monk in the reign of Emperor Leo the Great. Where, having first struggled, and in all ways having surpassed all the monks in every sort of virtue, and having withered his body through continence—for he fasted for forty consecutive days, standing for twenty, and sitting for the remaining twenty, because of the fatigue—he afterwards ascended a pillar; and having performed ten thousand miracles, and having become great to all men, and having baptized many of the infidels, and having served God for forty-seven years, he died in peace. ^D

On the same day. The Dormition of Joshua the son of Nun.

This Joshua was indeed the son of Nun, successor

a brave and military man. For he took Jericho, a city of the foreigners, and crossed the river Jordan on dry ground together with the people and the Ark of God. He also saw Michael, the prince of the celestial host, holding a sword in his hands; and recognizing him at once, he cast down his own weapons and fell at his feet, saying, "What do you command your servant?" And while he was fighting against the foreigners, and the sun was setting, he, being possessed by a desire to defeat them, placed his greatest hope in God and said, "Let the sun stand still." And immediately the sun stood still and did not set until he had turned the enemies of God to flight in a great victory. Having been a general to the people, and having led them well out of the desert, and having brought them into the land of promise, which is Jerusalem, and having judged the people of Israel for ^B twenty-seven years, he died and was honorably buried in that same land by his own people.

On the same day.

The Contest of the holy forty virgins, and Ammon their teacher.

The multitude of these forty virgins and martyrs came from Adrianopolis in Macedonia. They had as a teacher of the faith Ammon the deacon, from whom they learned those things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven; for this reason they were seized by the ruler of that same city. And they were tortured in many ways because they refused to worship idols. Then they were brought to Beroea to sacrifice. There they prayed to God, and the priest of the idols was suspended in the air, and falling, he died. After this, the holy Ammon was suspended, and his sides were rasped, and he was compelled to put on a burning helmet upon his bare head. Then he was sent, along with the virgins, to the tyrant Licinius; and he pronounced a sentence of death against them. And ten of them were perfected by fire; eight were beheaded along with their teacher; ten were killed, pierced by the sword through the mouth and heart; six were cut into pieces; and the final six were extinguished having burning iron placed into their mouths.

ON THE SAME MONTH. The second day.

The Contest of the holy great martyr Mamas.

^D Mamas, the most renowned martyr, flourished under Aurelian the Caesar of the Romans. Left an orphan after his parents perished in prison for the sake of Christ, he was raised by a certain pious matron of the senatorial rank. When he reached the age of maturity, he was compelled by the idolaters to sacrifice to idols. Being unable to be persuaded, by the divine angel he was taken up into the mountain, where he was fed by the milk of a fawn and continued his life alone, praying to God. But after some time, when his fame had spread far and wide, he was seized again and compelled by the ruler of Caesarea to worship idols. Rejecting this, he was cast into the fire and emerged unharmed, and

^A was sentenced to the beasts, from which, having received no harm, he was finally pierced through with a spear, and his entrails were poured out upon the earth from the very grievous wound; these he carried with his own hands as he went out of the city of Caesarea, and with thanksgiving surrendered his holy and blessed soul to the Lord God; and he was buried in the same city.

Eodem die.

Memory of our holy Father John, Patriarch of Constantinople, surnamed the Faster.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The third day.

Contest of the holy Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia.

Eodem die.

Contest of the holy virgin and martyr Basilissa.

^A She had her dwelling near the city of Nicomedia, and was in her ninth year. Being denounced as a Christian, she was brought before Alexander the governor. And having confessed Christ with boldness, she was first struck on the face, and having been stripped, she was scourged. Then her ankles were pierced. And having been hung head downwards upon a beam, bound with chains, she was tortured with the smoke of pitch, sulfur, and lead. And after this she was thrown into the fire, and delivered to two lions, and having remained unharmed, she persuaded the governor to believe in Christ. And he indeed, living well, ended his life in peace. But she, having gone out of the city, and being thirsty, prayed. And water flowed forth from the earth, and she drank. Then standing upon a rock, and having prayed, she died. There she was buried, and, through the waters flowing forth from the earth, she wonderfully produces healings ^B for all the faithful each day.

On the same day. Contest of the holy hieromartyr Aristion, bishop of Alexandria.

The holy martyr Aristion was bishop of Alexandria. He taught with boldness, and preached the incarnate advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His eternal kingdom, and furthermore the blessedness and joy of the kingdom of heaven; and that the glory, dignities, and riches of men here are subject to corruption, and vanish away; whereas those goods are incorruptible, and that life is immortal. Teaching these things, and persuading many of the Greeks and converting them to God and baptizing them, he was arrested by the prefect of Alexandria. ^C And having confessed Christ, he was delivered to the fire. And thus in the furnace, like those three holy children, praising and magnifying God, he received the blessed and longed-for end, having obtained the crown of incorruptible life. And his precious remains were indeed committed to the earth. But his holy soul, ascending into the heavens, rejoices with the saints.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The fourth day. Contest of the holy hieromartyr Babylas, patriarch of Antioch, and the children with him.

The holy hieromartyr of Christ, Babylas, was patriarch of the great Antioch, in the time of Numerian, emperor of the Romans. ^D When Numerian himself wished to enter the temple of God, Babylas met him at the gate of the church and forbade him from entering, because he was a worshiper of idols. Wherefore the emperor, being put to shame and provoked to violent anger, ordered him to be brought before him the next day; and when he could not induce him to deny Christ, but rather was himself rebuked by him, he commanded a heavy weight of iron to be placed upon his neck and for him to be led through the middle of the city. Then he said to him: "By the gods, Babylas, this yoke becomes you."

^A To which Babylas replied: "So it becomes me, O emperor, just as the diadem becomes you." Then Numerianus passed sentence against him and against the boys who were being instructed by him. Then the soldiers took them and slaughtered them. And thus the saint was buried by pious Christians outside the city of Antioch, together with the shackles surrounding him, which he had worn for the sake of Christ.

On the same day ^B The Contest of the holy martyrs Theodore, Oceanus, Amianus, and Julian.

These holy martyrs flourished under Maximian the emperor. Being seized and interrogated, they confessed Christ the Lord. And for this reason, having been suspended, they were flayed to the bone. Then they were cast into a bath that had been heated intensely, and sealed with the emperor’s seal so that they might not escape from it but be forced to perish within it. But an angel of the Lord led them out unharmed, while the doors were bolted and sealed. Again, having been captured, they were led outside the city into a desert place to be cruelly put to death. Having requested an hour of prayer from the executioners, and having obtained their request, they stood and prayed at length to God, first for the establishment of the whole world ^C and for the tranquility of the holy Churches; then they gave thanks to Him that they were deemed worthy to undergo martyrdom for His sake. And so, with all their limbs cut off and their legs broken, they were cast into the fire, and thus they were perfected.

On the same day The Contest of the holy martyr Hermione, daughter of the holy apostle Philip.

The holy martyr Hermione lived under Trajan the emperor; she was the daughter of the apostle Philip. She also had a sister named Eutyches. And the two arrived at Ephesus to venerate John the Theologian, but did not find him, for he had already been moved. Trajan the emperor also came to Ephesus for the war against the Persians, and found the name of the holy Hermione to be great among the pious; for she was gifted with the prophetic spirit. Having seized her and tried to force her to deny Christ, when he could not persuade her, he ordered her to be struck on the face. The Lord appeared to her and ^D strengthened her to endure the tortures with fortitude. After this, she was released by Trajan because she had prophesied for him that he would triumph over the Persians. But after Trajan, his son-in-law and successor, Hadrian, seized her again. And when he compelled her to deny Christ and to sacrifice to the idols, and failed to persuade her, he ordered her to be beheaded. The hands of the executioners having withered, they themselves also believed in Christ, and were beheaded together with her.

On the same day Memory of the holy Moses the legislator.

Moses the prophet and legislator, born of a Hebrew father, was born in Egypt. But because there was a command of Pharaoh the king...

of Egypt that the female infants of the Hebrews should be spared, but the males should be put to death, his mother placed Moses in a wicker basket and threw him into the river. And the daughter of Pharaoh went down to the river to bathe. And seeing the basket, and the child crying inside it, she adopted him as her son. And she instructed him in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. When he had grown up, God appeared to him and commanded him to lead the people of the Hebrews out of Egypt. Having therefore led the people out, and having performed many signs and wonders, and having parted the sea, and having crossed on dry land, and having struck a rock with his rod and caused water to gush out from it, and having led them for forty years, he died one thousand four hundred and eighty-five years before the resurrection of Christ. And he was buried on a certain mountain in the desert by Michael, the great captain ^B of the host of God.

ON THE SAME MONTH. The Fifth Day.

Memory of the holy prophet Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist.

Zacharias the priest, the father of John the Forerunner, was himself also the son of a priest. Having entered the temple to burn incense, he saw an angel of God standing near the altar of incense, announcing to him that his son John the Baptist would be conceived and born to him; and because he did not believe his voice, he was rendered deaf and dumb, ^C until the bonds of his tongue were loosed at the birth of John. But the mother of John, hearing that Herod, the king of the Jews, was planning to kill the infants in Bethlehem, wishing to kill our Lord Jesus Christ along with them, then, six months after his conception, hid him in a cave beyond the Jordan. Herod, having sought him and not finding the child, ordered his father Zacharias to be slaughtered in the middle of the altar, because he had fled there in fear, and that his blood should be shed in the temple. He was slain, therefore, and they cast him down the precipice. His relatives gathered up his relics and ^D placed them in the tomb of his fathers.

On the same day. The Contest of the holy martyr Abdias.

The holy martyr Abdias, a Persian by nation and a Christian by profession, used every effort to teach everyone, and by his exhortations persuaded them to come to the true faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Having been seized for this reason by the prince of the magi, and forced to abjure Christ and worship the sun and fire (for the Persians held these as gods), and not being persuaded, he is struck in the belly and on the loins with rods of harsh pomegranate. And so, from morning until noon, being beaten and tortured, being carried on the shoulders of his executioners, he is taken to his house half-dead; and shortly afterward

he surrendered his holy and blessed soul to the Lord, rejoicing and exulting until his final breath, in that he was deemed worthy to bear witness for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and to die. After this, some of the Christians took his precious remains and laid them in a tomb. ^A

On the same day: The contest of the holy martyrs Thuthael and his sister Babaea.

The holy and multi-victorious martyr of Christ Thuthael and his sister Babaea, being Christians and confessing with boldness that our Lord Jesus Christ is the true God and Lord of all the world, and Creator and Providence, and turning many of the Greeks from the error of idols and bringing them to the true faith and baptizing them, were seized by the impious idolaters. And having been beaten and tortured much by them, in the end the holy Thuthael was hanged upon a beam, and being bound, he was sawed in half with an iron saw; and thus he surrendered his soul. ^B His sister Babaea, having been stripped first, and beaten severely, and flayed even to the bones, was afterwards struck with a spear at the neck and slaughtered. Both having thus been consummated, those who had been instructed by them in the Christian faith took up their bodies and buried them honorably to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. ^C

In the same month, the sixth day: Memory of the miracle wrought at Chonae by the great Archistrategos of God.

In the city now called Chonae, but formerly Colossae, there lived a certain man named Archippus, devout and fearing God. This man, staying by the water which gushed forth through the visitation of the great Archistrategos, and because of the miracles performed through the water, was converting and baptizing many of the unbelievers; he stirred up to envy the Greeks, who could not bear to see those wondrous miracles. Gnashing their teeth, therefore, against the sacred holy site and the holy Archippus, they gathered infinite multitudes, and damming two great rivers and mixing both together, they released them straightway in order to destroy the temple, and the holy site, and Archippus. But when Archippus heard the roaring of the waters, he besought the Archistrategos to help. And he, appearing immediately, struck the rock with the rod which he held in his hand, and he caused the waters to be swallowed up within it. ^D And the place was called Chonae from that time onward.

On the same day: The contest of the holy martyrs Eudoxius, Romulus, and their companions. Eudoxius, the martyr of Christ, was in the time of the Emperor Trajan...

holding the rank of count. Having ten thousand soldiers under him, he was staying in the land of Gaul. Romulus, however, who was the superintendent of the imperial palace, advised Trajan to send someone to Gaul to compel the soldiers—who were Christians—to sacrifice to the gods. When this was done, they refused to sacrifice; and because of this, they were exiled to the city of Melitene in Armenia. Afterwards, Romulus, moved by repentance and having believed in Christ, rebuked Trajan and was beheaded. After these events, when Maximian had obtained the empire and had ordered the Christians to be killed, he sent written commands to the prefect of Melitene to destroy those who worshipped Christ. Whereat, he seized Eudoxius the count and the soldiers with him; and because they refused to worship the idols, he first tormented them with many tortures and eventually beheaded them ^B.

Eodem die

The contest of the holy martyrs Faustus the presbyter, Abibus the deacon, and their companions.

The holy martyrs Faustus and Abibus lived under the Emperor Decius, the former being a presbyter and the latter a deacon of the Church of Alexandria; at which time also Fabian, patriarch of Rome, and Alexander of Jerusalem suffered martyrdom for Christ. Having been detained by the prefect of Alexandria and severely tortured because they did not wish to abandon Christ, they were cast into prison. Being led out again, they were compelled to perform sacrifices to the idols. But they were so far from being moved to do this that they actually rebuked the prefect and scorned the error and vanity of the idols. For this reason, the heads of these holy men—thirteen in number—were cut off. But their holy souls, commended into the hands of Christ our God, intercede incessantly for us Christians, and grant our faithful emperors strength and vigor against their enemies for the glory of Christ, for whom they shed their blood ^C.

EODEM MENSE. Die septima

The contest of the holy martyr Sozon.

The martyr Sozon was born in the region of Lycia, having been a shepherd of sheep. When he once came upon an immense oak near which there was water, he hung up his three arrows and his bow from the tree as a memento of himself; and through the prayers of the holy man, that place received the gift of divine healings. He taught the Greeks and baptized them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. After this, he entered the temple of the idols, tore off the golden hand of the idol, and breaking it into pieces, distributed it to the poor. When the author of this act was sought, and many were being seized, the holy man voluntarily came forward and presented himself to the governor Maximus, confessing the true faith of Christ our God. For this reason, iron soles with sharp nails were fastened to the plants of his feet, and wearing them, he walked about, praising God ^D. Then, being hung from a tree, he was beaten unto death. And his body was cast into...

a furnace of fire. ^A

The same day.

The struggle of the holy martyr Eupsychius.

Eupsychius the martyr was from Caesarea of Cappadocia, under Hadrian the Roman emperor. After the death of his father, he was baptized by the bishop of Caesarea. Thereafter, being denounced by certain persons as a Christian, he was seized by the governor of Caesarea and cast into prison. After this, upon coming out of prison and selling his possessions, he first gave a portion of them to his accusers, as they had become the agents of the kingdom of heaven for him; the rest he distributed to the poor. Being seized again and brought before the governor, he was compelled to sacrifice to idols. Refusing to be persuaded, he was first hung upon a wooden beam and scraped ^B to such a degree that all his inner organs could be seen. Then, being taken down from the wood and struck with a sword, he was perfected, having surrendered his spirit to the Lord.

EODEM MENSE. The eighth day.

The Nativity of our most holy Lady Theotokos and Virgin Mary.

When the Creator God had fashioned mankind for good works, and so that they might know Him alone and do His will, the devil envied them. First, he persuaded Adam to transgress, having been deceived through his wife, Eve. Then he also persuaded the rest of mankind to abandon God and worship lifeless idols. Having compassion, therefore, on His creation, ^C God gave them the Law and the prophets. But as these things were of no avail, He willed to send His Son and Word to assume the form of a man and to deliver men from the hand of the devil. For this reason, He ordained that she who was to give birth in the flesh to His Son—Mary, the immaculate Theotokos—should be born of holy parents, Joachim and Anna, to whom God had promised, as they prayed, to grant the fruit of the womb. Hence, the present feast is called the Nativity. Celebrating this annually, we give thanks to the Lord our God.

EODEM MENSE. The ninth day.

Commemoration of the holy Joachim and Anna, the parents of the Theotokos.

In the people of the Jews there was a man named Joachim, ^D a just and wealthy man, and at every feast he would divide his wealth into two parts. One part he gave to the poor, the other he offered to God. But he was childless. On one of the feast days, therefore, he was offering his gifts to God, and because he had no child, he was reproached by a certain Jew, who said to him, "It is not fitting for you to offer gifts to God with us, because you are childless." Joachim was grieved, and did not return to his

^A house, but went away into the desert, and fasted for forty days, entreating God to grant him the fruit of the womb. Anna meanwhile was praying the same thing in her house. And God, hearing them, sent an angel who promised them the birth of our holy Lady, the Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary. This indeed came to pass, for the salvation of the whole human race.

On the same day ^B The contest of the holy martyr Severianus.

Severianus the martyr was from the city of Sebaste, and was a soldier in the reign of Licinius. When the holy forty martyrs had been arrested and thrust into prison for Christ's sake, he went to them and encouraged them to endure their martyrdom. Having been discovered and seized, he was brought before the tribunal of Lysias the duke. And having openly confessed Christ, and refuted the error, and steadfastly opposed Lysias, he was suspended and scourged with ox-hide thongs, his sides were lacerated, and he was burned with torches. After this, he was suspended from a high wall, bound with ropes, his feet burdened with the weight of massive stones, and his hands tied behind his back. Having been suspended for a long time and suffering under the blows, his nerves being disjointed by the weight of the stones and his limbs dissolved, he meanwhile gave thanks to God and prayed, and thus, having been bitterly tortured, he died, committing his spirit into the hands of God.

ON THE SAME MONTH. The tenth day. Commemoration of the holy Baripsabbas.

At the time when the Jews, out of envy, crucified our Lord Jesus Christ, there was a certain man named Jacob who stood by the cross. He, having seen the soldier pierce the side of the Lord with a spear, and that blood and water flowed forth, ran and took a gourd/pot, received the precious blood in it, and hid it secretly. And when he was dying, he left it to two hermits. And so, handed down through the generations, it came into the hands of a certain pious monk named Baripsabbas, who through it performed many healings. But before he died, taking this same holy blood together with the gourd, he journeyed through every city and region, performing many miracles. Certain men who did not fear God, observing this, came to the conclusion that if they killed Baripsabbas, they would possess the gourd with the precious blood and make a great profit from it. Therefore, they set upon him by night and killed him. They indeed took the gourd, but found nothing of what they had hoped for. He, however, thus slaughtered, gave up his spirit.

On the same day ^D The contest of the holy martyrs and sisters Menodora, Nymphodora, and Metrodora.

Menodora, Nymphodora, and Metrodora, sister martyrs, were from the region of Bithynia, in the time of the Emperor Maximian, dwelling in the Pythia, where...

^A the warm waters emerge. Because they loved Christ, and were teaching the Greeks in His name, they were seized by the ruler of the region. Being questioned, they confessed Christ. For this reason, the eldest sister, Menodora, was beaten first, and her legs were crushed with rods. And thus, praying, she was perfected. The governor commanded her remains to be placed before the other sisters, in order to strike terror into them, and he said to them: "Sacrifice to the gods so that you do not suffer the same things as your sister." But when he did not persuade them, he commanded the executioners to kill them as well. And immediately the executioners, taking iron bars, crushed all their limbs. And thus having completed their martyrdom, they were buried near the warm waters, bestowing healings.

ON THE SAME MONTH. THE ELEVENTH.

Diodorus and Didymus, martyrs of Christ, were from the city of Laodicea in Syria. Being Christians, they instructed everyone in the name of the Lord our God, who made heaven and earth, and all things that are in them. And turning many of the faithless, they baptized them. But having been denounced by the impious Greeks to the ruler of Laodicea, they ^B were brought to his tribunal. And being questioned, and confessing themselves to be Christians, they were severely beaten. Having been tortured for a long time, and not denying Christ, but rather bravely exposing the deception of the idols, and reproaching the ruler as lawless and acting evilly, and spitting in his face because he had abandoned the true God and was devoted to false idols, they met their death while giving thanks and praying to Christ in the midst of their torments.

On the same day ^A The contest of the holy martyr Ia, who suffered martyrdom in Persia.

The martyr of Christ, Ia, was from a Roman fortress situated near the region of Persia. She was taken captive by Sapor, king of the Persians, along with nine thousand ^D Christians. And having been discovered to worship Christ, she was handed over to the chief magi to be punished. They, having urged her to deny Christ, not only failed to persuade her, but were mocked by her. For this reason she was cast into prison, where she was worn down by hunger for an entire year. Then, having been brought out of prison, she was beaten with rods of impure pomegranate. And again, having been shut away for fifteen months, she was brought to the tribunal of the chief magi. And being bound with thin cords, her hands, thighs, and legs were tightened by a winch until her bones made a cracking sound. And again she was beaten on her loins and belly with cowhide straps. And after these things, giving thanks, she was beheaded by the sword.

