Personalized icons. Life of the Holy Martyr Alexandra

During the reign of the wicked Roman Emperor Maximian, a cruel persecution of Christians was instituted throughout all countries of the Roman Empire. One of the centurions, a zealous servant of the pagan gods, by order of the emperor, built a temple for his bad god Dius1 not far from Rome, approximately at a distance of one field from him. At the same time, all Christians were ordered to make sacrifices to the pagan gods, and also to gather for the renovation of the Diev Temple. The royal envoys rode everywhere and loudly proclaimed:
- Listen, friends of the gods! The next morning you must gather with the emperor at the temple of the god Diya.
All the pagans who heard these exclamations of the royal messengers prepared for the morning, intending to go to the temple of Dievo. In the morning, many of the pagans, having made purchases in the city, went to the temple, partly to worship and make sacrifices to Diy, and partly to sell what they had bought.
At this time, one noble and rich man, named Tiberian, with the rank of tribune, having under his command many warriors entrusted to his management by the commander Philax, calling these warriors to him, said to them:
- Listen, brothers! Do you know the royal order commanding us to be together with the king in the temple of Diev today? Be ready.
While he was saying this, he was informed that the emperor had already arrived at that temple. Immediately everyone hurriedly headed to the temple in order to be present with the emperor. But one of those soldiers, named Alexander, instructed in Christian piety from childhood, fearing God, said to the tribune:
- You would do well if you said that we must go and worship the true God who dwells in heaven; those whom you call gods are not gods, but demons.
Tiberian told him:
- Today we will not make sacrifices to all the gods, but only to one Day, although we have many gods, whom both the king himself and we worship.
Blessed Alexander answered this:
- Diy, whom you call god, is the same as other flattering demons, dragging their worshipers into destruction, seducing them with vile and lawless clothes, with which your gods themselves were defiled, as you say about them, namely, sometimes they, being inflamed with carnal lust, they seduced women and did vile things with them, desecrating not only the earth, but also the sea and air3. But who ever heard or saw God engage in fornication? Our God is God invisible with carnal eyes, but cognizable only by faith, the Most Pure God, the Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth. Our God does not require such sacrifices for Himself as you offer to your unclean demons; In exchange for these sacrifices, He requires from us a pure and bloodless sacrifice.
After listening to Alexander, Tiberian said:
- Leave your madness, Alexander! Do not blaspheme the gods, our benefactors, lest the king, hearing about this, be angry with me for allowing such a blasphemer to be in my regiment!
Having said this, Tiberian went to the king, but Alexander went to his house.
When the time came for the sacrifice, the king began to sacrifice to his vile god Diy in that temple. At this time, Tiberian told the king that one of his warriors, named Alexander, was not fulfilling the king’s orders, was not making a sacrifice to the god Dius, but was blaspheming and blaspheming the gods. The king immediately ordered to send for him and ordered him to be brought to him in iron shackles.
At this time it was six o'clock in the afternoon. Alexander was lying on his bed at this time, giving himself up to sleep. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said: “Alexander! Take courage and be strong, for you have to suffer a lot for the name of Jesus Christ. Considerable torment has already been prepared for you; the soldiers are already coming after you to take you. But you "Do not be afraid of them; do not let your heart be afraid of them, because I was sent to help you. Rise and pray to God, and I will be with you throughout your exploit."
Rising from bed, Alexander began to sing the Psalm of David: “he who dwells under the roof of the Most High, in the shadow of the Almighty, rests, says to the Lord: my refuge and my defense, my God, in whom I trust” (Ps. 91:1-2), and other words that psalm to the end. Then, leaving the house, Alexander met the soldiers following him; These warriors were his comrades in the regiment; when they saw Saint Alexander, they all fell to the ground in fear, for the saint’s face shone like lightning. But the saint said to them:
- Stand up, brothers! What are you afraid of?
The soldiers said:
- It seemed to us that you were surrounded by the power of God; That's why we fell to the ground out of fear.
But the saint said to them:
- Listen to me, brothers! The God of heaven and earth has visited His servant; but do not be embarrassed: do what you are ordered; You were sent to take me bound and present me to the king for questioning.
The soldiers said to this:
- We agreed not to tell you anything. How did you know about this, tell us.
The saint answered:
“I shouldn’t talk much to you, since I am hastily striving for the feat set before me, prepared for me by the King of Heaven.” I will have to go from Rome to Byzantium.
Having said this, the saint knelt down and prayed to the Lord in these words: “Lord God of our fathers, praised and blessed forever! I ask and pray to You, now, do not separate me from the face of your righteous, do not reject me coming to you, "since you revealed to me your holy and terrible name. You, Lord, are my Helper and Protector, send me your angel so that he will help me and teach me what to answer before the tormentor."
After the saint finished his prayer, the soldiers laid their hands on him and bound him with iron bonds; then they took him to Emperor Maximian. The saint’s mother, named Pimenia, did not yet know that her son, Alexander, had been taken for questioning by the king. The saint was strong in body, tall in stature, handsome in face and young, for he was only eighteen years old from his birth. When the saint was presented to the king for questioning, Maximian asked him:
“Are you the one who dared to insult me?” Are you the one who does not obey your superior and does not want to worship my great god Dius?
The saint answered this:
- I worship my God who is in heaven, and His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I don’t know any other god and I won’t confess. So don't ask me about another god. I am not at all afraid or afraid of your power, I am not afraid of your threats, nor of your torment, to which you will betray me.
Hearing this, Maximian became very angry and said:
- What can the God you profess do?
The saint answered:
- My God is an invisible and omnipotent God, so there is nothing that would not be possible for my God.
