19 hamlé 2013
The Ethiopian Synaxarium
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE GOD. AMEN.
On this day the saints of the city of ‘Esna became martyrs, and the cause of their martyrdom was this: Arianus, the governor, came to the city of Esna thrice. The first time he killed the holy woman Dilaj and her four sons, whose names were Sares, and Harman, and Yanufa, and Sentonita, and they finished their testimony on the seventh day of Ginbot. The second time he killed four nobles whose names were Eusaphius, and Taman, and Harwag, and Bacchus; and their martyrdoms took place on the seventh day of the month of Sane. The third time he killed an old woman, who was lying on her bed inside her house. And the soldiers of Arianus asked that old woman about the holy martyrs of the city of ‘Esna, and she said unto them, “Behold, they are in the monastery which is called by the name of Agathon; for they heard of the arrival of Arianus the governor, and they knew that he would kill the Christians, and persecute them.” And after this the governor commanded his soldiers to kill everyone they found, and they ceased not to kill everyone they found, from the western [quarter] of the city, which is called “Sekyot Karim...” And
they found many people on the road, and they slew them until they came to the monastery of the glorious father who is called “Isaac the solitary.” And at that time this good shepherd, who was called Ammonius, gave them strength, and he comforted them and said unto them, “Be strong and endure so that ye may enter into the kingdom of heaven.” And whilst he was exhorting them thus, the governor came to them, and when they saw him they all cried out with one voice, saying, “We are Christians.” And the governor commanded the soldiers to kill them with the sword like sheep, and his soldiers rose up and rushed upon them with swords and killed them. And the men of the cities of Alexandria and ‘Esna, from the least of them to the greatest, both man and woman, finished their good fight, on the nineteenth day of the month of Hamle; and the armies of the angels received their souls, and crowned them with crowns of light. And the governor went to the city of Aswan, and then returned to the city of ‘Esna, where he found three laborers coming from the fields and carrying the implements of their toil with them. As soon as they saw him they cried out boldly, saying, “We are Christians”; and when the governor heard this he commanded his soldiers to cut off their heads with the implements of their toil. Now their names were Surufas, and Antichius, and Mashadre, and they finished their martyrdom on the eleventh day of the month of Meskerem. And the governor bound in fetters this glorious father Abba Ammonius, the bishop, and he urged him to sacrifice to idols, and when he refused to do so he commanded the soldiers to cast him into the fire, and they did so, and he finished his martyrdom on the fourteenth day of the month of Tahsas. And certain believing men took him and wrapped him in cloths, and buried him in the place, which is called Bet-Hapes; and when the days of persecution were ended they built a church over him, and they consecrated it in his name. Salutation to the martyrs of ‘Esna.
And on this day also Saint Cyriacus (Qirkos) and Julitta (Iyalota) his mother became martyrs. When this saint was a child, and his days were three years, his mother took him and fled from the country of Rome to another country. And she found there the brother of the governor from whom she had fled, and certain men laid information against her before him, and he had her brought and questioned her about the worship of idols. And Saint Julitta answered and said unto him, “Ask the child whose days are three years to tell us what is right, and whether it is good for us to worship the gods or not.” And when the soldiers of the governor went to her house they found Saint Cyriacus (Qirkos) her son, and they brought him to the governor; and the governor questioned him about the worship of idols. And God gave the child strength, and he spoke and cursed the emperor and his gods, and at length he frightened all those who were there, and they marveled greatly at him. And the governor was ashamed, and he tortured the child severely with every kind of torture, the which even a grown up man could not endure, and he tortured Julitta (Iyalota), the mother of the child, even as he tortured her son, but God raised them up whole and uninjured. And because of this many people marveled, and believed on our Lord Jesus Christ, and became martyrs, and the grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon them. And the child Cyriacus (Qirkos) healed many sick folk, and performed great miracles. And when fear came over his mother, and her faith dwindled, he prayed to God on her behalf, and God lifted up her heart unto heaven, and she saw the habitation of the spirit, and she became strong under the torture, and gave thanks to God. And she said unto her son, “O my son, henceforward thou art my father, and I am thy blessed daughter; blessed be the hour wherein I bore thee.” And when the governor was tired of torturing them he commanded the soldiers to cut off their heads with the sword, and they did so, and the
saints received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Cyriacus (Qirkos).