On the same day: Commemoration of Saint Theodora of Alexandria

Saint Theodora flourished under the Emperor Zeno. She was of outstanding beauty and the daughter of wealthy parents, and had married a pious man who feared God. A certain wealthy man, stirred by the devil, became inflamed with love for her and, having employed a procuress suitable for such purposes, fulfilled his sin. After the sin was committed, Theodora, repenting of the deed and unable to bear the shame, cast off her woman’s garment and put on the poor attire of a man. She went to a monastery of men, giving herself the name Theodore, while her husband meanwhile lay in perpetual mourning and squalor on her account. She endured such temptations from the demons and undertook such a struggle against them that she not only washed away the stain of her sin but was also deemed worthy by God of the gift of many miracles. The monks, believing her to be a man (for she had taken every care to remain hidden), found her to be a woman by nature when they washed her after her death, and they extolled God.

In the same month, the twelfth day. Contest of the holy Hieromartyr Autonomus

The holy martyr Autonomus lived under the Emperor Diocletian and was a bishop in Italy. Because of the persecution stirred up against the Christians, he left Italy and reached Bithynia, where he was received by a certain Christian named Cornelius. Having built a church in the name of the Archstrategos Michael, and having ordained Cornelius as bishop there, he went to Claudiopolis, where he preached the word of God. However, upon returning to visit Cornelius and officiating the liturgy in the temple of the Archstrategos Michael, he provoked the Greeks to fury, for they bore it ill that Christ was worshipped by him while their idols were neglected. Wherefore, having observed the time when he was officiating the sacred rites, they rushed into the church. After putting to flight with swords and clubs those who were around him, they cruelly murdered the holy man upon the very altar, and he yielded his spirit to the Lord. ^C

On the same day. Contest of the holy Hieromartyr Cornutus

The holy martyr Cornutus was from the city of Iconium, a pious presbyter who feared God. When a persecution arose against the Christians, the governor of Iconium, a cruel and inhuman man, was sent to torture the Christians living there. Since all others had fled out of fear, Cornutus, abandoned by all, went to meet the governor. Being questioned by him, he boldly confessed Christ and proclaimed himself a perfect Christian; he exposed the deception of the idols and mocked the governor himself. For this reason he was seized, and having had his feet bound with thin cords, he was dragged along the streets and lanes of the city of Iconium until his blood

flowed like a river upon the ground. And being laid out ^A as if dead, he gave thanks to God, offering prayers. And so, having been tortured for a long time, and calling upon Christ until his very last breath, at the prefect’s command he was beheaded, and committed his soul to God.

Eodem die

The Martyrdom of the Holy Martyr Theodore of Alexandria

This holy martyr Theodore, being a pious and virtuous Christian, publicly preached Christ and confessed Him to be God and the Creator of all things. The people of Alexandria, addicted to the superstition of idols, gathered together, seized him, and tortured him severely. Then, plaiting a crown of thorns, they placed it upon his head; and beating him with rods, they led him bound through the city, ^B exposing him to mockery and jeering. After this, they threw him into the sea. But a gentle breeze brought him safely to land. And having been seized again, he was brought bound before the prefect. When he could not turn him from the faith of Christ, he subjected him to torments again; while he, giving glory to God in the very midst of the torments, gave thanks to His holy name. Finally, condemned by the sentence of the prefect to be beheaded, he was led by the soldiers to the place of execution and beheaded. And thus, having completed his martyrdom, he delivered up his spirit.

OF THE SAME MONTH.

The Martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs Macrobius, Gordianus, and their Companions

These holy martyrs flourished during the reign of Licinius. Macrobius was from Cappadocia, and Gordianus from Paphlagonia. Being young in age, and endowed with bravery and prudence, they were appointed to serve at the king’s table, and because of their virtue and the beauty of their faces, they were greatly loved by him. But having been identified as Christians, and being compelled by entreaties at times and by threats at others to deny Christ, and refusing to be persuaded, they were exiled to the region of Scythia. Having arrived there, they found the holy Zoticus, Lucianus, and Heli ^C striving and contending for the confession of Christ. And after many torments, Zoticus and Lucianus were finished by the sword. But they, together with Heli, were thrown into prison. And he ^D was beheaded, while Macrobius and Gordianus were finished by fire. Valerianus himself breathed his last while weeping at the tomb of the saints.

Eodem die

The Martyrdom of the Holy Hieromartyr Julian of Ancyra in Galatia

During the reign of Licinius, there was a great persecution against the Christians. Now there was a pious priest near Ancyra of Galatia by the name of Julian. On account of the persecution, he fled and went off into

^A a mountain. And he was being hidden in a cave, together with forty-two other holy men. But when the governor of Ancyra came near to the mountain for the sake of sacrificing at a temple of one of the gods of the Greeks, called Hecate, and also to the temple of the governor, they were sought after, so that the holy men might be captured. But as the holy men went out day by day, one by one, to draw water from a nearby spring, and others were receiving it, it fell to holy Julian to fill it with water. And some of the Greeks, seeing him, seized him, and having bound him, they brought him before the governor. But when the governor questioned him concerning the others, he did not betray any of them, but freely professed Christ. A helmet fastened to his head is placed upon him; then having been scraped and severely tortured, he was beheaded.

EODEM MENSE. Die decima quarta 37 Commemoratio Exaltationis pretiosæ et vivificæ Crucis.

Constantine the Great, the first of the Christian emperors, was once waging war, as some say, in Rome against Maxentius, before he gained the empire; but as others believe, against the Scythians by the river Danube. But when he saw numerous hostile forces, he was sick at heart and at a loss for counsel, doubting the outcome of the affair. But at night, seeing the precious cross in the heavens as if inscribed by the stars: "Constantine, by this conquer," he fashioned a cross very similar to it for himself, and conquered the enemies. Wherefore, having been baptized by his mother Helena, he wished to find the precious cross on which the Lord was crucified. And his mother went to Jerusalem, and found it revealed by Judas Cyriacus, who later became bishop: and when all the people had seen it, they were affected with the greatest joy. And the empress, indeed, with the senate, adored it and kissed it. But the people, when they were seized with the greatest desire to adore the cross, and could not because of the numberless crowd of men, asked that they might at least see it, and the, people began to cry out, "Lord, have mercy," and the exaltation was formed. When he saw this, the people erupted into this voice. Kyrie eleison. And hence the type of the Exaltation was expressed.

Eodem die ^D 38 Certamen sancti martyris Papæ.

Papas, a martyr of Christ of many contests, was from the region of Lycia, in the time of Emperor Maximian. When he was teaching the right faith, and freely professing Christ, and persuading many of the Greeks to believe in Him, he was denounced to the governor, and having been seized by him, he was first beaten very severely, and all the bones of his face were broken. Then, having been suspended, he was scraped for a long time. And after these things, iron shoes having long and sharp nails were put upon him. And he was driven forward, being beaten in front of the horses, from his own city to the city of Diocaesarea, and from there to Seleucia. And as he was running, a certain woman, having met him, wiped his blood with a linen cloth, and kissed

it as she wept. Then, being placed under a wild fig tree, and beaten severely, he gave up his spirit to the Lord. And after his death, the fig tree became fruitful. ^A

ON THE SAME MONTH. THE FIFTEENTH DAY.

The Martyrdom of the holy great martyr Nicetas.

The glorious martyr of Christ, Nicetas, lived during the reign of Constantine the Great; he was a Goth by birth, noble and wealthy among his own people, and was instructed in the faith by Theophilus, the most religious bishop of Gothia. When the whole Gothic nation had been divided into two factions, and each had created its own prince, one of the princes fled to the emperor of the Romans. The emperor, having launched an expedition against the other Gothic ruler, ^B defeated him and subdued the Goths; and from that time the race of Christians multiplied among them, with Saint Nicetas being the first, and preaching the faith in Christ to the people with boldness. But after the emperor had returned, the infidel Goths, incited by fury, stirred up a persecution against the Christians; and they tortured others in various ways, but Saint Nicetas, after being tormented with many tortures, was handed over to the fire. ^C

On the same day. Commemoration of our holy Father Philotheus the Wonderworker.

Philotheus the Wonderworker was from the theme of Opsikion; he was a priest, and a great worshiper of God from his youth; for he was assiduously devoted to fasting and prayers; he distributed his wealth to the poor; and he spent his days in mourning and weeping, because he contemplated the punishments of sinners in the next world, and the hell of fire, and the sleepless worm. As he therefore strengthened many, and helped them through his teaching, and served God blamelessly, he received the gift of working wonders, to cast out demons, ^D to heal the sick, to cleanse the lepers, and to bring down rain during the greatest droughts; for the Lord does the will of those who fear Him, and hears their supplications. Thus working wonders, and readily granting the requests to those who approached him, he ended his life in peace. And having been entombed, there flows miraculously from his precious bones, until today, a healing oil.

On the same day. The Martyrdom of the holy martyrs Maximus, Theodotus, and Asclepiodote.

These were during the reign of Maximian, the persecutor of the Christians, and they were from the city of Marcianopolis in Thrace. While they were teaching the word of God, and walking in all His commandments by night and day, and converting many from the error of idols to our Lord Jesus Christ, they were seized by the general of Thrace. And first, they were beaten with rods, and then flayed, until their bones were exposed. Thereafter, having been beheaded...

^A of their hands, feet, and ears, they were cast upon the ground as dead men. Being placed upon wagons, they were led to Adrianople, where they were again urged by the general to sacrifice to the idols, at least in word. But since they could not be persuaded to do this, and instead mocked the idols, asserting that the gods of the gentiles are demons and are themselves accursed, along with those who worship them, they were sentenced to death by beheading. And with them, the martyr Asclepiodota, their kinswoman, also reached her end.

On the same day. Commemoration of the most holy Martin, Pope of Rome. ^B

Our holy Father and confessor Martin was Pope of ancient Rome during the reign of Constans, the grandson of Heraclius. Since this Constans was a Monothelite heretic, and Paul, the Patriarch of Constantinople, followed the same heresy, Pope Martin, upon learning of this, admonished the Emperor and the Patriarch by letter to abjure the heresy of the Monothelites. But when he accomplished nothing, he convened a synod at Rome and anathematized such heresy and those addicted to it. When the Emperor learned of this, he summoned Martin to Constantinople, promising that he would do all that he asked, though he was acting through simulation and fraud. Thus, the saint, arriving, was received with the greatest ignominy by the Emperor and the Patriarch, and, having been despoiled of his goods, was cast into a dark prison. ^C Thereafter, he was exiled to the city of Cherson, where, after suffering many grievous things, he died.

On the same day. The martyrdom of the holy martyr Porphyrius.

The martyr Porphyrius lived during the reign of Julian the Apostate; he used to entertain him as he reclined at table with jests and witticisms, practicing the mimic art. But when he saw that he had renounced our Lord Jesus Christ and was worshipping idols, holding them as gods, moved by divine zeal, he rebuked him before the entire senate, calling him a transgressor, impious, lawless, and ungrateful for the benefits and the empire which God had bestowed upon him. Wherefore, Julian, becoming enraged, first tortured him cruelly with various bitter torments; then he lacerated his entire body by beating it with scourges ^D until his bones were laid bare. Finally, he ordered the executioners to behead him. Having received this sentence, he was led bound to the place of execution and, struck by the sword, he surrendered his life, having attained the immortal King in place of a temporal one, and eternal happiness instead of corruptible pleasures.

On the same day. The martyrdom of the holy martyr Melitina.

The martyr Melitina was from the city of Marcianopolis in Thrace, during the reign of the Roman Caesar Antoninus. While she was preaching Christ, she was seized by Antiochus, the governor of that city. And having confessed herself a Christian...

^A of the same city’s governor, and having confessed herself a Christian, she was beaten severely. Then she was forced to enter the temple of idols and to sacrifice. But having entered, she prayed to God, and the idols fell and were shattered. Because of this, many Greeks believed in Christ, and even the wife of the governor herself. And being beaten again, she was cast into prison. And again, having been brought out of prison, she was hung up naked and her sides were torn. And again, being brought into another idol temple to sacrifice, she prayed; and the idols falling, they were scattered into small pieces. Then having received the sentence by the sword, she was beheaded. Her remains were taken away by a pious man who feared God, Acacius by name, and having carried them away, he laid them to rest on the island of Lemnos.

ON THE SAME MONTH. THE SIXTEENTH.

^B The contest of the three holy virgins and sisters, Faith, Hope, and Charity, and of their mother Sophia.

The martyr of Christ, Sophia, with her three daughters, was from the region of Italy. And desiring to become a Christian, having taken along her three daughters under the reign of Hadrian, she went to Rome and was baptized with them in secret by the bishop of Rome. And after being baptized, they taught others the things concerning Christ. And they turned many to the Lord. But when these things were known, they were seized by Hadrian and tortured. And first, the holy Faith, being ^C twelve years of age, having been hung up and torn, she was beheaded. Then her second sister, Hope, being ten years of age, having been beaten with rods, she too was sentenced to beheading. And the third, the holy Charity, being in her ninth year, having been cast into a furnace and having come out unharmed, she was cut down by the sword. Their mother, Sophia, giving thanks to God for all things, buried them, and having fallen down upon the grave and wept, she gave up her soul.

On the same day. The contest of the holy martyr Agathoclia.

The martyr Agathoclia was by profession a Christian, but a slave of a certain Nicolas ^D and Paulina his wife, who had previously been Christians, but then departed from Christ and worshipped idols. Therefore, the martyr was also urged to deny Christ and to come over to the idols. But as she could not be persuaded to do this, she was tormented for eight years, being examined daily with various tortures. Sometimes she was beaten with rough stones on the spine and the face; at other times with rods on the head and shoulders. As she could not be persuaded to deny Christ, she was crushed with an iron hammer; then, her tongue was cut out, and she was locked in prison, with an order having been given that no one should bring her food. But by the providence of God, a bird called a nightingale, bringing small

fruits, fed her. Afterward her mistress entering the prison, destroyed her with a red-hot iron bar.

^A EODEM MENSE. Die decima septima.

Contest of the holy martyrs Lucia the widow, and Geminianus her spiritual son.

The martyr Lucia shone in the city of Rome during the reign of Maximian, being highly wealthy and illustrious. When she was seventy-five years of age, and had completed her thirty-sixth year in widowhood, she had a legitimate son named Eutropius, who was addicted to the superstition of idols. She was unable to persuade him to come to Christ, but rather was denounced by him to Maximian. Having been seized, and refusing to sacrifice to the idols, she was cast into a cauldron filled with boiling lead and pitch. But having emerged from it unharmed and unscathed, she was led through the city and paraded about, and beaten. Saint Geminianus met her, followed her, and shortly after being baptized, was called her spiritual son. Together with her, he came into the sight of the emperor and confessed Christ. For this reason, he was tortured. But being led by a holy angel to Tauromenium, there Geminianus was executed by the sword by the governor, and Lucia fell asleep in peace.

^B EODEM MENSE. Die decima octava.

Contest of the holy hieromartyr Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem.

The holy martyr Simeon flourished under the Emperor Trajan, being the second bishop of Jerusalem after James, the brother of the Lord. He was a cousin of the Lord himself and of James, being the son of Cleophas. For this man and Joseph, who was called the father of the Lord according to the flesh, or rather named so, were lawful brothers. This Simeon, being accused by the Jews of preaching Christ, was seized by the ^C prefects of the Greeks and beaten severely. Having been examined with many tortures, he was shut up in prison, to be consumed by hunger and filth. Being brought out from there, since he could in no way be induced to deny Christ, he was nailed to a cross and met his death, being one hundred and twenty years of age. His sacred body was committed to the earth by his relatives, but his blessed soul, ascending into heaven, rejoices eternally with the saints in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eodem die.

Commemoration of holy Eumenius, bishop of Gortyna, the wonderworker.

Eumenius the wonderworker was from his youth a pious Christian, fearing God. Although he was rich, he distributed all his possessions to the poor. He himself spent all the days of his life in fastings and prayers; ^D and he diligently followed that exhortation of the great apostle

For he rejoiced with those who rejoiced ^A and wept with those who wept. He always walked about with eyes suffused with tears. He also made it his practice never to entertain slander against anyone, nor to condemn a man. But if ever he heard of some transgression against a person, he thought that he himself was the one who had committed it. Therefore, for such virtues of his, being chosen by the clergy and the people, he was ordained bishop of Gortyna, on the island of Crete. And having lived in the episcopate for many years, and having taught many people the things that pertain to the kingdom of heaven, and having received the grace of many miracles, he fell asleep, remaining wondrous even after death up to this day.

On the same day.

The Contest of the holy martyr Ariadne.

ON THE SAME MONTH. 19th.

The Contest of the holy martyrs Trophimus, Dorymedon, and Sabbatius.

The same day: The contest of the holy hieromartyr Januarius, bishop of Benevento, and his company.

The same day: The contest of the holy one hundred and fifty martyrs, Nilus, Peleus, Elias, and their company.

In the same month: The twentieth day. The commemoration of the holy martyr of Christ, Susanna.

of a man upon her; and having been examined by a virgin, and found to be by nature a woman, she put her accuser to shame. Afterwards, having gone to Eleutheropolis, on account of her virtue she was ordained a deaconess by the bishop. And because she proclaimed Christ with boldness, she was seized by the governor. And having been tortured much, and cast into prison, she departed to the Lord. ^A

On the same day, the Contest of the holy great martyr Eustathius, and of his wife Theopistis, and of their children Theopistus and Agapius.

The great martyr Eustathius was a general of the army in Rome, under the Emperor Trajan, himself being called Placidus, and his wife Tatiana. But because of his almsgiving, God wished to provide for his salvation. For as Eustathius was hunting, Christ appeared to him in the shape of a stag, having between its horns a cross shining brighter than the sun, and in the middle the image of Christ; and a voice came forth from the stag saying: "Placidus, why do you persecute me? I am Jesus Christ." Having therefore believed in Him, and been baptized together with his wife, and children, and his whole house, he was so much attacked by the devil, that he not only suffered the loss of his wealth, but also saw his wife led away captive, and his children snatched away by wild beasts, and saw himself naked in a strange land, forced to provide his living by mercenary labor. But God restored to him his wife, and children, and riches. For having been sought after by the emperor, he was placed in his former rank of dignity. But later, having been known to be a Christian, he was cast into a heated brazen bull, together with his wife and children, and was perfected. ^{B C}

ON THE SAME MONTH. THE TWENTY-FIRST.

Commemoration of our holy Fathers Isacius and Meletius, bishops of Cyprus.

The holy and blessed Fathers Isacius and Meletius were bishops of the Church of Cyprus at different times. Isacius indeed earlier, but Meletius later; yet each shone with equal piety. For carrying the fear of God always with them, and being conspicuous in the pontificate, they blamelessly offered the liturgy to God, and readily distributed all their possessions to the poor, and according to the prophet, showing mercy and lending all day long, not only bread, but also the faithful word in teaching. They took care of widows, followed orphans with mercy, raised up dejected spirits, becoming everything to all people, so that they might gain everyone. Having lived thus, they were deemed worthy also of the gift of miracles. And having helped many through their healings, in extreme old age, at different times, as it is said, but nevertheless on the same day of the year, they departed to the God whom they had served with the greatest zeal from their earliest youth. ^D

On the same day: The Contest of the holy martyr Theodore, who suffered martyrdom in Perge of Pamphylia.

^A The martyr Theodore flourished under the Roman Emperor Antoninus, seventy-six years before the holy Theodore who suffered martyrdom at Amasea. He also served in the legion of recruits, for he was flourishing in his youth, great in stature, and beautiful in appearance. But when he was compelled to sacrifice to the idols, he neglected his earthly military service and the emperor who was prone to corruption, saying, "I have served the heavenly King Christ since I was baptized, and I am unwilling to serve a king on earth." Wherefore, having been seized by the governor and beaten, he was cast into a furnace; yet he came out of it unharmed, not having suffered even the slightest injury. Two soldiers, Socrates and Dionysius, seeing him unharmed by the fire, were astonished by the greatness of the miracle and converted to the faith of Christ; and they were immediately beheaded along with the mother of the holy one, named Philippa, who had come a little while before out of a desire to visit her son. Theodore himself, having first been tortured with various kinds of torments and lastly affixed to a cross, joyfully flew to the heavens.