Maximian said to this:
- Can someone who was crucified by people and died by being put to death be a god? The saint answered:
- Shut up, Satan, because you do not dare to remember with your foul lips the most pure and holy name of my Lord Jesus Christ, who by His will endured both crucifixion and death! Oh, crazy! If you call him crucified and put to death, then why don’t you also say that he rose from the dead and gave life to many dead?
Maximian said:
- I want to spare your youth, because I see that you are very young. But the saint answered:
- Better have pity on yourself and try to get out of the network into which you are drawn by the devil. As for me, I am not afraid of any torment, since I have God as my helper.
Maximian said:
- I already said that I would like to spare you. Come now and make a sacrifice; then you will constantly be in the royal chamber and will even occupy first place here.
The saint answered:
- Which god will you order to worship?
Maximian answered:
- Bow down and make a sacrifice to the great god Diy.
The saint, raising his hands to heaven, began to pray like this: “Lord Jesus Christ! Do not leave me, your humble servant, help me, a sinner and unworthy.”
When he prayed like this, he lifted his eyes to heaven and saw that the heavens were open; He also saw the Son of God sitting at the right hand of the Father. From such a vision the saint was filled with great spiritual joy. Then he asked Maximian again:
- Which god do you want me to sacrifice to?
Maximian said:
- Make a sacrifice to the great god Diy.
The saint answered:
“Don’t you know that the one whom you call god was once a man, and, moreover, he was a depraved and vile man, for one day, inflamed by a carnal passion for a woman, he took on the form of an ox and with his magic deceived and desecrated the woman?5
Maximian, hearing this, laughed and said:
- This proves the power of our gods, for they appear to people in the form in which they themselves wish.
The saint said to him:
- Damned! You praise the nasty and vile deeds of your gods, because you yourself become like them with your unclean deeds, for you do not want to know the true God, who has given you both honor and kingdom.
Maximian said:
- My gods gave me royal power.
The saint said:
- I am surprised at how you, considering yourself smart, destroy yourself, since you believe in demons and serve dumb and soulless idols, leaving the living and immortal God. Why do you follow Satan your father? It is better to turn from darkness to light, so as not to perish in fiery hell forever.
Then Maximian, filled with anger, handed Alexander over to the tribune Tiberius, ordering him to torture the saint. At the same time, Maximian ordered Tiberian to torture not only Alexander, but also all Christians in general; for this purpose, he sent a tribune to Thrace, ordering him to persecute Christians everywhere. Maximian ordered Alexander to be led with him to Byzantium. When Saint Alexander heard about this, he said to the king:
- Thank you, tormentor, because you want to make my name known in many countries. May the Lord and my God vouchsafe me to endure all sorts of illnesses and torments for the sake of this holy name throughout all the ends of the earth.
Maximian ordered the saint to be removed from his presence. The tribune Tiberius took him into his possession, and on the morning of the next day he ordered, hanging the saint on a torment tree, to plan his body with iron nails. Alexander, during the torment, did not let out a single sigh, but, raising his eyes to heaven, sent thanks to God. Then, having removed the saint from the tree of torment, the tribune Tiberian ordered him to be shackled with iron bonds and instructed his soldiers to lead him to Thrace.
At the time when Saint Alexander was being led by soldiers into Thrace, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream vision to his mother, Pimenia, and said to her: “Wake up, get out of bed, take your servants and animals and follow your son to Thrace; they are leading you there.” your son so that he may suffer for the name of Christ; but you, after his death, bury his honorable body."
Blessed Pimenia, having awakened, did not begin to grieve and cry, but, on the contrary, was filled with great spiritual joy about her son. She immediately got up and prepared everything necessary for the journey, and hastily walked along the same path as her son. Pimenia caught up with Alexander in the city of Cathargen.
Entering this city, she saw that her son was standing before Tiberian, who was judging him. Seeing then that Alexander began to be tortured and tormented, and greatly rejoicing at the feat of her beloved son, Pimenia cried out loudly, saying:
- God Almighty, Good Shepherd, help you, my son!
When Tiberian heard her voice, he asked:
-Whose voice is this?
However, no one could say where this voice came from, since there were too many people standing near that place. Then Tiberian said to the martyr:
- Damned one, make a sacrifice to the gods!
The saint answered:
- I agree to offer a sacrifice of praise to God.
The torturer said to this:
“Didn’t you tell me that your God does not require any sacrifices for Himself?” The saint answered:
- Indeed, my God does not require the sacrifices that you make to your idols, but He requires sacrifices in truth and holiness, because He is a holy and righteous God.
Then Tiberian ordered the body of the saint to be burned with candles, saying:
- Let's see if God will come to save him from my hands.
The saint, being scorched, raised his eyes to heaven, said: “Glory to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, who sent thy archangel Michael to Babylon and delivered three youths from the fire of the cave (Dan. 3); You, Lord, deliver me also from the painful this torment and the shame of the tormentor, so that I, together with the psalmist David, could say: “we entered into fire and water, and You brought us out to freedom” (Ps. 65:12).
Tiberian, seeing that the fire did not harm the martyr at all, was very ashamed and ordered the soldiers to tie Alexander up and lead him on his further journey. The saint’s mother, seeing that her son had been taken away from the tormentor by the soldiers, begged the soldiers to allow her to meet with her son. The warriors did not stop her. The holy martyr, seeing his mother, said:
- You did well, my lady, to come here. Accompany me to the very place where I will finish my feat, as the Lord revealed to me.
Some of the soldiers said at the same time:
- Blessed are you, Alexander, because your faith is great; Great is the Christian God. You have already endured so much torment, and yet you have not weakened in the least in your confession.
