Holy Martyrs Galaktiōn and Epistēmē of Homs

Saints Galaktiōn and Epistēmē

Today, the fifth of November, is the feast-day in the Orthodox Church of two holy Syrian martyrs of the city of Homs: Saints Galaktiōn and Epistēmē. At first husband and wife, they also struggled together as ascetics, and they went together into their martyrdom for Christ after a lifetime of such struggle. The hagiography of Saints Galaktiōn and Epistēmē, though it bears the marks of historicity and indeed of first-hand witness, nonetheless displays something of a Christian answer to the pagan understanding of erotic love.

Saint Galaktiōn [Gk. Γαλακτίον, L. Galation or Galacteon, Ar. Jalâktiyyûn جلاكتيون] is the son of well-to-do pagan parents in Emesa – modern-day Homs in Syria – named Kleitophōn and Leukippē, who are themselves accounted as saints after their conversion. (These names, it should be noted, are also the protagonists of a contemporary Greek romantic comedy by the rhetor Achilleus Tatios, which also takes place in the city of Tyre in Phœnicia.) This couple, although wealthy, nonetheless had a problem: Leukippē was barren. Being desirous of children, Kleitophōn made generous gifts of gold and valuables to the pagan temple, but it was to no avail, and the couple remained childless.

At that time, the city of Emesa was ruled by a governor named Secundus, who was a cruel and zealous persecutor of Christians. He set up the instruments of torture on public display in the streets, and further issued a proclamation that anyone suspected of belonging to the ‘sect of the Galilean’ was to be handed over for punishment. And so it was the case that many were handed over, and still more Christians gave themselves up voluntarily to martyrdom, being unwilling to let their neighbours suffer on their account.

Among these was a man named Onouphrios, an elderly priest, who used a disguise of beggar’s rags to hide his office. He went from door to door in Emesa, begging alms – and when he saw the opportunity, he preached the Gospel of Christ. It so happened that amidst this persecution he came to the threshold of Leukippē’s home, and he asked for alms. Leukippē herself came out and attended to Onouphrios, but the wise priest sensed that the woman was troubled. He asked her about it, and Leukippē revealed her family situation to him. Onouphrios consoled her, and taught her that the one true God does not turn His back upon those who come to Him in prayer.

Leukippē believed, and consented to be baptised a Christian. It so happened that several months after her baptism, by a wonder of God, she conceived, and it was revealed to her in a dream that her son by Kleitophōn would become a true follower of Christ. She was joyful at this news, but still kept it from her husband until after their child was born. Upon hearing this, Kleitophōn also assented to be baptised, and the two of them raised their son together in the Christian faith.

Galaktiōn grew up strong and handsome, and his inward virtue was every bit as comely as his person. Kleitophōn and Leukippē saw to it that he received the best education, the wisest teachers. Inwardly, however, he was drawn toward the Church, and harboured an ambition to enter the monastic life. When he reached the age of twenty-four, his mother Leukippē departed this life. His father desired to see him marry, however, and so he found a young woman named Epistēmē [Gk. Επιστήμη, L. Epistemia, Ar. ’Ibistimiyya إبستمية], who was his match in every way. She was fittingly named, for she had all manner of knowledge and wit, in addition to being outwardly attractive; and most importantly yet, she was meek, decorous and kind-hearted. She was, however, still a pagan.

Galaktiōn had kept his monastic ambitions secret from his father, and so when he told him that he had arranged a marriage for him, Galaktiōn, understanding the Law to honour his father, went along. He visited Epistēmē several times before their marriage, and during that time he spoke to her of the Good News of Christ and convinced her to accept baptism in secret – along with one of her family’s servants, a man named Eutolmios. After their marriage, Galaktiōn and Epistēmē agreed between themselves each to retire separately into a monastic community, and they left Homs and travelled into Ægypt, where they parted ways amicably and each went into a different monastery – one for men, the other for women – on Mount Publion, which is near to Sinai. Eutolmios also became a monk, and entered the cell together with Galaktiōn.

The husband and wife each toiled and struggled in their separate cells for several years. Epistēmē received a vision during her labours, that she and Galaktiōn were standing together before a radiant King seated upon a throne, and that this King bestowed crowns upon them. This was a foreshadowing of the martyrdom that was soon to befall them.

During the reign of Trajan Decius, one detachment of Roman soldiers discovered the monasteries on Mount Publion, and moved to seize them and the monastics living there. The mountainous terrain being familiar to these holy men and women, most of them were able to flee and hide from the Romans with ease; however, Galaktiōn alone chose to remain in his cell, reading from the Psalter. That is where the soldiers founded him, arrested him, beat him and dragged him out of the monastery down the mountain.

From her vantage point Epistēmē could see the groom she had parted from when she entered the cloister, and she begged her mother superior to be allowed to share in Galaktiōn’s fate for Christ’s sake, for it had been he who had brought her to Christ. With tears in her eyes, the mother superior allowed her to leave. She too was apprehended by the soldiers. The two saints Galaktiōn and Epistēmē suffered great torments for their Lord. They were condemned to death; their hands were severed at the wrists and their feet at the ankles. Their tongues were removed, and finally they were beheaded. In this way they did truly receive the crowns that had appeared in Epistēmē’s vision.

It was Epistēmē’s former servant, Eutolmios, who went and reclaimed the relics of Christ’s holy martyrs and had them buried decently. The account we have of this Life of the two saints, in fact, comes to us from Eutolmios, who put his account together based on what he himself had seen and heard. The fact that he attributed to Galaktiōn the heritage of a pagan love story only renders more poignant his own love and the love of Epistēmē, as models of a Christian erōs which transcends even death. Holy martyrs Galaktiōn and Epistēmē, betrothed fellow ascetics in life and fellow witnesses to Christ in death, pray unto Him who loves mankind to save our souls!

Apolytikion for Saints Galaktiōn and Epistēmē of Homs, Tone 4:

Let us the faithful honor these two betrothed athletes:
Galaktiōn and modest Epistēmē.
Their ascetic labors blossomed into martyrdom, therefore we cry to them:
“Glory to Him who has strengthened you!
Glory to Him who has crowned you!
Glory to Him who through you grants healing to all!”