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| Sts. Eulampios and Eulampia (Feast Day - October 10) |
Verses
For Sts. Eulampios and Eulampia
Eulampia anticipated beheading.
Eulampios was beheaded and together they received crowns.
On the tenth Eulampios was beheaded with his sister.
For the Two Hundred Martyrs
Fifty men fourfold,
Were killed by the sword, O divine ending!
Eulampios and Eulampia were brother and sister from Nicomedia. During one of the terrible persecutions of Christians by Emperor Maximian some of the faithful fled Nicomedia and hid in the mountains, and among them were the two siblings. One day the young Eulampios was sent into the city to buy bread. There he saw the imperial edict decreeing the persecution of Christians posted on a wall. He laughed at it, removed it, and tore it up. He was arrested and immediately brought before Maximus the governor.
When the governor advised him to deny Christ, Eulampios counseled the governor to reject the false idols and to acknowledge Christ as the One Living God. The governor ordered that he be flogged for a long time until his blood flowed, and that he be tormented with other cruel tortures. Eventually they broke many of his bones and dislocated his joints.
Despite his great pain and torment, Eulampios pitied the Greek pagans who refused to acknowledge the true God and served lifeless idols. For this reason he requested to be brought to their temple as if he was to make sacrifice, and there he commanded the main idol of Aries to fall, and it fell. This miracle was the cause of many pagans to embrace the Christian faith. Others, however, blinded by their devotion to the gods, considered him to be a dangerous sorcerer.
Hearing of her brother's suffering, the virgin Eulampia came running, and she, together with her brother, suffered for Christ, encouraging one another in their contest. She was beaten and flogged until blood flowed from her nose and mouth. After that, they were thrown into boiling pitch, and then into a red-hot furnace, but by the power of the sign of the Cross and the name of Christ, they rendered the fire harmless. By this time Eulampios was blinded and broken and had to be carried, while Eulampia was forced to hang by her hair as she awaited her torments.
Finally Eulampios was beheaded, but Eulampia died before being beheaded, showing the tyrant that God has authority over life and death. Two hundred other Christians were also slain, who had come to believe in Christ upon witnessing the power and miracles of Eulampios and his sister, who were unharmed from the boiling pitch and furnace and tore down their idols. All were crowned with martyrs' wreaths, and passed over into their eternal heavenly homeland. Together they are all commemorated by the Church on October 10th.
Portions of their holy relics can be venerated in the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in Mount Athos and the Lavra of Saint Alexander Nevsky in Saint Petersburg.
Apolytikion in the First Tone
United by natural bonds, you were of one soul and steadfast in contest, as divine kinsmen, Eulampios and Eulampia. Since you have received crowns of honour save us by your prayers.
Kontakion in the Third Tone
We honour the noble martyrs Eulampios and Eulampia, brother and sister according to the flesh. They have put to shame the wiles of the enemy, through the power of Christ the Crucified.
Megalynarion
Rejoice, Martyrs the august two, blessed Eulampios, and Eulampia the sister, with the two hundred holy athletes, intercede to the Lord on behalf of us all.