This is what they said during the journey undertaken by order of Tiberian.
When the travelers approached a spring that happened to flow along the way, they stopped and began to eat food. At the same time, they began to beg Alexander to eat food with them, especially since he had not eaten bread or drunk water for fourteen days. The saint, replacing food for himself with prayer, knelt down and began to sing the psalm: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains, from where my help will come: my help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 120: 1-2). Then he began to pray like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, keep me, your lamb, blameless, so that my enemy does not rejoice in me, for I have known your most holy name. Do not disgrace me, O Master, before the tormentor, but send your holy angel to help me.” and Your right hand, and be my Protector, Helper and Patron."
When the saint finished his prayer, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not be afraid, Alexander! The Lord heard your prayer, and I was sent from God to help you.”
When the angel spoke these words, the soldiers heard that someone was speaking to Alexander, but who exactly, they did not see it; Therefore, they were very frightened and, out of fear and horror, fell with their faces to the ground. Blessed Alexander said to them:
- What did you see, brothers, that you were so afraid?
They also said:
- We heard the voice of your God speaking to you; That’s why we were afraid and fell to the ground out of fear.
While the soldiers were speaking these words to the saint, Tiberian approached the place, accompanied by the nobles of the city. Tiberian asked the nobles:
- What is the name of this place?
They told him:
- It's called the Judgment Place.
Tiberian said to this:
- If this is the place of judgment, then judgment should be carried out on it. Bring Christian Alexander to me.
When the saint appeared to Tiberian, the latter said to him:
- Are you still in your madness and still do not want to worship our gods? I see that your heart is hardened; however, I feel very sorry for you and therefore want to turn you to the veneration of the gods, the lords of the entire universe.
The martyr responded to this:
- The wicked, blinded by the mind, the son of the devil, serving his father - Satan. How can you feel sorry for me and be merciful for me, because Satan, your father, is not merciful to anyone, on the contrary, he wants to drag everyone into fiery hell and destroy them with him.
Tiberian said:
- Oh, angry and unrepentant! How dare you say that to me? Am I your equal that you say such impudence to me? Is it because you dishonor me that I spare you? But you should not honor and respect me even more for my goodness and mercy, and not vilify me with abusive words!
The saint answered:
- Truly you are like your father, Satan, since you have a heart as hard as any hard stone. Don't you understand that this place is called Judgment? And this obviously shows that you will soon be faced with the righteous judgment of God, who will judge everyone, living and dead, and who will reward everyone according to their deeds. Then you will know that I told you the truth. God will judge you because you torture me without mercy. He knows how fiercely and undeservedly you torment me. But know that these torments will bring me glory, but they will prepare eternal destruction for you.
Hearing such words, Tiberian became even more furious and ordered iron thorns to be spread on the ground and the martyr to be dragged along them. The saint remained silent during such severe torment, as if he did not feel any pain at all. Seeing that the torment did not achieve its goal, Tiberian became even more angry and ordered four soldiers to beat the saint with knotted sticks. During his torment, the saint, accepting beatings, said to Tiberian:
- O wicked one! These are the only torments you have invented for me. Add others, more severe ones, because from these torments I feel no pain at all, for Christ my God helps me.
Tiberian said to this:
“I will cut your body into pieces, throw them into the fire, scatter them into ashes, so that there will be no memory of you left on earth.” Then I will see if Christ will come to your aid and save you from my hands.
The saint answered:
- My Christ will immediately destroy you. Your body will be broken into pieces and your bones will be scattered on the ground; You will no longer see Rome, just as you will not see the face of your wicked emperor, because the Lord will consume your memory from the earth. And all this will be your punishment for the fact that you did not know the true God, and did not honor, wretched one, the One who gave you this honor and this power. But if you knew God, then you could gain eternal life for yourself in heaven; Now you, having left the true God, have loved with your heart your father, Satan; together with him you will be cast into fiery hell. I will always glorify my Master and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will deliver me from your hands and make me worthy of His grace in His eternal kingdom.
Hearing such words, the tormentor changed his face with anger and rage. However, he ordered the torment to stop.
Meanwhile, the day turned to evening. When night fell, Tiberian settled down for the night in that place. Having fallen asleep, he saw in a dream vision an angel of God who appeared to him in a menacing form with a sword in his hands. The angel said to him: “Wicked one! Here I have come to you, because you betrayed the servant of God Alexander to fierce torment, know that I could strike you with this sword. But I will wait a while longer. Having awakened, go with haste through Illyria to Byzantium , for the time of death of the servant of God Alexander is approaching."
Tiberian woke up in fear. His whole body trembled with horror. Calling his advisers who accompanied him to him, he told them about his vision. They told him:
“We have long wanted to tell you not to torture that person so cruelly and unfairly.” But we didn't dare to do this. We have heard that the Christian God is great and that He condemns to eternal torment in unquenchable fire those who torment His servants.
After these words, Tiberian fell into even greater fear and horror and immediately ordered his soldiers to lead the martyr forward. He himself went behind him. Tiberian passed by many cities, but did not enter or stop in them, since, according to the command of the angel, he was in a hurry to Byzantium. But the sleepy vision did not leave his head for many days; Therefore, Tiberian was in great fear and did not dare to inflict torture on Saint Alexander. When Tiberian passed through Illyria and approached the city of Sardicia, the mayor and city nobles came out to meet him; but Tiberian did not enter the city, but passed by it. The Christians who were in that city, hearing that the tribune Tiberian, coming from Rome, was leading a martyr with him, left the city, but not in order to meet the tribune, but in order to see the martyr. Seeing that the martyr was walking separately, the Christians approached him and, falling at his feet, said:
- Pray to God for us, sufferer of Christ!
