Saints Stamatios, Nicholas, and John

THE NEW MARTYRS OF THE TURKISH YOKE

STS. STAMATIOS AND JOHN
THE BROTHERS, AND NICHOLAS, THEIR FELLOW ATHLETE, MARTYRED IN CHIOS IN 1822 (FEBRUARY 3)


NEW MARTYR-SAINTS STAMATIOS, NICHOLAS, AND JOHN

Troparion to the Martyrs, Tone 4

HY MARTYRS, O LORD,
IN THEIR SUFFERINGS HAVE RECEIVED FROM
THEE, OUR GOD, INCORRUPTIBLE CROWNS;
FOR, POSSESSING THY FIRMNESS,
THEY OVERTHREW THE TORTURERS AND SHATTERED
THE DEMON'S POWERLESS INSOLENCE.
BY THEIR PRAYERS SAVE OUR SOULS.


O, the goodly courage of the brothers!
They hasten both, each to be the first beheaded!
As crown-bearing martyrs do ye soar into the Heavensl
The trophy of victory didst thou carry off, having contested well
With longing for the Lord, O all-blessed Nicholas!

HOW WONDROUS ARE THY WORKS, O LORD, and how unsearchable Thy ways, are we able to cry with every righteous one in wonder, for the mind of man cannot contain, nor can the intellect discern, nor can the tongue speak of the ways in which the Allwise and All-good providence of God dispenses all things with loving care. One are the schemes of men, and another are the things which God commands. Saul sought to find the lost asses of his father, and Divine Providence ordained him King of Israel. David took food to his brothers on the field of battle, and the All-wise Providence chose him and showed him forth as a victor and trophy-bearer over the foreign bandit chief, Goliath. These holy martyrs came out of their country to conduct business, in order to gain temporary wealth, and the All-wise Providence through this manner called them to receive a great and unexpected profit.

How wonderful are Thy works, O Lord, and how unsearchable Thy ways!

They came out of their homeland for temporary profit and the perverseness of the weather brought them into the harbor of martyrs' struggles and shows them forth as crown-bearers and victory-bearing martyrs. But that everyone may understand the subject of their martyrdom and how it took place, let us recount it in brief.

These newly appeared Martyrs of Christ, the shining luminaries of the Church, were born in the island of Spetsai. Their father was named Theodore Gines, and their mother's name was Anezo. When their father died, they were only of moderate means, thus they were reared together with their other brothers. When they had come of age, they worked as merchants in small trade according to the custom of the inhabitants. In the year 1822, in which earth and sea were shaken by the revolution that took place against the impious and unlawful Ottoman tyrants, they came out of their country to do business. Travelling in their ship which was filled with oil, they were driven by contrariness of winds and a sea storm and came out on the shore opposite the island of Chios near that part of Anatolia which is called Tsesme, in the parts called Alatsata. Having anchored, they came out on dry land and revealed themselves to a certain Christian, whom they considered to be truly Christian. They told him who they were and begged him to provide them with whatever they needed to repair their small boat, giving him sufficient money, also. He, however, instead of providing them as he had promised, showed himself to be another Judas. He went to the Agha of that place and betrayed them, taking some of the Agha's men to the place where they were to capture them. Altogether, the men on the boat were seven. Two of these were killed while attempting to escape, and another two fell into the sea. As for the remaining three, the captain and these two brothers, they captured them and brought them to Chios to surrender them to the Pasha who was there. It was then the 26th of January. The Pasha had them brought before him, and examined them. When he had learned who they were, he ordered that they close the two brothers in a dark prison. As for the elderly Nicholas, he ordered that they take him out of the fortress to the plain which is called Vounaki and behead him. Along the entire way, they urged him to become a Moslem, saying they would then grant him his life. But he answered, "Now I am going to start a new life? No. I was born a Christian, and a Christian shall I die. I will not deny my Faith." When they had reached the appointed place, they beheaded him in confession of the Orthodox Faith.

While the young men were imprisoned in the dark dungeon of the fortress, the Pasha summoned two of his men – one was a Chiote officer named Serif, and the other a man from Lazos, of high army rank – both of whom were most evil and wicked, and promised them great gifts and presents if they could convince the brothers to become Moslem, either by threats of torture or promises of gifts. The accursed one, therefore, had great longing to make them become Moslem, considering this to be to his advantage and a great honor to him. As those that were present heard him say: "It behooves us to have such men as them in our faith." When these two had received this command from the Pasha, what did they not do, what did they not devise? The accursed ones did not cease, every hour and moment, turning every stone, as the saying goes, either with promises of great gifts and rank or by threats of torments and punishments. Yet the brothers remained steadfast and immovable, and would reply against them with great boldness.

When five days had passed, and they were not able at all to shake them from their steadfast faith, both went to the Pasha and told him, "Affendi (Master), they trust that we will not torture them, and because of this they hold well to their stubbornness. Therefore, give us permission to inflict torments upon them and in this manner we may be able to persuade them, for now they resist us and speak back to us with great boldness." The Pasha, when he heard these things, stood for a time considering, and then told them, "These unbelievers have this habit, and once they become set in their stubbornness it is impossible for anyone to change them. It is easier to cut off their head than their stubbornness." He said these things to the Aghas who were present (which also Hadgi Polykronos, one of the notable men of that area, heard from the very mouth of the Pasha). And he said furthermore, "Tomorrow this matter shall come to an end."

