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Commemorated on April 7
The Holy Martyr
Calliopios was born in Pamphylian Pergamum from the pious woman Theoklia,
wife of a reknown senator. Theoklia was for a long time childless. She
fervently prayed for the bestowing of a son, vowing to dedicate him to God.
Soon after the birth
of her son Theoklia was widowed. She raised her son in the Christian faith.
When Saint Calliopios reached adolescent age, a fierce persecution against
Christians began. Theoklia, learning that a denunciation would be made against
her son, dispatched him to Cilicia. When the saint arrived at Cilician
Pompeiopolis, there issued forth from the city a celebration in honour of the
pagan gods. They invited the youth to take part in the proceedings. He answered
a refusal and explained himself to be a Christian. They reported this to the
governor of the city Maximus. He summoned Saint Calliopios to him for trial and
at first he attempted to persuade him to worship the gods, promising to match
him up with his own daughter. After the decisive refusal of the youth, Maximus
subjected him to terrible tortures. He gave orders to beat the martyr on the
back with tin rods and on the stomach with ox-hide thongs. Finally, the
governor gave orders to bind him to an iron wheel and to heat him over a slow
fire. After the tortures, they threw the martyr Calliopios, still alive, into
prison.
When Theoklia heard
about the sufferings of her son, she wrote out a last-will, set free her
slaves, distributed her riches to the poor, and hastened off to Saint
Calliopios. The brave mother gave money to the guard and got into the prison to
her son. There she encouraged him to endure suffering to the end for Christ.
When on the following
day the saint at trial refused to renounce Christ, Maximus gave orders to
crucify the martyr on a cross. The day of execution co-incided with Great
Thursday, when is remembered the Last Supper of the Saviour with the disciples.
Theoklia recognised
this and she besought the guard to crucify her son head downwards, since she
considered it unworthy for him to be crucified like the Lord. Her wish was
granted. The holy martyr hung on the cross until Great Friday and died in the
year 304, on the day of remembrance of the death on the Cross of the Saviour.
Upon taking down the
martyr from the cross Theoklia gave glory to the Saviour, embraced the lifeless
body of her son and gave up her own spirit to God. Christians buried their
bodies in a single grave.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
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