Like simple peasant women, they tried to find out the future with the help of various rituals...
”, published by the Sretensky Monastery publishing house. The Holy Great Martyr Theodore was from Euchait, a place near Amasia. His courage and oratorical talent earned him the respect of Emperor Licinius, who around 320 appointed him military commander and mayor of Iraklia. Having taken office, Theodore did not hide his commitment to Christianity and with fiery words converted most of the city to Orthodoxy. They say that he even confirmed the truth of his sermon by killing the serpent, which was instilling fear in the local residents.
In response to the challenge of the emperor, who learned about the unexpected behavior of his favorite, Theodore himself invited Licinius to Heraclius along with his gold and silver idols. Encouraged by a night vision that his time had come to testify with blood his love for Christ, he solemnly received the emperor. He, admiring the order that reigned in the city, invited the mayor to show his piety by making a sacrifice to the gods. Theodore agreed and only asked to give him the idols for the night in order to honor them before making public sacrifices.
He took the golden statues brought by the emperor, crushed them into pieces overnight and distributed the gold to the poor. When the hour of the ceremony arrived, the centurion reported to the sovereign that he had seen some poor man carrying the head of a golden statue of Artemis. The amazed emperor ordered the saint to be hoisted on the rack, given seven hundred blows on the back with ox sinews, fifty on the stomach, and beaten on the back of the head with lead balls. Then they began to tear off his skin, burn the wounds with torches and scrape them with shards. During torture, the saint exclaimed only: “Glory to Thee, my God!”
He was thrown into prison, left without food for seven days, after which he was crucified on a cross outside the city. The soldiers mercilessly pierced him through the genital organ to the very insides, and the children, using arrows, gouged out his eyes. Patient in suffering and generous towards the executioners, following the example of the Divine Teacher, Theodore was steadfast in prayer and encouraged his servant Huarus to write down all the details of the martyrdom.
When he was hanging on the cross at night, left alone, an Angel of God freed him and healed him of all his wounds, giving him the strength to go through this battle to the end. The next morning the soldiers came to remove the corpse. With surprise, finding Theodore completely healthy, they believed in Christ. They were followed by the entire cohort and the rest of the soldiers sent to punish the first.
Realizing that, looking at this miracle, the agitated city could rebel, Licinius sent new soldiers to immediately execute Theodore, the culprit of these riots. Some Christians decided to stand up for the saint, but the martyr, feeling that the hour had come to reunite with Christ, stopped them and calmly appeared before the executioners. Having overshadowed himself with the sign of the life-giving cross, he bowed his head and with a blow of the sword was awarded the crown of glory.
Following the instructions of St. Theodora, Christians carried the remains in a triumphal procession to his family home in Euchaites. It was here that many miracles took place over the centuries, and the city was subsequently renamed Theodoropol.
Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius of Simonopetra,
adapted Russian translation - Sretensky Monastery Publishing House
In the temple of St. Eustathius, the relics of two famous warrior-martyrs are also buried - St. Theodore Tyrone and St. Theodore Stratilates (Warrior).
During the persecution of Christians under Emperor Maximian (286 - 305) in the Pontic city of Amasea (the territory of the north of modern Turkey), Saint Theodore Tyrone, who at that time was a soldier in the Roman army, was demanded to renounce the Christian faith and sacrifice to idols. He refused to do this, after which he was thrown into prison and subjected to severe torture. During his imprisonment, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him, strengthening and comforting the sufferer. He was eventually sentenced to death and burned alive in 305. First he was buried in Euchaite, later the relics were transferred to Constantinople and placed in a church dedicated to him. The head of Saint Theodore Tiron is located in the town of Gaeta in Italy.
About fifty years after his death, the saint performed the miracle that is best known to the Orthodox. During the reign of Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363), the ruler of Constantinople decided to trick Christians into participating in pagan festivals, and during the first week of Lent, he ordered food sold in the market to be sprinkled with the blood of animals that had been sacrificed to the pagan gods. Saint Theodore appeared in a dream to Archbishop Eudoxius, told about the ruler’s intentions and asked him to tell Christians not to buy defiled food, but instead to prepare kolivo (boiled wheat with honey). Thus, Christians avoided desecration, and every year on the first Saturday of Great Lent the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Theodore is celebrated - a prayer service is served, believers eat kolivo in memory of his intercession.
Saint Theodore Stratilates was a Roman military commander in the army of Emperor Licinius (312 - 324) and military ruler of the city of Heraclea. His service, both military and as a mayor, was very worthy, and Licinius, wishing to honor him publicly, invited him to a pagan festival that was to take place in Nicomedia. Theodore realized that the hour had come when he would have to publicly refuse to bow to the pagan gods and give praise to Christ. The emperor's servants delivered golden idols to the festival site, but Saint Theodore ordered his soldiers to break the idols even before the celebrations began and distribute the fragments to the poor. When this act became known to the emperor, he enragedly called Theodore to him, and Theodore spoke to him about Christ. Licinius sentenced him to death. The saint was scourged and received more than a thousand blows. After this he was crucified and pierced with arrows. During his suffering, he continuously praised God. To the bewilderment of the executioners, he remained alive and died only after being beheaded with a sword on February 8, 319. After Constantine's victory over Licinius and his accession to the throne of the Emperor, the relics of Saint Theodore were transferred from Euchaita (he was buried there next to Saint Theodore Tyrone) to Constantinople and subsequently placed in the famous church in Blachernae. They pray to him as the patron saint of the Orthodox army.
Saint George the New Martyr of Neapolis
The relics of St. George are also located in the Church of St. Eustathius. He lived in the 18th century in the Asia Minor city of Neapolis and was a hieromonk. During the Oryol Uprising of 1770 (a failed attempt to achieve Greek independence during the Russo-Turkish War), Turkish shepherds, dissatisfied with the uprising and irritated by the fact that a priest, that is, the head of the local Christian community, was nearby, killed him when he went to a neighboring village to serve liturgy. They stabbed him with a dagger and threw his body into a field. A few days after his death, he appeared to his family and told them where to look for his remains. After these events, miracles occurred through prayers at his relics.
