The Holy GreatMartyr Demetrios of Soluneia
Commemorated on October 26
The Holy GreatMartyr Demetrios of Soluneia was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessalonika (the present day Salonika, which in the Slavonic is termed Solun', [anglicised as Soluneia]). Three centuries had then already elapsed, and Roman paganism, – spiritually shattered and defeated by the multitude of martyrs and confessors of the Crucified Saviour, – intensified its persecutions. Both the father and mother of saint Demetrios were clandestine Christians. In a secret house-church at the home of the proconsul, the child was baptised and raised in the Christian faith. When the father died, and the child had reached the age of maturity, the emperor Galerius Maximian – having ascended the throne in the year 305 – summoned him, and confident in his education and military-administrative abilities, appointed him to the position of his father as proconsul of the Thessalonika district. The chief task expected of this young commander consisted in the defence of the city from barbarians, and in the extermination of Christianity. It is interesting, that among the barbarians threatening the Romans our ancestral Slavs occupied an important place, in particular by intentionally settling upon the Thessalonikan peninsula. There exists even the opinion that the parents of Saint Demetrios were of Slavic descent. In regard to Christians the will of the emperor was expressed simply: "Put to death anyone who calls on the name of the Crucified". The emperor did not suspect in appointing Demetrios, how wide a swath of confessors acts he had opened up for the clandestine ascetic.
Accepting
the appointment, Demetrios returned to Thessalonika and in front of everyone
immediately confessed and glorified our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of
persecuting and executing Christians, he openly began to teach the inhabitants
of the city the Christian faith and to extirpate pagan customs and
idol-worship. The compiler of his life, Metaphrastes, says that in his teaching
zeal he became for Thessalonika "a second Apostle Paul", particularly
since "the Apostle to the Gentiles" once founded at this city the
first community of believers (1 Thes., 2 Thes.). The Lord also destined Saint
Demetrios to follow the holy Apostle Paul to a death by martyrdom.
When
Maximian learned, that the proconsul newly appointed by him – was a Christian,
and that he had converted to Christianity many Roman subjects who were
influenced by his example – the rage of the emperor know no bounds. Returning
from a campaign in the Black Sea region, the emperor decided to lead his army
through Thessalonika, filled with the desire to make a massacre of the Soluneia
Christians.
Learning
of this, Saint Demetrios opportunely ordered his faithful servant Luppos to
distribute his wealth to the poor with the words: "Give away the earthly
riches amongst them, for we shalt seek for ourselves heavenly riches". And
he gave himself over to prayer and fasting, preparing himself for the accepting
of a martyr's crown.
When
the emperor came into the city, he summoned Demetrios, who boldly confessed
himself a Christian and denounced the falsehood and futility of Roman
polytheism. Maximian gave orders to lock up the confessor in prison, and an
Angel came to him in confinement, comforting and encouraging him for the act.
The emperor meanwhile concerned himself with a foul gladiators spectacle,
esteeming as his beloved champion a German by the name of Leo, who made a
challenge for a Christian to struggle with him on the platform over the spears
of the victorious soldiers. A brave youth from the Soluneia Christians, Nestor
by name, went to the prison to his advisor Demetrios and requested to be given
the blessing for single-combat with the barbarian. With the blessing of
Demetrios and through his prayers, Nestor prevailed over the fierce German and
hurled him from the dais-platform onto the spears of the soldiers, just as the
murderous pagan would have done with the Christian. The enraged commander gave
orders to immediately execute the holy Martyr Nestor (Comm. 27 October) and
dispatched a guard to the prison – to run through with spears the one who had
blessed this deed, Saint Demetrios.
At
dawn on 26 October 306 soldiers appeared in the underground prison of the holy
saint and ran him through with spears. His faithful servant, Saint Luppos,
gathered up on a towel the bless of Saint Demetrios, and he took from his
finger the imperial ring, – a symbol of his high status, and likewise dipped
it also in the blood. With the ring and other holy things sanctified by the
blood of Saint Demetrios, Saint Luppos began to heal the infirm. The emperor
gave orders to arrest and kill him.
The
body of the holy GreatMartyr Demetrios was cast out for devouring by wild
animals, but the Soluneia Christians took it and secretly committed it to
earth. During the reign of holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine (306-337), a
church was erected over the grave of Saint Demetrios. An hundred years later,
during the construction of a majestic new church on the old spot, the incorrupt
relics of the holy martyr were uncovered. From the time of the VII Century
beneathe the crypt of the GreatMartyr Demetrios was found a miraculous flowing
of fragrant myrh, in regard to which the GreatMartyr Demetrios receives the
church title "Myrh-flowing". Several times those venerating the
Soluneia wonderworker made attempts at a transfer of his holy relics, or part
of them, to Constantinople. But invariably Saint Demetrios secretly made
apparent his will to remain the protector and defender of the people of
Thessalonika.
Advancing
towards the city, pagan Slavs were repeatedly turned by the apparition of a
threatening radiant youth, going the round of the walls and inspiring terror in
the enemy soldiers. It is therefore perhaps why the name of Saint Demetrios is
particularly venerated among the Slavic nations after their enlightenment by
the light of the Gospel truth. On the other hand, Greeks regard Saint Demetrios
in terms of being a Slavic saint merely an arbitrary preference.
The
very first pages of the Russian Primary Chronicle, as foreordained by God, is
bound up with the name of the holy GreatMartyr Demetrios of Soluneia. Oleg the
Wise threatened the Greeks at Constantinople (907), as the Chronicle relates:
"The Greeks became terrified and said: this is not Oleg, but rather Saint
Demetrios sent upon us from God". Russian soldiers always believed that
they were under the special protection of the holy GreatMartyr Demetrios.
