The Holy Martyr Doulos

Commemorated on June 15

      The Holy Martyr Doulos was a pious christian from the city of Praetoriada. At the height of a persecution against Christians under Maximian (305-313) they arrested him and sent him to trial under the Cilicia district governor Maximus. Before the beginning of the trial the saint firmly besought the Lord to grant him the power of words for a denunciation of idol-worship.
      At the interrogations the holy martyr bravely confessed Christ and forcefully denounced the false religion of the pagans and their gods with their shameful human vices and passions. The governor tried to confute his faith in Christ, but he was not able to resist against the grace-given words of Saint Doulos. The governor flew into a rage, tortured him without pity and after interrogation dispatched him back into prison. At each new interrogation the saint appeared strong in spirit and body, prepared for new torture. At the final interrogation for Saint Doulos, they broke his lower jaw, they broke his knees, and they bound him to the chariot of the governor and dragged him about. In this manner of suffering the holy martyr died, having signed himself with the sign of the cross.
      They untied his body from the chariot and threw it into the river. The river current carried the remains of the holy Martyr Doulos to his native city right up to shore. Dogs of shepherds discovered the holy body. One of them sat and guarded the body of the holy martyr from birds, and another brought in its teeth a shepherd's robe and covered up the body of the saint. The shepherds led christians to the body of the holy Martyr Doulos, who then made the burial.