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The Holy Martyr Platon (Plato) Commemorated on November 18 The Holy Martyr Platon (Plato), brother of the holy
Martyr Antiochos the Physician (Comm. 16 July), was born at the city of Ancyra
in Galatia. While still a youth he left home and went through the cities,
inspiredly preaching the Word of God to pagans, amazing his audience with the
persuasiveness and beauty of his speech, and his profound knowledge of Greek
learning. Because of his preaching he was arrested and brought for trial to the
temple of Zeus before the governor Agrippina. At first the judge attempted by
flattery to sway the saint into a renunciation of Christ. He assured the youth,
that he might be on a par of intellect with the greatest of the philosophers
Plato, if he but worshipped also the pagan gods. To this Saint Platon answered,
that the wisdom of the philosopher, although great, was but ephemeral and
limited, whereas the true, eternal and unbounded wisdom comprised the Gospel
teachings. Then the judge as the reward for renunciation promised to give him
as wife his beautiful daughter, but in case of refusal threatened him with
torture and death. Saint Platon replied, that his choice was a temporal death
for the sake of eternal life. The patience of the governor was exhausted, and
he gave orders to mercilessly beat the martyr, and then send him off to prison. © 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos. |
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