Saint Athēnodōros of MesopotamiaToday is the feast-day in the Holy Orthodox Church of Saint Athēnodōros, a martyr of the Middle East who suffered for Christ in the year 304, under the persecutions of Diocletian. Saint Athēnodōros was a monastic from his youth, and he lived his entire life in Syrian Mesopotamia. When the persecutions of Diocletian occurred, he was denounced as a Christian and placed under arrest, and brought before the governor, Eleusios.
Saint Athēnodōros was subjected to severe tortures for his faith, but never once broke, enduring them all with a wondrous mental strength. The executioners first strung him up between two pillars, and scorched and branded his flesh with torches of burning resin. Then they heated up two iron bullets until they were white-hot, and pressed them in under his arms, placed iron hooks in his nose, and made him lie down on a copper gridiron that had been heated red-hot. At last a bull cast from copper was prepared, heated red-hot, and Athēnodōros was forced inside. Among the crowds who observed the tortures that Athēnodōros went through, there were fifty pagans who came to understand the power of Christ, and turned toward belief. At last the faithful martyr, who confessed Christ until the end, was beheaded with the sword. The hagiographical legend says that the executioner who was to behead him became paralysed and died soon afterward. Having run the course to its end, he won the crown of victory and was accepted at once into the company of saints. Holy martyr Athēnodōros, glorious athlete and steadfast confessor of Christ, pray unto Him who loves mankind that our souls may be saved!
Apolytikion for Saint Athēnodōros, Tone 4:
Your holy martyr Athēnodōros, O Lord,
Through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.
For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,
And shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through his intercessions, save our souls!
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