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| St. Dioskoros (Dioscorus) the Martyr (Feast Day - October 13) |
Verses
Dioskoros is decapitated and dishonors Zeus,
He does not lose his soul for his insolence.
He does not lose his soul for his insolence.
He was martyred during the reign of Diocletian in the year 288. By race, he was from the so-called Skenopolites,* while by office he was a councillor. Having considered all the things of this world as dung, in order to gain Christ, he presented himself before the prefect Lucian. He astonished him like thunder with his words of reproval, or rather we should say he derided him. Neither did he even consider his threats and flatteries, for he showed the Saint fire and instruments of torture like the rack. He even came up with many kinds of tortures, but all this was to no avail, for they seemed to be as nothing before the courage and magnanimity of the Martyr. For this reason after all these things, he had his holy head cut off with a sword. In this way the renowned one received the crown of martyrdom.
Notes:
* This probably refers to Succoth in the Jordan valley, which in Greek is translated as "Skenai" or "Skenopolis". However, some manuscripts say he was from Nicopolis in Egypt, which is known as Samalut.