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THE FIFTH MONTH IN THE NAME
OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, On this day is celebrated the festival of the glorious angel, Michael the Archangel. On this day God sent Michael the Archangel to Jacob-Israel when he was afraid of his brother Esau, and he delivered him from him, and brought him over the River Jordan. And Jacob went to Laban his mother’s brother, and married two of his daughters Leah and Rachel. And Michael brought him back, and smoothed his way to safety, and to peace with his brother, together with his possessions and his children. And his brother Esau welcomed him with peace and love. Therefore is celebrated the festival of Michael the Archangel. And on this day also Theodore Banadlewos (the Anatolian?), the strong and mighty man from the East (?), became a martyr. This great fighter was of the men of the city of Antioch, and he was a kinsman of the royal family. His father’s name was ‘Adrakos, who was a general in the emperor’s army in the days of Numarnos, the pagan, the Emperor of Rome; and the name of his mother was Patricia, that is to say, “free born lady,” who was the sister of Basilides the general. When the Emperor Numerianus died in the was against the Persians, (now his son Justus was engaged in war), the empire remained without an emperor. And ‘Adrakos, the father of Theodore, and Basilides, administered the kingdom until Diocletian the infidel reigned. Now Diocletian was formerly ruler over Egypt, and he married the daughter of the Emperor Numerianus, who was a sister of Saint Justus, and she made him emperor. And Saint Theodore having arrived at man’s estate was strong and mighty in the wars in which he engaged, and he conquered his enemies, and they fled before him; [and he was so greatly feared] that when the Persians said [to their fellows] “Behold Theodore hath come,“ their hearts (i.e. courage) would break, and they would flee. And some of the men who were there said, “Theodore is the god of the men of Rome, and it is he who raised up twice Nigomidos (Nicomedes), the son of the King of Kuez (Khuzistan), because of whom Diocletian denied Christ, and worshipped idols. Now Diocletian had deposited Nigomidos (Nicomedes) with the Archbishop [of Antioch], to be kept in safety, and the archbishop took from his father gold weighed in a balance, as much as the young man weighed, and he sent it back to his father. And Saint Theodore was fighting on the river which is called Bunabesi; and he had a friend who was called Lavendius. And one night he saw, as it were, a ladder which reached from earth to heaven, and at the head of the ladder was our Lord sitting upon a great throne, and there were round about Him thousands of thousands [of angels], and tens of thousands of angels were standing before Him. And he saw under the ladder a great serpent, which was Satan. And he who was sitting upon the throne said unto him, “O Theodore, the Anatolian, Dost thou wish to become a son to Me?” And Theodore the Anatolian said unto Him, “Who art Thou, my Lord?” And He said unto him, “I am Jesus the Word of God, and, as for thee, needs must that thou shalt shed thy blood for My Name’s sake.” And then Theodore saw one of those who were standing there take him and dip him in the Lake of Fire three times, and his whole person became like fire, and he was like unto those who were standing round the throne. And Theodore the Anatolian said unto our Lord, “My Lord, I do [not] wish to be separated from my friend Lavendius.” And our Lord answered and said unto him, “Not Lavendius only, but Banikoros, the captain of the army of Kuez (Khuzistan) also.” Then Theodore the Anatolian saw those angels seize Lavendius and [Ba]Nikoros, and dip them into the Lake of Fire; and they gave them to Theodore the Anatolian, and he rejoiced with great joy, and they embraced each other. Then the might of God carried them to the place where was [Ba]Nikoros, the captain of the army of Kuez (Khuzistan), and he welcomed them, and embraced them, as if he knew them; now they had never seen him [before]. Then Banikoros described to them that vision, even as they had seen it, and they marveled exceedingly. And Banikoros said to Theodore the Anatolian, “Know, O my brother, that they have given me and my brother into thy hand.” Then they rose up straightway, and came to their soldiers, and they all rose up and made an agreement together to shed their blood for the Name of our Lord Christ. And it came to pass that at this time the emperor sent and summoned Theodore the Anatolian to him, and he informed him that he had made peace with the King of Kuez (Khuzistan). When the Emperor Diocletian denied our Lord Christ and worshipped idols, the King of Kuez (Khuzistan) rejoiced exceedingly. And Saint Theodore the Anatolian said unto them, “He who wisheth to save his soul from the sword, let him depart; and he who wisheth to fight for the Name of Christ our Lord, let him dwell with us.” And they all cried out with a loud