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The Holy Martyress Helikonida Commemorated on May 28 The Holy Martyress
Helikonida lived during the III Century in the city of Thessalonika. During
a time of persecution against the followers of Christ, Saint Helikonida arrived
in the city of Corinth and began to urge the pagans to give up serving
senseless idols and instead worship the One True God, the Creator of the
universe. She was arrested for this preaching and brought before the governor
Perinaus, who both by flattery and by threats in vain attempted to persuade the
saint to offer sacrifice to idols. The holy martyress was subjected to
tortures, but she bravely endured them. They then threw her into an hot
furnace, but she emerged from it unharmed, because an Angel of the Lord had
cooled the flames. Thinking the saint a "sorceress", the governor
pondered over new torments for her. From her head they began to tear at the
skin, and to burn at her breast and head with fire. And having halted the
torture, the judge again attempted to urge Saint Helikonida to offer sacrifice
to the idols, promising her honours and the title of priestess. Suddenly the
saint appeared to consent, and with merriment the pagan-priests and the people
led her to the pagan-temple amidst the sounds of trumpet and drum and, at the
request of the saint, they left her there alone. But Saint Helikonida, filled
with an heroic strength, cast down and smashed all the idols. Having waited a
long while, the pagan-priests went into their temple. Seeing the destruction,
they went into a vicious rage and cursed at the holy virgin with shouts of:
"Put the sorceress to death!" They began to beat the holy martyress,
and then they threw her into prison, where she spent 5 days. In prison Christ
the Saviour together with the holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel appeared to
the holy martyress and healed her of her wounds. Finally, they despatched the
saint for tearing-apart by wild beasts. They set loose upon her three hungry
lions, but the beasts came up to the martyress meekly and lay down at her feet.
The pagan mob shouted and demanded "Death to the sorceress". But at
this point the lions pounced up from the arena and jumped at the people, who
fled in terror. Not knowing what else to do, the governor gave orders to cut
off the head of Saint Helikonida. The saint went with joy to execution and
heard a Voice, summoning her to the Heavenly habitations. Her body was
reverently buried by Christians. © 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos. |
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