On the same day: The Contest of the holy hieromartyr and apostle Quadratus, bishop of Magnesia, and his company.

^B Quadratus, the divine hieromartyr and apostle of Christ, was bishop of the city of Magnesia under the emperors Decius and Valerian. When he heard that Decius was staying in the city of Caesarea, he set out from Magnesia to Nicomedia, in order to visit the holy ones who were shut up in the prisons and to exhort them to endure martyrdom for Christ with a ready spirit; but he was apprehended by the proconsul of Nicomedia. When he was brought to his tribunal along with the other martyrs, he was the first to refute the deception of the idols; and while the others were beaten and again locked up, he himself was sent away to Caesarea to Decius. And when he could not be induced by any artifice to deny Christ, and, being unwilling to yield, was examined by diverse torments ^C and, by the grace of God, delivered from all of them, he was finally cast into a fiercely burning furnace. But even from this he emerged unharmed, and by order of the emperor, he had his holy head cut off and thus reached his end.

On the same day: The Contest of the holy martyr Priscus.

The martyr of Christ, Priscus, burning with love for God and deeply desiring divine baptism, abandoned his ancestral impiety and became a Christian. Wherefore, he wandered far and wide, boldly preaching Christ, inflaming the spirits of all Christians to undergo martyrdom, and also instructing many of the Greeks, converting them to Christ and baptizing them. As he was doing these things, he was denounced by the idolaters to the governor of the region because he was bringing insult upon the greatest gods. ^D

and disregarding the imperial decrees, and persuading everyone to worship and adore a crucified God. Hearing this, the governor was seized by violent wrath and cried out to the soldiers: "Let the evildoer Priscus be brought immediately and be punished." Arrested, he was beaten severely; then, hanging suspended, his sides were raked, and he was pierced with daggers. Finally, being beheaded, he departed to God. ^A

IN THE SAME MONTH. The twenty-second day.

Contest of the holy hieromartyr Phocas, bishop of Sinope

The holy martyr of Christ, Phocas, was born and raised in the city of Sinope during the reign of Trajan. While he was still a child, he received from God the gift of miracles: for he cast out demons, raised the dead, and saved ships that were in great peril. Having gone from Sinope to the city of Amasea, he performed similar wonders everywhere, and confirmed many in the faith of Christ. After this, returning to Sinope, he was appointed its bishop, and through his miracles he converted many of the Greeks to Christ and baptized them. ^B Later, he learned of his departure through a dove. For it seemed to him in his sleep that he saw a dove come and settle upon his head, offer him a crown, and say: "Receive, Phocas, the symbol of your end." A little while later, Emperor Trajan sent lictors who arrested him. After being tortured severely, he was at last beheaded. Then he was also cast into the fire. ^C

On the same day.

Commemoration of the holy and glorious prophet Jonah

Jonah, the great and glorious prophet, was from the region of the Jews. Being commanded by God to go to the city of Nineveh and proclaim that within three days Nineveh would be overthrown, he, knowing that God is merciful and would grant pardon to the Ninevites if they repented, disobeyed God and, boarding a ship, attempted to flee. But the sea, having become savage at the command of God, sought to devour him. The sailors, casting lots and realizing that they were in danger because of him, took him and threw him into the sea. The sea grew calm, but a sea monster swallowed him, and after three days it cast him onto dry land unharmed. ^D Then, having gone to Nineveh, he carried out the command of God. Afterwards, returning to his own land and taking his mother, he went away into a foreign country; for he was ashamed to dwell in his own land, because his prophecy had been proven false. For God had shown mercy to the Ninevites who repented. Having prophesied many other things as well, he passed away.

On the Same Day [the 22nd]

This Jonah was a presbyter, distinguished for piety and understanding, the father of the most blessed confessor Theodore, and of Theophanis, the writer of the canons. It was this Theodore whose face Leo Caballinus, the iconoclast, marked with ink and wounded, because he could not persuade him to deny the worship and reverence of the holy icons of Christ, of the Theotokos who gave birth to Him without seed, and of all His saints. Having therefore renounced the affairs of the world, the aforementioned holy Jonah retired to the lavra of Saint Sabas and became a monk. He applied himself to such ascesis—fasting, prayer, constant tears, and weeping—that he drew all into admiration of him and inspired many with the desire to imitate his exact and virtuous life. For this reason, he received the gift of healings, by which he benefited those who approached him. Having lived in this manner and having appeared ^B admirable to all, he departed to God.

OF THE SAME MONTH, THE 23RD DAY

Zacharias, the prophet and father of John the Baptist, was a priest of God. Having entered the temple at one time to offer incense, while the Jews stood outside the temple, he saw the angel of God, Gabriel, standing at the right side of the altar of ^C incense, and he was terrified. But the angel, seeing him in distress, said to him: "Do not fear, Zacharias, because your prayer has been heard. And your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And there shall be joy and exultation for you, and many shall rejoice at his birth." But Zacharias, seeing that he himself was elderly and his wife was advanced in age, said: "Lord, how shall this be possible for me?" To whom the angel replied: "I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I was sent to announce these things to you; and behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day the son is born to you." And he remained deaf and mute until ^D John was born.

On the Same Day

Irais, the martyr of Christ, an Alexandrian, a virgin and a nun, having gone out at one time from the monastery to fetch water from the spring for her superior, saw on a ship passing along the seashore the prefect of the city, who was taking with him a multitude of Christian prisoners—presbyters, deacons, holy women, and virgins. And running up, and having inquired of the virgins for what reason they were in chains, and they replied to her...

"For the sake of Christ, that we might bear witness for Him and be saved." Hearing these things, Irais entreated the executioners, and they bound her also with the remaining saints. And when the saints had reached the city of Antinoopolis, and had been tortured much by the governor, and yet refused to sacrifice to idols, but rather kept the faith in Christ until death, they were all beheaded—first Irais, and then the rest of the multitude. ^A

Eodem die.

Commemoration of the holy women Xanthippe and Polyxena

Saint Xanthippe was a woman in the time of Claudius Caesar of the Romans; she was the wife of Probus, the governor of Spain, and had a virgin sister, Polyxena by name. When the holy apostle Paul had gone to the region of Spain, and was preaching Christ, Xanthippe came to him; and having been catechized by him in the faith, she was first of all baptized, and then she persuaded her husband, Probus, also to become a Christian. ^B Similarly, her sister Polyxena was also taught by the same apostle at that time; but after his departure, when she heard the great apostle Andrew preaching the faith of the truth in Patras of Achaia, she went to him, and having learned more perfectly the things pertaining to Christ, she received baptism. Having returned again to her own country, she found her sister Xanthippe shining with every kind of virtue, and was received by her with joy. ^C And after both had taught many the faith of Christ, they completed their lives.

IN THE SAME MONTH. THE TWENTY-FOURTH.

The Contest of the holy protomartyr Thecla.

The protomartyr Thecla was the daughter of a certain noble and wealthy woman from the city of Iconium, by the name of Theoclia. When the holy apostle Paul had gone to Iconium, she heard him teaching the words of God in the house of Onesiphorus, and she was, when she believed, eighteen years of age. She was betrothed in marriage to a wealthy man, Thamyris by name; but despising her mother, her husband, and wealth, she followed the apostle, and having gone with him to Antioch of Pisidia, she was given over to the beasts by the governor Alexander. ^D And having been harmed in nothing, she was delivered to bulls; but having been rescued from these also by the grace of God, she converted many to the Lord, having as a fellow-worker a certain Tryphaena, a God-fearing woman who had received her into her lodging. Having returned again to her own fatherland, she dwelt upon a certain mountain near Seleucia, living a tranquil life and illustrious for the frequency of her miracles. And when certain wicked men desired to go there and violate her, a rock was split into parts and received the saint, who was ninety years of age.

^A

OF THE SAME MONTH. THE TWENTY-FIFTH DAY.

67 Commemoration of the great and terrible earthquake, when a boy was snatched up into the air.

In the reign of Theodosius the Great, an earthquake occurred such as had never happened within human memory. Wherefore the entire populace, together with the emperor and the patriarch, having abandoned the city, went out into the field near the Hebdomon and remained there, because the earthquake was incessant. But while they were carrying supplications from the Hebdomon into the field toward the tribunal, and were adding to the "Holy God, holy mighty, holy immortal" the words "who wast crucified for us"—which were of the heresy of the Theopaschites, who blasphemed by claiming that the Divinity also suffered on the cross—suddenly a boy was snatched up from the midst of the crowd and carried into the air. And while all were crying out in fear, "Lord, have mercy," the boy descended quietly as if by a cloud, and commanded the people to be silent. And he said that the choirs of the angels sing the Trisagion hymn without that addition, "who wast crucified for us." When the boy had said this, he immediately fell dead, and with the heresy, the earthquake also came to an end. And all wondered, giving glory to God. ^B

68 The contest of the holy martyr Paphnutius.

The cruelty of the impious emperor Diocletian made many Christians martyrs, not only from among the laity but also from among the monks; of whose number was the holy Paphnutius. For he, hailing from Egypt, renounced the world and spent ^C the greater part of his life in the deserts. But since he was turning many of the Greeks toward Christ, he was sought after by the governor to be put to death. Many being arrested on his account, he was commanded by an angel, and of his own accord went and stood before the governor; and having confessed Christ, he was bound in iron chains. And being hung upon a beam, he was scraped until his entrails fell to the ground. But he became whole again, an angel having restored these to his body; from this, many believed in Christ. And the governor, seeing this, sent him along with those who had believed to the emperor Diocletian. And by him he was crucified upon a palm tree, and was perfected. And on that same day, four hundred and forty-seven martyrs were beheaded. ^D

69 Commemoration of the holy Euphrosyne, who was called Smaragdus.

Many are the ways of salvation. For indeed, the holy Euphrosyne, being the daughter of a certain rich man, and intending to be given in marriage, having learned of this, and having set her heart on being the bride of Christ, fled to one of the holy elders, and by him was made a nun. And fearing lest she be recognized by her father, having put on man's clothing and changed her name, she called herself Smaragdus, and departed to a man's mon...

monastery, whither also her father had been accustomed to go by custom. ^B And afterwards, when he would arrive there and speak often with the prefect of the monastery about the flight of his daughter—the daughter herself usually looking on and listening, and appearing to suffer grief for that same cause—in the meantime she was never recognized by her father. But when she had lived in the monastery for eighteen years, she fell into a sickness; and having summoned her father, she said: "I am your daughter; do not be sad." And having said this, she fell asleep.

ON THE SAME MONTH. 26th DAY.

ON THE SAME MONTH. 27th DAY.

^A On the same day. The martyrdom of the holy martyr Callistratus and his 184 companions. Callistratus, a martyr distinguished by many contests, flourished in Rome under the Emperor Diocletian, a wise man and a worshiper of Christ. Having been seized by the prefect of the troops, and being unable in any way to be brought to deny Christ, he was scourged most severely; then, bound with ropes, he was dragged over the sharpest potsherds. Afterwards, being enclosed in a sack, he was thrown into the sea, but the sack having been torn open, he emerged from the sea unharmed. Moved by this miracle, forty-nine soldiers believed in Christ. On this account, they were beaten by the prefect of the troops and thrown into prison together with the holy Callistratus, from whom they were instructed regarding judgment, reward, resurrection, and the soul. Later, having been led out of prison with the soldiers and having poured forth a prayer to God, he overthrew the idols; by this prodigy, another one hundred and thirty-five soldiers believed in Christ, and so they were all beheaded.

^B IN THE SAME MONTH, THE 28TH DAY. The commemoration of our holy Father Chariton the confessor and master of the desert. Our holy Father and confessor of Christ, Chariton, was from the city of Iconium, under the Emperor Aurelian. Having been seized by the prefect and having confessed Christ, he was scourged most severely and thrown into a fire, yet was not burned. He was then cast into prison. When the Emperor Aurelian died and the persecution ceased, he was released and made his way to Jerusalem. But on the journey, he was captured by robbers and brought in chains to a cave. By chance, a snake crept into the wine vessel of the robbers and spat its venom into it. When the robbers drank the wine, they died. Then the holy Chariton distributed to the poor all the goods gathered by the robbers from plunder and slaughter, and he went away to another cave in the desert and dwelt there; and having undergone many struggles, he was deemed worthy to perform very many miracles. Finally, after having drawn many to God by his virtue and teaching, he rested.

^D On the same day. The martyrdom of the holy martyrs Alphaeus, Alexander, Marcus, and their companions. Under the Emperor Diocletian, Marcus the martyr was feeding sheep on a certain mountain near Antioch in Pisidia; he cultivated virtues with such zeal that even wild beasts were subject to his command. For when certain hunters were pursuing a bear, it fled for refuge to the holy man and licked his feet; the hunters, having watched this, reported the whole matter to the governor of Antioch, who, having sent thirty soldiers, ordered the holy man to be seized. And they, being instructed by him on the road, were converted to the faith of Christ. Which when the governor learned, he

^A forced into [the form of] a man, and renaming herself Smaragdus, she went off to a male monastery, to which her father also used to go by custom. And after this, when he came again and was recounting to the abbot the flight of his daughter, he saw her many times standing there with the abbot, in the guise of a man, and ostensibly sorrowing on account of his daughter; but he did not recognize her. Having spent eighteen years in the monastery, she fell ill; and having summoned her father, she said, "I am your daughter; do not sorrow." And having said this, she fell asleep.

OF THE SAME MONTH.

XXVI. The Translation of the holy John the Theologian and Evangelist.

The great Apostle and Evangelist John, after the ascension of the Lord and the repose of the Theotokos, came to Ephesus, preaching the Gospel of Christ. And having been accused before Domitian, the Roman emperor, he was exiled to the island of Patmos. There he also wrote his holy Gospel. After the death of Domitian, being recalled, he returned again to Ephesus. And after teaching many, and leading them to Christ through baptism, he foresaw his own departure. And when the Lord's day arrived, ^B having taught the brethren the mighty works of God, and having commanded them to preserve all things that had been taught to them by him, he ordered his disciple to take men carrying the tools necessary for digging, and to follow him. And having come to the place, he gave orders to dig a deep, cross-shaped pit. And having prayed and said, "Peace be with you, brethren," he lay down in the pit. At that time, the disciples covered him and departed. And after this, when they returned to see him, they did not find him.

OF THE SAME MONTH.

XXVII. The Contest of the holy martyr Epicharis.

Epicharis, the martyr of Christ, lived in Rome under Diocletian the emperor; she was seized by Caesarius the prefect. And having confessed Christ with boldness, she is hung up and flayed. ^C Thereafter she is struck with leaden hammers by four soldiers; these, while she was praying, were destroyed by angels. Thereafter her fellow-assessor advised the governor to behead her. Having received the sentence by the sword, and while she was praying, the stone that was found beneath her feet gushed forth a multitude of water. And having fulfilled her prayer, and having bowed her neck, she was struck by the executioner, and her spirit was committed into the hands of the living God; for "the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God" (Wisd. III, 1). ^D Her precious body was honorably buried by a certain Felix, a senator and pious Christian; it pours forth healings to all who approach it with faith, readily putting to flight every disease, and every calamity and sorrow, even to this day.

The Same Day: The Contest of the Holy Martyrs Ripsimia, Gaiana, and their Companions.

^A The martyr Ripsimia, together with Gaiana, were virgins and monastics in the region of Armenia. ^B Gaiana was an old woman, while Ripsimia was young, noble, and of exceptional physical beauty. Learning of her beauty, Tiridates was seized by an uncontrolled passion for her; and having sent for her and captured her, he forced himself upon her for an illicit union. As he did not prevail over her because of the power of Christ, he lay grieving, as if dead. Having pursued the holy woman as she fled, the soldiers caught up with her and compelled her to renounce Christ. When she would not be persuaded, they tore her clothes, bound her hands behind her back, cut out her tongue, gouged out her eyes, and cast her body into the fire; then later, being cut by swords, she surrendered her soul. Along with her, seventy Christian men and thirty-two women were put to death. As for the holy Gaiana, having first had the skin of her entire body flayed and her bones crushed with a stone, she was in this manner beheaded.

MONTH OF OCTOBER: The First Day

^C

The Contest of the Holy Hieromartyr and Apostle Ananias, Bishop of Damascus.

Ananias, the martyr and apostle of Christ, was a disciple of the great apostles Peter and Andrew, and was ordained by them as bishop of the city of Damascus. While he was residing in the same city, he learned that Paul, who was then a persecutor of the Church of Christ, was coming from Jerusalem to arrest him, and he prepared to flee. But the Lord appeared to him and commanded him not to flee, but to remain and baptize him, so that he might recover his sight. For he had been blinded on the road when a light shone around him, and a voice proceeded from the light, saying: "Saul, why do you persecute me? I am Jesus the Christ; but go to Ananias, and be baptized, and you will recover your sight." Having therefore fulfilled the command of the Lord, Ananias baptized Saul, changing his name and calling him Paul. Afterwards, having been captured by the idolaters, he was brought before Lucianus the governor and was beaten, and his sides were flayed; finally, being cast out of the city, he was stoned. ^D And having been perfected, he was buried in that same city of Damascus.

The Same Day: The Contest of the Holy Martyr Michael and his companions, the thirty-six monks.

Saint Michael, with his companions the thirty-six monks, lived a solitary life in the time of the emperors Constantine and Irene, in a monastery near the city of Sebaste. When Alim, the emir of the Saracens, made an incursion into that region, he captured the saints and compelled them to renounce Christ and to accept the superstition of the Aga-

Agarenes. But the holy Fathers were not persuaded; instead, they withstood him, spitting upon him and saying: "We do not fear your tortures, nor do we do your will, for you are enemies of the cross of Christ. Rather, we trample upon your impiety, being strengthened by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then Michael, the most ^A holy hegumen, stood in their midst and exhorted the monks greatly to be constant in their confession of Christ. Therefore, all of them, being confirmed and animated by his teaching, having eagerly bent their necks, were beheaded. And last of all, the most holy Michael, struck by the sword, ^B finished his life.

Eodem die

Commemoration of the holy Romanos, the writer of kontakia.

The holy Romanos was from Syria, being a deacon of the holy Church in Berytus. Having reached Constantinople in the times of the Emperor Anastasius, he went away and stayed in the temple of the most holy Theotokos in the Kyros district, where he also received the gift of the kontakia. For living in blamelessness, and spending the nights in vigil, and praying during the all-night service of the Blachernae, he used to return again to Kyros. Now on one of the nights, while he was sleeping, the most holy Theotokos appeared to him in a dream and handed him a scroll of paper, and said: "Take this paper and eat it." The saint then thought that he opened his mouth and swallowed the paper. It was, in fact, the feast of the holy Nativity of Christ. And immediately having awakened from sleep, he was filled with wonder, and glorified God. Then having ascended to the ambo, he began to sing: "The Virgin today brings forth the Supersubstantial One." And having also composed kontakia for other feasts, about a thousand in number, he departed to the Lord.

Eodem die

Contest of the holy martyr Domninus.

The holy martyr Domninus was from the city of Thessalonica, a pious Christian and one who feared God. When Maximian was building a royal palace in Thessalonica, having been identified as a Christian, he was seized and brought before him. And Maximian said to him with anger: "How is it that, with me present here, you dare to proclaim yourself a Christian, and turning away from the gods, confess another God? But sacrifice to them, if you wish to live." But the saint having said that it is right for every Christian to acknowledge one God and to worship and reverence Him, and to scorn those who are thought to be gods, Maximian ordered the soldiers to lacerate his mouth with whips. And when he saw him remaining unmoved in his conviction toward our Lord Jesus Christ, he ordered him to be taken outside the city and to have his legs broken. And thus shattered, he survived for seven days, having taken no food, and until the very end, giving thanks, he rendered up his spirit.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The Second Day. 84

^A 84 The Contest of the holy Cyprian and Justina. Cyprian, a wise high priest under the Emperor Decius, was born in Antioch of Syria. He was at first a philosopher and a perfect magician. But afterwards he became a Christian for the following reason: A certain virgin lived in that city, Justina by name, who had been baptized by Optatus the bishop. A certain Greek, called Aglaidas, ardently loved her. But when he could not obtain his desire, he fled to Cyprian, asking him to induce Justina to consent to him by means of magic arts. When Cyprian had sent the demons of fornication to solicit the virgin for the third time, he was nevertheless unable to conquer her soul, which was always intent on pouring out prayers to God. But he himself, rather, being seized by the last demon he had sent, understood that the magic art was vain and futile. Wherefore, having burned his books, he was baptized; and he made such progress in virtue that he was ordained bishop, and taught many the faith of Christ. At length, having been arrested together with Justina by the prefect of Damascus, he was beheaded for Christ.