He told them:
- Pray for me too, brothers, so that I may complete my feat in Christ Jesus to the end and be worthy to receive the crown promised to me from His holy right hand.
Then the martyr was led by soldiers on his further journey. Having passed the city of Klisura, the travelers approached a place called the Bonomasian horde, which was forty miles away from Philippopolis, where they stopped. By this time, Tiberian had already begun to forget the terrible vision that he had regarding the martyr Alexander. Calling the saint to him for interrogation, he asked him:
- Are you really, Alexander, still in your madness? Would you like to make a sacrifice to our merciful gods Dius and Asclepius, who rule the universe?
The saint answered:
- Blinded by the mind, son of Satan! What else do you want to hear from me? After all, I told you that I will not sacrifice to demons.
Tiberian said:
- No, I’m not convincing you to sacrifice to demons; I ask you just to make a sacrifice to Dius and Asklipius, our great gods.
The saint answered:
- Crazy! Don’t you understand that your Diy and Asklinius are demons? Tiberian said:
- No, they are my gods. And so I will make sure that your name will be reviled throughout the whole earth for such a great desecration of both me and my gods.
The saint answered:
“I myself want the name of Christ to be glorified throughout the whole earth through me.”
Then Tiberian said to the soldiers standing before him:
- Take him away from my presence, for I cannot bear his reproaches. Take him to Philippopolis and put him in prison there, keep him in prison until I come to that city.
The martyr, according to the orders of Tiberian, was brought by soldiers to Philippopolis and imprisoned here.
Meanwhile, the citizens of that city, having learned that Tiberian would soon arrive in their city, came out to meet him. Entering the city, Tiberian prepared to make a sacrifice to Dius and Asclepius. The Christians who lived in that city, having learned that the holy martyr Alexander was in prison in their city, approached the prison and began to beg the prison guard to let them into the prison so that they could see the martyr of Christ. The watchman did not interfere with them, because he himself feared God. Entering the prison and seeing that the saint was imprisoned, the Christians fell at his feet and kissed his bonds, saying: “Bless us, passion-bearer of Christ, bless also our fatherland, for we are Christians; we live in this city, possessed always with great fear, for the hegemon of this city is constantly looking for us in order to turn us away from Christ with torment. However, he has not yet been able to turn us away from confessing the name of Christ. By the grace of God there are many of us here; among us Christians there are even the most glorious and eminent local citizens. We hope that the power of Christ will defeat the wicked Hellenic faith and in the end our whole city will unanimously glorify the name of Christ. But you, the sufferer of Christ, endure your feat to the end for Christ.
Meanwhile, Tiberian, bringing his vile sacrifice to idols, remembered Alexander, who was kept in prison, and said to the city nobles:
- You should know that I have with me a Christian, devoted to me for testing; I forced him through various torments to worship our gods, but I was not at all successful in this. He answers my questions very rudely and constantly insults both me and our gods. Let him be brought here. Perhaps he will be ashamed of all of you present here, and will make a sacrifice to the gods.
Alexander was immediately brought in. Tiberian, sitting next to the hegemon, said to the martyr:
- Tell me, Alexander: do you still not agree to make sacrifices to our gods? All the Christians living in this city have already bowed to Dius and Asklinius, only you are the only one who opposes us.
The saint answered:
“You lie, damned one, like your father Satan: not a single one of the Christians here has yet fulfilled your wicked order.” As for me, you still won’t hear anything from me except what I told you before, namely, that I am a Christian, and that I will not sacrifice to your nasty demons. And now again, in the hearing of all those gathered here, I repeat that I am a servant of the God of heaven and that I will never renounce Christ my God.”
Tiberian, ashamed, said to the soldiers: “Binding him with iron shackles, lead him before me; I will soon follow you.”
And the saint was led on his further journey.
Approaching a spring called Sirmium, the martyr washed his face and hands. Then, turning to the east, he began to pray, saying: “I thank You, Lord my God, that in Philippopolis You have vouchsafed me to confess Your holy name.”
The soldiers did not allow him to pray yet and forced him to continue his journey.
When they reached a place called Polchishchnoe (there were pagan festivals here), Tiberian caught up with the travelers. Calling Alexander to him, Tiberian said to him:
“Don’t you know, Alexander, that I spoke to you with meekness before the hegemon, exhorting you to make a sacrifice to our gods; but you, in the presence of such a select company, despised my request. In this case, at least now fulfill my order and I will free you from torment.
The saint answered:
- What I told you before the hegemon, I will say in every place. Therefore, you, son of Satan, deceived by the devil, do not think that you will ever turn me away from confessing the name of Christ.
Then Tiberian ordered the soldiers to drive four stakes into the ground and, stretching the martyr in four directions, ordered him to be tied to those stakes and given two hundred blows. The martyr, silently accepting the wounds inflicted on him, prayed to the Lord his God. At this time, a voice was heard from heaven, saying: “Take courage, Alexander, and do not be afraid of torment, for they are temporary and soon passing. I am always with you.”
Hearing a voice from heaven, Tiberian was very afraid, immediately ordered the torment to stop and then set off on his further journey. Having reached a city called Karasura and located between Philippopolis and Vereya, Tiberian entered it; the warriors, together with Tiberian, did not enter the city, but stopped under the shade of trees near the city. It was six o'clock in the afternoon. Since it was very hot, the saint said to the soldiers:
- Brothers, I’m very thirsty.