Moreover, in the old Russian barracks the GreatMartyr Demetrios was always
depicted as Russian by descent – thus this image fused with the soul of the
Russian nation.
Church
veneration of the holy GreatMartyr Demetrios in Russia began with the time
shortly after the Baptism of Rus'. Towards the beginning of the decade of the
70's of the XI Century belongs the founding of the Dimitriev monastery at Kiev,
known afterwards as the Mikhailov-Zlatoverkh monastery. The monastery was built
by the son of Yaroslav the Wise, – GreatPrince Izyaslav, baptised Dimitrii (+
1078). The mosaic icon of Saint Demetrios of Soluneia from the cathedral of the
Dimitriev monastery has been preserved up to the present day, and is located in
the State Tret'yakov gallery. In the years 1194-1197 the GreatPrince of
Vladimir, Vsevolod III Bol'shoe Gnezdo (Great-Nest), – baptised Dimitrii,
"built at his court a beautiful church of the holy martyr Dimitrii, and
adorned it wondrously with icons and writing" (i.e. frescoes). The
Dimitriev cathedral also reveals for the present the embellishment of ancient
Vladimir. The wonderworking icon of Saint Demetrios of Soluneia from the
cathedral iconostas is located even now in Moscow, at the Tret'yakov gallery.
It was written upon a plank of wood from the grave of the holy GreatMartyr
Demetrios, brought in 1197 from Soluneia to Vladimir. One of the most precious
depictions of the saint – a fresco on a column of the Vladimir Uspenie
cathedral, is from the brush of the Sainted Iconographer Andrei Rublev.
The
veneration of Saint Demetrios continued also in the family of Saint Alexander
Nevsky (Comm. 23 November). Saint Alexander named his eldest son in honour of
the holy greatmartyr. And his younger son, holy Nobleborn Prince Daniel of
Moscow (+ 1303, Comm. 4 March), raised up at Moscow a temple in the name
of the holy GreatMartyr Demetrios in the 1280's, which was the first stone
church in the Moscow Kremlin. Later on in 1326, under Ivan Kalita, it was taken
down and in its place was erected the Uspenie (Dormition) cathedral.
The
memory of Saint Demetrios of Soluneia from of old was bound up in Rus' with the
military, patriotism and the defense of the Fatherland. The saint is depicted
on icons in the guise of a soldier in plumed armour, with a spear and sword in
hand. On a scroll (in later depictions) is written also a prayer, with which
Saint Demetrios turned to God about the salvation of the people of Soluneia:
"Lord, let not the city nor the people perish. If Thou do save the city
and the people – with them I shalt be saved, if they perish – I too perish
with them".
In
the spiritual experience of the Russian Church, veneration of the holy
GreatMartyr Demetrios of Soluneia is closely bound up with the memory of the
defense the Native-Land and Church by the GreatPrince of Moscow, Dimitrii
Donskoi (+ 1389). "An Account of the Life and Repose Great Prince Dimitrii
Ivanovich, Tsar of Russia", written in the year 1393, already regards the
GreatPrince as a saint, as also do other old Russian histories. GreatPrince
Dimitrii was a spiritual son and pupil of the Sainted Metropolitan of Moscow
Alexei (+ 1378, Comm. 12 February), and a disciple and associating also with
other great figures of prayer in the Russian Land: – the Monk Sergei Radonezh
(+ 1392, Comm. 25 September, Dimitrii of Prilutsk (+ 1392, Comm.
11 February), Sainted Theodore of Rostov (+ 1394, Comm. 28 November).
GreatPrince Dimitrii "about the churches of God he worried much, and the
territory of the Russian land he held by his bravery: many the enemy risen
against us he conquered, and his glorious city Moscow he protected with
wondrous walls". From the time of the building of the white-walled Kremlin
(1366) by GreatPrince Dimitrii, Moscow was called "Belokamenna"
("White-Stoned"). "The land of Russia prospered during the years
of his reign", – testifies the "Account".
By
the prayers of his Heavenly patron the holy warrior Demetrios of Soluneia,
GreatPrince Dimitrii gained besides his brilliant military victories also the
preordained further prominence of Russia: he repelled the onslaught against
Russia by the Lithuanian armies of Ol'gerd (1368, 1373), he routed at the River
Vozha the Tatar army of Begich (1378), and he smashed the military might of all
the Golden Horde at the Battle of Kulikovo Pole (Kulikovo Field) (8 September
1380, on the day of celebration of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God),
set between the Rivers Don and Nepryadva. The Kulikovo Battle, for which the
nation calls him Dimitrii Donskoi, became the first all-Russian national deed,
rallying round Moscow the spiritual power of the Russian nation. To this
auspicious event of Russian history is dedicated the "Zadonschina",
an inspiring historic poem, written by the priest Sophronii of Ryazem (1381).
Prince
Dimitrii Donskoi was greatly devoted to the holy GreatMartyr Demetrios. In
1380, on the eve of the Kulikovo Battle, he solemnly transferred from Vladimir
to Moscow the most holy effect of the Vladimir Dimitriev cathedral – the icon
of the GreatMartyr Demetrios of Soluneia, written on the plank from the grave
of the saint. At the Moscow Uspenie Cathedral was built a chapel in the name of
the GreatMartyr Demetrios. In memory of the soldiers, fallen in the Kulikovo
Battle, was established for all-church remembrance the Demetrios
Parental-Ancestors Saturday. The first time this panikhida was held was at the
Trinity-Sergiev monastery on 20 October 1380 by the Monk Sergei, Hegumen of
Radonezh, in the presence of GreatPrince Dimitrii Donskoi. From that time it is
served annually with a solemn remembrance of the heroes of the Kulikovo Battle,
in which number are the Schema-monks Alexander (Peresvet) and Andrei (Oslyab).
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.