On the same day. 85 The Contest of our holy Father Theophilus the Confessor. Our holy Father and confessor of Christ, Theophilus, was a pious monk who feared God, in the time of the reign of Leo the Isaurian; ^B whom, when he saw him striving with the greatest zeal to overthrow the holy images and to draw all toward the heresy of the Iconoclasts, he, kindled with divine zeal, approached him: and with a confident spirit rebuked him, calling him a transgressor, a precursor of Antichrist, and a deserter of the orthodox faith. Wherefore, exciting him to wrath and indignation, he was first most severely beaten; then he was cast into prison, so that his body might be consumed by fasting. ^C Afterwards, being led out of custody, when he was again urged to abjure the cult and adoration of the holy images, and could not be induced to do so, he was sent into exile, in which, having suffered many hardships and very many troubles, and glorifying God for all things, and giving thanks to His holy name, he departed joyfully to Christ.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The Third Day. 85 The Contest of the most holy martyr Dionysius the Areopagite, bishop of Athens. The great Dionysius in the city of Athens was one of those who excelled in glory, wealth, and wisdom; ^D he was a judge of causes in the place they call the Areopagus. But when the holy apostle Paul had set out for Athens and was preaching Christ, being keen of intellect, he easily understood the truth and believed in Christ. And having been baptized, he was ordained bishop of Athens; teaching many of the Greeks, and returning them to God, and baptizing them. He learned also the secret mysteries of God…

^A from the holy Hierotheus the bishop, and wrote many books about the heavenly powers. But having been denounced to the prefect of the Athenians by the idolaters, he was seized with his two disciples; and having undergone many torments, he himself was the first to be beheaded. And receiving his head with his own hands, he walked two miles. And he did not put it down until he met a Christian woman, and delivered it to her. Afterwards his two disciples were also beheaded.

IN THE SAME MONTH, THE FOURTH DAY

^B The contest of the holy martyrs Adauctus and his daughter Callisthenes.

The martyr Adauctus was from the city of Ephesus. He held the rank of duke in the time of the emperor Maximinus, and he had a virgin daughter, very beautiful, named Callisthenes. Maximinus, having heard about her, sent for her to come to him. But her father hid her, sending her away to the regions of the East. When Maximinus learned of this, he was filled with rage, and seized Adauctus under the pretext of Christianity; and having confiscated his property, he exiled him to Mesopotamia, having written to the prefect of Mesopotamia to compel him to sacrifice to the idols; and if he did not obey, to kill him. The prefect, having failed to persuade him, beheaded him. Then he was buried by his wife and daughter. ^C But when Licinius had obtained the empire, Callisthenes approached the empress, and narrated everything. And at the empress’s command, she transferred the remains of her father to Ephesus; where, after she herself had lived a virtuous life, she died.

On the same day

The contest of the holy hieromartyr Peter, bishop of the Capitolei.

This Peter was a Greek; but when he tasted the teaching of Christ, he believed and was baptized together with his wife, his children, and his whole house. Then, reading and learning the divine Scripture, he was ordained bishop of the Church of the Capitolei. And as he was teaching many ^D of the Greeks and returning them to Christ, when a persecution was stirred up against the Christians, he was seized by the idolaters; and having been severely beaten and bound in chains, he was delivered to the governor. The governor, not having persuaded him to sacrifice to the idols, gouged out his eyes, cut out his tongue, severed his ears, and cut the sinews of his hands and feet. After inflicting these torments, he prepared a cross and hung the holy man upon it, while he was praying to God and saying, "Lord, do not lay this sin to their charge." And while he was still breathing, the soldiers came and beheaded him; and thus he completed his life.

^A Eodem die 89 Dormitio sancti Patris nostri Pauli Simplicis.

Paulus, who was called "the Simple" because of his manner, was a farmer. Having taken a wife who was beautiful in body but corrupt in character, he was returning home one day from the field when he discovered his wife committing adultery. Leaving his home and his children, he went out into the wilderness. He went to the great Antonius and asked to be initiated as a monk. Antonius, observing that he was an old man, said, "An old man of sixty years is not at all able to endure the labors and hardships." Paul replied, "Whatever you bid me, I will do." Antonius therefore made a trial of him, and finding him prepared to endure all things, he tonsured him and made him a monk. He built a cell for him separately in another cave and gave it to him to dwell in. There he applied himself to virtue with such zeal that he was deemed worthy to perform miracles. For when a certain youth possessed by a demon came to Antonius, with Antonius absent, Paul cast the demon out. After these things he ended his life.

Eodem die 90 Certamen sacrosancti martyris Dionysii patriarchæ Alexandrini.

Our holy Father Dionysius flourished in the time of the emperors Valerian and Gallienus. When a persecution against all Christians was stirred up, and especially against the bishops (for the emperors thought that if the bishops were suppressed, the remaining Christians would fall under their power without difficulty), the prefect of Alexandria seized the holy Dionysius. He compelled him to deny Christ and sacrifice to idols; but when he could not be induced to do so by any means, he was relegated to the interior of Egypt so that all opportunity of seeing him would be denied to his friends. In this exile, he did not cease to instruct in the faith of Christ those who came to him. He was not only pelted with stones by the idolaters and tortured with various kinds of torments, but by the order of the prefect he was again deported to a more desolate and inhospitable place. There, having endured many trials, he finally had his holy head severed by the sword. ^C

Eodem die 91 Certamen sanctorum martyrum et diaconorum Gaii, Fausti, Eusebii et Cheremonis.

These deacons and martyrs were disciples of the holy martyr Dionysius. Gaius and Faustus were his companions in that exile and, after many tortures and tribulations, reached the end of their lives through martyrdom. But Eusebius and Chæremon, after their master and high priest was condemned to exile, strengthened by divine power, visited those saints who were in bonds and ministered to them. They also gathered the relics of the holy martyrs and gave them burial. Thus they continued until the times of the emperor Decius, never withdrawing, but confessing Christ with the greatest freedom, and preaching His saving incarnation to all. ^D

^A For this reason, having been seized themselves by the idolaters and bound in iron chains, they were delivered to the prefect of Alexandria. And after being subjected to many tortures, finally Eusebius was hanged upon a wooden beam and, having been flayed, was brought to his end. Chæremon for his part expired while being beaten with rods.

On the same day. 92

Commemoration of our holy Father among the saints and hierarch Hierotheus.

Hierotheus, the great hierarch, was one of the nine men who were senators in the city of Athens, and the teacher of Dionysius the Areopagite. Having been instructed in the things concerning Christ by the holy apostles, he followed them, and joined them in singing the doxology, composing and chanting funeral hymns at the falling asleep of our holy and most glorious Lady, the ^B Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary, and he excelled in the sight of the apostles in all things. And he arrived at such a degree of wisdom and knowledge of God that he also, after the holy Dionysius had believed in Christ through the great apostle, Paul, taught him—by the power and co-operation of the all-holy Spirit—concerning the celestial powers, and the angelic orders, and the whole celestial world. He also wrote many other books, discoursing upon great mysteries. Having lived the whole time of his life in piety and virtue, and having served God in many ways, and having been deemed worthy of many gifts, at last he was brought to his end and found rest.

On the same day. ^C 93

Contest of the holy Dometius the Persian.

The holy Dometius the Persian, in the time of Constantine the Great, was instructed in piety by a certain Christian. Having been baptized, and having left behind parents and wealth, he departed to the monastery of the holy Sergius and Bacchus, near Theodosiopolis; and he became a monk. Where, also, because of his virtue, he was ordained a deacon. And when the archimandrite was at one time celebrating the liturgy, Dometius, holding the rhipidion near the holy table, saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove fluttering around ^D the holy gifts and resting upon them; for he had such a pure soul that he could behold the Holy Spirit in bodily form, and his mind was illuminated by Him. When the archimandrite wanted to ordain him a presbyter also, he took to flight and hid himself in a cave, where he benefited many of those who came to him by teaching them. When Julian the Apostate learned of this, he sent men who stoned him to death.

On the same day. 94

Commemoration of the holy Amun the Egyptian.

Amun the God-bearer became a wonder among the ascetics. He was originally from Egypt and was a lover of the monastic life from his youth. But during the times of the emperor Maximian, he withdrew into the desert, and having gone away, he lived in quietude, content with only one garment.

night and day, being nourished by the herbs which the earth bore of its own accord. His life continued until the struggles of the Great Antony; from whom the blessed soul of Amoun, upon departing the body ^A and being carried up to heaven, was seen by the holy Antony while he was sitting and teaching the brethren some soul-profiting words. Suddenly rising, he looked upon it being escorted by angels and glorified God. Those who were present asked him, and having learned the matter, they noted the hour; and upon departing for Egypt, after ten days they found that the holy Amoun had fallen asleep at that very hour which Antony had spoken of.

ON THE SAME DAY.

The Contest of Saint Mamelchtha the Martyr.

^B Saint Mamelchtha was of Persian origin and a priestess of the temple of Diana, but she had a Christian sister. Having lapsed into sleep, she saw an angel of God showing her the mysteries of the Christians. And having awakened in fear, she related it to her sister. She brought her to the bishop. And the bishop, having understood the symbol of the vision, said to her: "It behoves you to become a Christian." Whom he immediately baptized, and her own sister received her. Wherefore the Gentiles, having been moved to madness, punished her and killed her with stones, while she was still clad in the shining garments of holy baptism. And they cast her into a very deep pit, from which the Christians with difficulty retrieved her. The bishop went to the king of the Persians and requested, and obtained, authority to tear down the temple of ^C Diana and to build a church in the name of the holy martyr; which, having built, he deposited her precious relics within it.

ON THE SAME DAY.

The Contest of Saint Charitina the Martyr.

The martyr of Christ, Charitina, lived during the time of the emperor Diocletian and the count Domitius, being the slave of a certain Claudius. Concerning her, the rumor having reached the count, he wrote to her master that she be sent unto him, because an inquiry was to be held concerning her as a Christian. Her master was grieved, and having donned sackcloth, he lamented her fate. But she comforted her master, saying: "Do not grieve, my lord. For I shall offer my remains for mine own and your sins." And he said: "Be mindful of me before the heavenly King." Therefore, she was sent to the count; and having professed herself to be a Christian, her head was shaven and sprinkled with burning coals. Then, with a heavy stone hung around her neck, ^D she was thrown into the sea. And she received the water for baptism; and having emerged, she appeared to the count. And those standing by, seeing her, were astonished. Then, having had her teeth pulled out and the fingers of her hands and feet cut off, she was perfected.

ON THE SAME DAY.

The Contest of Saint Thomas the Apostle.

After the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, each of the holy apostles having gone forth into the country allotted to him, taught...

^A The region of the Indians fell to holy Thomas, where he preached Christ. Now, when the wife of the king of the Indians, along with her son, had believed in Christ through his word, Thomas was detected, and by the king's order, he was shut up in prison along with other prisoners. But after the king's son and his mother, and others not a few, had given money to the soldiers, they entered in to him in the prison and were baptized. And after a sufficient time, presbyters and deacons were ordained from among them, and they taught in the name of Christ. And when the king learned of this, he was angered; he led the apostle out of the prison and, having handed him over to soldiers, ordered them to kill him. Taking him, therefore, to the mountain, they pierced the holy man with spears and slew him.

On the same day Commemoration of our holy Father Nicetas the Confessor.

Our holy Father and confessor of Christ, Nicetas, was a kinsman of the Empress Irene, to whom he was acceptable not so much for their kinship as for his own virtue. For he excelled in the contests and exercises of virtue to such a degree that he was sent by the Empress as her legate to the holy Second Council of Nicaea, ^B in which office he conducted himself excellently and remarkably, as was pleasing to God. For he was most capable of performing all things splendidly. Wherefore, being heaped with the honor of a patrician, he was appointed strategist of Sicily; and having administered that province very well, and having bestowed mercy upon widows and orphans, he returned home. But finding that the Iconoclast Leo the Armenian had seized the empire, he abandoned his rank, his wealth, and all the glory of the world and became a monk. And when the emperor learned of this, wishing to punish him, he sent word to him to send an icon of the Saviour, that he might burn it. But since he refused to do this, he sent him into exile; and having been subjected to many sufferings in exile, he reached his end.

ON THE SAME MONTH. THE SEVENTH. The Contest of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus.

Sergius and Bacchus, the glorious martyrs of Christ, flourished under the Emperor Maximian; ^C they were handsome of form and held in high regard by the emperor himself. Sergius was a primicerius, and Bacchus was second to him, but both were pious and worshippers of Christ. For this reason, having been denounced to the emperor, they were compelled to sacrifice to the idols. And as they would not agree to this, they were first stripped of their offices and their torments, and having been divested of their manly attire, they were clothed in women's garments and led publicly through the midst of the city. Then they were sent to the governor of Augustopolis, to be punished by him. But along the road, an angel of God walked before them, guiding them. Then, ^D after they were brought to the governor, Bacchus, having entered the contest first, died under the very torments; then Sergius c—

having had his feet pierced with iron shoes with sharp nails, and being forced to run, finished his life by the sword.

^A

The contest of the holy martyr Pelagia.

^B

ON THE SAME MONTH. The eighth day. Commemoration of another holy Pelagia, the virgin of Antioch.

^C

On the same day. Commemoration of the holy Pelagia, the former harlot.

^A with perfume, and as the other bishops turned their eyes away, Nonnus alone fixed his eyes intently upon her. Then, weeping, he said that God, in His love for mankind, would surely receive her. And after this, when the bishop began to teach again, Pelagia listened along with the people; and she was so pricked in heart that she was baptized, and gave all her wealth to the poor. Then, having gone to Jerusalem and become a nun, she attained such boldness before God that she performed many miracles, and thus was perfected.

ON THE SAME MONTH. The Ninth.

The contest of the holy martyrs Juventinus and Maximus.

On the same day. Commemoration of the holy deaconess Publia.

The same day. The Contest of the Holy Dorotheus, Archbishop of the City of Tyre.

Dorotheus, a most celebrated man, became bishop of the city of Tyre; he was well-versed in all scriptural history. He had indeed fled because of the persecution. But after the death of Diocletian and Licinius, he returned to Tyre again and governed the holy Church of God until the time of Julian the Apostate. And since Julian, not openly but secretly, caused Christians to be put to death by his prefects, the holy Dorotheus, having heard this, withdrew from Tyre and reached the region of Thrace. But not even there could he escape the death at the hands of the idolaters. For, having been seized by the prefects of Julian and having endured many tortures—even though he was an old man, already one hundred and seven years of age—in the midst of those very torments, he died for his confession of Christ, and he surrendered his blessed soul to Christ, having previously composed and left behind many writings of no small utility. ^B

The same day. The Contest of the holy apostle James of Alphaeus.

James, the apostle of Christ, was the son of Alphaeus and brother of Matthew the publican and evangelist. He preached the word of Christ and taught all who came to him, both Jews and Greeks, things pertaining to His eternal kingdom, and baptized a great multitude of people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The Jews, bearing this with indignation, formed a plan to kill him. Wherefore, having gathered together in one place, they seized him, and after having cruelly and dreadfully tortured him, they finally slew him by beating him with rods; ^C while in the meantime the saint, until his final breath, offered praises to our Lord Jesus Christ and gave thanks to His holy Name, which had helped and cooperated with him to confound and conquer the devil and those who do his will. And having thus surrendered his blessed soul, he was buried.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The Tenth Day. The Contest of the holy martyrs Eulampius and Eulampia.

Eulampius, the martyr of Christ, and his sister Eulampia were from the city of Nicomedia, under the Emperor Maximian. To avoid the persecution, they had hidden themselves with many other Christians in the mountains. But Eulampius, on going down to the city to buy provisions, saw the imperial edicts posted in the forum. While he stood reading these, he was seized by the idol-worshipers and brought before the emperor. Having been forced to enter the temple of idols to offer sacrifice, he entered and prayed to Christ; and the idols fell down and were shattered. As he was being tortured for this, his sister Eulampia, learning what had happened, ^D descended from the

surrounding crowd and embraced her brother, and struggled along with him; whereupon they were thrown into a boiling cauldron and came out unharmed. Seeing this miracle, two hundred soldiers believed in Christ and were beheaded along with them.

^B On the same day. Commemoration of our holy Father Bassianus.

Our holy Father Bassianus was from the eastern region of the Syrians. In the time of the pious Emperor Marcian, he came to Constantinople. And the Emperor, having recognized his virtue, honored him as a father to such a degree that he even built a church in his name, which exists to this day. He was, moreover, so adept at instruction and teaching that he persuaded many to leave the world and become monks. Among whom was the holy Matrona. For the number of his disciples grew to three hundred. And he also performed many miracles. ^C Furthermore, if anyone had fallen into some very grave sin and for that reason was despairing of his salvation, the holy man, having taken upon himself a grief equal to the sinner’s, would not cease in his effort until he had snatched the fallen one from the hands of the devil and brought him to the most merciful God through repentance. Moreover, being illustrious with the gift of prophecy, by predicting the future he benefited many. Having lived his life in this manner, he departed to the Lord in extreme old age, and was buried by his disciples in the aforementioned church of his.

On the same day. Commemoration of our holy Father Jacob the Ascetic.

Our holy Father Jacob became great among ascetics, having often gained victory over the devil, and although at one time he was defeated and fell, yet again he engaged in conflict with him and emerged superior in the battle. For having lived in a cave and remained in stillness for fifteen years, he received from God the power to drive out demons. But the devil, moved by envy, wanting to cast him into fornication and murder, entered into the daughter of a certain rich man and caused her to call upon the holy man. Therefore, the girl’s parents, searching and finding the cave, brought the daughter to him and begged him to heal her; and he, having prayed, drove the demon out of the girl. And her parents, fearing that the demon might enter into her again, left her there until she should be completely healed. The ascetic then defiled the girl; afterwards he murdered her; ^D and being afraid, he fled. And on the way, having repented and being poured out in tears, he hid himself in a tomb; where he expiated for his sin so thoroughly that, in a great drought, he obtained rain from heaven through his prayer; and thus he reached his end.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The eleventh day. Commemoration of the holy sisters Zenaides and Philonilla.

Holy Zenais, with her sister Philonilla, was from the city of Tarsus, being related by blood to the holy apostle Paul. And at first, indeed, she practiced the medical art. But having been taught by him, she left behind both the art...

^A and all her wealth, and her sister. And she went up to the mountain, and finding a cave, she entered into it, and lived in quiet, attending only to God and to herself, and being nourished by the herbs growing near the cave. One day, having gone out of the cave to gather herbs, she trod upon a very sharp wooden nail, fixed in the ground by the malice of the devil, who bore most indignantly the fact that many, coming to her secretly, were being converted to the faith of Christ. And when she sat down, unable to bear the pain, to remove the nail from her foot, she yielded up her spirit to the Lord. Philonilla, meanwhile, remaining at home—having striven for virtue with no less zeal than her sister, and constantly following God with great devotion—fell asleep in peace.

Eodem die ^B

Commemoration of the holy apostle Philip, of whom mention is made in the Acts of the holy apostles.

Philip, the apostle of Christ, was one of the seven deacons. And while he was in the city of Joppa preaching Christ, by the command of the Holy Spirit, as he was traveling from Joppa toward the city of Gaza, he met the minister of the queen of the Ethiopians, being himself a eunuch, named Candace, seated on a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. And approaching him, he asked him: "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said: "How could I, unless someone guides me?" And immediately he brought him up onto the chariot, and explained to him what he was reading, and led him to the faith of Christ. And finding water, the eunuch says to Philip: ^C "Behold water, what prevents me from being baptized?" And descending from the chariot, he was baptized. And he saw Philip no more, for he was snatched away, but continued his journey rejoicing. Philip, however, having become bishop in Tralles of Asia, ceased to live.

EODEM MENSE. Die duodecima.

Commemoration of the holy seventh synod of the three hundred and sixty-seven holy Fathers.

The holy, great, and ecumenical seventh synod was held at Nicaea for the second time, under the reign of Constantine and his mother Irene; the most holy and God-bearing Father, Tarasius, being Patriarch of Constantinople. ^D The holy Fathers, being three hundred and sixty-seven in number, assembled by the command of the emperor against the Iconoclasts. And they anathematized in writing every heresy, and the leaders of the heresies, and then also the Iconoclasts themselves; all with one voice exclaiming: "Whoever does not venerate the holy images is a stranger to the faith of the orthodox; and the honor that is rendered to the image passes to the prototype," as the great Basil said: "whoever adores and honors the image, adores and honors in it the hypostasis of the One whom the image represents." When they had decreed these things, and the orthodox faith

^A had been confirmed in writing, and they had been honored by the emperor, each returned to his own bishopric.