But they answered him:
- And we ourselves are very thirsty, but where will we get water here? The saint told them:
- Wait here a little, for God can give us water in this place.
Having said this, the saint bowed his knees and prayed to the Lord in these words: “Lord Jesus Christ, who once brought water from a stone in the desert to thirsty Israel (Ex. 17:1-7), look and now be merciful to your servant and give us on the spot "I bring water so that I and all those who are with me can quench my thirst. Through this Your holy name will be glorified."
When the saint prayed like this, suddenly the earth parted and a source of clean and cool water flowed out under the oak tree. Seeing such a miracle, the soldiers said:
- Truly great is the Christian God, who fulfills the requests of His faithful servants.
Then the martyr and those soldiers tasted the water from the source and glorified Christ God.
Having then traveled quite a significant distance, the warriors came to a river called Arzon. Since everyone was tired from the long journey, they settled down here to rest. Alexander also sat down to rest. Here Tiberian caught up with the soldiers and, seeing that the martyr was sitting, said to the soldiers with anger:
- Why do you, damned ones, allow that wicked man to sit?
Then, getting up, we went towards the city of Vereya.
When they approached this city, the citizens greeted Tiberian with honor. There were a lot of Christians in this city - more than half, but they, fearing torment from the pagans, kept their confession of the name of Christ in secret. Seeing the martyr of Christ walking separately from the tribune, they approached him and said:
- Rejoice, passion-bearer of Christ! Take heart and be strong, because wicked tormentors will never defeat the almighty power of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, Tiberian, calling the martyr to him, said to him:
- Listen to me, Alexander, as to your own father: now make a sacrifice to our gods with me. If you do this, then I promise you in front of everyone present here that I will free you, and if you wish, you can take the place of commander in my regiment; if you don’t want to be a regiment commander, then you can go wherever you want.
The saint, smiling, said to him:
- Oh, if you only knew how bitter the consolation with which you console me is for me! For these words of yours cause great torment to my soul. But God will help me not to listen to your advice. I have told you many times before, and now I say and will repeat again, that I am a Christian and will not make sacrifices to your demons.
And Tiberian went on from there. The martyr followed him, bound with iron bonds. We came to another place, located on the banks of the same Arzona River. This place was fourteen miles away from Vereya. There were many hotels and hospices here. Tiberian spent the night here, waiting for the martyr, who was accompanied from the city of Vereya by many Christians.
When the soldiers arrived with the martyr to the place where Tiberian was, the martyr began to ask Tiberian for permission to pray for a short time to his God. Tiberian allowed him. The saint, seeing a large walnut tree nearby, approached it and, standing under its branches, knelt down, praying to God in the following words: “Lord Jesus Christ! Send your holy angel and take my soul, for I can no longer endure torment, because my body is exhausted."
Tiberian, seeing that the martyr was praying, said to the soldiers:
- I’m surprised where Alexander learned magic prayers. He grew up before my eyes. I myself nominated him to the rank of warrior and could not possibly assume that he knew magic.
Then, calling Alexander to him, he said to him:
- Alexander, make a sacrifice to the gods!
The saint answered:
“Truly you are darkened in mind, for again you want to hear from me what I have told you many times already.”
After these words of the saint, Tiberian ordered his servants to pour boiling oil on the martyr’s back. But the angel of the Lord, invisibly appearing near the martyr, broke the vessel in which there was oil; at the same time, oil poured onto the torturer’s servants and severely burned them. Tiberian, seeing that it was not the martyr, but his servants, who were burned with oil, became very angry and ordered four soldiers to stretch the martyr under a walnut tree and beat him with sticks without mercy. The beating continued until the warriors were exhausted. When the tormentors stopped beating, Saint Alexander said: “Sovereign Lord! Bless this tree and give it healing power, for I suffered under it for Your holy name.”
From that time on, the fruits and leaves of the tree had healing powers and healed believers from various diseases and ailments.
Then the soldiers again led the martyr on the road, walking before Tiberian. When they passed Andrianople, they approached a place called Vurtodexion. Here the saint met his mother, blessed Pimenia, who had arrived here earlier than the martyr; seeing her beloved son, she fell at his feet, crying and sobbing. Then, getting up, she kissed him. And the saint said to her:
- Don’t cry, my mother, for I hope in my Lord that He will help me finish my feat on the gloom of the next day.
Here Tiberian caught up with the warriors. Since the day was already approaching evening, Tiberian stopped here for the night and indulged in sleep. At eight o'clock at night8 he rose from his bed and came to a river called Zionkel, where there was an inn. The sun has already risen. Having rested here a little from the journey, Tiberian said to the martyr:
“I have already given you over to many torments, and yet you did not want to turn to the veneration of my gods. Know that now I will put you to death if you do not fulfill my orders.
Having said this, Tiberian left that place. Approaching Byzantium and approaching the city of Driziper, located near the Erigon River, Tiberian decided to carry out the final trial of the martyr here and said to him:
- This is your death, Alexander, before you. What do you say: will you make a sacrifice to our gods or not? Here I will kill you and throw your body into the river to be devoured by fish.
The saint answered him:
“I would greatly thank you if you did what you said; Then I would sooner get rid of your hands. Under no circumstances will I make a sacrifice to your vile gods, even if you could destroy me with thousands of deaths.
