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THE THIRD MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day became martyrs Cosmas, and Damianus, and the brethren
‘Antimos (Arithimus), and Londius (Leontius), and Abranius, and their
mother Theodata. These saints
were natives of the city of Deyoma, in the country of Arabia, and came
from the temple, which was built in the Name of the Son of God.
Their mother was a woman who feared God, and she was compassionate
and gave large gifts to the pilgrims.
After the death of their father this widow brought them up and
taught them the fear of God. Now Cosmas and Damianus having learned practical philosophy
(i.e. medicine) used to heal all those who were sick without fees and
without gifts, and especially those who were poor; and their three
brothers departed to the desert and became monks.
Now Diocletian denied Christ because of [the son of] the King of
Kuez (Khuzistan), whom he had committed for safe keeping to a bishop whose
name was Gagyos. Abba Gagyos
took an oath to the Emperor Diocletian that the son of the King of Kuez (Khuzistan?)
had died in his house, and that he had buried him with his own hands,
[whereas the bishop had connived at the prince’s escape].
For this reason Diocletian worshipped foul and brutish idols, and
commanded all the people who were in his kingdom to worship idols. And certain men accused Cosmas and Damianus of preaching in
the Name of Christ in every city, and of ordering the people not to
worship idols. And Diocletian
sent letters commanding his soldiers to bring them to him, and they did
so, and they handed them over to Lasius the governor of the city, who
tortured them severely with fire, and beat them cruelly with whips.
Then he asked them questions about their three brothers, and when
he knew the place where they were, he sent men and they brought them and
their mother also with them. Then
he commanded the soldiers to torture the five of them on the wheel, and
they did as he commanded. And
after this they cast them into a red-hot fiery furnace, and they remained
therein for three days and three nights and were unharmed.
And they also cast them into the blazing furnace of the baths, and
burned them upon [a red-hot] iron bed, but in spite of all these tortures
they were not able to overcome them, and God raised them up whole and
unharmed. When the governor
was weary of torturing them, he handed them over to the emperor who also
tortured them cruelly. And
their mother encouraged them to endure, and she comforted them and she
cursed the emperor to his face and his filthy idols.
And straightway the emperor commanded the soldiers to cut off her
head with the sword, and they cut off her head, and she received the crown
of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens.
And her body was cast out on the earth and no man dared to bury it.
Then Cosmas cried out, saying, “O men of this city, is there not
among you one man who hath in him sufficient mercy to hide the body of
this poor old widow and bury it?” And
straightway Victor, the son of Romanus, came, and he was bold enough to
take her body and prepare it for the grave and bury it.
When the emperor heard that Victor had buried her body he was wroth
and he commanded his soldiers to drive him into exile in the land of Egypt
where he received the crown of martyrdom.
And as concerning Cosmas and Damianus and their brethren the
emperor commanded his soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword, [and
they did so], and they received crowns of martyrdom and life everlasting
in the kingdom of the heavens. After
the days of persecution were ended a church was built for them, and God
made manifest many signs and wonders [through their bodies].
Salutation to the children of Theodata, who are to be praised. Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
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