On the same day: The Contest of the Holy Martyrs Probus, Tarachus, and Andronicus

The three celebrated martyrs, Probus, Tarachus, and Andronicus, lived during the reign of Diocletian. Being Christians and confessing Christ, they were seized by the prefect of Cilicia. First, Tarachus, having had his face struck, was shut up in prison. ^B Secondly, Probus was beaten and, having been fettered in iron chains, was also delivered to the prison. And the third, the holy Andronicus, having been beaten, having had his thighs slashed with a sword, and his sides flayed, and having been rubbed with salt, was cast with the others into the same prison. Thereafter, having been bound, they were led from Cilicia to Mopsuestia. And because they could not be persuaded to deny Christ, they were tortured again. Tarachus had his mouth crushed and his head shaved. Andronicus was beaten on the belly with rods. And Probus was burned in his armpits and loins with glowing iron skewers. And having endured more torments than these, they were finally beheaded.

On the same day: The Contest of the Holy Martyr Anastasia the Virgin

The martyr of Christ, Anastasia, lived during the reign of Decius and Valerian, and was from the city of Rome. She was a monastic, living with other virgins in a certain monastery. She was therefore denounced to the prefect. He, sending for her, brought her before him in a neck-iron; and when she stood before the prefect and was questioned, she confessed the name of Christ. She was struck on the face and stripped; and she was burned by fire, with pitch, oil, ^C and sulfur poured over her. Then she was hung upon a stake; and as the instrument was turned, her bones cracked. Then her two breasts were cut off, and her nails were torn out. And after these things, her two hands were cut off. Then her two feet; and her teeth were rooted out; and having endured many other tortures, finally she received her end by the sword. And thus she delivered her spirit to the Lord.

On the same day: The Contest of the Holy Martyr Domnina

The martyr of Christ, Domnina, lived during the reign of the emperor Diocletian and was from the city of Anazarbus; she was seized as a Christian by the Greek executioners. She was brought to the judgment seat of Lysias the duke. And having confessed with boldness before all the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and declaring Him to be the true God and Creator of all, and demonstrating the gods of the Greeks to be false—namely, stones and wood and rotten material—she was most cruelly beaten, and her feet were burned with glowing skewers: ^D

^A then she is cast into prison. Being brought again to a second trial, she is beaten severely with rods, and her joints are disjointed by means of tongs. And she is again cast into prison. And being in it, giving thanks and praying, she commended her blessed soul to God, for whom she also suffered martyrdom. And her body was honorably buried.

OF THE SAME MONTH. THE THIRTEENTH DAY.

^B 116 The Contest of the holy martyrs Carpus, Papylus, and those with them, Agathodorus and Agathonica.

The holy martyrs Carpus and Papylus flourished under the emperor Decius. Now the holy Carpus was bishop of Thyatira; but Papylus was a deacon. Being therefore apprehended by the prefect of Asia, and questioned, they confessed before all the name of the Lord Christ. And being forced to sacrifice to idols, and not being persuaded, they were bound to horses and dragged before the prefect as far as the city of Sardis, and there being put upon the rack, he ordered them to be flayed. But Agathodorus, who was the servant of the saints and followed them, having been tortured, died. But the holy Carpus, while hanging on the rack, smiled; and when the prefect asked for what reason he did this, Carpus replied: "I beheld the glory of God, and I rejoiced." Being taken down from the racks, they were thrown into the fire. And the sister of Papylus, Agathonica, who was then present, entered the furnace with joy of her own accord; and both gave up their souls to the Lord. ^C

ON THE SAME DAY.

The martyr Florentius was from the city of Thessalonica. Being a Christian and very zealous for the good, he heaped reproaches and slanders upon the gods of the Greeks before everyone, and anathematized their superstition; but he taught all the true faith of Christ, and strengthened the Christians, and exhorted them to fulfill the will of God. For which cause he was apprehended by the prefect of the region, and being questioned, he confessed before him that our Lord Jesus Christ is the sole God, but that the gods of the Greeks are wood, and stones, and gold, and silver, and bronze, and iron, idols without soul or sense. When he had said these things, having provoked the prefect to anger, he is tortured in various ways. Then he is hung upon a beam, and flayed. ^D Finally, a great pyre having been kindled, he is thrown into it with joy. And in it, praying and giving thanks to God, he was perfected.

OF THE SAME MONTH. THE FOURTEENTH DAY.

118 The Contest of the holy martyrs Nazarius, Gervasius, Protasius, and Celsus.

These saints were famous at Rome, while Nero was emperor.

Nazarius was the son of Africanus and Perpetua, who were baptized by Saint Peter; he himself was baptized by Linus, the patriarch of Rome. ^A And when he was twenty years old, he traveled through the cities of Italy, preaching Christ. Then he came to a certain city where he found Gervasius and Protasius, who had been cast into prison by the governor of the region on account of their faith in Christ. Being beaten and expelled from the city, he went to another city and took with him Celsus, a boy of three years. Then, reaching the city of Milan, he found the holy Gervasius and Protasius in prison again. And being seized, he was sent to Rome by the magistrate. And having returned again to Milan, he was beheaded, along with the other saints ^B and the boy Celsus, who was then nine years old and seven months.

OF THE SAME MONTH. THE FIFTEENTH DAY.

The Contest of the holy martyr Lucian

Lucian the martyr was from Antioch of Syria, in the reign of Diocletian. After the death of his parents, having given his possessions to the poor, he gave himself entirely to the reading of the divine Scriptures. And he turned many of the Greeks ^C to the Lord. Leaving Antioch, he reached Nicomedia, where Diocletian was killing the Christians. And because he found many who, for fear of the torments, wanted to deny the Christian faith, he gave them courage and persuaded them to suffer martyrdom. He became so similar to God in virtue that, as he went about the city, he could be seen by those he wished, and by those he did not wish, he could not be seen at all. Diocletian, learning of this and fearing to bring him into his presence lest he be rebuked by him, hung a veil ^D and met with him. When he could move his mind from his purpose by no art, he ordered him to be starved to death. And so, having tasted no food for many days, he finished his course in prison. And he was thrown into the sea.

On the same day

Commemoration of our holy Father Sabinus the bishop

The blessed Sabinus, on account of his surpassing virtue and character, was first ordained bishop. But later, disdaining the tumults of the world for the sake of the beauty of stillness, he withdrew, fleeing into the deserts; and he strove so much toward virtue, giving himself over to fasts, and vigils, and ascetic labors, that he was found worthy of many miracles: to drive away diseases, to cleanse lepers, to cast out demons, and to foretell the future. Having benefited many, and having caused them to advance toward virtue through his teaching—for many came to him for the sake of benefit, and he persuaded them to leave behind parents, and brothers, and kinsmen, and to approach the monastic life, and to serve Christ, and to attend to Him through purity and the guarding of the commandments

^A committing his holy soul to the Lord, and his precious relics to the kindred earth, which even until this day pour forth healings.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The sixteenth day. The contest of the holy martyr Longinus the centurion.

Under Tiberius Caesar, there was a centurion from the region of Cappadocia, serving under Pilate, the governor of Judea, by whose command he ministered to the precious passion and cross of Christ together with his century. But when he had seen the miracles that took place when Christ was raised upon the cross—namely, the earthquake, the failing of the sun, the graves opened, the dead raised to life, the rocks rent asunder—he cried out: Truly this was the Son of God. And having renounced the duty of the military service subject to him, he returned to his own country, preaching Christ. Having learned of this, the Jews bribed Pilate with money, who wrote to Tiberius against Longinus. And he, having sent word, beheaded him and the two soldiers with him, ordering his head to be brought to Jerusalem; which was cast into a dung-heap, where it lay hidden for a long time, until a certain blind woman from Cappadocia, admonished by a divine vision, set out for Jerusalem, found the head, and received her sight. ^B

IN THE SAME MONTH. The seventeenth day. The contest of the holy martyrs Chrysanthus and Daria. 17

These flourished under the emperor Numerian; and Chrysanthus, who had set out for Rome with his own father, a man of the senatorial order, was instructed in the faith of Christ by a certain bishop hiding in a cave. When his father learned of this, he shut him up in a dark prison; then he compelled him to take a wife, Daria, who was imbued with philosophical studies. Yet he treated her no otherwise than as a sister, since both had adopted the plan that they would preserve their virginity until death. Wherefore she too was baptized. But when both began to induce the people to live chastely and temperately, the unbelievers, bearing this very ill because their wives, having divorced them, were betrothed to Christ, reported the matter to the prefect, who delivered them to the tribune Claudius. Being led therefore out of the city, and tortured with various torments, they were cast into a pit full of mire; ^C and being covered up and trampled, they died.

On the same day. Commemoration of the holy prophet Osee.

The prophet Osee was from the region of Judea, worshipping the God of heaven and earth, and hating and execrating the gods of the nations. And correcting the errors of his own fellow-tribesmen the Jews, he received a maximum gift of prophecy: and he prophesied much indeed against Israel, and against the nations; but he gave this chief sign, that the Lord would come, and in

earth would converse with men. ^A He gave another sign: The sun, he said, shall set in Siloam; and when the tree in Siloam is divided into twelve parts, twelve trees shall be born. That is: when the Jews crucify Christ, the Sun of righteousness, and He dies and sets, and hides His rays, the twelve tribes of Israel shall be divided into all the nations, and there shall arise twelve trees, which are the twelve apostles, and they shall teach all nations to believe in Christ. Having prophesied these things, he departed in peace and was buried.

On the same day ^B

The Contest of the Holy Anargyroi Cosmas and Damian, and their brothers Anthimus, Leontius, and Euprepius

There are three pairs of holy Anargyroi, who were called by the same names of Cosmas and Damian, and who practiced the art of medicine, and had the surname of Anargyroi. For some were sons of the most pious woman Theodote, and having died in peace, they were buried in a place called Phereman. Others resided in Rome, having an envious teacher, who, leading them by deceit into a mountain as if to gather herbs, murdered them with stones. But the others, whose contest we are about to narrate, were Arabs, who, wandering through the world, healed the sick freely and without reward. But in the times of Diocletian, having traveled into the region of Cilicia, they were seized and brought before Lysias the duke; who, having tortured them in various ways, afterwards beheaded them, along with their three following brothers, Anthimus, Leontius, and Euprepius. ^C

On the same month, the 18th

Luke the evangelist was from the great city of Antioch, a physician by profession, and a painter. Having gone to Thebes of Macedonia in the time of Tiberius the emperor, because of the persecution, he met the holy apostle Paul; and as he was one of the seventy apostles, he joined himself as a companion to the same apostle, and preached Christ with him. And he cooperated with a willing mind in the ministry of the preaching and the Gospel. He wrote first the holy Gospel which bears his name, to a certain prefect, Theophilus, who had believed in Christ, while the holy apostle Peter dictated to him; then he set forth the Acts of the apostles to the same Theophilus. And having done these things, he gave up his soul in peace to God. ^D His holy and precious relics were buried first in Thebes; but afterwards, having been brought from Thebes to Constantinople, they were deposited in the church of the Holy Apostles.

On the same month, the 19th

Sadoth the martyr flourished under Sapor king of the Persians; because of his faith in Christ he was seized and brought to him; and not being persuaded...

to worship the fire, he is beaten mercilessly. His skin is flayed from his forehead down to his feet, and a thong a finger’s breadth wide is stripped from his hide. Again he is beaten with oxhide thongs. And he is dragged naked over thorns, wood, and very sharp stones. Then his fingers are cut off joint by joint, and he is thrust into a screw-press and squeezed. After these things, his remaining body is pierced with red-hot skewers, and then, hung head downward, his tongue is cut out. A thousand two hundred and seventy men, ^A seeing his steadfastness, and considering that if he did not have great hopes he would not have endured such things, believed in Christ. And they were delivered to prison. He himself, giving thanks to God, was beheaded along with one hundred and twenty other saints.

On the same day Commemoration of our holy Father Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium. This man was ordained bishop of Iconium, not by the hands of men, but by the hands of holy angels. ^B Being a fellow-soldier of the holy Fathers Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and Gregory of Nyssa, he stood in battle against the heretics, Arius and Eunomius and their like. His life extended until the time of Theodosius the Great, by whom he was chosen to curb the assemblies of the Arians in the cities. The emperor, however, deeming this burdensome because of the turmoil it might cause, at that time refrained. But later, having come to the emperor Theodosius for a certain necessity, and having paid obeisance only to him, while passing over his son Arcadius who was sitting nearby, when he was asked why he did so, he replied: ^C "Just as you, O emperor, take it ill if equal honor is not paid to your son as to you, so too know that injury is done to God the Father if anyone treats the Son and Word with contumely." By these words he moved the emperor so much that he brought the matter to a conclusion according to his judgment and will. Having lived his life with piety in this manner, he departed to the Lord.

On the same day Commemoration of the holy and glorious prophet Joel. He was from the region of Judea. Following the will of the Lord, he received the gift of prophecy. ^D He prophesied many other things, but far more about Christ, namely that He was to be born of a Virgin. He also prophesied concerning the Holy Spirit, which the holy twelve apostles received on the great feast of Pentecost, saying: "Thus saith the Lord: And it shall come to pass in the last days, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy." And this is what came to pass. For when the holy apostles were sitting in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, at the third hour of the day, the Holy Spirit descended in the form of fiery tongues, and sat upon each one of them, and gave them various gifts:

by his words, he was delivered to the sword. But to them, not only to those who were then, but also to those who succeeded them, he distributed diverse gifts and prophecies. And having prophesied these things, he fell asleep in peace and was buried in his own land.

IN THE SAME MONTH, THE 20TH DAY

Cornelius the centurion was from Caesarea of Palestine, a commander of a hundred soldiers in the times of the holy apostles; he was the first of the Gentiles to believe in Christ. For God, seeing his alms which he did for the poor, accepted him and through an angel admonished him to be baptized by holy Peter. Then he was ordained bishop of Scamander. While he was preaching Christ there, he was seized by the governor Demetrius. And he was compelled to enter into the temple of idols and to sacrifice together with the people, his wife, and his son. But when he had gone and prayed to God, there was an earthquake: the idols fell, and the temple as well; it covered the son of the governor and his wife. As they cried out from beneath, saying that the God of Cornelius is great, the governor besought him, and he prayed; ^B and they came out. And the governor, along with his wife and son and two hundred and seventy-seven men, believed; and thus he finished his life in peace.

ON THE SAME DAY

Artemius, glorious in many contests, flourished under the reign of Julian the Apostate; he was the dux of Alexandria in Egypt, having been among the patricians distinguished by the Emperor Constantine the Great. When he heard that Julian was punishing the Christians at Antioch, he went to him, reproving his lawlessness. He was beaten by him with ox-hide scourges; his loins were lacerated with sharp thorns, and his sides and eyelids pierced with hooks. He was shut inside a stone that had been cut in two by a stone-cutter. And when the parts were fitted back together and compressed, he endured intolerable tortures: his eyes burst forth and his entrails were spilled out. Since he could not be turned from his pious purpose by the words of the tyrant, he met his end—beheaded by the sword. His holy relics were translated to Constantinople and deposited there, restoring health to those who approach him with faith.

IN THE SAME MONTH, THE 21ST DAY

These holy martyrs flourished in the city of Nicomedia. When a public festival for the idols was being held, speaking with boldness, they overturned the things that were placed upon the altars; and having acted piously, ^C they were considered by the foolish, ungodly people to have acted impiously. Wherefore, having been thrown into chains, they were dragged to the judge.

^A they were brought before the judge. He applied every sort of torture to them: indeed, he scourged them mercilessly, hung them on the rack, and inflicted wounds; he tore their sides with whips and lacerated their flesh with haircloth garments. Since they not only despised all these things but also rebuked the vanity of the idols and with a loud voice testified that Christ alone is the true God, he hung great stones about their necks and cast them into the depths of the sea. There they reached the end of their martyrdom, rendering thanks to Christ, the King of the ages, unto death, that they had been found worthy to die for Him.

Eodem die Commemoratio sancti Patris nostri Hilarionis, ^B presbyteri et anachoretæ.

Saint Hilarion was born in Gaza of Palestine and flourished under the Emperor Constantine the Great. Having set out for Alexandria in Egypt for the sake of his studies, by the grace of God he obtained two things: that he should learn both literature and those things which pertain to the faith of Christ. Therefore, having been baptized and having learned the discipline and instruction of the great Antony, he went to him and, having become his disciple, he learned the works of virtue from him for some years. Soon having returned to his homeland, when his parents had already departed this life, he distributed all his property to the poor. Having donned a hairshirt and a sheepskin, he sought the desert, where, leading a solitary life, he received the grace of miracles. However, wishing to avoid the company of men for the love of quiet, he often changed his place, now here, now there. ^C And when he had lived eighty years, of which he had spent seventy in monastic discipline, he migrated to the Lord.

EODEM MENSE Die vicesima secunda Commemoratio sancti et apostolorum æqualis Patris nostri Abercii, episcopi Hierapolis.

Our holy Father Abercius flourished under the Emperor Marcus, having been ordained bishop of Hierapolis by the holy apostles; he was a most famous worker of miracles. But the demon, wishing to tempt him, entered into the emperor's daughter and caused her to seek the saint ^D so that she might be healed by him. Summoned therefore by imperial letters, he came to Rome. He had commanded his servant to pour vinegar, garum, and oil into one and the same skin, from which, if the saint ordered anything to be drawn for himself, they flowed out separately and individually; but if the servant dared to take any for himself stealthily, they flowed out mixed together. Therefore, when he had arrived in Rome, the emperor's daughter was freed, and he commanded the demon to carry a stone altar, which lay in his sight, to Hierapolis. "You," he said, "were the author of so great a journey for me to Rome; I, however, command you to take up the stone and place it over my tomb." Which also

came to pass. And having lived the rest of his life in holiness, he departed to the Lord. ^A

Eodem die

The Suffering of the holy Hieromartyr Alexander, and those with him: Heraclius, Anna, Theodota, and Glyceria

Alexander, being a holy martyr and bishop, and preaching Christ with boldness, and by his teaching converting many from both the Jews and the Greeks to the faith and baptizing them, was seized by the governor of the region. And having been punished in many ways, and scraped, and compelled to sacrifice to the idols, he was not persuaded. But a certain soldier, Heraclius by name, seeing his steadfastness, believed in Christ; wherefore he too was punished with many ^B torments and was beheaded. And after this the holy Alexander performed miracles—for he was healed of his wounds by the visitation of Christ—and he drew three women to the faith of the Christians: Anna, Theodota, and Glyceria. When they stood before the governor, they denounced him and called the worship of idols false. Then the governor, becoming enraged, first beheaded the holy Alexander, and then, after torturing the holy women, he cut off their heads, and thus they were perfected.

OF THE SAME MONTH. 23rd day.

The Suffering of the holy Hieromartyr and Apostle James, the Brother of the Lord

The holy James was the first bishop in Jerusalem, having been ordained by the Lord Himself. And he was the first to write the divine Liturgy, having been taught it by Christ. But later, Basil the Great, and after him Chrysostom, rendered it more concise on account of the infirmity of men. ^C Now the holy James, by teaching many of the Jews and Greeks and converting them to the Lord, stirred the Jews to anger. They gathered together, seized him, cast him down from the pinnacle of the Temple, and killed him. Regarding why he is called the "Brother of God," such a tale is brought down by tradition: When the betrothed Joseph was dividing his land among his sons from his first wife, and wished to allot a portion to the Son and God of the holy Virgin, the others indeed did not agree; but James, taking Him into his own portion as a co-heir, was called not only the Brother of God, but also the Just. ^D

Eodem die

The Suffering of the holy martyrs Theodota and Socrates the Priest

Saint Theodota lived under the Emperor Alexander; she was born of noble parents and was from the region of Pontus. When she had gone away into a certain monastery in search of quiet, she was discovered. And having been seized by the governor for the sake of Christ, she was twice suspended and scraped; and into a furnace heated...

^A with fire she was cast. But by the grace of Christ, she was saved from this and brought by the governor to Byzantium. Then in Ancyra, where the presbyter Socrates was celebrating the public festival of the Greeks for their demons and bowing down to their idols, he, being pious and confessing our Lord Jesus Christ, was filled with zeal and overturned the altars of the sacrifices, for which reason he was beheaded and thus delivered up his spirit. And Saint Theodota, having been compelled to sacrifice to the idols and not having been persuaded, was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. And by the grace of God, having come out of the cauldron unharmed, she too was perfected by the sword.

