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Commemorated on April 2
The Holy Martyrs
Amphianos and Hedesios were brothers by birth. They lived in the city of
Patara (province of Lycia) in the family of the pagan city-governor. For their
further study in the pagan sciences they went to the city of Beirut.
There the brothers
came to believe in Christ and became ardent followers of Him.
The holy brothers
quit their pagan parents and departed to Alexandrian Caesarea, where they found
for themselves an instructor, the Presbyter Pamphilos (the account about him is
under 16 February), and under his guidance they became accomplished in
spiritual life, dwelling in prayer and the study of sacred books.
At that time by
decree of the emperor Maximian (305-313), a zealous pagan and cruel persecutor
of Christians, – all the inhabitants of the city of Caesarea were required to
make a public offering of sacrifice.
To save themselves
from idol-worship, many Christians had to hide themselves away in secret
places. Saints Amphianos and Hedesios also hid away.
But when the governor
of the city of Caesarea had to make the sacrifice to idols, Saint Amphianos
boldly went into the temple, he took hold the hand of the governor standing
with the pagan sacrifice, and began to urge him to forsake his error and
believe in Christ.
By order of the
governor, soldiers seized hold of Saint Amphianos, fiercely beat him and then
threw him in prison. Two days later they led him to trial, where they beat him
with iron rods and burned at his body with bundles of flax soaked in oil. The
brave youth, steadfastly confessing his faith in Christ, was then thrown with a
stone about his neck into the sea. But suddenly a strong storm blew up, and the
waves carried the body of the martyr to shore, where Christians gave it burial.
The brother of the Martyr Amphianos, Saint Hedesios, was likewise subjected to
torture, and they then sent him off to the copper mines.
After a certain while
they freed Saint Hedesios and sent him to Alexandria. There he learned of the
extreme cruelty towards Christians by the governor Hierokles, and he boldly
denounced him. They began to torture Saint Hedesios, and then like his brother
they drowned him (+ 306).
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
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