Temple of the Assumption (Saints Eleutherius and Anthia)
In the Church of the Assumption in the Nea Ionia area there are the relics of the holy martyr Eleutherius, who in the 2nd century suffered a martyr’s death along with his mother Anthia. This Illyrian hierarch of the early Church suffered under the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117 - 138). As stated in the traditional Life, the saint was born in Rome, where his father occupied a high position at court. After the early death of his father, mother Eleutheria Anthia, together with her little son, secretly joined the growing Christian community, helping financially a small group of disciples of the Holy Apostle Paul. According to one of the legends, she was baptized by the Apostle himself as a girl. One day, Bishop of Rome Anacletus (76 - 88, the third bishop of Rome after Peter and Linus) noticed the piety and nobility of the young man’s manners and decided to help him in receiving upbringing and education. At the age of fifteen, the young man became a deacon, at seventeen a priest, and at twenty a bishop. After being ordained as a bishop, he went to shepherd the flock of Christ in Avlona (or Valona, which is now called Vlor and is located in the territory of modern Albania). Anthia went there with him. Soon, news of the young miracle-working bishop spread throughout Illyria and Epirus (now northern Greece), and so great was his fame that the Roman authorities became worried and began to put obstacles in his way. He was eventually taken into custody by order of Emperor Hadrian.
One of the centurions who came to take him entered the temple at the moment when Eleutherius was delivering a sermon. After listening to the sermon, this centurion (his name was Felix) wished to become a Christian and asked to be baptized. He was baptized, and then, at the insistence of Eleutherius himself, he carried out the order - he brought the bishop to Rome. Eleutherius was subjected to torture, which was observed by the local ruler Horibus. Seeing that the Saint remained unharmed after being immersed in boiling oil, tortured on a hot iron grid, scourged and being in a burning oven, the ruler also accepted Christianity. Bishop Eleutherius, centurion Felix, governor Choribus and several other people converted by Eleutherius were beheaded. The bishop's mother Anthia stood over her son's body in prayer. She was captured and her head was also cut off. This happened in 120 AD. It is believed that the holy relics of the mother and son were transported to Avlona by his followers. The Romans still celebrate their feast day on April 18, traditionally considered the day of their martyrdom. The Orthodox service in their honor is held on December 15: on this day in Constantinople, under the Emperor Arcadia (395 - 408), the Church of Saints Eleutherius and Anthia was consecrated.
A particle of the relics of the holy martyr Eleutherius is still available in the Italian town of Reati, where a large Greek community traditionally lived; and the Church of the Assumption in Nea Ionia in Athens is the main place where pilgrims from all over the Orthodox East come to venerate this Saint. They say that in Avlon (now the Albanian town of Vlori) a particle of his relics also still remains, and that miracles still happen through the prayers of the saint. Unfortunately, the location of the relics of the martyr Anthia is unknown, although it is quite possible that there is a particle of them in Vlori.
When the Parthenon, formerly the Cathedral of Our Lady of Atheniogassos, was converted into a Catholic church by French invaders in the 12th century, one small church in honor of St. Eleutherius was consecrated as the Orthodox Cathedral of Athens and continued to serve this function, and services continued under the Turks. Among other things, in this church the consecration of Saint Dionysius from Zakynthos to the rank of bishop took place. It still stands on this site, although it seems tiny compared to the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Metropolitan Cathedral built in the 19th century, which houses the relics of St. Philothea of Athens and Patriarch Gregory V.
Saints Eleutherius and Anthia are considered the patrons of pregnant women and women in labor. In addition, they pray to Saint Eleutherius for the captives, and to both of these saints for protection from the intervention of demonic forces. The name Eleutherius means "freedom", and therefore he was prayed to by independence fighters during the Greek uprising and by the Orthodox Greek Church in Albania under the yoke of communist atheism.
Bishop Eleutherius should not be confused with Eleutherius the Pope (175 -189), who is said to have sent Christian missionaries to England.
Temple of the Holy Martyr Paraskeva the Roman (Prmts. Paraskeva Roman)
The relics of the holy martyr Paraskeva are located in the area of Athens, which is called “Paraskevi”, in a temple dedicated to her name. She was born into a family of noble Romans around 130, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, when belonging to the Christian Church was considered a crime. The girl’s parents, Agathon and Politaia, were married for many years without children, so they dedicated the child they had in their declining years to the Lord in gratitude to Heaven. They called for skilled mentors to raise and educate their daughter, and, inspired by the good example of her parents, after their death, she distributed her inheritance to the poor. At the age of twenty, she entered the monastery of Christian virgins - a kind of future monasteries - where she devoted herself to serving God. Having succeeded sufficiently in spiritual life, she left the community and began to preach on the streets of Rome.
Paraskeva was so filled with God's grace and so burning in spirit that, according to hagiographers, many people turned to Christ simply by hearing her sermon. It is clear that she was a strong personality and influenced many, since the Roman authorities pursued her with indefatigable energy. She managed to escape persecution only by moving to Asia Minor, where she continued to preach in what is now Turkey. Finally, she was captured in Therapia by the soldiers of Emperor Anthony Pius (138 - 61). She was accused not only of insulting the gods, but also of the fact that it was she who became the cause of all the misfortunes that happened to the empire in those days!
Paraskeva was brought to trial before Emperor Anthony, who first tried to persuade her to renounce her faith, and when she refused, he ordered her to be imprisoned and tortured. Daily torture was ineffective, every morning the guards again and again found her in good health, without any traces of torture, on the contrary, she was cheerful and cheerful, as if nothing had happened. Seeing this, the ruler ordered her to be thrown into a cauldron with boiling resin, oil and water. Before his eyes, she was immersed in this boiling mixture up to her neck, but she behaved as if this liquid was barely warm. He thought that it was all his soldiers’ fault, their careless attitude to work, and began to scold them. He demanded that Paraskeva splash some of the mixture on him. She obeyed and splashed her hand at him. The boiling tar and oil blinded him. He began to beg her for help, promising to become a Christian if she restored his sight. She left the cauldron, went to the nearest source and, after praying, washed his eyes with spring water. His vision returned to him, after which he, as promised, was baptized and stopped the persecution.
Paraskeva returned to her apostolic activities, but during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the successor of Emperor Anthony, she was again taken into custody and this time beheaded by order of the heir to the throne, Tarasius, on July 26, 180. Later, her relics were transferred to Constantinople, and during the Exchange of Populations in 1922, part of them ended up in Athens.
