Praise the Lord for sending us such bright saints who, by the example of their pious and righteous life, showed people the great and saving faith in Christ. And that there is no more reliable and faithful hand, which is always ready to support and guide a poor and weak person on the path of truth. Next, we will talk about two holy men glorified in the face.
One of them - Artemy of Antioch - a great martyr, Artemy of Verkolsky is considered a holy righteous youth, but not a great martyr. You need to know this so as not to confuse later and correctly refer to them in your prayers. Their life is impressive enough to feel the strength of their faith and feat, let's get acquainted with it.
The Life of the Great Martyr Artemy
The future Saint Artemy was born into a noble Roman family and belonged to the senatorial class. He was a participant in the battle between Emperor Constantine and Emperor Maxentius, which took place at the Milvian Bridge in 312. At this time in the skysuddenly appeared the Cross inscribed: "Sim win!". This divine sign made a great impression on the warrior Artemy and converted him to Christianity.
The Great Martyr Artemy was a famous military leader during the reign of the Roman emperors Constantine I (306-337) and his son Constantius (337-361). Under them, he was an intimate adviser and confidant. For his faithful service, he was awarded letters of commendation and placed in charge of Egypt, endowed with special powers. On behalf of the governor Constantius, with great honors, he transferred the relics of the holy apostles Andrew the First-Called and Luke from Patras to Constantinople.
Julian the Apostate
But after the reign of Emperor Constantius, Julian the Apostate (361-363) ascended the throne, a pagan who began to wage a cruel and uncompromising struggle against Christianity. Executions began everywhere, hundreds of Christians were doomed to a painful death. In Antioch, he ordered the torture of two bishops who did not renounce their faith in Christ. It was at this time that the Great Martyr Artemy came to the city, the widespread executions of Christians could not leave his noble heart indifferent. And he openly began to denounce the ruler Julian of dishonor, cruelty and pagan delusions. Then the angry emperor accused him of complicity in the murder of his elder brother Gallus. He was immediately arrested, then he was brutally abused for a long time, and after that he was imprisoned.
When the Holy Great Martyr Artemy once again prayed to his Lord, to himJesus Christ himself appeared with angels and said that he would take courage, since He would deliver him from all the pain that his tormentors inflicted on him, and that a crown of glory was prepared for him. For as he preached Christ before the people, so He will confess him before the Heavenly Father. And Christ added that he should be courageous and rejoice, as soon he would be with Him in His Kingdom. And he healed him, because he, wounded by torture, had been without food for a long time, nourished only by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Execution
After that, the Great Martyr Artemy, delighted with such news, began to fervently praise and thank the Lord. The next day he was again brought to Julian to force the strong and glorious warrior to bow and offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. But, having achieved nothing, he again subjected him to terrible and painful tortures. But the great ascetic endured all suffering without a single cry or groan.
The Great Martyr Artemy of Antioch predicted to Julian that he would soon be overtaken by the just punishment of God for the numerous evil that he had done to Christians. From these words, the emperor became even more fierce and again ordered the faithful Christian to be tortured, but he could not break his will.
At this time in Antioch, a pagan temple - the sanctuary of Apollo in Daphne - burned down from fire falling from the sky. Julian, taking advantage of the opportunity, immediately blamed the Christians for this. And St. Artemius appointed execution (362). First, he was crushed with a stone, and then his head was cut off with a sword.
Retribution
Shortly after that, the Roman ruler was also amazed. The prophecies of St. Artemy came true exactly one year later. Julian left Antioch with his army and went to fight the Persians. Approaching the city of Ctesiphon, they met an old Persian who asked to be a guide to Julian, who promised to betray his fellow citizens for a small reward. But as it turned out later, he deceived them and led the soldiers into the wild, impenetrable Karmanite desert, where there was neither water nor food. The Greco-Roman troops, hungry and exhausted from the heat, entered into a forced battle with the Persian forces well prepared for the meeting. In a battle with the Persians, a cavalry spear cut his arm, pierced his ribs and stuck in his liver. As a result, Julian, struck by an invisible hand, groaned heavily and uttered the words before his death: “You won, Galilean!”.
