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August 17: Orthodox saints |
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The Holy Martyr Myron was a presbyter in Achaeia (Greece), and lived during the 3rd Century. He suffered in the year 250 under the emperor Decius (249-251). Myron was gentle and kind to people, but he was also courageous in the defense of his spiritual children. Once, on the feast of the Nativity of Christ, when he was celebrating Divine-services, the local governor Antipater came into the church with soldiers to arrest those praying there. Myron plead for his flock, denouncing the governor for his cruelty. Myron was arrested. Antipater then demanded that Myron worship idols. Myron refused. Falling into a rage, Antipater gave orders to deliver the Myron to wild beasts. But the beasts would not touch him. Perceiving himself defeated, Antipater, in blind rage, committed suicide. They then took Saint Myron to the city of Kizika (Cyzicus), where he was executed. (+250). |
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The Monk Alypii of Pechersk, one of the first and finest of Russian iconographers, was a monastic novice of the Monk Nikon (commemorated 23 March), and from his youthful years pursued asceticism at the Kievo-Pechersk monastery [in Russian, in English]. He studied the iconography of the Greek masters, and from the year 1083 began beautifying the Pechersk church of the Uspenie (Dormition) of the MostHoly Mother of God. Alypii made icons gratis. If he learned that in some church the icons had become worn, he took them with him and restored them. If he was paid for his work, he disbursed one part for the obtaining of iconographic materials, the second part he distributed to the poor, and only the third did he keep for himself. Alypii was never famous, and he did the iconography only so as to serve God. He was raised to the dignity of priestmonk and was known for a gift of wonderworking while still alive: he healed a man who was suffering from leprosy by anointing the wounds with paints, prepared for the making of icons. Many icons done by the monk were glorified by wonderworking. Once, a man who built a church, entrusted two Pechersk monks to commission the icons for it. The monks concealed the money and said nothing to the Alypii. Having waited a long time for the carrying out of the commission, the man turned to the hegumen with a complaint against Alypii, and only then was it discovered that Alypii had not heard of the commission. However, when the boards that were to be painted on (and that had been given by the man) were brought to the hegumen [see Definitions, right] and Alypii, the boards were already covered by beautiful images. Later, when the church that the man built was consumed by fire, all of the icons were unharmed. Another time, an Angel made an icon in honour of the Uspenie (Dormition) of the MostHoly Mother of God, when Alypii lay in a pre-death illness. And in this image. the Angel accepted the soul of Alypii (he died on 17 August not earlier than the year 1114). He was buried in the Nearer Caves. One of the Alypii's icons -- the MostHoly Mother of God with the Infant-Saviour -- is now preserved in the State Tretyakov Gallery [in Russian]. |
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Places: Kievo-Pechersk monastery Pechersk church of the Uspenie (Dormition) of the MostHoly Mother of God Tretyakov Gallery References: Dormition of the Mother of God icon Definitions: dormition hegumen |
| The Martyrs Therses, Leucius, Coronatus and their Companions suffered in Bythnian Caesarea and Apollonia under the emperor Decius (249-251). | Notes for this article:
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| The Martyr Patrocles lived during the 3rd Century under the emperor Aurelian (270-275). He was a native of the city of Tricassinum (now the city of Troyes in France) and led a pious Christian life: he loved to pray, to read the Holy Scriptures, to fast and to be charitable to the poor. For this the Lord sent down upon him the gift of wonderworking.
The emperor Aurelian summoned Patrocles to himself and commanded him to worship idols, promising for this great honours and riches. Patrocles disdained idol-worship saying that the emperor himself was a beggar. "How canst thou term me, the emperor, a beggar?" -- questioned Aurelian. The saint answered: "Thou dost possess many earthly treasures, but thou hast not Heavenly treasures, because thou believest not in Christ and in the future life thou shalt not receive paradisical blessedness -- therefore thou art poor". Aurelian in answer sentenced him to beheading by the sword. Soldiers led him to the banks of the River Sequanum (now the Seine), but suddenly their eyes were beclouded, and Patrocles walked across the river on the water and began to pray on an hill on the other river-bank. Coming to themselves, some of the soldiers were astounded at his disappearance of the martyr and they glorified God, but others attributed the miracle to magic. A woman pointed out to the soldiers that Patrocles was on the other bank of the river. Crossing over there, the soldiers killed the him (+c.275). His body was buried by night by the priest Eusebius and deacon Liberius. |
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| The Martyrs Straton, Philip, Eutykhian and Kyprian suffered at Nikomedia [now Izmit]. Visiting the circus, they taught people to cease with idol-worship and they converted many pagans to Christ. The governor, observing that the people were leaving the c ircus, summoned to himself the martyrs, who firmly confessed their faith in Christ and for this they were given over to wild beasts for devouring. The beasts did not touch them, and the martyrs were then subjected to torture and thrown into a fire (+c.303). |
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The Monk Levkii of Volokolamsk was the founder of the Uspenie (Dormition) monastery on the Ruza River (the monastery was located 32 versts [34 kilometers/21 miles] from the city of Volokolamsk and 2 versts [2.1 kilometers/1.3 miles] from the village of Seredo-Stratilatsk). Levkii was a disciple of the Monk Paphnutii of Borovsk (+1 May 1477) and associate of the Monk Joseph of Volotsk (+9 September 1515). Levkii was 62 years of age when he founded the monastery. He became known throughout the surrounding region for his ascetic life and died in extreme old age (according to tradition -- 17 July) at the end of the 15th Century. He was buried in the monastery founded by him. In the Iconographic original of the image of the monk is inscribed: "He was greyed, and a beard like Sergei, his hair uncovered, a schema-habit on his shoulders, in his hands a staff, and monastic garb." |
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| The Monk Philip of
Sukhonsk was an hermit on Yankovsk hill, on the left bank of the Sukhona River -- two versts [2.1 kilometers/1.3 miles] from the city of Ustiug.
The Ustiug inhabitants built up a monastery at the place of his ascetic deeds, so as to learn monastic life under his guidance, and in the year 1654 they built a church in honour of the Znamenie [Sign] Mother of God with a chapel in the name of the then-glorified Metropolitan [see Definitions, right] of Moscow, Sainted Philip. Brethren soon gathered. Philip, refusing no one his guidance, in his humility would not accept the dignity of hegumen [see Definitions, right] and he died at the monastery as a simple monk on 17 August 1662. |
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Places: People: References: Definitions: metropolitan hegumen verst |