Then the tormentor sentenced Alexander to death and handed him over to the soldiers, ordering him to cut off his head and throw his body into the river. Then he set off on his further journey; the soldiers remained here in order to carry out the orders of Tiberian. A lot of people flocked here, wanting to see the death of the martyr of Christ; There were also many Christians here. The holy martyr, turning to the executioner, asked him to delay the beheading a little and let him pray; at the same time the martyr asked for water. One of the people who came to see the spectacle took a vessel, scooped up water from the river and brought it to the martyr. The saint, having washed his face and hands with water, turned to the east; then, protecting himself with the honest sign of the cross, he began to pray, saying this: “Glory to Thee, God of our fathers! Glory to Thee, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Glory to Thee, Whom all creation trembles and Whom all worship, for Thou art the Creator of heaven and earth The seraphim stand before You, the God of all, the invisible and incorruptible God, with fear, not daring to look at You and constantly exclaiming: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts! The whole earth is full of His Glory!" (Is. 6:3). The sun that circles the sky blesses You, the earth and everything on it, people and animals, blesses You, every breath of life sings praises to You, for You are the true God, the True Father, and Son and Holy Spirit, who abides forever. Remember those who fear You, Master, and those who give thanks to Your all-holy name. Do not despise me, your servant, humble and unworthy, O Lord who loves mankind."
Then, turning to the Christians, the saint said:
- Brothers and fathers! Remember my labors, for I was not too lazy to suffer for the sake of the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, so that He would be merciful to me and to all other Christians. Know that the long journey that I made from Rome to this place, tied everywhere with chains and chains, dragged along with beatings, tormented in every way - I did not complete this difficult journey with my own strength, but with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ. By the power of the Lord Jesus Christ I defeated both the tormentor Tiberian and his helper, the devil. So now I am leaving here to appear before my Lord. You pray for me, so that I may gain mercy from the Lord.
Then, the saint asked the executioner to wait a little longer and, bending his knees, began to pray to God in the following words: “Lord Jesus Christ! Hear your servant who suffers for your holy name! Send grace to my body; make it so that, wherever it may be, it was ordained, gave healing to the sick everywhere for the glory of your most holy name."
A voice was immediately heard from heaven, promising to fulfill the martyr’s request.
Then the martyr said to the soldiers:
- Brothers! Do as soon as possible what is commanded to you! The executioner, named Celestine, said to the saint:
- Martyr of Christ! Pray to your God so that He does not make this a sin for me, for I am ordered to kill you.
The saint said to him:
- Do this not of your own free will, but on the orders of others. The one who ordered will have the sin on himself, but you quickly do what is commanded, for I am in a hurry to go to my Lord.
Celestine blindfolded the saint with a clean towel and, taking his sword from its sheath, was about to strike the martyr. But, seeing the holy angels who came to take the soul of the martyr, he was very frightened and stood, not knowing what to do. The saint, expecting his head to be beheaded soon, said to the executioner:
- Do, brother, what you are commanded.
But the executioner answered:
- I am afraid, servant of God, for I see some wondrous men standing near you.
Then the saint cried out to God, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ! Grant me permission to finish my feat at this hour!”
After this, the angels moved away from the saint a short distance. Then the executioner Celestine cut off the honorable head of the martyr, and immediately his holy soul was taken to heaven by angelic hands; the angels carried her to heaven in the voice of praise to God. That angelic voice was heard by all Christians standing near that place.
Thus, the holy martyr of Christ Alexander ended the feat of his suffering,9 but his honorable body was thrown into the river by the Tiberian soldiers, according to the orders of the tormentor. But, at God's discretion, the honest body of the martyr was pulled out of the water by four dogs onto the shore. The dogs licked the holy body and, sitting near it, protected it from birds of prey and animals. When the mother of the martyr, blessed Pimenia, came to that place, she took the long-suffering body of her beloved son and, anointing him with aromas and wrapping him in a clean shroud, buried him with honor by the river Erigone. From the tomb of the martyr, abundant healings were given to all who came with faith.
Soon the holy martyr appeared to his mother in a vision, consoled her and told her that she would soon repose before the Face of God. With her, this holy martyr now stands before the throne of the glory of God in the host of other holy martyrs, praying for us to the Lord, Lover of Mankind, and glorifying the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the One God in the Trinity, glorified and praised by all creation, visible and invisible, now, and always, and forever and ever. Amen.