The acquisition of relics
After the death of the tyrant, the relics of the Holy Great Martyr Artemy from Antioch took the deaconess Arista along with the Christians and took them to Constantinople. Later they were buried in the Church of St. John the Baptist, which was built by Emperor Anastasius I, after which it received its second name in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Artemy.
Today the name of the saint is in special honor in the city of Patras. The day of the Great Martyr Artemy is celebrated on October 20 (November 2). He is considered the patron saint of the city and the founder of the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Girokomio. On this day, a solemn commemoration is always performed, prayers and an akathist are read to the Great Martyr Artemy. Numerous miracles are performed from his holy relics.
Icons and prayers
On the iconsThe Great Martyr Artemy is traditionally depicted with long hair and a forked short beard in military armor and a himation. But there are other interpretations.
Prayer to the Great Martyr Artemy, begins with the words: “Holy servant of God, Artemy the righteous!”. The second - "Holy Martyr Artemy!".
For the first time, the life of the holy great martyr and warrior Artemy was described at the end of the 10th century by John of Rhodes, then it was processed and supplemented by Simeon Metaphrastus. The ancient Byzantine historians Ammianus Marcellinus and Philostorgius also reported about St. Artemius of Antioch.
In 1073, a particle of his relics was acquired by the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. It is also known that holy relics were found in the cross-reliquary of the Russian Emperor Mikhail Fedorovich, which became the blessing of Patriarch Filaret.
Saint Artemy of Verkolsky
In 1532, in the pious family of the settlers Cosmas (nicknamed Small) and Apollinaria in the village of Verkole, near the river Pinega, Dvina district, a son was born, who was named Artemy. His parents raised him in good Christian traditions. He was an obedient, meek and God-fearing child who, from the age of five, did not like any childish pranks and amusements. He diligently, as far as he could at his young age, helped his father with the housework.
On June 23, 1545, twelve-year-old Artemy was working with his father in the field, when suddenly lightning flashed nearby and thunder struck, at that time the boy fell to the ground dead. Frightened superstitious peasants considered this incident a punishment from Heaven, and therefore the bodyArtemia, covered with brushwood and birch bark, was left unseasoned and unburied in the forest called Sosonia.
Holy relics
A little over thirty years after Artemy's death in 1577, Deacon Agathonik, who served in the local church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, saw an unusual glow in the forest over the very place where Artemy's remains had once been left. Thus, the incorruptible body of the holy lad Artemy was found, which the people brought and laid on the porch of the church of St. Nicholas in Verkol. The Lord glorified him with miracles, as a result of which, in 1639, Metropolitan Cyprian sent an order to the "here" clergy to draw up obvious testimonies, which were soon delivered to the Metropolitan. And the following year, he sent a “created feast” - stichera, litiya, stikhovna, slavniks, troparion, ikos, kontakion, luminaries, praises and chanting under the banner.
Prayers and miracles
Through the prayers of St. Artemy, many sick people were healed, and especially those who suffered from eye diseases. Once a resident of Kholmogor Hilarion came to the temple, having lost his sight and completely desperate to get it back. And on the day of St. Nicholas, the righteous Artemy appeared to the sufferer with a cross in his right hand, in his left - with a staff, overshadowing the sick man with the cross, told him that Christ had healed him by the hand of His servant Artemy. And he sent the townsman to go to Verkola to bow to his coffin and tell the priest and the peasants about what had happened.
The patient recovered immediately. Admirers of the holy child in 1584they transferred his holy relics from the porch of the temple to the arranged limit.
Mezen Governor Pashkov Athanasius built a temple in honor of the holy Great Martyr Artemy, the heavenly patron of the holy and righteous youth, in gratitude to the saint for the healing of his sick son. In 1619, the relics of the saint were examined and on December 6 they were transferred to a new temple, which burned down 30 years later, but in 1649 a monastery was built on the site of the found relics under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, where the relics were also delivered.
There is a legend that the holy child had a sister, the righteous miracle worker Paraskeva of Piriminskaya.
Now the memory of St. Artemy is celebrated on June 23 (the day of the performance) and October 20 (the day of the memory of the namesake great martyr Artemy).
