The Holy Martyrs Meletius Stratelates, Stephen, John, Serapion the Egyptian, Kallinikos the Sorcerer, Theodore and Faustus and with them 1218 Soldiers with Women and Children
Commemorated on May 24
The Holy Martyrs
Meletius Stratelates, Stephen, John, Serapion the Egyptian, Kallinikos the
Sorcerer, Theodore and Faustus and with them 1218 Soldiers with Women and
Children: During the reign of the Roman emperor Antoninus Heliogobalus
(218-222) the holy Martyr Meletius was a military commander of the Galatia
district. He was a Christian and he prayed fervently that the Lord would put an
end to the pagan error. Terrified by his prayer, the devils inhabiting the
pagan temples entered into dogs, which by their howling began to imbue fear
into the inhabitants of the district. Saint Meletius together with his soldiers
dispatched the mad dogs, destroyed the temples and was then arrested and
brought to trial before the governor Maximian. For refusing to offer sacrifice
to idols Saint Meletius was subjected to torture, and he died, not ceasing to
confess his faith in Christ. The tribunes of his regiment, the holy Martyrs
Stephen and John, were beheaded for their confession of Christ as True God.
The remaining
soldiers of the regiment, likewise declaring themselves Christian, were
beheaded by the sword together with their wives and children, and in the
torments perished 1218 men, put by some historians at instead the number 11,000
(+ c. 218).
The holy Martyrs
Theodore and Faustus together with many others were burned. From the women and
children that suffered are known the names of the holy Martyresses Marciana,
Susanna, Palladia, and the Infants Kyriakos and Christian. The names of some of
the soldiers are known, and of the 12 tribunes: the holy Martyrs Faustus,
Fistus, Marcellus, Theodore, Meletius, Sergius, Marcellinus, Felix, Fotinus,
Theodoriscus, Mercurius and Didymos.
The holy Martyr
Serapion was born in Egypt. He had come to the Galatia district and was a
witness of the martyrdom of Saint Meletius and his comrades. Seeing the bravery
with which those believing in Christ died for Him, Saint Serapion himself
believed, for which he was imprisoned. In prison an Angel of God came down to
him and ordained Saint Serapion a bishop.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.