Eodem die 137

Commemoration of the manifestation of the seven holy youths of Ephesus.

Eodem die 138

Commemoration of our holy Father Ignatius, Patriarch of Constantinople.

EODEM MENSE. Die vicesima quarta 139

Contest of the holy martyr Arethas and his companions.

^A during the reign of Justin, when Elesbaan, a most Christian man, was king of Ethiopia. As for the Homerites, their region is called Saba in Holy Scripture, but Arabia Felix by the Greeks; and a certain Hebrew ruled over them. Elesbaan, however, having overcome the Hebrew, had fortified his city with garrisons. But the Hebrew, having suddenly slaughtered the garrison, marched against the city of Negra, which he captured, not by force, but by perjuries; and he slaughtered all the Christians found there, both men and women. There lay the holy Arethas, who was an old man and unable to walk; and because they were attempting to behead him, he was carried by others to the slaughter. Being brought there, he was beheaded, giving thanks to God, together with the rest of the Christians found in the city of Negra; and thus he received the end of his life. ^B

On the same day

Our holy Father Proclus, being pious, wise, and virtuous, was ordained bishop of Cyzicus by the holy Sisinius, Patriarch of Constantinople. But, having departed there and not being received by the clergy—who were heretics—he returned to Constantinople, where he passed the intervening time in leisure, devoting himself to reading. When Patriarch Maximianus died, and while his remains were still lying in the sanctuary of the most holy Great Church of God, he was chosen as Patriarch of Constantinople; and he was enthroned during that very Great Week, on the Holy Thursday of the saving passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Having conducted himself honorably after his ordination and having benefited many through his teaching, he oversaw the Church for twelve years and three months, and having reached his perfection, he passed away.

IN THE SAME MONTH. 25th

These men were students and notaries of the holy Paul the Confessor, who had been Patriarch of Constantinople during the reign of Constantius. Since, therefore, the holy Paul had been exiled to Armenia by that same emperor because he would not accept the heresy of the Arians, nor communion with them, but rather renounced them—where he also received a blessed end, being strangled by the Arians for the sake of his orthodox confession—these men, ^D holding the same views as their teacher, reproved the Arians. They were seized by Philip the Prefect, who was an Arian, and after being tortured in many ways, were shut in a dark prison, being tormented by hunger and darkness. Being brought out from the prison, they were compelled to join the heresy of the Arians; but as they were not persuaded, they were taken to the summit of the wall and slaughtered with swords, where their remains were also interred.

On the same day 142 The Contest of the holy martyr Varus and the seven saints with him.

The holy martyr Varus lived under the Emperor Maximian, serving in Egypt, and was of distinguished lineage and piety. When certain holy men, who had previously spent much time in mountains and caves, were captured and handed over to prison for the sake of Christ, the holy Varus entered the prison. He ministered to the saints with great kindness, relieving them of their chains, and they were the ones who urged him to speak boldly and to worship Christ openly and publicly, rather than in secret. Therefore, when one of the seven died in the same prison, the holy Varus took his place. When the prefect learned of this, he had Varus brought before him together with the others and ordered that he confess Christ publicly, be beaten with virgin thongs, and hung up and torn by his sides. In the same way, the six other saints were taken up, tortured with iron claws, and beaten with thongs for five hours until they delivered their spirits to the Lord.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The twenty-sixth day. 143 The Contest of the great holy martyr Demetrios.

The most glorious martyr of Christ, Demetrios, was under the Emperor Maximian, from the city of Thessalonica, a pious man and a teacher of the Christian faith. When Maximian came to Thessalonica, he ordered that the holy Demetrios, who had been accused of the Christian religion, be seized and cast into prison. The same Maximian had a certain gladiator named Lyaeus, of whom he boasted, saying that there was no one who, in single combat with him, would come away the victor. When a certain youth named Nestor learned of this, he went to the prison to the holy Demetrios and received a blessing from him. And having conquered Lyaeus, he killed him. Maximian was grieved by the death of the gladiator; then, learning who was responsible for the death—that it was Demetrios—he ordered him to be put to death in the prison. Soldiers went into the prison and pierced him with spears, and there, lying on the ground, he gave up his spirit. ^{A B C}

On the same day 144 The Contest of the holy martyrs Mark, Soterichos, and Valentine.

These holy martyrs, having first passed their lives in all piety, preached Christ to all, and brought many of the infidels to the Lord and baptized them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they were seized by the impious Greeks, tortured with many torments, and their bodies were pierced with long nails. And so, dragged along, pulled, and pitilessly crushed upon the ground by men, women, and children, they delivered their holy and blessed souls to God. But a certain Christian, Terentianus by name, a pious and faithful man, ^D

^A who was accustomed to encourage the living martyrs to undergo martyrdom, and to show love and honor to the deceased, took the precious relics of the saints from Asia, transported them to the island of Thasos, and deposited them honorably, where they pour out cures to the faithful to this day.

On the same day: The Contest of the Holy Martyr Nestor.

Nestor the martyr flourished in the city of Thessalonica during the reign of the emperor Maximian. Being a Christian, he frequently sought out Saint Demetrios, wherever he was staying, and was instructed by him more accurately in the word of truth. When Maximian happened to be in Thessalonica and was hosting the games, and had brought forth into the theater a certain pagan man, Lyæus by name, a gladiator of monstrous size and strength, who was killing all those who dared to enter into a contest with him, the holy Nestor, having seen this, was filled with divine zeal. And when he heard Maximian saying, "If anyone wishes, let him fight and defeat Lyæus," he ran to the saint and deliberated with him concerning this. Having been strengthened by him and empowered by the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ, he killed Lyæus with a sword. The emperor, being moved to great anger by this, beheaded Nestor. And thus he was perfected, triumphing at once over the devil and over Lyæus.

On the same day: Commemoration of the Great Earthquake.

In the twenty-fourth year of the reign of Leo the Isaurian, during the ninth indiction, in the month of October, on the twenty-sixth day, on the feast of Saint Demetrios, a great and terrible earthquake occurred in Constantinople, so that all the houses and churches collapsed, and an innumerable multitude of mortals perished, crushed in the fall. Hence, celebrating the remembrance of such a terrible earthquake, we hold processions and go to the great and sacred temple of the all-immaculate and most glorious Lady our Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, which ^C is in Blachernae, supplicating and entreating her fervently; and we beseech the Lord our Jesus Christ, who was born of her without seed and without corruption for us sinners, to deliver us from His just wrath stirred up against us. Ever since that time, mindful of such a tribulation, we celebrate this present feast annually with thanksgiving, praying not to fall into such a scourge.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The Twenty-Seventh Day. The Contest of the Holy Martyr Capitolina and her handmaid Eroteis.

The martyr Capitolina lived during the reign of the emperor Diocletian; she was from the region of Cappadocia and very noble. Having been arrested and brought before the governor, she was asked for her name, her city, and her parents. "I," ^D

she replied, "am called a Christian; my city is the Jerusalem above; and my parents are the teachers of the Christians, and first and foremost the great Firmilianus, bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia." Having thus ^A bravely proclaimed Christ and refuted the falsely-named error of the idols, she was bound and cast into prison. When her servant Eroteis heard of this, she entered the prison and kissed her mistress's bonds. Thereupon, the holy Capitolina is beheaded; as for the holy Eroteis, she was first cast into the fire and emerged unharmed; then, being coerced to sacrifice to the idols and refusing to be persuaded, she was later pierced with a sword and was perfected.

ON THE SAME MONTH: THE TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY

^B The contest of the holy hieromartyr Cyriacus, who revealed the precious cross to holy Helena.

After he had revealed the precious and life-giving cross and had been baptized, he became bishop of Jerusalem. He prolonged his life until the times of Julian the Apostate; this emperor, having undertaken an expedition against the Persians, went off to Jerusalem. Having learned about the saint, he sent [men] who apprehended him and brought him to his own tribunal. ^C And attempting to force him to sacrifice to the idols, he was rebuked by him. Whence he ordered his right hand to be amputated, saying, "It is just that the hand which through its letters has turned many away from the worship of the gods should be cut off." Then he commanded molten lead to be poured into his mouth; and presently he directed him to be placed upon a heated bronze bed. When his mother came to him, she too was seized; and being hung by her hair from a height, she was torn asunder until she breathed her last. Cyriacus, for his part, was cast into a cauldron and, pierced by a spear, he was perfected.

On the same day.

^D Commemoration of holy John the Chozebite.

Born of wealthy parents in Thebes of Egypt, when he came to mature age, he would have no communion with the Catholic Church on account of the synod that was held at Chalcedon. But when, at some point, the desire to visit the holy places had seized him, he seemed to himself in his sleep to be laboring much and employing every effort to enter in and adore the precious cross, yet unable to find the gate. And being greatly distressed, he heard a voice saying to him: "The Cross does not accept those who despise the communion of the Catholic Church." Having awakened, he received communion with the Catholic Church and immediately betook himself to the nearby deserts, and he withdrew to the mountain of Chozeba until his death, where he practiced every kind of virtue and performed miracles. Finally, having trained many in holy instructions and religious exercises and having enticed them to enter upon this same way of life, he passed away and was buried on the same mountain.

MONTH OF OCTOBER, 29TH DAY. Commemoration of our holy Father Abramius.

The holy Abramius was born to Christian parents. Against his will, he was married to a woman; but for the sake of Christ, he left her, withdrew, and shut himself within a small dwelling for many years. Then he was ordained a presbyter. When his brother passed away, leaving behind a female child of about seven years, the saint took her and shut her in another cell near his own. In her twentieth year, through the envy of the devil, it happened that she fell into fornication and went to stay in an inn among harlots. ^A When the saint learned of this, he donned a soldier's uniform, left his cell, and mounting a horse, he drew her back from her fall and took her back to her own cell. She showed such repentance that she even performed miracles, and in this way she completed her life. The holy Abramius fell asleep in a very advanced old age.

On the same day: The contest of the holy martyrs Claudius, Asterius, Neon, and Theonilla.

These lived under the Emperor Diocletian and Lysias, the governor of Cilicia. They were young in age and brothers by law. Having a stepmother, they went to the city of Mopsuestia to recover their patrimony and to pursue the matter before the governor. ^B The stepmother, not wishing to give them anything, denounced them as Christians. Upon being seized and questioned, they confessed the name of Christ with boldness. Whereupon, being brought into the theater, they were hung up naked, tortured, and scourged with great severity. Then, after being cruelly vexed with many other punishments, they were all bound together in one chain by the soldiers and led outside the walls of the city; there they were suspended from wood and, being fastened with nails, they met their death. After them, the holy Theonilla was brought in; ^C she too was suspended by her hair and, being beaten with rods for many hours, she gave up her spirit to the Lord.

MONTH OF THE SAME, 30TH DAY. The contest of the holy martyr Epimachus.

The martyr Epimachus was a private man, fair in appearance, and from the region of Egypt. Being a Christian, he was deeply pained to see the governor of the region raging against the holy martyrs with tortures in the city of Alexandria. ^D Therefore, on a certain day, when the governor was forcing the saints to sacrifice to idols and the altar was set before them, Epimachus, filled with divine zeal, rushed to overturn the altar. Upon this, he was seized and delivered to prison. But even there, he exhorted the saints to bear witness for Christ with readiness. When the saints were led out of prison and rebuked the governor, the governor asked them whence they had acquired such boldness. And for many hours, she rendered up her spirit to the

Lord. ^A Having learned that this was caused by Epimachus, he ordered him to be hoisted up and torn to pieces; and when his blood flowed onto the extinguished eye of a certain girl standing below, who, having been blind in one eye, was looking at the saint and lamenting his fate, she immediately received her sight. Disturbed by this, the governor ordered him to be beheaded, and thus he met his end. ^B

31st Day. The Contest of the Holy Martyr Eutropia.

The martyr Eutropia was born in Alexandria of Egypt. When a great multitude of martyrs were imprisoned in the same city, taking pity on them, she would sometimes visit them in person, and at other times provide for their necessary expenses through others. Because of this, she was denounced to the prefect Apellianus, arrested, and cast into prison. Being led out from there, she was placed before his tribunal; having confessed Christ, she was stretched on the rack and scorched with torches. In this torment, she cried out to the torturers in a loud voice, saying, "The water that you pour upon me brings me great refreshment!" For she considered the flames to be like water, and she affirmed that she beheld a terrible man similar to the Son of God, whom even the soldiers and all who were present also saw. Saying these things and giving thanks to Christ, for whom she willingly endured such torments, she surrendered her blessed soul to Him. ^C

The Same Day. The Contest of the Holy Hieromartyr Zenobius and his sister Zenobia.

The martyr Zenobius lived during the reign of the emperor Diocletian; he was the son of Zenodotus and Thecla, who were Christians. He also had a sister named Zenobia. As he grew in age and in the knowledge of God and piety, he was ordained bishop of the city of Aegeae, where he was born. He performed many healings in the name of Christ, such that he cured diseases which were deemed incurable by physicians. Being arrested, he was brought before the prefect Lysias. When his sister Zenobia learned of this, she offered herself voluntarily. They were first scourged and placed upon a red-hot iron bed; then they were cast into a boiling cauldron filled with pitch. ^D Being delivered from such torments by the grace of God, they were again compelled, by the madness of the prefect, to sacrifice to the impure demons. But as they remained in their resolve, they received their end by the sword; and thus they consumed their martyrdom.

The Same Day. Commemoration of the Holy Apostles Stachys, Amplias, Urbanus, and those with them.

The holy apostle Stachys was ordained bishop of Byzantium by the most holy apostle Andrew, who had built a church on the other side at Argyropolis, in which two thousand Christians gathered, whom Stachys taught. He held the episcopate for sixteen years, and he rested.

^A in peace. Amplias, however, bishop of Ulyssipolis, which is in Macedonia, was killed by the Greeks. Urban, bishop of Macedonia, was likewise killed by Jews and Greeks along with many others. And thus it happened on one and the same day that others in different places, nations, and cities, having been tormented in various ways by those who were ignorant of God—that is, by Greeks and gentiles—rendered their blessed souls to the Lord. Their precious relics were later transferred to Constantinople and were deposited in the place called Pegae.

MONTH OF NOVEMBER

Cosmas and Damian, the holy Unmercenaries, were the sons of a certain Christian woman named Theodota; from her they were taught the true faith and the Holy Scriptures, and from the Holy Spirit they were taught the medical art. They applied themselves to healing not only men but also beasts, without receiving any payment from anyone. When they had healed a woman named Palladia, she came secretly to Saint Damian and offered him three eggs. When Saint Cosmas learned of this, he commanded that the relics of Damian should not be placed near his own after death. When Saint Cosmas had died first, and ^B then Damian, as the people were deliberating where Damian should be buried, a camel, which had been afflicted by a demon but had been healed by the saints, suddenly spoke with a human voice, declaring that the relics of Damian ought to be buried in the same tomb as Cosmas, since he had not accepted the eggs as payment, but had been compelled by an oath. And thus both were buried together.

The same day The contest of the holy women martyrs Cyriaena and Juliana.

Cyriaena the martyr lived under the Emperor Maximian, and was from the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. Having been seized by the prefect of that same city, and being much compelled to deny Christ and sacrifice to idols, she remained most constant in her purpose. For this reason, her head and eyebrows were shaved, and, her forehead having been covered with a libellous placard, she was set upon an ass, beaten with switch-rods by idle boys, and led naked through the city of Tarsus by mimes and unruly soldiers. But when she prayed ^D that she might not be seen naked, she was covered by divine grace and escaped the eyes of the idolaters. After these torments, she was brought to the city of Rhaedestus, along with another Christian woman named Juliana, who was from the same city, and they were cast into the fire; and both, glorifying God in the furnace and giving thanks to Him, rendered up their blessed souls.

On the same day

These men, under Sapor, king of the Persians, were teaching the word of the faith in Persia, and converting many from idols to the Lord. Now on one day, the bishop John saw in his sleep a certain executioner, who held a crown that he carried upon the hilt of a sword, setting it upon his own head and saying to him: "Receive, O bishop, the crown you have so greatly desired." A few days later, he himself and Jacob the presbyter were seized by the infidels, and having been tried first with various tortures, they were then slain by the sword, giving thanks to the Lord our God to the very end that they had been deemed worthy to meet death for Him. And thus it happened to the bishop just as he had seen in his dream, having obtained the crown of incorruptible life; and they were honorably buried in the same place by faithful and pious men.

OF THE SAME MONTH.

Of these saints, Acindynus, Pegasius, and Anempodistus were of the region of Persia during the reign of Constantine the Great. While they were living in their cells, they were teaching the word of God. Wherefore, having been seized by Sapor, king of the Persians, they were subjected to tortures: whom, when they had rendered mute through their prayers, they later restored the faculty of speech; then they were cast into cauldrons filled with boiling lead, but emerged unharmed. Aphthonius, who was a soldier, seeing this miracle, was vehemently moved and believed in Christ, and was immediately led outside the walls and beheaded. ^C But they, sewn into ox-hides, were cast into the sea; and the holy Aphthonius, appearing with angels, brought them out onto the mainland. And because they had escaped ship-wreck, the hands of the soldiers who had cast them headlong into the sea were cut off. Elpidephorus, however, a man of the senatorial order, roused by these miracles, rebuked the king; and seven thousand men believed with him, who were all condemned to beheading. Those who remained were twenty-eight men, who, together with Sapor's mother, who had embraced the faith of Christ, ^D were consumed by fire.

On the same day

These holy soldiers were in the city of Sebaste in the times of the Emperor Licinius; and they all took counsel together to remain in the faith of Christ with all the soldiers. Wherefore, they were tortured by the dux Marcellus and thrust into prison. Being led out from there, their backs and loins were most cruelly lashed with sinews, and their teeth were pulled out. While they were being tortured, the dux turned to Saint Carterius: "Do you alone," he said, "dare to...

^A stir up the people to defect from the emperor’s faith?" To which he replied: "I was the author for the people, not that they should depart from the faith of the emperor, but that they should follow the immortal King Christ." After these things, Styracius, Tobilas, and Nicopolitianus were brought; and when they persisted in the confession of Christ, by order of Marcellus they were beaten with clubs, and after being tormented by many other tortures, together with many others who had believed in Christ, they were condemned to the fire and ended their lives.

NOVEMBER.

EODEM MENSE. ^B Die tertia. 163 The contest of the holy martyrs Acepsimas, bishop, Joseph, presbyter, and Aithalas, deacon.

These saints also suffered martyrdom in Persia under Sapor the tyrant, during the times of Constantine the Great, emperor of the Romans. Now Saint Acepsimas was a bishop of venerable gray hair (being in his eightieth year), his body still firm, tall, and upright: furthermore, he was a man of great wealth. Having been arrested with his companions, he was brought before the prince of the magi; and because he could not be persuaded to sacrifice to the Sun and to Mars, but rather heaped insults upon them, he was most severely beaten and cast into chains. Then Joseph was brought, who was from the same region and himself an old man, ^C and because he had contradicted the archimagus, he was beaten with clubs until his flesh was foully lacerated and his bones were laid bare: then he was thrust into prison along with Saint Acepsimas. After these, Aithalas was also brought forth; and with his hands bound to his knees, his limbs were so dislocated that the entire structure of his body was dissolved. Finally, Acepsimas expired amidst the flames; Joseph, suspended head downward, was stoned; and Aithalas, also suspended head downward, gave up his spirit.

Eodem die 164 Commemoration of the holy Father Joannicius the wonderworker.

Our great father Joannicius was from the region of Bithynia during the times of the Emperor Constantine Caballinus. Because of his bravery, he served in the military unit known as the Excubitors, and he acted valiantly in all wars, slaughtering the race of the Bulgarians. But during one battle, having seen a great multitude of his fellow soldiers slaughtered, and being filled with grief, he abandoned the military ^D life. He reached Mount Olympus and was living in quietude. Then, having been recognized by chance by a fellow soldier, he withdrew to the mountain of Lycia, where, after having performed many miracles, he was prompted by divine revelation to go to the monastery of Eristas, and he became a monk. Then, moving from mountain to mountain, he performed wonders everywhere and routed demons. He also received the gift of prophecy, and foretold the successions of emperors and patriarchs. Finally, three days after Saint Methodius had been made patriarch, just as he had predicted, he fell asleep in the Lord.

OF THE SAME MONTH. THE FOURTH DAY.

On the same day.