Pendeli Monastery (St. Timothy of Pendeli)
Timothy was born in the middle of the 16th century in the town of Kalamos in the family of a cleric and was educated in Athens under the patronage of Bishop Oropov. He accepted the priesthood, and after the death of his benefactor became his successor in the episcopal see. He was then appointed Archbishop of Euripos (Chalkis) and reorganized the metropolitanate of Chalkis. A virtuous man, an energetic, brilliant figure, by 1565 he became a guiding star for local Christians on the path to salvation. At that time, the notorious Sultan Selim II (1566 - 1574) sat on the Turkish throne, and many churches in Constantinople were confiscated for mosques. Khoka Sadddin, the teacher of Selim II's son Murad III, boasted that "those churches that were within the city [of Constantinople] were freed from vile idols, from the filth of idolatrous impurities, and after the faces were erased from their images, and in themselves Muslim prayers and sermons began to sound in temples; many monasteries and chapels were the envy of the Gardens of Eden.” This attitude towards churches was prevalent, and therefore in Khalkis, most likely, there was also a constant threat of confiscation of churches. Focusing on the anti-Christian policy of Constantinople and fearing the growing popularity and influence of the Archbishop, the Pasha of Khalkis in 1570 ordered Timothy to be taken into custody, but Nurbana, the beloved wife from Selim's harem, the mother of his son and heir Murad III, ordered to secretly warn the Archbishop, and he fled together with his deacon and several priests to Mount Pendeli, near Athens.
Mount Pendeli is located 20 kilometers from the center of Athens and has a height of 430 meters. For centuries it gave shelter to ascetic hermits who lived here in caves and small monasteries. In such a place, Timothy could be just one of the many monks there. As one author writes, “sometimes monks had to live side by side with thieves, but the thieves did not bother them, because, firstly, they had nothing to steal, and, secondly, the thieves saw their piety and holy life. Some of these the criminals even repented and became monks themselves.” On Mount Pendeli there was a monastery of St. George Kikinaris, St. John of the Quarries, Holy Archangels, St. Petra and Davela Cave.
Coming to Mount Pendeli for the first time, Saint Timothy settled near the small Church of the Holy Trinity, the building of which today is a monastery chapel. Then he went down a little lower and began to live on the site of an ancient abandoned monastery. There, under one of the olive trees, he found an icon of the Mother of God and took it as a sign from above, indicating the need to revive the ancient monastery. From the day of its foundation, this monastery was under the protection of a firman issued on behalf of the Sultan and his successors (more lenient than Selim), although local rulers sometimes (for example, in 1688 - 1690) ignored the firman, turning a blind eye to the plunder of the monastery. After 1821, the Pendeli monastery, which was previously stauropegial (that is, subordinate directly to the Patriarch of Constantinople), came under the jurisdiction of the Athens diocese. Unfortunately, the icon of the Mother of God, carefully preserved since the day it was found by St. Timothy in 1570, was stolen in 1966 and has not been found since then.
The restoration and construction of the monastery buildings was completed in 1578, after which it was consecrated in honor of the Dormition of the Mother of God. People who wanted to live an ordinary monastic life began to come to the monastery, and Saint Timothy moved to the church of St. George Gargetos not far from there, and then even further, to another church of St. George in Vravona. There, a Turkish woman who converted to Christianity donated some land to St. Timothy after he saved her children from pirates. As stated in the chronicles of the Pendeli Monastery, local Turks and other neighbors were unhappy with the fact of the donation. It seems that in addition to this there were also tensions between St. Timothy and St. Philotheus, because, as one local historian writes, wanting to settle the issue of the donated land and “put an end to the disagreements between himself and St. Philothea, St. Timothy retired to the island of Kea (Zia) and built there the monastery of St. Great Martyr Panteleimon.” For some time he lived on this island in a cave, near which to this day a wonderful spring associated with his name appears from time to time. He rested on the island of Kea on August 16, 1590, a year and a half after the death of St. Filofei.
Of the relics of Saint Timothy, only the head has survived. It is kept in the chapel of St. Timothy, which is located to the left of the Church of the Assumption, in the courtyard. The head exudes a subtle fragrance. Through the intercession of Saint Timothy, many miracles took place. Twice the Athenians were saved from plague and cholera epidemics after a religious procession with his relics.
During the Turkish yoke, the Pendeli monastery set up a school in its caves for the children of the rebels. After the declaration of Greek independence in 1821, it served as a regular public school until 1920. Pendeli monks actively participated in the War of Independence of 1821. Twenty-two of them took part in the “Battle of Small Bridges”, as well as in the siege of the Acropolis, where the abbot of the monastery was wounded.
Both the monastery and the cave in which the school was located are open to visitors. There is also a small museum in the cave.
Temple of Agia Dynamis
The 17th-century chapel of Ayia Dynamis (Holy Power), located on the corner of Pendeli and Metropolis streets in the southwestern part, is associated with the Pendeli Monastery and the 1821 War of Independence. During the Turkish yoke, many valuable items of church utensils and monastic archives were hidden in the underground passage under the temple of Ayia Dynamis. Unfortunately, the Turks discovered and plundered this cache. Later, with the approval of the Turkish ruler Ali Haseki (1775 - 1795), the parish of the monastery participated in the production of gunpowder and bullets for the defenders of Athens. In the 19th century, ammunition was smuggled through the underground passage under the temple of Ayia Dynamis for Greek rebels. On the night of April 25, 1821, the rebels, including the Pendeli monks, began a siege of the Acropolis - the fleeing Turks hid there. The monks even offered their books and archives for the manufacture of wads, which were used to stuff the barrels of guns and guns in battle.
Byzantine Museum
The Byzantine Museum is located in a beautiful Florentine-style building near Syntagma Square. It houses an extensive and beautiful collection of Christian art from the 4th to 19th centuries. Among the museum's exhibits are icons from all periods of the Byzantine era, examples of early Byzantine sculpture, and even one small early Christian basilica. There are also relief images (bronze, gold and silver), as well as well-preserved mosaics and frescoes.
Rizarios Old Church School (St. Nektarios of Aegina)
Not far from the Byzantine Museum is the old church school of Rizarios, which was headed by St. Nektarios of Aegina from 1894 to 1908. This building now houses the school's administrative offices; the school itself moved to the Halandri area. This church school is one of many in Greece where boys 12-18 years old can receive an Orthodox education and study church subjects in addition to secular school subjects. Many students here prepare to enter religious educational institutions and to be ordained. Next to the administrative building of the school is the Church of St. George, built in 1834, in which St. Nektarios celebrated liturgy for many years. Some of his personal belongings and a portion of his relics are kept in this church. The church is open daily.