The holy martyr Alexander suffered for Christ at the beginning of the 4th century. He was a military man, serving in the regiment of the tribune Tiberian in Rome. He was in his 18th year when the Roman Emperor Maximian Herculus (284-305) issued an order that all citizens on a certain day should appear at the suburban temple of Zeus to make a sacrifice. Tribune Tiberian gathered his soldiers and ordered them to go to this festival, but the young man Alexander, raised in the Christian faith from childhood, refused and declared that he would not sacrifice to demons. Tiberian, fearing for himself, reported to Emperor Maximian that there was a Christian warrior in his regiment. Soldiers were immediately sent for Alexander. At this time, Alexander was sleeping. He was awakened by an Angel, who informed the young man about the martyrdom that lay ahead of him and that he would continually be with him throughout the entire period of his feat. When the soldiers arrived, Alexander came out to meet them; his face shone with such light that the soldiers, looking at him, fell to the ground. The saint encouraged them and asked them to carry out the order given to them. Appearing before Maximian, Saint Alexander boldly confessed his faith in Christ and refused to bow to idols, adding that he feared neither the emperor nor his threats. The emperor tried to persuade the young man with the promise of honors, but Alexander remained firm in his confession and denounced the emperor and all the pagans. The torture of the holy martyr began, but he bravely endured the suffering. Maximian betrayed Saint Alexander into the power of the tribune Tiberian, who was sent by the emperor to Thrace to torture Christians. The martyr, bound in chains, was led to Thrace. At this time, the Angel of the Lord informed the mother of Saint Alexander Pimenia about the martyrdom of her son. Pimenia found her son in the city of Cathargen, where he appeared in court before Tiberian and again firmly confessed himself to be a Christian. He was tortured in front of his mother, and then, bound, he was led on a further journey, following the chariot of Tiberian. Courageous Pimenia begged the soldiers to allow her to approach her son and inspired him to endure torment for Christ. The soldiers were amazed at the steadfastness of the holy martyr and said to each other: “Great is the Christian God!” An Angel appeared to the martyr several times, strengthening his strength. At night, a formidable Angel with a sword appeared to Tiberian, commanding the tribune to hastily go to Byzantium, since the time of death of the holy martyr was approaching. Tiberian continued on his way with haste. In the city of Philippopolis, Tiberian arranged another trial of Saint Alexander in the presence of city nobles gathered for this occasion. At this trial, Saint Alexander also remained unshakable. During his mournful journey, the holy martyr was repeatedly subjected to cruel torture, but, strengthened by God, he endured all the torment and himself strengthened the soldiers who were exhausted from thirst, asking the Lord for a source of water for them. During a stop along the way, the holy martyr prayed under a tree for his strength in suffering; the fruits and leaves of this tree received healing powers. At a place called Vurtodexion, the saint again met his mother Pimenia, who fell sobbing at his feet. The holy martyr said to her: “Don’t cry, my mother, the next morning the Lord will help me finish my feat.” In the city of Drizipere, Tiberian sentenced the saint to death. Before his death, the holy martyr thanked the Lord for the fact that the Lord gave him the strength to endure all the numerous tortures and accept a martyr’s death. The warrior who was to carry out the execution asked the saint for forgiveness and for a long time did not dare to raise his hand with a sword, since he saw the Angels coming for the soul of the martyr. Through the prayer of the saint, the Angels became invisible to the executioner, and only then did he cut off his holy head. The saint's body was thrown into the river, but four dogs pulled it out of the water and did not allow anyone in until Saint Alexander's mother, Pimenia, arrived. She took the remains of her martyr son and buried them with honor near the Erigone River. Healings immediately began to take place at the tomb of St. Alexander. Soon the holy martyr appeared in a dream to his mother, consoled her and informed her that she too would soon move to the Heavenly abodes.

Life

The holy martyr Alexander suffered for Christ at the beginning of the 4th century. He was a military man, serving in the regiment of the tribune Tiberian in Rome. He was 18 years old when the Roman Emperor Maximian Herculus (284 -305) issued an order that all citizens on a certain day should appear at the suburban temple of Zeus to make a sacrifice. Having been raised in the Christian faith since childhood, Alexander refused to sacrifice to demons. Then Tiberian informed Emperor Maximian that there was a Christian warrior in his regiment. Soldiers were immediately sent for Alexander. At this time, Alexander was sleeping. He was awakened by an Angel, who informed the young man about the martyrdom that lay ahead of him and that he would relentlessly remain with him throughout his torment. When the soldiers arrived, Alexander came out to meet them; his face shone with such light that the soldiers, looking at him, fell to the ground. The saint encouraged them and asked them to carry out the order given to them.
When the saint was brought to Maximian, he fearlessly confessed his faith and denounced the emperor and the pagans. Then the young man was subjected to torture, which he bravely endured, and then, chained, he was sent to Thrace to continue his torment, being repeatedly tortured along the way. At this time, the Angel of the Lord informed the mother of Saint Alexander Pimenia about the martyrdom of her son. Courageous Pimenia inspired her son to endure torment for Christ. Seeing the saint’s steadfastness, the soldiers were amazed and said to each other: “Great is the Christian God!” An Angel appeared to the martyr several times, strengthening his strength. During a stop along the way, the holy martyr prayed under a tree for his strength in suffering; the fruits and leaves of this tree received healing powers.
In the city of Drizipere, Tiberian sentenced the saint to death. The warrior who was to carry out the execution asked the saint for forgiveness and for a long time did not dare to raise his hand with a sword, since he saw the Angels coming for the soul of the martyr. The saint's body was thrown into the river, but four dogs pulled it out of the water and did not allow anyone in until St. Alexander's mother, Pimenia, came and honorably buried the saint's remains. Healings immediately began to take place at the tomb of St. Alexander.