OF THE SAME MONTH. THE FIFTH DAY.

you are not a Christian." Upon hearing this, she immediately promised that she would become a Christian. ^A Since there was no priest available on account of the persecution, she was baptized by Galaction himself. Then, by agreement between them, they distributed their wealth to the poor and withdrew to a mountain, and took refuge separately in monasteries. ^B When a persecution against the Christians arose at that time, and the ruler of the region learned of them, he sent and seized Galaction. And as he was being dragged away, Episteme caught up with him, and was seized together with him by the ruler; after having their hands and feet cut off, they were beheaded.

On the same day.

The Contest of Saint Domninus, and his companions Theotimus, Timotheus, Philotheus, Dorotheus, Carterius, and Silvanus.

These flourished under the Emperor Maximinus. As they were teaching the word of God and converting many of the unbelievers to the Lord, they were denounced to Maximinus; and being seized, they were most severely tortured. Then they were sentenced to suffer in the copper mines. After a long time, having been brought out of the prison and set before the iniquitous tribunal, and since they could not be persuaded to sacrifice to idols, they were placed on the rack and tormented most cruelly. Observing their steadfastness, a certain man named Pamphilus, considering within himself that they could not be equal to such punishments unless they were supported by a firm hope in the greatest things, believed in Christ, along with three virgin women. ^C Wherefore, covered with shame, Maximinus pronounced that they should all be put to death. And all of them, being beheaded, delivered their holy and blessed souls to the Lord.

ON THE SAME MONTH. The sixth day.

The Contest of Saint Paul the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople.

This man was originally from Thessalonica, a notary to the most holy Patriarch Alexander, and a deacon of the Church in Constantinople; whom the orthodox, after the death of Alexander, elected as patriarch. But the Emperor Constantius, being an Arian, having returned from Antioch, expelled him from the throne, and in his place appointed Eusebius of Nicomedia. ^D Paul reaches Rome, and finds there the great Athanasius also cast out from his own throne; and through letters from the Emperor Constans, both were restored to their respective thrones. But through the machinations of the Arians they were again expelled by Constantius. Then Constans wrote to his brother Constantius that if they were not restored to their own thrones, he would come against him with weapons of war. Therefore, Paul received his throne for a third time. After the death of Constans, he was exiled to Cucusus in Armenia. And having been shut up in a chamber, while he was celebrating the liturgy, he was strangled by the Arians with his own omophorion.

Eodem die

^A 170 Commemoration of the dust, or ash, or stacte (frankincense-type resin) that fell from the sky.

In the final days of the great Emperor Leo, surnamed the Bess, at the sixth hour of the day, the sky was covered with black clouds, such as is wont to happen when great downpours are imminent; presenting a burning appearance in every direction, it seemed as if it were about to consume all things with fire. And although from clouds of this kind rain is usually brought down, it seemed that, no differently than Sodom of old, it would incinerate everything with fire and flame. But when all the priests and pious men fled with tears to the temples, and suppliantly besought God and the immaculate Mother of God, the most clement Lord, who desires not the death of sinners, tempering punishment with clemency, commanded the clouds to send forth an extraordinary shower. It rained, therefore, from evening until midnight. But that which flowed down was boiling stacte, like coals, which scorched all plants; and that which fell upon the tiles rose to the span of a man’s hand.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The seventh day.

171 The contest of the holy martyrs Antonius and his parents, Melasippus and Casina.

These were in the city of Ancyra during the tyranny of Julian the Apostate. They were apprehended by him. And while Antonius was thrown into prison, his parents were suspended on the rack, torn asunder, and burned with fire; and Casina’s breasts were cut off, and Melasippus’s legs were severed. But when Antonius was brought forth and saw his parents suspended, he kissed their members lying upon the ground and anointed himself with the blood dripping from them. They, indeed, remaining suspended, migrated to the Lord. Then Antonius, who was in his thirteenth year, having spat in the face of the Apostate, was himself suspended and torn, his ankles were bored, and his head was shaved. Then, being sent to the dux Agrippinus and thrown by him into a furnace, when he emerged unharmed, he drew forty boys, moved by the magnitude of the event, to the faith of Christ: all of whom, together with him, received their desired end, killed by the sword.

Eodem die

172 The contest of Saint Hieron and his two and thirty companions, who suffered martyrdom in the city of Melitine.

The holy martyrs Hieron, Nicander, Hesychius, and thirty other companions flourished in the city of Melitine in Armenia under the impious emperors Maximian and Diocletian. When a general persecution was raging against all Christians through slaughter, they were detained by the prefect of Melitine and tried with many tortures, to see if they could be led from the worship of Christ to the superstition of idols. But when not only did they refuse to do this, but even declared with a loud voice that Christ is the true God, and the maker of heaven and earth and of all things that are therein,

^A they were first stripped and beaten until all their entrails were exposed. Afterwards they were cast into prison, utterly deprived of all care, and finally, after long torments and being brought out of custody, when they were again urged to sacrifice to idols, and could not be swayed to do so, they were put to the sword.

Eodem die

The Contest of the Holy Martyrs Auctus, Taurion, and Thessalonica

The martyr Thessalonica was the daughter of a certain Cleon, a priest of idols. Having become a Christian, she was compelled by her father to deny Christ. Because she refused to do this, she was stripped naked and beaten most severely with scourges, and her sides were crushed with clubs. Then, being disinherited of her father's goods, she dwelt on a small piece of property which had fallen to her from her mother’s inheritance. When two pious Christians, named Auctus and Taurion, learned of what was happening, they were greatly indignant at Cleon. For this reason, he denounced them to the prefect of the region, and they were seized and flogged; then they were pelted with stones and cast into a fire. Soon after being cast into a lake, when they had escaped even from that unharmed, they were beheaded. Thessalonica, moreover, having never ceased to confess Christ thereafter, died in peace; and her precious relics were deposited in Amphipolis with the other saints honorably and magnificently. ^B

EODEM MENSE. Die octava

The Synaxis of the Archangels

When the all-good and merciful God willed to create this world, He first conceived of the heavenly powers and the holy angels, and the thought became an act. One of the leaders of their ranks, who at that time was called Sabael, but after his fall was named the Devil, was seized with arrogance; and, thinking himself to be God, he fell from his dignity and was cast out of the heavens along with the order over which he presided. But the archangel Michael, who led another order of angels, when he saw the fall of the deserter, gathered together the choirs of angels. And saying, "Let us attend," he praised the God of all in approximately these words: "Let us attend, we who have been brought forth from nothing and stand before the great and only God, to what has befallen those who were until now light with us, but have now become darkness." Such a gathering ^C of the angels was therefore called a *synaxis*, that is, attention, concord, and union.

Eodem die

The Commemoration of Saint Matrona

She lived during the reign of Leo the Great and was from Perge in Pamphylia. Having been joined to a husband and having borne one daughter, she came to Constantinople with her husband, being fifteen years of age. And having become acquainted with a virgin

named Eugenia, and having zealously embraced her way of life, she did not depart from the churches of God. ^A Having an even more ardent love for God, and having heard the voice of the divine Gospel saying: "Whosoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me," she entrusted her daughter to a certain pious woman to be reared; and having left her husband and donned male attire, she entered the monastery of the holy Bassianus and embraced the monastic life. But when it was known that she was a woman, she was sent by the holy man to Jerusalem; from where, after a few years, she returned to Constantinople, and living a solitary life, she passed away.

OF THE SAME MONTH. THE NINTH.

ON THE SAME DAY.

ON THE SAME DAY.

in Cappadocia, and, despising the idols, he preached Christ openly. He was seized by Maximus, who had recently been appointed governor of the province by Diocletian. Being forced to worship the idols, and refusing to comply, he was beaten severely with rods, to the point that his inner organs were exposed. After being beaten, he was led into the temple of the idols, and again compelled to offer them worship. But he, calling upon Christ and breathing upon the idols, broke them into pieces and reduced them to powder. He was then cast into prison, and seven days later was brought out and presented to Maximus. Again he was urged to sacrifice, and, refusing to comply, he had his ankles pierced with large nails. He was bound to an untamed horse with chains, and having been dragged for twenty-four miles outside the city of the Tyaneans, he rendered up his spirit. ^C

ON THE SAME DAY. 179 The Contest of the holy apostles of the seventy, Olympas, Rhodion, Sosipater, Tertius, Erastus, and Quartus.

Of these holy apostles, Olympas and Rhodion followed the holy apostle Peter, and both were beheaded in the city of Rome by Nero. Sosipater, whom the holy apostle Paul mentions in his Epistle to the Romans, became bishop of Iconium and ended his life in peace. Tertius, whose services the holy apostle Paul used in writing the Epistle to the Romans, was named the second bishop of Iconium after Sosipater and migrated to the Lord. Erastus, whom the same apostle also mentions in the same Epistle, was first the steward of the Church of Jerusalem, and afterwards was made bishop of Paneas, where he died in peace. Finally, Quartus, having become bishop of the city of Berytus, and having suffered much for the faith and converted many of the Hellenes to the Lord, finished his life. ^D

ON THE SAME DAY. 180 The Contest of the holy martyrs Menas, Victor, Vincent, and Stephanis.

The holy great martyr Menas lived under the Emperor Maximian, and was from the land of the Egyptians; he was a soldier under Numerius in the city of Cotyaeum in Phrygia. When it was known that he was a Christian, he was beaten severely and lacerated. After this, he was burned with fire and dragged over sharp caltrops; finally, he received his end by the sword. The holy Victor reached his zenith under the Emperor Antoninus and the duke Sebastian in Italy. Having been seized and forced to deny Christ, and being unable to be persuaded by any means, his finger joints were dislocated and he was thrown into a furnace; then, having consumed a lethal poison which had been offered to him by a magician, and having suffered no harm whatsoever, he converted the magician to Christ. Finally, having had his eyes gouged out and his head...

^A cut off. But Saint Stephanis, seeing these things and having called the saint blessed, was seized; and being bound to two palm trees that had been bent toward each other, when they were released, she was rent in two. And Saint Vincent, arrested on the same day as a Christian in the city of Augusta, was condemned by the prefect of that city and departed this life.

Eodem die. ^B Commemoration of our holy Father Theodore, superior of the most celebrated monastery of the Studites.

This man was born in Constantinople during the reign of Constantine Caballinus, and having been instructed in all sciences, during the reign of Irene he withdrew to the monastery of Saccudion, where he was made a monk by his uncle Plato, and was ordained a priest by the patriarch Tarasius. When he was thirty years of age, he was made superior of the monastery under him. But since he could not endure the emperor’s adultery, he was relegated to Thessalonica; afterwards, being recalled by the empress Irene on account of the raids which the Saracens were making, he migrated to the royal city and undertook the governing of the monastery of Stoudios. But by the emperor Nicephorus, who perished in Bulgaria, he was for the same reason forced to change his abode again. Finally, on account of the holy icons, he was relegated again by Leo the Iconoclast; and when he had bravely undergone many struggles for piety and had written hymns to God, in extreme old age he departed to the Lord.

EODEM MENSE. ^C Die duodecima. Commemoration of our holy Father Martin, bishop of Francia.

He was from Rome during the reign of the emperor Julian, and served first as a military commander. But when he saw the vast multitude of the enemy prepared for battle, he was seized with vehement fear. But when he had covered a naked pauper with a portion of the cloak which he was wearing, that same night the Lord appeared to him, clothed in the garment of the pauper, saying: "Do not fear; for just as you did not despise me when I was naked, so I also will be with you, and you shall obtain victory over your enemies." Having therefore conquered, and having been kindly received by the emperor, he gave thanks to God and became a monk. After seven years, when he had attained an understanding of all Holy Scripture through assiduous meditation, he was ordained bishop of Francia. Furthermore, he performed many miracles: among others, when he chanced upon a usurer who was preventing a certain dead man from being buried, ^D saying that he owed him a certain sum of money, while the wife of the dead man contended that all the money had been paid to him, the saint, having poured forth prayers to God, recalled the dead man to life and convicted the slanderer of lying. Finally, having performed many other miracles, he departed this life.

On the same day

IN THE SAME MONTH. THE THIRTEENTH DAY.

On the same day

fall by each other’s wounds, at that same hour. Being more vehemently moved by this, they beat his disciples with clubs for so long that they surrendered their souls to the Lord. On the following day, according to the saint’s prediction, the brothers, having been driven to frenzy, slew one another with mutual wounds. ^A

Eodem die. The contest of the holy martyrs Antoninus, Nicephorus, Germanus, and their companions.

Antoninus the martyr was now advanced in age; but Nicephorus and Germanus were youths. Having been apprehended by the ruler of the region, since they would not sacrifice to idols, but rather confessed Christ, they were beheaded in the city of Caesarea. A certain virgin, Manetho by name, from Scythopolis, was also apprehended and led naked through the entire city; then, having been tortured in various places by the most grievous punishments, and having been snatched from them all by the benefit of God, escaping unharmed, she performed many miracles and converted many of the infidels to the Lord, being instructed by the word of God. Finally, being condemned to the fire, she entered an intensely burning furnace, praying and giving thanks; and having persevered there in prayer for many hours, she finally delivered her sacred spirit into the hands of the living God. ^B

IN THE SAME MONTH. The fourteenth day. The falling asleep of our holy Father Hypatius the Wonderworker, Bishop of Gangra.

He was one of the three hundred and eighteen Fathers who came together at the Council of Nicaea, under Emperor Constantine the Great, against the delirious Arius. He indeed performed many miracles; but that one is especially memorable, when a dragon of portentous size had crept into the imperial treasury and was driving everyone away from the entrance, he was summoned by the emperor, and having poured forth prayers, he killed it. For he ordered a pyre to be lit in the forum, and he led the dragon out from the treasury—it was clinging with its teeth to the tip of the rod that Hypatius was holding, and following him—and cast it into the fire. Hence the emperor ordered an image of the saint to be accurately painted at the entrance of the treasury itself. But Hypatius, having returned to his own Church, was killed by the snares of the Novatian heretics; for, a stone having been thrown at his head by a certain woman, he was freed from the prison of this life and flew away to the heavenly kingdom. ^C

Eodem die. Commemoration of the holy apostle Philip, one of the twelve apostles.

Philip, one of the twelve apostles, born at Bethsaida in Galilee, after the Lord’s ascension, having performed many miracles, under the emperor Trajan, came to Hierapolis, together with his daughters, and Mariamne... ^D

his sister, and Bartholomew the apostle, teaching the word of Christ, and persuading the unbelievers to turn away from the deception of the idols; for they worshipped a viper as a god, among whom was Nicanora, the wife of the proconsul, who was the one tasked with punishing them. Then Bartholomew and Philip were hung by the head from the wall. While Philip was hanging and praying, suddenly the earth opened and swallowed the godless ones, together with the proconsul, the viper, and its priests. Then by the grace of Christ, all were brought up, except the proconsul and the viper. Bartholomew and Mariamne were also freed from their bonds. But Philip was perfected ^B.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The fifteenth day.

The contest of the holy confessors Gurias, Samonas, and Abibus, who underwent martyrdom in the city of Edessa.

These existed under Diocletian the emperor and Antoninus the commander. And having been informed against, as those who were ministering to the Christians kept in custody, Gurias and Samonas, who were from the same city and were in the order of the priesthood, were brought before the commander; and not being persuaded to sacrifice to the idols, each of them was hung by one hand for five hours. Then, having been taken down, and persisting in the confession, they were again hung by the feet. Then both were cast into a dark pit, and after this their heads were cut off. ^C But holy Abibus, who was a deacon, underwent martyrdom under Licinius, having been informed against that, as he went around the villages, he read the holy scriptures to the unbelievers, to confirm them. Whence, by the order of the lawless and impious emperor, being cast into a furnace kindled with much brushwood, he was perfected with joy.

On the same day.

The contest of the holy martyr Demetrius, who underwent martyrdom at Dabudenum.

The martyr Demetrius lived under the emperors Maximian and Maximinus, from a village called Dabudenum. Having been informed against ^D by the idolaters as a Christian, he was seized by the governor Publius. And being questioned, he proclaimed with boldness his faith in Christ our God. And being assisted by the Holy Spirit, he taught those who were standing by concerning the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his ineffable dispensation, and his entire goodness and philanthropy; then he spoke of the deceptive worship of the idols, and that they are deaf, as are those who worship them. Wherefore, having moved the governor to anger and wrath, he was perfected by having his head cut off with a sword, having received an heavenly crown from Christ, for which he had longed and underwent martyrdom; and his precious relic was buried by the faithful and pious men, putting forth healings upon those who approach it.

On the same day: The Slaughter of Saint James, the Brother of Saint John the Theologian.

^A James the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles, and was the brother of Saint John the Theologian, the son of Zebedee from Galilee. The Lord, seeing them with Zebedee their father by the Sea of Gennesaret, mending their nets (for they were fishermen), called them; and immediately, leaving everything and their father, they followed Him and gave themselves over to His discipline. But after the Ascension of the Lord and the Falling Asleep of the Theotokos, John went to Ephesus, discharging the office of preaching there; but James, leaving Jerusalem, traversed the twelve tribes of Israel, preaching our Lord Jesus Christ everywhere. Wherefore, ^B having been seized by Herod the Tetrarch in Caesarea, a city of Palestine, and by his order beheaded with a sword, he flew to heaven; where he reigns with Christ the Lord his Teacher, and our most merciful God.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The sixteenth day.

Commemoration of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew.

Matthew the Apostle was of the number of the twelve apostles; he was a tax collector, and the brother of James who is surnamed Alphaeus. The Lord, having caught sight of him sitting at the custom-house, called him to follow Him; and immediately he followed, and He enrolled him in the number of His disciples. Eight years after the Ascension of Christ, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote the holy Gospel ^C designated by his name, and handed it over to the holy Church of Jerusalem. Then, having traversed many provinces of the Gentiles, disseminating the word of Christ, he penetrated even to the anthropophagi. Among them, having endured many torments, and having finally appointed and left behind Plato as bishop there, he proceeded to Hierapolis of Syria, where, having imbued many with the Christian faith and baptized them, he ended his life.

On the same day: The Contest of the Holy Martyr Barlaam.

Barlaam the martyr was born in Antioch of Syria; being an old man in age, he was led to the prefect on account of his confession of Christ. And because he refused to sacrifice to idols, he was most severely beaten with bull-hide thongs; then, his nails having been pulled out, being brought again to the altar, since his hand was spread out by force, he was compelled to receive fire along with incense. ^D For the prefect thought that, if he were to cast the coals along with the incense onto the altar, he would be seen to have offered sacrifice to the gods. But he stood constant and immutable, holding his right hand harder than any bronze or iron, until the flesh beneath, consumed by the fire, fell to the ground, his hand having been perforated; while in the meantime he himself kept his face turned away from the altar, and preferred to have his hand burned.

or to cast incense upon the altar. And thus, with a noble and firm spirit, he delivered up his blessed soul to the Lord. ^B

NOVEMBER. On the same seventeenth day.

Commemoration of our holy Father Gregory, Bishop of Neocaesarea, the Wonderworker.

On the same eighteenth day.

Contest of the holy martyr Plato.

On the same day.

Contest of the holy martyr Romanus and the infant with him.

^A tried to stop him, saying, "The idols are no gods, but the one God of the Christians is." Whereupon he is struck on the mouth. And being hung up, he is scraped. While being scraped he kept saying that the one God of the Christians is He whom even infants know. And a child was brought by the command of the saint for the confounding of the prefect. And the prefect said to it, "What God do you worship?" And it said, "Him whom the Christians serve and believe in; and this I was taught by my mother." Then, as the child was being beaten in the presence of its mother, it became thirsty and asked for water. The mother said, "Do not drink, my child, of this water, but go, drink of the living water." And thus it was beheaded. But the saint, having had his tongue cut out and yet speaking clearly again, was thrown into prison, and by the command of Maximian was suffocated therein, and ^B received the crown of martyrdom.

ON THE SAME MONTH. The nineteenth day. The contest of the holy martyr and wonder-worker Aza.

This man was born in the region of the Isaurians and served as a soldier under the impious Licinius. Having abandoned military service, he went off into the deserts and lived a monastic life, occupying himself with prayers and vigils. Hence he became famous for many miracles and healings. But being discovered by hunters who were searching the mountain for game, he was brought to Diocletian. Diocletian therefore sent soldiers who, having seized Aza, brought him before his tribunal, along with a hundred and fifty soldiers who also believed. For by prayer he had brought forth water on the road, which was arid, ^C and having given them to drink, he drew them to the faith. Being enraged at this, Diocletian delivered them all to the prefect Aquilinus, that he might take vengeance upon them. Aza, therefore, being hung up by his hair from a height, was torn by iron claws; then he was cast into a fiery furnace; and when he emerged from it unharmed and untouched, and by that sign led the wife and daughter of the prefect to the faith in Christ, they were all together, along with those soldiers and the saint, beheaded by the angry prefect.