Mount Himettus and Kessariani Monastery
Mount Hymettus is only a twenty-minute bus ride from the center of Athens, but peace and cleanliness reign here, so dear to the heart of a pilgrim exhausted by city noise and dust. The forested mountainside gives a vivid picture of the appearance of Athens throughout its history. Back in the forties and fifties of the 20th century, shepherds with pipes, as in ancient times, grazed their flocks here. Bees still hover here, collecting nectar from thyme inflorescences. The Athenians call any honey “hymettus,” but the most aromatic and delicious is that taken from the hives on the slope of this mountain.
The Kessariani Monastery, dedicated to the Entry into the Temple of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was built in the 11th century on the site of the ancient temple of Apollo, which in later classical times was the temple of the goddess Aphrodite. The church has preserved Ionic columns and the floor of that time, which organically fit into the appearance of the monastery. The monastery of Kessariani is perfectly preserved. This is a Byzantine era monastery in its purest form, without any significant changes; Even the Catholicon (main church, cathedral) of the 11th century has been preserved. The cathedral is made in the shape of a cross and is topped with a dome standing on four columns. The dome is decorated with an icon of Christ Pantocrator, the walls of the apse are painted with frescoes depicting the Divine Liturgy. The arch of the northern facade is a striking example of the excellent art of Byzantine masons. The narthex and nave are decorated with 17th-century frescoes by the famous icon painter Ioannis Hypatios. The customer of these frescoes was Nicholas Benizelos (one of the members of the Benizelos family into which Saint Philothea was born a century earlier). Adjacent to the cathedral is a small chapel of St. Anthony.
The monastery buildings are located around a courtyard. The cathedral is located in the eastern part, the refectory and kitchen are in the western, and in the southern part there is a bathhouse (previously it was an oil press), which was adjacent to a two-story building with monastic cells. In all likelihood, the monastery reached its peak in the 13th century, although even during the Turkish yoke it was known as a center of spiritual enlightenment and learning. Unfortunately, these days Kessariani is only a museum. Despite this, the beauty of its buildings, preserved with such care, and the surrounding nature - a mountain slope covered with forests and flowers - radiate peace and tranquility, testifying to the centuries-old presence of prayer monks.
The Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates came from the city of Euchait. He was endowed with many talents and beautiful appearance. For his mercy, God enlightened him with perfect knowledge of Christian truth.
Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates
The bravery of the holy warrior became known to many after he, with the help of God, killed a huge serpent that lived in an abyss in the vicinity of the city of Euchaita. The snake devoured many people and animals, keeping the entire area in fear. Saint Theodore, armed with a sword and prayer to the Lord, defeated him, glorifying the Name of Christ among people. For his courage, Saint Theodore was appointed military commander (stratilate) in the city of Heraclea, where he bore a kind of double obedience, combining his responsible military service with the apostolic preaching of the Gospel among the pagans subordinate to him. His ardent conviction, supported by the personal example of Christian life, turned many away from the harmful “lies of godlessness.” Soon almost all of Heraclea converted to Christianity. At this time, Emperor Licinius (307 - 324) began a brutal persecution of Christians. Wanting to behead the new faith, he brought persecution down on the enlightened champions of Christianity, in whom, not without reason, he saw the main threat to dying paganism. Among them was Saint Theodore. The saint himself invited Licinius to Heraclea, promising him to make a sacrifice to the pagan gods. To perform this magnificent ceremony, he wished to collect in his house all the gold and silver statues of the gods that were in Heraclea.
Blinded by hatred of Christianity, Licinius believed the words of the saint. However, his expectations were deceived: having taken possession of the idols, Saint Theodore broke them into pieces and distributed them to the poor. Thus, he disgraced the vain faith in soulless idols and literally established the laws of Christian charity on the ruins of paganism. Saint Theodore was captured and subjected to cruel and sophisticated torture. Their witness was the servant of Saint Theodore, Saint Uar, who barely found the strength to describe the incredible torment of his master. Anticipating his imminent death, Saint Theodore already addressed his last prayers to God, saying: “Lord, you spoke to me first, I am seven with you, but now why have you abandoned me? See, Lord, like a wild beast, tearing me to pieces for your sake, the essence of the apple is gored My hair, my flesh is crushed with wounds, my face is wounded, my teeth are crushed, only my naked bones hang on the cross: remember me, Lord, who endured the cross for Your sake, I lifted up iron, and fire, and nails for You: for the rest, take my spirit, already for I am departing from this life." However, God, in His great mercy, wished that the death of Saint Theodore would be as fruitful for his neighbors as his entire life: He healed the saint’s tortured body and brought him down from the cross, on which he was left all night. In the morning the royal soldiers found Saint Theodore alive and unharmed; Convinced with their own eyes of the boundless power of the Christian God, they immediately, not far from the place of the failed execution, accepted holy Baptism. So Saint Theodore appeared “like a bright day” for the pagans who were in the darkness of idolatry and enlightened their souls “with the bright rays of his suffering.” Not wanting to avoid martyrdom for Christ, Saint Theodore voluntarily surrendered himself into the hands of Licinius, stopping the people who had believed in Christ from rebelling against their tormentors, with the words: “Stop, beloved! My Lord Jesus Christ, hanging on the Cross, restrained the Angels so that they would not create vengeance on the human race." Going to execution, the holy martyr with one word opened the prison doors and freed the prisoners from their bonds. People who touched his vestments and the miracle of God’s renewed body were instantly healed of illnesses and freed from demons. By order of the king, Saint Theodore was beheaded with a sword. Before the death penalty, he told Uar: “Don’t be lazy to write down the day of my death, and lay my body in the Euchaites.” With these words he asked for annual commemoration. Then, saying “Amen,” he bowed his head under the sword. This happened on February 8, 319, on Saturday, at three o'clock in the afternoon.
Prayers
Troparion to the Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates, tone 4
With true warfare, more passion-bearing,/ You were the good commander of the Heavenly King, Theodore,/ You fought wisely with the weapons of faith,/ And you defeated the demons of the regiment,/ And you appeared victorious as a sufferer./ Likewise, with faith,// We will always please you.