voice, saying, “The death which thou diest we will die with thee, and thy God is our God.” And the blessed Theodore the Anatolian said unto them, “If that which ye say be true, get ye all down into the river and dip yourselves in the water thereof, in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” And straightway they stripped off their raiment, and went down into the river, and they dipped themselves therein thrice, even as he told them. And as they were coming up out of the water they heard a voice from heaven saying, “Be ye strong, O My martyrs, and be ye conquerors, for I will be with you.” And when Theodore the Anatolian drew nigh unto the city of Antioch, he left the soldiers outside, and he went in with his two friends Lavendius and Banikoros, and the emperor welcomed Theodore the Anatolian with gladness, and he asked him questions about the war and about the army; and Theodore told him everything that had happened. And after this the emperor reminded him to worship Apollo in his presence, and Saint Theodore the Anatolian rebuked the emperor; and the emperor cursed him and his friend Lavendius and his companion Banikoros, and they cursed the emperor. And Sidrakos, the father of Saint Theodore the Anatolian, died. And the emperor was wroth, and he commanded his soldiers to carry away the saints Lavendius and Banikoros to the country of the Menadaweyan, so that they might be tortured there; now Diocletian was afraid of the Persians, because Banikoros was captain of the Persians. And they tortured Lavendius and his friend Banikoros, and they received crowns of martyrdom on the twelfth day of the month of Ter. And as for the Anatolian, the emperor commanded the soldiers to drive one hundred and fifty-three great long nails into his body, and they laid him upon a komol tree, and drove those nails into his body. And God sent His angel Michael the Archangel to him, and he comforted him and strengthened him in his tribulation. And at that time our Lord Christ appeared unto Saint Theodore the Anatolian, and He said unto him, “Peace be unto thee, O My chosen one, Theodore the Anatolian! Bear thou patiently all this suffering. And now, dost thou wish Me to take out all these nails from thy body, and to heal thee, and to put to shame this perverse emperor?” And Theodore the Anatolian said unto our Lord Jesus Christ, “Behold, it is better for me to die for Thy Name’s sake.” And our Lord Jesus said unto Theodore the Anatolian, “Behold, I have prepared three crowns for thee: one for thy virginity, and one because thou hast labored for My beloved, and one for thy death for My Name’s sake. If a man be in grief and sorrow which is very grievous, and tribulation hath fallen upon him, and he pray to Me in thy name, I will relieve him, and will deliver him, and will make him glad and will bless him. And if a man be in tribulation at sea in respect of his ship, and he pray to Me in thy name, I will deliver him. And if a man go into the battle, or go into a fight, and he call upon thy name, I will deliver him, and will be his helper. And if a man build a shrine for thee, or write a book of thy strife, or commemorate thee, or bring a gift in thy name, I will receive him and make him to be glad in the kingdom of the heavens. And if a man give alms to the poor and needy, or to the orphans, or to the prisoner, or to the pilgrim, I will forgive him his sin, and I will reward him in the kingdom of the heavens. And him that doeth a good deed on the day of thy commemoration and for thy name’s sake, I will receive.” And after this our Lord Jesus Christ gave Theodore the benediction of peace, and went up into heaven. And Theodore saw three angels who gave him three crowns, and then he died, and he delivered up his soul into the hand of God, and he received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And after his death the Emperor Diocletian sent to the soldiers of Theodore heathen priests carrying idols, and a herald went round proclaiming thus: “Whosoever loveth the emperor let him worship the glorious gods.” And all the soldiers cried out, saying, ”There is no king except our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” And when the emperor heard this he sent his soldiers and they cut off the heads of these men with the sword, and they were in number two hundred and fifty thousand. And the air was filled with beings of light who placed crowns upon their heads. Salutation to Thy loving going, O Lord, into the house of the marriage-feast to make water into wine. Salutation to Michael the Archangel who went to help Theodore. Salutation to thee, O Theodore, thou shoot from the country of the East. Salutation to the two hundred and fifty thousand men who suffered with Theodore. Salutation to Lavendius and to his companion Banikoros. And on this day also are commemorated Julian the martyr, and Daniel the monk, the son of Isaac. [Omitted in the Bodleian MS.] Glory
be to God Who is glorified in His Saints.
Amen. |
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