On the same day. Commemoration of the holy prophet Obadiah.

The holy prophet Obadiah was from the land of Shechem, a region of Palestine. He served Ahab, ^D the king of the Hebrews. When the same Ahab, king of the Hebrews, had sent to the holy, glorious, and great prophet Elijah two captains of fifty to summon him from the mountain to the king, and fire descended from heaven by the prayers of Elijah and consumed them with their company, he sent this third one that he might call him and bring him to him. And when he had come into the presence of the prophet, he fell at his feet and besought him that he might spare him and not let him be consumed by fire. The prophet then descended to the king. But Obadiah, having left the king, followed holy Elijah, and...

becoming his disciple, and having prophesied much, he died and was buried in the tomb of his fathers. ^A

ON THE SAME MONTH, THE TWENTIETH DAY

In this city there was this custom among the Greeks, that thirty days before they celebrated the Saturnalia, they would choose one of the soldiers of notable appearance, whom they intended as a sacrifice to Saturn. Clad in royal attire, they exhorted him to indulge his spirit and satisfy all his desires, given that after the thirtieth day he was to sacrifice himself upon the altar of Saturn. Dasius, the soldier chosen by lot, when faced with his fellow soldiers who were compelling him to this, made use of the best reasoning, and seizing the opportunity afforded to him, said: "Since I must die, it is far better for me, as a Christian, to suffer death for my Christ." Wherefore, by the order of Diocletian and Maximian, he was brought before the prefect’s tribunal, and having been tortured with many torments, he was finally slain by the sword.

^B

ON THE SAME DAY

These holy ones dwelt in Persia, endowed with singular virtue, and fearing the true God, who made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and walking according to His commandments. And Nersas, indeed, was the first bishop, and by exhorting the people to piety, he made many disciples, among whom was Joseph, who afterwards, on account of his notable virtues, was ordained bishop by the same Nersas. When therefore they were seized by the atheistic Persians, because they were turning the people from error to virtue, Nersas was then eighty years of age, and Joseph eighty-five. Being brought before the king, they said to him: "O king, if you were to kill us and restore us to life seven times, you would still be unable to draw us away from the love of Christ." When they had said these things, having received the sentence of the sword, they suffered death with a joyful spirit. ^C

ON THE SAME DAY

These holy men also diligently performed their duty as bishops in Persia, teaching the people, and striving to dispel the error of the Persians, demonstrating by vehement discourse that idols, the sun, and fire are by no means gods, but the works and servants ^D

not only of God, but also of men (for they said these things were made for our service, and that there is only one God who produced them), they were denounced to the king. He, ^A seized by great fury and anger, sent soldiers and had them arrested. Bound, they were brought to his tribunal. And having been stripped, they were scourged and lacerated in various ways. But they not only did not deny our Lord Jesus Christ, but also acknowledged Him as the true God and the destroyer of the delusion of the Persians; by order of the tyrant, they were pelted with stones outside the city, together with the holy ascetic Onam.

Eodem die The Contest of the holy Boethazat the Eunuch, and Sasannis, and the holy men and women with them. ^B These also flourished in the same impious region of the iniquitous Persians, which is given over to idolatry. Boethazat indeed, being a Christian from his first age, was seized; and because he would not sacrifice to the Sun and Fire, he was executed by the order of the king of the Persians, together with the saints, after many torments and tortures. In their number were the holy nuns Thecla and Anna, and many other women, who, having suffered many things for Christ and having more vehemently rebuked the cruelty and folly of the impious king, were beheaded. Similarly, three virgins also died, slain by the sword: from whose blood a fig tree sprouted, which gave a gift of healings to the faithful, driving away every disease and malady, until the atheistic and impious Manichaeans, stimulated by envy on account of the frequency of the divine miracles that were performed there, cut it down. ^C

Eodem die Commemoration of Saint Gregory the Decapolite. Gregory the Decapolite was from the Decapolis in the province of Isauria, in the times of the impious Iconoclasts. When he reached adolescence, seeking to avoid the marriage prepared for him by his parents, he became a monk and entered a cave infested by a multitude of demons, by whom he was beaten, but by prayer he finally expelled them. Then, admonished by a vision from God, he left the cave and began to traverse the world. When, therefore, he had come to the city of Syracuse in Sicily, he dwelt in a certain tower of the city wall, where he also performed many miracles. ^D Soon he sought Thessalonica, and then Byzantium. There, some time later, he dwelt near the vision of the divine Simeon, who was imprisoned there for the sake of piety, and having associated with him abundantly and philosophized about the soul, he migrated to the Lord.

EODEM MENSE. Die vicesima prima. The Entry of the Deipara, when she was presented to the temple and introduced into the Holy of Holies. After the admirable [nativity] of the holy Joachim and Anna,

when two years from the birth of the glorious Theotokos and ever-virgin Mary had been completed, Joachim said to his wife Anna: Bring her into the temple of the Lord, as we have promised. And Anna said: Let us wait for the third year, lest, from longing for her parents, she be not directed in the sight of the Lord. And after three years, Joachim said: Let us call the pure maidens of the Hebrews, and let them take lighted lamps, and let the lamps be kept burning; let the child not turn back, and let her mind be captivated in the temple of the Lord. And they did so. Zacharias received the girl and said to her: May the Lord magnify your name. And he seated her upon the step of the altar; and she was fed by an angel until she reached twelve years of age. And when the time of the betrothal arrived, Joseph received her from the high priests in the temple of the Lord. ^A

OF THE SAME MONTH, THE 22ND DAY

The contest of the holy martyrs Marcus and Stephanus.

In the reign of the impious Diocletian, these saints entered into the contest of immortality for Christ. For they were from the city of Antioch in Pisidia; and since they instructed with all freedom those who approached them in the word of truth, and confessed Christ as the true God and Lord of all, they were denounced to the prefect Magnus, and, having been seized, were subjected to torments. ^B And since they could by no means be persuaded to deny Christ, they were bound with another, by surname Marcus, who shone like a star among the holy martyrs called the Calynteni, and were vexed with most bitter tortures of every kind. But persevering in the faith of Christ, they could not be induced to sacrifice to the impure demons; wherefore, ^C by the order of Magnus, their sacred heads were severed, and they were buried in the region of Pisidia, in which they were born.

OF THE SAME MONTH, THE 23RD DAY

The contest of the holy martyrs Archippus, disciple of the apostle Paul, and Philemon the soldier.

These men lived during the reign of Nero. Having become disciples of the holy Paul, they suffered martyrdom in Chonae, a city of Phrygia, which is near Laodicea. For when a festival of the abominable Diana was being held in her temple in Chonae by the superstitious Greeks, these Saints were singing praises to God in the most holy church together with the Christians. Wherefore, an assault having been made upon them by the idolaters, and the others having turned to flight, Archippus, Philemon, and Amphias alone stood their ground. ^D Being bound, they were brought before Androcles, the grain-prefect of Ephesus; and Archippus was beaten with lashes at his command, and because he refused to sacrifice to idols, he was cast into a pit and buried in earth up to his navel,

And having been stabbed all over his body by the pens of schoolboys, he was subsequently stoned to death. Then also the holy Philemon was mercilessly beaten with clubs until he breathed his last. ^A

OF THE SAME MONTH. The twenty-fourth day.

The Contest of the holy martyr Cecilia, and of the saints with her, Valerian and Tiburtius.

Cecilia, a martyr of Rome, born of wealthy parents, was given in marriage to Valerian. She led him to the faith of Christ because of the apparition of an angel, whom she had shown to him. Valerian in turn persuaded his brother Tiburtius to receive baptism. All of these were instructed by Urban, bishop of the city. Moreover, Tiburtius merited such grace that he enjoyed the sight and conversation of angels daily. But when he and Valerian were burying the bodies of the martyrs, they were denounced to the prefect of the city and subjected to torments; they were handed over to Maximus the chamberlain, by whom their venerable heads were cut off. Yet they had previously drawn this same chamberlain, Maximus, to the faith of Christ, who then ended his life, having been tortured by order of the prefect. But Cecilia, having been thrown into a most scorching bath, remained unharmed for three days, and then was beheaded. ^B

On the same day. The Contest of our holy Father, the hieromartyr Sisinnius, bishop of Cyzicus.

The most holy martyr Sisinnius, during the reign of the emperor Diocletian, was bishop of Cyzicus. He taught the multitude of the Greeks the faith of Christ, and converting them from the ancestral superstition of idols to the Lord, he baptized them in His name; he confirmed the faithful, and made them stronger by his exhortations. Furthermore, he visited and cared for those who were arrested for the name of Christ and held in prisons, or subjected to torments, and spurred them on to courageously undergo martyrdom. Wherefore, having been denounced to Diocletian, he was apprehended; first, he was beaten most severely; then, being suspended, his sides were raked. Afterward, he was handed over to prison, and he struggled with hunger and thirst and countless other afflictions. Then, having been brought out of prison, and again urged to deny Christ, because he would not be persuaded, he joyfully received his end by the sword. ^C

On the same day. Commemoration of the holy Gregory, bishop of the city of Agrigentum.

During the reign of Justinian Rhinotmetus, Chariton and his wife Theodote, most hospitable people, lived in the city of Agrigentum. Of them was born this Gregory, whom the bishop received from the font of holy baptism, educated, and made a cleric. When he was eighteen years old, he departed to venerate the holy places...

and he becomes a deacon under Macarius, the bishop of Jerusalem. Then he returned to Byzantium; then to Rome, in which he is also ordained bishop of the Agrigentines. Whence, moved by envy against him, Sabinus and Crescentinus caused him the greatest trouble; however, by the Divine grace, he suppressed their insolence by performing many miracles, and rendered them black, so that unto this day their descendants appear thus. And having received the Church in this manner, and having performed innumerable prodigies, he ended his life in deep old age.

NOVEMBER.

EODEM MENSE. Die vicesima quinta

The Contest of the Holy Hieromartyr Clement, Bishop of Rome.

Clement, the most wise disciple and successor of the holy apostles, having been saved ^B once from the danger of the sea, and having joined the apostle Peter, was taught by him the truth in Christ, already possessing Greek knowledge. Having become a herald of the Gospel, and having written the Constitutions of the Apostles, he was also established as Bishop of Rome. But, having been seized by the emperor Trajan, he is punished. Then he is sent to Ancyra of Galatia. In which he is even shut up in a certain wall, the door having been blocked with stones. In which he was sustained by legumes alone. And being thus pressed, he made an end of his life. Later, as they say, some believers taking up his precious relics, carried them to Cherson; which, having been cast into the sea by the idolaters, perform innumerable miracles to the glory of Christ even unto this day.

On the same day.

The Contest of the Holy Hieromartyr Peter of Alexandria.

Peter the hieromartyr was bishop of Alexandria under the emperor Maximian. Having been seized, he was about to be beheaded. And hearing this, the heretic Arius, whom the ^C saint had cast out of the Church, came, seeking forgiveness. But the holy Peter did not grant him forgiveness at all, but replied that the Lord had appeared to him by night in the form of a youth, wrapped in a garment rent from head to foot, and to his questioning, "Lord, who has rent your garment?" He had said: "Arius; whom do not admit to communion; for Arius shall not obtain forgiveness either in this age or in the age to come." Now the rent garment signified the division brought into the holy Trinity by the blasphemy of Arius. Having said these things, and having publicly named his successor, and likewise having designated another who was to be sufficient for ^D him, he followed the lictors, and by the command of Maximian was beheaded.

On the same day.

The Contest of the Holy Martyr Mercurius.

The martyr Mercurius lived under the emperors Decius and Valerian, serving in the army of the East, and since he bravely

having occasionally been assisted by an angel in his affairs, was declared a commander of soldiers by the emperors. But, loving Christ, he embraced the Christian faith. When the emperor learned of this, he was vexed. Having seized him, therefore, he ordered him to be tied to four stakes in the ground and cut to pieces limb by limb, and fire to be placed beneath him: which was extinguished by an excess of blood. After this, with a huge stone tied to his neck, he was dragged on a rack, head inverted; and his skin having been stripped off with bronze pincers, he was led bound to Caesarea in Cappadocia: where, after his head was cut off, he rests buried, providing healings to all the faithful to this very day. ^B

On the same day.

The Passion of the holy great martyr Catherine.

Catherine the martyr was from Alexandria, daughter of a certain rich and noble prince, most excellent in beauty and talent. Since she had learned Greek literature, she devoted herself also to philosophical sciences, and was skilled in the languages of all nations. But when at one time a festive day was being celebrated for the idols by the Greeks, and she saw a multitude of animals being slaughtered, she, feeling distressed by this, went to the Emperor Maximinus, and debated with him, saying: "Why, having abandoned the living God, do you worship lifeless idols?" Maximinus therefore, having detained her, tortured her most bitterly. Then, having summoned fifty orators from every quarter, he said: "Dispute with Catherine, and convict her; for unless you convict her, I shall deliver you all ^C to the flames." But they, seeing that they were overcome, were baptized, and thus were consumed by fire. Catherine, however, was beheaded.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The twenty-sixth day.

Commemoration of our holy Father Alypius.

Our holy Father Alypius struggled during the reign of Heraclius. He was from Adrianopolis in Paphlagonia. But before he was born, his mother saw a dream of this kind: She seemed to herself to carry in her arms a lamb of striking beauty, on whose horns burning tapers were fixed: from which she understood that the boy about to be born would be famous for virtues: which also came to pass. For having been ordained a cleric, and then a deacon, having bidden farewell to ^D the affairs of this world, he ascended a column: and having become a stylite, he stood naked under the open sky, illuminated in the meantime by many miracles, and often attacked by demons. He indeed, for as long as he could, prayed while standing on his feet. But having been struck by a stone by demons, he fell into a disease of the side, with which, after he had labored for thirteen years, he departed from life, being one hundred and eight years old.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The twenty-seventh day.

The Passion of the holy and much-struggling martyr James the Persian.

The much-struggling martyr James was from

^A Persia, during the reign of Theodosius, the Roman Emperor. Because of the excellence of his spirit and the nobility of his lineage, he was held in the highest honor by the king of the Persians. He was a Christian, and had a Christian wife, and likewise a Christian mother and father; yet for the honor of the king, having abjured Christ, he worshipped the Sun and the Fire as if they were gods. When his mother and wife learned of this, they were affected with grief and induced him by their letters to return to the Christian faith. Wherefore, being discovered by the king, and arrested by his command, he suffered a most bitter death. For his limbs and parts of his body were one by one cut off with a sword, until only his torso remained with his head and belly, while in the meantime he offered thanks to God at every single dismemberment. At last, by the order of the same king, his head was ^B cut off with a sword.

IN THE SAME MONTH. The twenty-eighth day.

The Contest of the holy martyr Stephen the Younger, and his companions Peter and Andrew.

Constantine, surnamed Caballinus, an heretical emperor and adversary of the holy images, when he learned that these holy men, Stephen, Peter, and Andrew, neglecting his command, were worshipping the images and calling him a heretic, ordered them to be arrested and first tortured most severely. Then he ordered the holy Stephen to be bound with a rope and dragged ^C through the middle of the city. While he was being dragged, he was struck on the head by a certain man with a large wooden beam, and his head was split in two, and he died, and was buried in the place where he now lies. Similarly, the holy Andrew was also bound and dragged, and departed from this life. But the holy Peter was first thrown into prison, then brought out and beaten with whips for so long that he delivered his spirit to God.

On the same day.

The Contest of the saints who suffered martyrdom for the holy images with the holy Stephen the Younger.

There were then many orthodox soldiers who, renouncing this life, became monks. The lawless emperor punished these men with the harshest torments and killed them. For indeed, he gouged out the eyes of one, named Basil, and as he was still speaking ^D of the veneration of the holy images, he struck him with his heel and ruptured his intestines: then, having banished him, he compelled him to depart this life. Another was placed on the rack, his nose was cut off, and he was exiled to Cherson: whence, consulting for his own safety by flight, he rushed off into Khazaria, where he became a bishop, and later died. Another by the name of Stephen, cast into Sogdia, having been of benefit to many there, reached the end of his life. Likewise, two men named Gregory, with many others, were compelled to leave their native soil, and died. But John, an ex-legatarius, was expelled to Daphnusia, and at fixed times, by the emperor's command, was beaten most frequently, and his life was brought to completion.

On the Same Day

^A 218 The Martyrdom of the Holy Martyr Irenarchus.

Irenarchus, the martyr from Sebaste, from his youth performed the office of a lictor to punish the holy martyrs. But when he saw Christian women, dragged to interrogation by Maximus, the prefect of Sebaste, in the times of the Emperor Diocletian, showing themselves far braver than the female sex could bear, and confounding the tyrant with the miracles published by them, he was illuminated by the divine grace of Christ. Having taken courage, he openly confessed Christ and also proclaimed himself a Christian. And first, indeed, by the order of the prefect, he was thrown into a lake; then, when he had escaped from it unharmed, he was cast into a burning furnace; from which, having also emerged without any harm, he was beheaded, and his spirit indeed flew to the heavens; but his remains lie buried in the earth.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The Twenty-Ninth Day.

219 Commemoration of our Holy Father John Damascene.

He flourished in the city of Damascus under the emperors Leo the Isaurian and his son Constantine, distinguished by birth, nobility, and faith, born of a father significant in virtues; and he attained all Greek discipline and also the divine Scriptures. But for the sake of faith in Christ, having abandoned his patrimonial wealth, he became a monk together with Cosmas, whose many hymns exist, which are sung on holy feasts, and especially in the great week of holy Pascha. But the holy John, with a great abundance of words and weight of opinions, and by the authority of holy Scripture, confounding the heresy of the Iconomachs, often punished and vexed by heretical emperors with prison and hardships, died in an excellent confession, and was buried by his disciple.

On the Same Day

^D 220 The Martyrdom of the Holy Martyr Philomenus.

Philomenus the martyr, under the Emperor Aurelian, from the region of Lycaonia, exercising trade, was engaged in transporting grain to Ancyra in Galatia. But because he was a Christian, having been denounced to the prefect of Ancyra, he was brought to his tribunal. And when he professed Christ to be the God and Lord of all, first indeed, having his feet and hands pierced with iron nails, he was raised on the rack and lacerated with scourges; then, taken down from the wood, he was cast into a burning furnace: but being affected by no harm, by the power of God, and having his feet, hands, and head pierced again with nails, he was forced to cover thirty stadia in a run, until, exhausted by the running and the labor, he surrendered his blessed soul to God, for whom he underwent martyrdom.

NOVEMBER.

OF THE SAME MONTH. The Thirtieth Day.

^AThe Passion of the holy and all-praised apostle Andrew, brother of the great Peter.

He, being the true brother of the great apostle Peter, after the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, preached throughout the entire maritime coast of Bithynia, Pontus, Thrace, and Scythia. After this, he went to the great Sebastopolis, which is intersected by two rivers, the Psarus and the Phasis, among whose inhabitants are the lower Ethiopians. Finally, he journeyed to Patras of Achaia in the Peloponnese, where he was crucified by the proconsul Aegeatas; and thus he met his death. His sacred relics were at that time deposited in Patras of Achaia; but later, by the command of the Emperor Constantine, they were transported by Saint Artemius, together with those of the holy apostles Luke and Timothy, to Constantinople, and were laid beneath the holy table of the holy apostles, emitting the grace of healings.

SECOND PART OF THE MENOLOGION OF THE GREEKS. FROM THE MONTH OF DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY.

^C

MONTH OF DECEMBER. The First Day.

^DCommemoration of the holy and glorious prophet Nahum.

The great and glorious prophet Nahum was of the tribe of Simeon, from the region of Judaea. Being devout, he received from God the gift of prophecy; and he prophesied against the city of Nineveh after the prophet Jonah, saying that Nineveh was to be destroyed by fresh waters and by fire. And so it came to pass; for by the command of God, because of their sins, the lake surrounding the city of Nineveh was, by a great earthquake, made to submerge it; and fire coming from the desert utterly consumed what remained of it. After having prophesied all these things, he died, and was honorably buried by his kinsfolk in his own land. When he died, he was forty-five years of age. He had a round chin, a thin face, and fine hair. He was also somewhat bald, and had an elongated head.

On the same day: The passion of the holy martyr Ananias.

Ananias the martyr was from the region of Persia, a layman.