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Commemorated on March 3
The Holy Martyrs
Eutropios, Kleonikos and Basiliskos suffered in the city of Pontine Amasia
(Asia Minor) in about the year 308.
The brothers
Eutropios and Kleonikos, and Basiliskos the nephew of the GreatMartyr Theodore
of Tyre (Comm. 17 February), were comrades. After the martyr's death of Saint
Theodore, they wound up in prison and by their preaching brought to the
Christian faith many of the pagans located in prison with them.
When he tortured
Saint Theodore, Publius perished shamefully, struck down by Divine wrath.
Asclepiodotos was chosen governor of Pontine Amasia, and did not bend from the
fierceness of his predecessor. Knowing the comrades of the martyr Theodore of
Tyre were still all in prison, the governor commanded that they be brought to
him. Saints Eutropios, Kleonikos and Basiliskos thus firmly confessed their
faith in Christ in front of this new governor. They were mercilessly beaten,
such that their bodies became entirely bruised. At the time of torture Saint
Eutropios prayed loudly to the Saviour: "Grant us, O Lord, to endure the
making of these wounds for the sake of the crown of martyrdom, and come in help
to us, like as Thou camest to Thy servant Theodore". In answer to this
prayer of the saint, there appeared to the martyrs the Lord Himself with Angels
and together with them the holy GreatMartyr Theodore of Tyre, saying to them:
"Behold, the Saviour is come in help to you, that ye may know about life
eternal".
Soldiers and many of
the people standing nearby were also granted to behold the Saviour. They began
to urge Asclepiodotos to halt the tortures. Seeing, that the people were
distraught and ready to believe in the True God, the governor commanded the
martyrs to be taken away. The governor then invited Saint Eutropios to him at
supper and urged him to publicly offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, yet remain
a Christian in soul.
But Eutropios refused
this offer.
On the following day
they brought the martyrs to a pagan temple, so as to compel them by force to
offer sacrifice. Eutropios thereupon began to entreat the Saviour: "Lord,
be with us, and destroy the raging of the pagans. Grant, that on this place be
offered a Christian Bloodless Sacrifice unto Thee, the True God". These
last words of prayer had only just been spoken, when there began an earthquake,
the walls of the temple began to collapse, and with them was smashed also the
statue of the goddess Artemis. Everyone fled from the temple so as not to be
crushed amidst the rubble. Amidst the noise of the earthquake was heard a voice
from on high: "Your prayer is heard, and on this place shalt be built an
house for Christian prayer".
When the earthquake
ended, the governor Asclepiodotos, barely just recovered from fright, gave
orders to drive high wooden stakes into the ground, tie the martyrs to them and
pour boiling tar over them. The saints began to pray to God, and Eutropios cried
out turning to the torturers: "May the Lord turn your deed against
you!" And the tar began to flow aside the bodies of the martyrs, like
water with marble, scorching the torturers. Those seeing this fled in terror,
but the governor in his bitterness gave orders to rend their bodies with iron
hooks and to sting their wounds with mustard, mixed with salt and vinegar. The
saints endured these torments with remarkable firmness.
The following night
before execution the saints spent their time at prayer, and again the Lord
appeared to them and strengthened them.
On the morning of 3
March, Saints Eutropios and Kleonikos were crucified, but Basiliskos was left
in prison.
They executed Saint
Basiliskos on 22 May in the city of Komana. They beheaded him, and threw his
body into a river. But christians found his remains and buried them in a
ploughed field. Later at Komana was built a church in the name of Saint
Basiliskos.
An account about the
life of the holy martyr is located under 22 May.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
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