Kontakion to the Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates, tone 2
With the courage of your soul you embraced faith/ and took the word of God, like a spear, into your hand,/ you defeated the enemy,/ the great martyrs of Theodora, // praying with them to Christ God, do not cease for all of us.
Prayer to the Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates
O holy, glorious and all-praised Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates! We pray to you before your holy icon: pray with us and for us, servant of God (names), beseeching God from His mercy, may he mercifully hear us asking for blessings from Him, and may all our requests for salvation and life be fulfilled. We also pray to you, holy victorious Theodore Stratilates, destroy the forces of the enemies, visible and invisible, rising against us. Pray to the Lord God, the Creator of all creation, to deliver us from eternal torment, so that we may always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and confess your intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
The Holy Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates is revered as the patron saint of the Orthodox army.
Biography
Scientific approach to life
In ancient Russian literature, there are three versions of the life of Theodore Stratelates, which experts call the “short”, “complete” and “Slavic version”.
These three lives are translated from Greek and constitute a hagiography-martyrium.
In ancient Russian manuscripts this work was most often called “The Torment of St. Theodore Stratelates” and began with the words:
A short version of his life tells about the tortures that the saint endured on the orders of King Licinius. It describes the events of Theodore's martyrdom, while the saint dies on the cross and is resurrected by an Angel.
In the full version of the life, the text coincides with the short version almost word for word, but after describing the merits of Fyodor, this version includes an episode of the meeting with the Christian Eustathia and the victory over the monstrous serpent.
After the description of this event, the text of the short version of the life continues from the moment of the arrival of the ambassadors sent by Licinius.
These two versions of the life are translations of the Greek originals, of which there were also two, and they also differed in the mentioned episode. These versions of the text have been preserved and are kept in the Vatican Apostolic Library (full - No. 1993, short - No. 1245).
The first list in Slavic is a short version that is included in Yagich's Chrysostom, dating from the beginning of the 14th century.
But in the general manuscript tradition, the full version of the legend is much more common, which begins like this:
The third version is a translation of the Greek text of the life, which was included in the collection of Damascene Studites “Treasures” (Greek: ????????) of the 16th century, translated by Arseny the Greek.
Apparently this text was copied into the collection of A.I. Anisimov, who called it the “Slavic version.” Later, in 1715, this work of the Damascene Studite was completely translated by Feodor Gerasimov Poletaev.
In this work, the title of the life looks like this: “The Torment of the Holy Glorious Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates, put into common language by the last Damascus subdeacon and Studite among the monks,” which begins with the words:
The combination and translation of these versions was carried out by Dmitry Rostovsky, whose works were published in 1689-1705 and were considered the most successful.
This book has recently been republished once every decade, the last reprint was in 1998 (volume 7 - February).
The translation of Greek texts itself often led to confusion of texts in some translations, which was a problem not only for Slavic translators. The problem was the proximity of Saints Theodore - Tyrone and Stratilates - they were both revered as Christian warriors, lived in the same area at the same time, each defeated his own serpent, and were patrons of the army of the Byzantine Empire.
In addition, the texts of the lives of the mentioned saints are read close to each other: firstly, the celebration of the memory of the saints in the calendar was located nearby, some of the Menaions are composed in such a way that the stories about the saints follow each other. Therefore, when reading the lives of saints at home, in the mind of the reader (scribe, translator), these stories were intertwined and there are errors in copying and translation. Secondly, during the reading of Chrysostom, these lives are read side by side and can be perceived by listeners as a single whole.
In some cultures, the features of saints penetrate each other; scientists give an example of a Georgian translation, in which there is only one martyr, and his name is “Theodore Stratilon”. The serpent-wrestling of Theodore Stratilon is described based on the life of Theodore Stratelates, and the torment and death of the character coincide with the Greek text of the life of Theodore Tyrone. There are texts by Chrysostom in which Theodore Tiron is called “Stratiot”. There are also apocryphal texts in which Tyrone is credited with the military rank of strategos, which is an inconsistency ("Tiron" is translated as recruit).
Additional confusion is brought about by folk signs on the day of Theodore Stratelates - according to the life of Theodore Tyrone, it is he, and not Theodore Stratelates, who strikes the snake that guards the drinking spring.
Scientific studies of the saint's life share this error; the academic edition of the History of Russian Literature of 1941 contains the text:
This is a mistake, since Tyrone saves his mother, and Eusebia warns Stratelates. Also in scientific research there is confusion with the dates of commemoration of saints and the texts of readings on these days.
Troparion, tone 4:
By true warfare, more passion-bearing,
You were a good commander of the Heavenly King, Theodore;
You have wisely armed yourself with weapons of faith,
And you defeated the demons of the regiment,
And you, the sufferer, appeared victorious.
Likewise, by faith
We will always please
Kontakion, voice 2:
I embraced faith with the courage of my soul
And the word of God, like a copy, is held in hand,
You defeated the enemy, the great martyrs Theodora,
Don’t stop praying to Christ God with them for all of us.
Greatness
We magnify you,
Passion-bearing Saint Theodore,
And we honor your honest suffering,
even you suffered for Christ.
Moreover, almost all Byzantine and Old Russian images of saints depict them in such a way that the differences between them become obvious. The hagiographic icon of Theodore Stratilates, which is kept in the Novgorod Museum, depicts both saints.
A.I. Anisimov expressed the following opinion on this issue:
Events of the life of the saint
According to life, Theodore was a talented, brave and handsome young man. The events that glorified Theodore took place during the reign of Emperor Licinius. During this period there was extensive persecution of Christians, but the emperor, seeing that most of them were happy to die for their faith, began to persecute high-ranking Christians first. Theodore shared the fate of the Forty Martyrs of Sebastia and other martyrs from among the emperor’s entourage.
Theodore was born in the city of Euchait (Asia Minor) and served in the imperial army. The fame of his military prowess spread after he killed a serpent who lived near Euchaitis. According to legend, this snake lived in a hole in a deserted field, which was located north of the city. Once a day he got out of there and at that moment any animal or person could become his victim. Having had his fill, he returned to his lair.
Theodore, without notifying anyone of his intentions, decided to rid the city of this monster and marched against him with his usual weapons. Arriving at the field, he wanted to rest in the grass, but he was awakened by the elderly Christian woman Eusevia. Eusebia, in whose house the relics of Theodore Tyrone were buried, warned him of the danger. Theodore prayed, mounted his horse, and challenged the serpent to battle. After the Serpent crawled out of the underground shelter, Theodore's horse jumped on him with its hooves and the rider struck him.