Holy Martyr Alexander suffered for Christ at the beginning of the 4th century. He was a military man, serving in the regiment of the tribune Tiberian in Rome. He was in his 18th year when the Roman Emperor Maximian Herculus (284–305) issued an order that all citizens on a certain day should appear at the suburban temple of Zeus to make a sacrifice. Tribune Tiberian gathered his soldiers and ordered them to go to this festival, but the young man Alexander, raised in the Christian faith from childhood, refused and declared that he would not sacrifice to demons. Tiberian, fearing for himself, reported to Emperor Maximian that there was a Christian warrior in his regiment. Soldiers were immediately sent for Alexander. At this time, Alexander was sleeping. He was awakened by an Angel, who informed the young man about the martyrdom that lay ahead of him and that he would constantly remain with him throughout the entire period of his feat. When the soldiers arrived, Alexander came out to meet them; his face shone with such light that the soldiers, looking at him, fell to the ground. The saint encouraged them and asked them to carry out the order given to them. Appearing before Maximian, Saint Alexander boldly confessed his faith in Christ and refused to bow to idols, adding that he feared neither the emperor nor his threats. The emperor tried to persuade the young man with the promise of honors, but Alexander remained firm in his confession and denounced the emperor and all the pagans. The torture of the holy martyr began, but he bravely endured the suffering. Maximian betrayed Saint Alexander into the power of the tribune Tiberian, who was sent by the emperor to Thrace to torture Christians. The martyr, bound in chains, was led to Thrace. At this time, the Angel of the Lord informed the mother of Saint Alexander Pimenia about the martyrdom of her son. Pimenia found her son in the city of Cathargen, where he appeared in court before Tiberian and again firmly confessed himself to be a Christian. He was tortured in front of his mother, and then, bound, he was led on a further journey, following the chariot of Tiberian. Courageous Pimenia begged the soldiers to allow her to approach her son and inspired him to endure torment for Christ. The soldiers were amazed at the steadfastness of the holy martyr and said to each other: “Great is the Christian God!” An Angel appeared to the martyr several times, strengthening his strength. At night, a formidable Angel with a sword appeared to Tiberian, commanding the tribune to hastily go to Byzantium, since the time of death of the holy martyr was approaching. Tiberian continued on his way with haste. In the city of Philippopolis, Tiberian arranged another trial of Saint Alexander in the presence of city nobles gathered for this occasion. At this trial, Saint Alexander also remained unshakable. During his mournful journey, the holy martyr was repeatedly subjected to cruel torture, but, strengthened by God, he endured all the torment and himself strengthened the soldiers who were exhausted from thirst, asking the Lord for a source of water for them. During a stop along the way, the holy martyr prayed under a tree for his strength in suffering; the fruits and leaves of this tree received healing powers. At a place called Vurtodexion, the saint again met his mother Pimenia, who fell sobbing at his feet. The holy martyr said to her: “Don’t cry, my mother, the next morning the Lord will help me finish my feat.” In the city of Drizipere, Tiberian sentenced the saint to death. Before his death, the holy martyr thanked the Lord for the fact that the Lord gave him the strength to endure all the numerous tortures and accept a martyr’s death. The warrior who was to carry out the execution asked the saint for forgiveness and for a long time did not dare to raise his hand with a sword, since he saw the Angels coming for the soul of the martyr. Through the prayer of the saint, the Angels became invisible to the executioner, and only then did he cut off his holy head. The saint's body was thrown into the river, but four dogs pulled it out of the water and did not allow anyone in until Saint Alexander's mother, Pimenia, arrived. She took the remains of her martyr son and buried them with honor near the Erigone River. Healings immediately began to take place at the tomb of St. Alexander. Soon the holy martyr appeared in a dream to his mother, consoled her and informed her that she too would soon move to the Heavenly abodes.

(† beginning of the 4th century), martyr. Driziparsky (memorial May 13, Greek February 25, zap March 27). He was a warrior and served in Rome (according to some sources, he came from the city of Pozzuoli in Campania, near Naples, according to Nicodemus the Holy Mountain - from Carthage). During the persecution of the imp. Maximian A.R., refusing to sacrifice to the idol, appeared before the court of the emperor, denounced the wicked worship of demons and persuaded him to confess Christ. The emperor betrayed him into the hands of the committee Tiberian, who ordered A.R. to be hanged on a tree and his body to be torn with iron hooks. After this, Tiberian, taking A.R. with him, went to Thrace to begin the persecution of Christians there too. The mother of A.R. Blzh also came there. Pimenia, who learned from a vision about everything that happened to her son. She visited him in prison and encouraged him during the torture: A.R. was burned with fire, beaten and dragged along the ground, with iron thorns scattered over it. Soon after this, A.R. was beheaded in the city of Drizipara (Druzipara) near Adrianople; the executioner, who sympathized with the martyr, saw how his soul was carried to heaven by angels. The body of A.R., thrown into the river by Tiberian, was pulled out and protected from predatory animals and birds by 4 dogs until it was found by a neighbor. Pimenia, the city, buried her son with honor. In the “Synaxarist” of Nicodemus the Svyatogorets it is said that the memory of A.R. was celebrated in places. Centullines (Centumcellus). Based on the fact that the author of the legend describes in great detail the path of A.R. from Rome to Thrace (he gives the names of all the cities and places where A.R. visited, and even indicates the hours when certain events took place), it can be assumed that that he either himself witnessed the martyrdom of A.R., or was familiar with the life compiled by his contemporary.

The historian Theophylact Simokatta (VII century) narrates that the Avar Khagan, expelled from Drizipara by the vision of a large army, burned the c. A.R. in Anchial and was punished - the disease destroyed his warriors. Some of the saint’s relics have been preserved and are located in Prague.

The lengthy life of the saint has been translated into glory. language in con. XI century The short life was translated into the 12th century. as part of the Prologue of Constantine of Mokisia. In the 16th century extensive and short lives are included under May 13 in the VMC (Joseph, Archimandrite. Contents of the VMC. Stb. 160-161).

In some Greek Synaxarion on the same day mentions Alexander, bishop. Tiberiansky is believed to be the same person as A.R., an incorrect understanding of whose life led to the appearance in the text of the episcopal rank and the name of a non-existent department. The memory of this saint has been translated into glory. language in the 12th century as part of the Prologue of Constantine of Mokisia; in the 16th century it was included on March 13 in the VMC (Joseph, archimandrite. Contents of the VMC. Stb. 161).

Hymnography

In the series Analecta Hymnica Graeca, the canon of A.R. was published, which was not included in the printed Menaion (AHG. Vol. IX. P. 152-157). According to Greek manuscript of 1431 (Ath. Vatop. 1145. Fol. 78v - 83) the canon (4th plagal, i.e. 8th, voice) of A.R. (“Δεῦτε μυστικῶς ἀδελφοί” - Ταμεῖ) is known ον.Ν 605 . Σ. 199-200), many of the troparia coincide with those published in AHG, but it is inscribed with the name of St. Alexander of Chios.