On this day the holy and honorable Matlan (Batlan), the physician, became a martyr. This saint was from a city, the name of which is Ta’madan, and his father, whose name was Asturius, was an infidel, and his mother, whose name was ‘Ulana, was a believer. When the child grew up, his father taught him writing and every kind of learning (or, philosophy), and he became a very great and famous physician. And a certain man who was a priest lived near their house, and when Batlan passed by, and he saw his comeliness and his knowledge, and his wisdom and skill, and his understanding, he was sorry for him, because he was a denier [of Christ]. And the priest entreated our Lord Jesus Christ on behalf of Batlan, that He might guide him into the way of life, and bring him into the True Faith. And having multiplied his petitions to God on behalf of Batlan, a time came when God told the priest in a vision of the night that Batlan should believe through him, and the priest rejoiced. And the priest always spoke to Batlan whenever he passed before him, and saluted him, and through this custom friendship grew up between them; and Batlan used to go into the priest’s house to talk with him about the Faith. And the priest explained to him the uncleanness of idols, and the corruptness of heart of those who worshipped them, and he showed him the glory of the Faith of Christ, and the knowledge and understanding of those who serve Him; and then he made him to know that by the hands of all those who believe in Christ our Lord miracles are wrought; and great healings effected. And when Saint Batlan heard that all those who believe in Christ could perform miracles, he rejoiced exceedingly, and he longed to perform miracles for himself, and he fulfilled his desire with wisdom and worked miracles; for he believed in our Lord through that priest, who taught him at all times. And one day Saint Batlan was passing through the market place of the city, and he saw a man whom a serpent had bitten lying on the ground and the serpent was standing up before him. And he said within himself, “I will stand up that I may put to the test the words of the priest, my teacher, who saith unto me, ‘If thou dost belong to our Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt work miracles in His Name.’” And he drew nigh unto the man whom the snake had bitten, and he prayed a long prayer, and asked Christ to make manifest His power and heal the man, and kill the serpent, so that it might not do harm to any one else. And when he had finished his prayer the man rose up alive and whole, and without pain, and the serpent fell down and died straightway. And Batlan’s faith increased, and he went to the priest who baptized him with Christian baptism, and he used to visit him continually. One day a blind man came unto him that he might heal him, and when the father of the saint saw him he sent him away. And Batlan questioned his father about this, and he said unto him, “Who was the man that was enquiring for me?” And his father answered, and said unto him, “It was a blind man, and thou canst not heal him.” And the saint answered and said unto his father, “Thou shalt see [the power of] God.” And he called the blind man back, and said unto him, “If thou canst see wilt thou believe in the God Who shall heal thine eyes for thee?” And the blind man said unto him, “Yea, I will believe.” And the saint prayed over him for a long time, and then he laid his hand upon the eyes of the blind man, and said unto him, “In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ receive thy sight”; and straightway the blind man’s eyes were opened. And when the father of the saint saw this he believed, together with the man who was blind, on our Lord Jesus Christ, and Batlan took them to the priest, his teacher, who baptized them both with Christian baptism. And when the father of the saint died, Batlan set his slaves free, and gave the greater part (?) of his money to the poor. And he practiced medicine, and healed men without payment, but he required those whom he healed to believe on Christ. And the
[other] physicians were jealous of him, and they laid information against him, and the priest, and the man who was blind, and many other believers, before the king. And the king was wroth with them, and he said unto them, “Sacrifice ye to the gods,” but they refused to obey him, and the soldiers cut off their heads with the sword and they received crowns of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. And after this the king tortured Saint Batlan very severely, and many signs and wonders appeared through him, and many men believed through him, whilst he was under torture, and became martyrs. And the king was wroth with Saint Batlan, and cast him to the lions, but they would not injure him, and only licked his feet; and the king commanded the soldiers to cut off his head with the sword, and they did so, and thus he finished his fight, and received the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of the heavens. Salutation to Batlan.
Salutation Isaac, the righteous man.
And on this day also are commemorated Abba Batrabo, and Macarius of Falga Halib, and Moses of Shoki.
Salutation to Abel, the son of Takla Haymanot.
Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.
Gabriel the Archangel
ቅዱስ ገብርኤል
The angel of God, St. Gabriel rescue Qirqos (Cyriacus) and his mother St. Iyyeluta (Julietta)