THEODOTOS
THE HIEROMARTYR
March 2nd
Του Αγίου Ιερομάρτυρος Θεοδότου
He was a native of Galatia in Asia Minor, was
Bishop of Cyrenia in Cyprus. During a time of persecution against Christians
under the impious emperor Licinius (307-324), St. Theodotos openly preached
Christ, calling on the pagans to abandon idolatry and turn to the true God.
Sabinus, the governor of Cyprus, gave orders to arrest and bring Bishop
Theodotos to trial.
When he heard about this order, the saint did not
wait for the soldiers to be sent after him, but immediately went to the governor
saying, "I, whom you seek, am here. I have shown myself in order to preach
Christ my God."
The governor ordered that the saint be beaten
without mercy, suspended from a tree, raked with sharp implements, and then be
taken to prison. Five days later St. Theodotos was brought to the governor, who
presumed that after his tortures the bishop would prefer to renounce Christ,
rather than endure new sufferings.
However, St. Theodotos did not cease to preach
about Christ. At first they put the saint on an iron grate, under which they lit
a fire, and then hammered nails into his feet and let him go. Many witnessed the
sufferings of the martyr. Astonished at the saint's endurance and his
divinely-inspired speech, they came to believe in Christ. Learning of this,
Sabinus gave orders to stop the torture and throw the saint into prison.
During the time of St. Constantine the Great, the
freedom to confess their faith was given to all Christians, and among those set
free from prison was St. Theodotos. The saint returned to Cyrenia and after two
years serving as bishop he peacefully fell asleep in the Lord in about the year
326.
Source:
OCA