Residents of the city who saw the snake's body associated the feat with Theodore's faith and were amazed at the power of Christianity. After this, he was appointed military commander (stratilate) in the city of Heraclea, where he actively preached Christianity. Most of the townspeople were converted by him to the Christian faith. This was reported to Emperor Licinius, who sent dignitaries after him, who invited Theodore to his place. In response, Theodore invited the emperor to Heraclea, promising to arrange a magnificent sacrifice to the pagan gods there.
For this purpose, the emperor arrived in the city with eight thousand soldiers; many gold and silver statues of Hellenic gods were brought. Theodore asked to take them overnight for a personal sacrifice, promising to worship the gods in public the next morning. At night he broke the statues of the gods and distributed the parts to the poor. The next morning, the imperial centurion Maxentius revealed Theodore's deception to the emperor:
The emperor was shocked, and Theodore Stratelates explained his actions by faith in Christ and disbelief in pagan gods. During the dialogue, Theodore proved to Licinius the correctness of his faith and the incorrectness of the emperor’s beliefs. The emperor was offended and ordered the execution of the disobedient military leader. After this, the saint was subjected to many days of torture, he was flogged, he was burned with fire and torn with iron claws. Theodore was then imprisoned and starved for five days, then blinded and crucified. According to legend, thanks to God’s intercession, an angel came to Theodore at night and the warrior became unharmed.
As a result of this miracle, the entire city believed in Christ and the residents tried to intercede for their stratilate. Stratilates stopped the civil strife with a sermon; according to legend, he freed prisoners and healed the sick.
After this, Theodore gave his final orders on various issues, including the location of his burial. After additional prayer, he voluntarily went to execution. He was beheaded by the sword on February 8, 319. His body, according to his last will, was buried in his hometown of Evkhait, where he was transferred on June 8.
The biography of Theodore Stratilates was recorded by his servant and scribe Uar, who was an eyewitness to the events and the executor of his last will.
Mention of a saint
There are legends about miracles associated with Theodore Stratelates.
Syria Damascus Anastasius Sinai John of Damascus Svyatoslav Igorevich
Iconography of Theodore Stratilates
Theodore Stratilates is depicted in plate armor, most often in his right hand he holds a spear, which is depicted vertically (unlike Theodore Tyrone, whose spear is placed diagonally in the picture). Also, a shield (mostly round) is often depicted on icons; Russian icon painters later began to paint a shield from the time of Dmitry Donskoy. In addition, there are icons in which Theodore Stratelates holds a cross. Much less common are icons in which a sword is depicted in the hands of a saint. Much less common are icons in which Theodore is depicted riding a horse. This is mainly an eastern tradition; it has some peculiarities of icon painting - a small Saracen is depicted on Theodore’s horse, as well as on the icons of St. George the Victorious. This Saracen is the embodiment of those Arabs who are at one with the saint. The color of the horse under St. Theodore on Coptic icons is depicted as white, sometimes as dun or nightingale.
Feodor Ioannovich Irina Feodorovna Godunova
- Temple icon of the Feodorovsky Cathedral of the Feodorovsky Monastery.
- Temple icon of the Church of Theodore Stratilates on the Stream in the second quarter of the 16th century.
- Icon from Kalbensteinberg
- Pskov or Novgorod icon of unknown origin from the third quarter of the 16th century, kept in the State Russian Museum
- Temple icon of the Fedorov chapel of the Church of St. John the Climacus of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, made around 1572.
It is believed that the prototype for the icons that are in the Russian Museum (No. 4, 5) was the icon of the Feodorovsky Monastery.
Memory of Theodore Stratelates
There are streets and settlements that bear the name of the saint. Special veneration of Saint Theodore in the city of Kostroma, which was restored in 1239 by Yaroslav Vsevolodovich. Then he erected the wooden church of Theodore Stratelates in the center of the city.
There are a certain number of monasteries and churches that were erected in honor of Theodore Stratilates, and there are also churches in which a particle of the saint’s relics is kept.
A military leader in a pagan country is an unusual figure for Christianity. After all, one of the basic values - peacekeeping - seems at first sight incompatible with military service for a pagan emperor. Non-resistance to evil, much more than attack or even defense, befits a believer. And the holy great martyr Theodore Stratilates was the military leader of the city of Heraclea in Asia Minor.
In fact, there is no contradiction. A faithful Christian has never been prohibited from pursuing a military career. For centuries, Christian warriors defended their faith and the holy name of God, and after their death they were revered as saints. The images of these peaceful warriors are very characteristic of the image not with a cross in their hands, but with a weapon. With a sword or more often with a spear, if we talk specifically about Theodore Stratelates.
There is no excessive detail in the icon painting, but each line and color has its own spiritual meaning and deep meaning. The red cloaks of warriors are a symbol of martyrdom, shields are a symbol of strong faith. Theodore Stratelates was often depicted sitting on a horse in memory of his first feat, in which, according to legend, a horse helped him.
First feat
The warrior was handsome and endowed with many talents. But he chose prayer as his main weapon. Theodore Stratilates became aware of a monstrous snake that was devouring cattle and people in the vicinity of Euchaitis, his hometown.
The serpent is a frequently used image of the eternal enemy of Christ - Satan, the ancient serpent-tempter, the dragon. Many holy people were dragon slayers. Stratilates' compatriot and namesake, Theodore Tyrone, saved his mother Eusevia from the dragon. It was she who later helped Stratilates defeat the serpent from Euchaitis.
Theodore Stratelates, without taking anyone with him, but only after praying, went alone to search for the enemy. In the field next to the serpent's lair, he let his horse graze, and he fell asleep. Not far from that place lived Tyrone's mother, the Christian Eusevia, who woke up the warrior and begged him to leave. But he, calling on God for help, asked Eusebia to pray, and he bravely rushed at the enemy. Theodore Stratelates struck with his sword, and the horse, at the request of the rider, trampled the snake with its hooves - and God granted victory. Local pagan residents praised the “Great God Theodore,” and many of them were baptized.
In the photo above there is a stamp from the Novgorod icon “Theodore Stratelates with the Life” about this feat.
