THE HOLY 45 AT NICOPOLIS
Των Αγίων
Τεσσαράκοντα πέντε Μαρτύρων των εν Νικοπόλει
July 10th
The Forty-five Martyrs of the Armenian City of
Nicopolis suffered during the reign of the emperor Licinius (311-324), then a
coregent with Constantine the Great. Licinius fiercely persecuted Christians and
in his Eastern half of the Empire he issued an edict to put to death anyone who
would not consent to return to paganism. When the persecutions began at
Nicopolis, more than forty of the persecuted of Christ decided to appear
voluntarily before their persecutors, to confess openly their faith in the Son
of God and accept martyrdom. The holy confessors were headed by Leontius,
Mauricius, Daniel, Anthony and Alexander, and were distinguished by their
virtuous life. The procurator of the Armenian district, Licius, before whom the
holy confessors presented themselves, was amazed at the directness and bravery
of those who voluntarily doomed themselves to torture and death. He tried to
persuade them to renounce Christ and offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, but the
saints remained steadfast. They refuted all the arguments of the governor,
pointing out to him all the falseness of faith in the vile and vice-filled pagan
gods, leading those that worship them to ruin. The procurator gave orders to
beat the confessors about the face with stones, and then shackle and imprison
them.
In prison the saints rejoiced and sang the Psalms of David. St Leontius inspired
and encouraged the brethren, preparing them to accept new tortures for the true
Faith, and telling them of the bravery of all those formerly that had suffered
for Christ. In the morning, after repeated refusals to offer sacrifice to the
idols, the saints were again given over to torture. St Leontius, seeing the
intense suffering of the martyrs and worrying that some of them might falter and
lose faith, prayed to God that there might be a quick end of the matter for all.
When the holy martyrs sang Psalms at midnight, an angel of the Lord suddenly
appeared to them, and the prison blazed with light. The angel declared to the
martyrs that their contest was near its end, and their names already were
inscribed in Heaven. Two of the prison guards, Meneus and Virilad, saw what was
happening and believed in Christ. On the following morning, the governor decided
to put the martyrs of Christ to death. After beastly tortures they burned them
in a fire, and threw their bones in a river. Pious people found the relics,
gathered them up and saved them. Later on, when freedom had been bestown to the
Church of Christ, a church was built on this spot in the name of the holy 45
Martyrs.
Source:
OCA