As for the good young men, who were enclosed in the prison, they knew by Divine revelation, without anyone having told them, that the next day they would finish the good fight. And rejoicing, they said to their fellow-prisoners, "Tomorrow, brothers, we finish life. Tomorrow is the last day of our life." Wherefore, they asked that they might be brought paper secretly, and they sent their written confession to the holy Metropolitan of Chios, asking also that he might find a way to deem them worthy of receiving the immaculate Mysteries. Since no one else could enter the prison, the bishop sent a message to them through a woman who worked in the prison, telling them to remain steadfast and prepare themselves with prayers and tears and not to fear death at all, because the glory of paradise awaited them that they might rejoice with the Martyrs eternally. He also told the woman to go at dawn to give them the immaculate Mysteries, since it was not possible for a priest or another Christian to enter into the prison.

When they heard these instructions and admonitions of the bishop from the mouth of the woman, the youths thanked the Lord with tears and passed the whole night in vigil, chanting canons to the Theotokos as well as Her Akathist and other prayers, as many as they knew. They prayed and made supplication unto the Lady Theotokos that she might intercede with Her Son to grant them strength that they might not fear death.

At about dawn they fell asleep a little, and when they woke up they said to the other Christians, "Today, brothers, we finish the journey of our life. Wherefore, we beseech you that you also make supplication unto our Lord to grant us strength." Then they gave what extra clothing they had to the imprisoned Christians, and also they gave some silver coins which they had. When day came, the bishop sent them the immaculate Mysteries by the woman mentioned before, and they received them with tears. When they had partaken of the immaculate Mysteries, they thanked the Lord greatly, and after a short while they ate a little food. Again, by the same woman they sent their thanks to the bishop for having provided them with this necessity, and they sent him also some money, entreating him also to pray over their remains and to commemorate them when they had reposed.

After the passage of two hours, the Pasha gave command that they take them out of the prison and bring them, with their hands tied behind their backs, below his mansion, where he was sitting, and ask them if they wanted to become Moslem to save their life or, if not, their heads would be cut off. Immediately the command was carried out and they were brought. The executioner began telling them to obey and become Moslem that they might save their life and be also deemed worthy of great honor. But the blessed ones cried out with a great voice saying, "We shall die Christians! We are Christians; we were born Christians; and we shall die Christians. We shall not deny Christ even if you cut us into pieces. Only do what you are going to do one hour sooner and do not waste your time. We shall never deny our Faith." The Pasha himself heard these things from his window where he was sitting, since the two shouted these things with a great voice. Wherefore he gave decision that they behead them.

Immediately these bloodthirsty wolves seized them and dragged them outside the fortress with great disturbance, waving two naked swords before their eyes to frighten them. Seeing their great mania, the onlookers trembled. This also made one of the two, John, cowardly for a time, and his countenance changed. When Stamatios saw this he said to him, "What has happened to you, brother? Have you become frightened of the dogs? Do you not remember the decision which we made that we would not betray our Faith? How do you now appear cowardly? Plead with the All-holy One that She grant you strength." These words gave courage to John. While they were going out to the plain outside the fortress, which is called Vounaki, a great multitude hastened before and behind them. As for the blessed ones, they cried out with a great voice, "We are Christians! We go to death for the sake of Christ!"

When they reached the place which is opposite where they slaughtered animals, below the old Fountain, they stopped them and asked if they would repent and become Moslems, otherwise they would cut them down, and at the same time they showed them the swords. Then with a great voice both of them cried out, "Brother Christians, we are Christians and we die for Christ!" In fact, they said it three times, "We are Christians! Christians! Christians! We do not change our Faith! Remember us, O Lord, in Thy Kingdom." Then immediately they beheaded them, and the blessed ones received the crowns of contest and arose as crown-bearers into the heavens to rejoice eternally with the athletes and Martyrs of God.

As for their venerable relics, they remained scorned in the place of condemnation. Between the two they placed a paper stating the reason for their beheading that they were against the king, and thieves. After three days, they forced some Christians to drag them and place them in a skiff from which they cast them into the sea. Several martyrloving Christians took care and sought to drag them out, but because of their great fear they did as follows. They gave notice to one Christloving and martyr-loving Christian, a tanner named George, to watch the sea, where he always was because of his work. The good George, therefore, took care and attended to this. After four days a strong south wind blew and brought out the venerable relics at the place of Lanaritis. The Christians took and buried them secretly in a field. The head of John they did not find, but only that of Stamatios.

This is the martyrdom, O brothers, of the New Martyrs Stamatios and John the good brothers, as we were able to learn with much care from truth-loving men without any addition. Thus did the gloriously victorious young men struggle. Thus did they withstand to the very end, keeping the treasury of godly faith, and for the Faith were their heads cut off. In age, they say, Stamatios was eighteen and John was twenty-two. By their intercessions may we also be deemed worthy to keep the Faith spotless to the end, accompanied by God-pleasing works, that we also may attain to the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.