In recognition of the valor of Theodore Stratelates, the Eastern Roman Emperor Licinius appointed him stratelate of the city of Heraclea. Now this is the Black Sea coast of Turkey. He served regularly, by example and by word converting the pagans subordinate to him from idolatry to Christ.
Deceived cunning
But suffering awaited the Great Martyr Theodore Stratilates ahead. Emperor Licinius (bust in the photo below) was a pagan and became the murderer of a saint. Punishment for all his crimes overtook him in 324 AD. e., when Emperor Constantine the Great, the forerunner of the Christian era of the Roman Empire, finally defeated the pagan Licinius, becoming the rightful ruler of the empire. And he ordered the former co-ruler to be exiled and later executed.
But then, in 319 AD. e., Licinius fought against the Church. For more than two hundred years, Christians have been dying for their faith, but faith did not die with them; more and more pagans were turning to Christ. Licinius realized long ago that apostasy from the faith is preferable to death for it. In addition to the traditionally severe persecution of Christians, he decided to act cunningly and politically prudently - to convert noble and famous Christians to paganism. He also wrote a letter to Theodore Stratelates. Having received and dismissed the emperor's envoys with great honors, Theodore invited the emperor to come and visit him with silver and gold idols, since he himself could not leave the service and leave Heraclea. Explaining this by saying that the people are rebellious, subject to any harmful influence of Christian teaching, but if they only see how the emperor himself and his faithful stratilate worship the pagan gods together, then ordinary people will be inspired and follow their example.
Licinius fell into a trap, he himself collected and brought all the pagan idols to Theodore’s house, expecting that the next day they would give them all the appropriate honors and sacrifices together in front of the whole people. That same night, Theodore Stratelates smashed all the statues and distributed the fragments to the poor.
First death
Needless to say, Licinius cruelly took revenge on St. Theodore Stratelates for the destruction of the idols. Even the day before, the emperor was anticipating a great victory - retreat famous Christian warrior, but was severely disappointed. The torture of the great martyr continued for several days - they tortured his body with fire and iron, starved and thirsted, tore out his eyes and crucified him. The body was left on the cross overnight, considering the martyr dead. But God's angel appeared, took the sufferer from the cross and healed him.
The soldiers of Licinius, who had only tortured Saint Theodore the day before, were baptized into Christ immediately in the nearest source, as soon as they saw the great martyr sitting unharmed at the cross on which he had been crucified yesterday. And the people of Heraclea, among whom there were many believers, were outraged by the extreme suffering of their beloved military leader and were inspired by his miraculous deliverance and healing. A revolt began against the pagan power of Licinius. But Theodore Stratilates put an end to the civil strife and calmed the people, and he himself accepted death, voluntarily surrendering to Licinius. According to legend, when going to his death, the great martyr opened the doors of the prison with his gaze and healed the sick only with his touch. The second time, Licinius did not waste time on torture and ordered the saint’s head to be cut off.
Second death
The refusal of miraculous deliverance, but the acceptance of death or torture, hundreds of years before the life of Theodore Stratilates, was significant in Christianity.
Arrested for preaching, the Apostle Paul and his colleague Silas, when an angel miraculously shook the very foundations of the prison and freed them, remained in the cell. It would seem that the Lord himself delivers, run! But with great faith those imprisoned remained in captivity in order to preach to the pagans in their bonds. This marked the beginning of many baptisms among them.
The Lord Christ Jesus himself did not want to avoid arrest and the most shameful, intended only executions for slaves of the Roman Empire. How could God's servant Theodore refuse death, which would glorify God? With faith, he turned to the rebellious people and called for calm. He reminded them that Christ himself could have called upon legions of angels and been saved from death on the cross, but he did not want to.
His steadfastness inspired even more people: those who saw the torture, those who tortured and executed him, those who only heard about these horrors and miracles - to glorify God and abandon paganism.
remember me
The execution took place on February 8, 319 AD. e. According to the Julian calendar, Orthodox Christians commemorate the saint on February 21 (in accordance with the Gregorian calendar). The day of burial of his body in his homeland in Evkhaity is June 8 (or 21), the second day of remembrance of the saint.
The servant of St. Theodore Stratilates, Uar, was with his master until the last minute. It was to him that the martyr turned with his last request, and then humbly bowed his head under the sword. He ordered the slave to describe in detail his life and martyrdom - he wanted people to remember Theodore Stratelates and glorify God through him.
And people haven't forgotten. Temples named after Theodore Stratilates exist all over the world.
Velikiy Novgorod
In this ancient city there are two churches of Theodore Stratelates. One is located on the street. Shchirkov, on the Sofia side. It is unknown who founded and built it and when, but it stood even before the Mongol yoke. Then it was dedicated to Theodore Tyrone, with whom Stratilates is often confused. And there are many reasons for this.
The saints lived practically at the same time and in the same area; both were warriors and dragon slayers. Eusebia, mother of Tyrone, who buried the body of Theodore Tyrone near her home after his martyrdom, every year I remembered my son. She also helped Theodore Stratilates in the battle with the serpent not far from her home. The martyr Stratilates was buried there, next to Theodore Tyrone.
The Church of Theodore Stratelates (formerly Tyrone) was rebuilt several times. In 1804, a bell tower was added to it, and since then the architecture has remained unchanged. During the Great Patriotic War, the city was almost completely destroyed, but this church was almost undamaged.
Another church of Theodore Stratelates stands not far from the Fedorovsky Stream and is called the Church on the Stream (pictured above). This is one of the most famous holy places in Russia associated with the name of the great martyr. Even for Novgorod, which has many ancient holy places and relics, this church is very remarkable. It was built in the classical Novgorod style in the 14th century, but with many decorative elements on the facades, which is a significant departure from architectural rigor of other temples of that era. There are assumptions that the author of the frescoes that decorate the temple from the inside and are partially preserved is the famous Theophanes the Greek. They are made in an unusual red-brown color scheme for Novgorod. Although the Slavic type of appearance of the saints on the frescoes indicates that the authors were Novgorod artists - students Theophanes the Greek.
The Novgorod State Museum houses the icon “Theodore Stratelates with the Life” of the late 15th century (pictured above). It was moved to the museum from the Church on the Creek and is very well preserved. The icon is made in bright colors, conveys the spiritual meaning of suffering, elevating it more than telling about torment and pain.
