Memorial Day 20,000 Martyrs (10/01)

On January 10 (December 28, old style), Christians of the Eastern churches celebrate the memory of 20,000 holy martyrs, among whom Glycerius, Zinon, Theophilus, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Migdonius, Indis, Gorgonius, Peter, Euthymius, Secundus, Nicostratus, Agathia, Domna, Theophila, Antonia and others.

By order of Emperor Maximian (284—305), the destruction of Christian churches, the burning of liturgical books and the deprivation of civil rights and positions of all Christians began in the early 4th century. At this time, the bishop of the city of Nicomedia was Saint Cyril, who, through preaching and life, contributed to the spread of the Christian faith, as a result of which many of the emperor's dignitaries were secret Christians.

The pagan priestess Domna lived in the emperor's palace. In Maximian's absence, she read the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. Her heart was filled with a desire to become acquainted with Christian teaching. With the assistance of a certain young Christian woman, Domna secretly came to Bishop Cyril, accompanied by a faithful servant, the eunuch Indus. Saint Cyril announced them, and then both received Holy Baptism. Domna began to help the poor: she distributed her jewelry with the help of Indis, and she also distributed food from the royal meal.

Having learned about the unusual lifestyle of Domna and Indis, the chief of the eunuchs, in charge of the royal table, imprisoned both of them and starved them, but they received reinforcements from the Angels and were not harmed. To no longer live with the pagans, Saint Domna pretended to be insane. Then she and Indis were removed from the palace, and she settled in a maiden monastery with Abbess Agathia. Soon the abbess dressed her in men's clothes, cut her hair and released her from the monastery.

Meanwhile, the emperor returned and ordered the former priestess Domna to be sought everywhere. The warriors equipped for this reached the monastery and destroyed it. The sisters were thrown into prison, put to torment and desecration, but none of them were desecrated. Given to a brothel, Saint Theophila, with the help of the Angel of the Lord, preserved her virginity there too: the Angel brought her out of the fornication.

One day the emperor staged a sacrifice to the pagan gods in the city square. When the crowd began to be sprinkled with the blood of sacrificial animals, Christians began to leave the square. Seeing this, the emperor became angry, but did not give free rein to his feelings, for the earth suddenly shook.

After some time, Maximian entered the church and ordered the renunciation of Christ — for refusing, he promised to burn the church and kill Christians. The Christian presbyter Glycerius answered him that Christians would never renounce their faith, no matter what torment they faced. Holding back his anger, the emperor left the church, and after some time ordered Presbyter Glykerius to be brought to trial. The executioners tortured the martyr, who did not stop praying and calling on the Name of the Lord. Unable to persuade Saint Glycerius to renounce, Maximian ordered it to be burned.

On the Feast of the Nativity of Christ in 302, when about 20 thousand Christians gathered in the Nicomedia Cathedral Church, the emperor sent a herald to the temple, who conveyed his command to all Christians to leave the church and sacrifice to idols, otherwise he threatened to burn the temple along with the worshipers. However, all those present refused to bow to the idols. Then the tormentors set fire to the church, and all 20 thousand worshipers died in the fire.

Maximian was sure that all the Christians of Nicomedia were destroyed, but soon the news reached him that there were still many Christian believers left, all of them, as before, sacredly profess Christianity and devoted to the teachings of Jesus Christ. The emperor could not shake the thought of dealing with all believers. Maximian ordered the capture of the general Zinon, who publicly denounced the emperor for wickedness and cruelty. Zinon was severely beaten and beheaded. Then they imprisoned the eunuch Indis, an idol priest, for refusing to participate in a pagan celebration.

Meanwhile, Saint Domna took refuge in a cave, feeding on pasture. The persecution of Christians continued. The governor of Italy, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Migdopius the deacon and several dignitaries were thrown into prison. Bishop Anfim spiritually strengthened them by sending them messages. One of the messages was intercepted from Deacon Theophilus. While trying to find out about the bishop, he was tortured, but the holy martyr withstood all the torment without revealing anything. Then those to whom the bishop addressed in the message were executed along with him.

Saint Domna returned to the city and cried for a long time at the fire, regretting that she was not worthy to die with her sisters. Then she went to the seashore, where at that time fishermen pulled the bodies of the martyrs Indus, Gorgonius and Peter out of the water with nets. Still dressed in men's clothes, Saint Domna helped the fishermen drag their nets, and they left her the bodies of all the martyrs.

Domna looked with reverence at the holy remains. She was especially pleased that she saw the body of her spiritual friend — martyr Indis. And after the burial, she did not leave the graves dear to her heart, praying before them every day. Someone reported to the emperor that an unknown young man paid daily honors to the graves of executed Christians. The emperor immediately ordered the young man's head to be cut off. Along with Domna, the holy martyr Euthymius was also executed.

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