Moscow
In Moscow, in Arkhangelsk lane, there is the Church of St. Theodore Stratelates - the second of two churches of the Antioch courtyard. The first - the Church of the Archangel Gabriel - was both a church and a bell tower. It was built by Peter the Great's associate A.D. Menshikov at the very beginning of the 17th century, which is why it is also called the Menshikov Tower. But in 1723, a lightning strike caused a fire, and the church lost its angel with a spire and the upper tier, and stood for many years as a charred ruin. It was rebuilt only 50 years later by G.Z. Izmailov in order to hold Masonic meetings in it. Only in 1863 did they begin to hold services in the church again.
Already in 1806, the construction of the Church of Theodore Stratilates, a neighbor and “younger sister” of the Menshikov Tower, was completed nearby, they are so similar. The older "sister" influenced the younger one. The Church of Theodore Stratilates was also built with bells, but initially it was planned that it would be a warm temple. “Big Sister” was known as a cold church with short services. Due to its large size, it was difficult and expensive to heat the entire room, and the cold did not allow one to indulge in spiritual activities for a long time. Next to the church there is also a clergy house - a house for church servants, built in 1827. It is noteworthy that the many false windows suggest that during the construction of this house they planned to save on its heating.
Saint Petersburg
Theodore Stratelates was loved throughout the world and revered as the patron saint of warriors. Many icons with his face of various schools and formats have been preserved, which are stored both in holy places and in museums.
In the Hermitage you can see a miniature mosaic image of Theodore Stratilates. The icon dates from the first quarter of the 14th century and was made in Byzantium. Initially, mosaics were used to lay the floor, and later - the walls and ceilings of Christian churches, rich houses and palaces, and portable icons began to be created from pieces of precious minerals - it is difficult to judge the size from a photograph, however, the largest side of the icon is only 9 cm.
Fedorovsky Monastery in Pereslavl-Zalessky
In 1304, Muscovites and Tver residents came together in a battle for power. In honor of the victory, the Moscow prince ordered the foundation of the Fedorov Monastery at the site of the terrible battle. The first and oldest building of the monastery complex is Fedorovsky Cathedral, dating back to 1557. Ivan the Terrible himself donated money for construction on the occasion of the birth of his son Fyodor. With the donations of Princess Natalya Alekseevna, the sister of Peter the Great, whom he loved very much, two more churches of the monastery were built - the hospital Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God and the refectory Church of the Presentation.
In 1667, a pestilence decimated the population of Pereslavl-Zalessky, leaving behind many widows and girls who wandered or huddled with local residents. They should become nuns, but where? A monastery for men, even if there are only ten monks. Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and Patriarch Joseph took pity on the poor women - they turned the monastery into a women's monastery, transferred the monks to surrounding monasteries, and donated land to the monastery to feed the novices. Also, a variety of crafts have always flourished in the monastery - from weaving to an icon-painting workshop.
Chelter-Koba Monastery in Crimea
In Crimea, in western part of Cape Ai-Todor, there is a functioning monastery of Theodore Stratilates. The Tatars called it Chelter-Koba, translated as “cave lattice”: the wooden stairs and passages connecting the caves of the monastery justified this name. To this day, monastic cells, warehouses, a refectory hall, and the cave temple of the Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates are located in natural grottoes. In the largest cave, a special square hole was knocked out for the altar. In the north-eastern part there was a baptistery. There are also nine graves preserved in the monastery. Their large number suggests that not only monks were buried here, but also the defenders of the Syuren fortress, which was located on the slope of the neighboring Cape Kule-Burun and was built to defend the northern border of the Principality of Theodoro.
The fortress protected both local residents and monks, and in the temple of Theodore Stratelates, right in the cave, services were held for believers living in the surrounding area. The monastery was founded in the 8th - 9th centuries and is still in operation, although in 1475 the invasion of the Turkish army in Crimea interrupted services in the monastery for more than 500 years.
People did not forget the saint and great martyr thanks to the miracles that did not stop after his death.
Damascus
Not far from Damascus, in the town of Karasta, stood the temple of Theodore Stratilates. But the town was captured by Saracen robbers. They made the holy place their home. One day, as a joke, one of them shot at the wall with a bow and “wounded” the image of Theodore in the right shoulder. A stream of blood flowed from the face painted on the wall. The Saracens were surprised, but did not understand this sign, and this was the last warning. Soon all those who desecrated God's place were found dead. According to one version, the blasphemers - and there were about twenty families of them - were killed by a pestilence that did not touch other residents of the city. According to the second version of the legend, they fought each other to the death.
In the Old Testament, pestilence is one of the ten plagues of Egypt. There are many stories of several hundred warriors of the chosen people defeating armies of many thousands of pagans - sometimes with little effort, and sometimes simply by finding an extinct camp of enemies who were seized with madness and killed each other. All that remained was to divide the spoils! No matter what actually happens, one thing is important - the holiness of God's presence is inviolable.
Kostroma
The family of the Romanov Tsars has a patron icon - the Fedorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. It is believed to have been written by Luke, one of the four evangelists. The name of the icon was given by the father of Alexander Nevsky, who at baptism was named Fedor in honor of Theodore Stratilates.
The icon has a colorful history with many signs. And its acquisition is associated with Theodore Stratilates, the patron saint of Kostroma - cities, where the icon is now kept. It was Theodore who was seen by the Kostroma residents the day before the fateful hunt, when the prince and younger brother of Alexander Nevsky, Vasily Kostromskoy While chasing the beast, we found the icon on a tree in the forest. A certain warrior, similar to the image of Stratilates in the Kostroma Cathedral, had walked the streets of the city the day before, holding an icon in his hands. Until that day, it was considered to have burned down along with the Gorodets Chapel, in which it was previously kept.
Foreign princesses-brides of princes took the patronymic name Fedorovna when they converted to Orthodoxy, also in honor of this icon-patron of the family.
The end of the Time of Troubles at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries and the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the kingdom, the beginning of the reign of the Romanov family, are also associated with it. When on March 23, 1613, the ambassadors of the Zemsky Sobor arrived to inform him of the election, the mother of the future king, nun Martha, for a long time did not agree to bless her son to reign. And only when she prostrated herself before the Feodorovskaya icon, through prayer to the Mother of God, who I asked for wisdom for the future ruler and grace for the whole country, and agreed.
The Great Martyr Theodore Stratelates preached both through life and through martyrdom about his Great God, and after his death he did not abandon his ministry!
