PseudoAcacius Encomium Mercurius

An Encomium, which was composed by the holy Apa Acacius, the bishop of Caesarea, in the Martyrium, which we have composed in the name of the holy Mercurius, on the day of the twenty-fourth of the holy month, which is the twenty-fourth of the month of Athor. He delivered many discourses in the church, and they were accomplished through the hands of the holy martyr Mercurius, by the grace of God. May his holy blessings be with us all together. Amen. Truly, the light has shone upon the righteous, upon this holy Mercurius, according to... the holy psalmist spoke, and the father of Christ according to the flesh, the righteous king, the hymnographer David, reading aloud, reading aloud in his sweet voice, speaking with his cithara on the psaltery in his hands, saying: "The light has shone upon the righteous." And also: "The light has shone in the darkness upon those whose hearts are upright." Christ himself said in his Gospel: "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father." The holy Mercurius...

...you will see the... the Areopagus, saying, "Your... the Greeks, who do not know Christ well." And when he had finished, his servants went out to the barbarian war. But the righteous king, the lawless one, was mindful as a commander. He seized our weapons, a sword, with which he would cut down the barbarians among them. But the angel of the Lord came down from heaven and gave him the sword, saying, "Cut down the barbarians..." ...it is fitting that we reveal a great arrangement to them, that we give them honor and glory according to their worth, with zeal and sacrifices, according to the good things that were done for us first. We command that they open the doors of all the temples, in every city and in every village, from Romania to the south to the Illyricum and the marshes, that they may offer incense to the honored gods, and perform their worship with great zeal, so that no Christian may appear in any place. And the rulers of the province shall persecute these Christians everywhere, whether bishop, presbyter, reader, monk, or layperson, whether male or female, whether soldier or civilian, whether officer or dignitary, in short, every kind of person, because of the seizure of my kingdom, so that they may sacrifice to the honored gods. And whoever opposes my command shall be handed over.

...great tortures that they might fear until death. Then Decius the lawless king commanded that the herald proclaim throughout the whole city, "All of you, the people, whether soldiers or pagans or any race of men of any age, come all of you to the temple of the gods to offer sacrifice to them." They set up tables at the door of the temple and offered sacrifice to them with incense.

...with knives, and with axes, and with saws. His body was filled with the smoke of the foul incense of their sacrifices. And there was great turmoil among the Christians, as they were troubled, pursuing them, striking their doors, dragging them to the temples and hidden places, forcing them to make sacrifices. There were great disturbances in every place. For the tyrant commanded that all kinds of terrifying instruments of torture be set before him, so that the Christians might see them and fear. Swords sharpened, and places of imprisonment, and the racks on which they stretched their limbs, and iron hooks, and pincers, and burning coals, and bronze vessels filled with boiling pitch, and also bronze vessels filled with lime, and wheels of torture, and the rest of the terrifying instruments of punishment. For the impious king there said, "Whoever opposes my command, I will gouge out his eyes, I will cut out his tongue, I will extract his intestines, I will drive nails into the soles of his feet, I will extract his brain. The rest of his body I will give to the fire, if he is caught." But when the pious men saw these things, they took great courage, they feared, they let their hands go free, each one betraying the one next to him to death.

...with knives, and with axes, and with saws. His body was filled with the smoke of the foul incense of their sacrifices. And there was great turmoil among the Christians, as they were troubled, pursuing them, striking them. Some fathers were giving up their children to death. They perverted the truth of nature, and some brothers were dragging them, destroying them, giving them up. And there was a great disturbance among all who confess the name of the name of Jesus. But there was a young child in the army, whose name was Mercurius, who was counted among the number of the martyrs, fearing God exceedingly.

in his likeness. His entire army loved him because of his skill. His character was known abroad in the region of Cappadocia in his family. He was a Christian from his childhood, and his parents were of a strong nature in the city. God was with him in all his deeds. When the tribune saw him, that he was advancing in his rank and in the disposition of a soldier, he made him a *trimekirios* over his number. When the king saw the strength of the young man, he loved him. He kept him close to him, taking counsel with him about the affairs of the palace. After these things, when the persecution was spread abroad, the barbarian nation rose up against the Romans. King Decius and the entire senate were at a loss because of the great difficulty and the helplessness that had come about in a moment. The barbarians fought with them, as if they were lifting their hands against the great Armenia, which is in their borders, between them and the Romans. King Decius gave orders to gather together all the *numeri* and all the numbers of the Romans, so that they might go out to war to fight against the barbarians. Then the king summoned the *numeri* and the numbers, and he marched out to the war of the barbarians. He crossed their great river, the Euphrates.

He who was in the regions of Germany, he strengthened the heart of the barbarians, he remained at their gates with his army at that time, then the courage of this noble one was revealed. The holy Mercurius, the faithful one indeed, and this preeminent one among the number of martyrs. For he was a man fulfilled in the service of God, and he conducted himself in every piety, with the word of God always on his lips.

Most of all, he was pure. And it happened at night, while he was sleeping in the middle of the camp, after he had finished performing his prayers, he dozed a little. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before him, he shook his shoulder, he woke him, having a sword in his right hand, causing fear by his appearance, having a belt on him, being wondrous. When the holy Mercurius saw him, he was very afraid. The angel answered him, he said to him, "Mercurius." And he said, "Behold, I am the Lord." Then Mercurius opened his eyes, and when he saw the angel, he was afraid, thinking that he was one of the magistrianos of the king, or a stratelates. And he (the angel) pointed his sword, which was drawn in his hand, saying to him, "Take for yourself this drawn sword which is in my hand. For by this you will defeat the entire force of the barbarians. I am the commander-in-chief of the army of the Lord. For I have come to help you and your fellow soldiers, those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now then, be strong and take courage. For I am with you until the completion of your contest in peace. Behold, the time has come. And behold, the contest is spread out. Fight, that you may receive your strength. Do not let your hands take the crown unless you fight well and with difficulty.

He himself used to take first from the fruits. Now then, listen to the words I speak to you, and do not turn away from your Lord, your God. For a great contest awaits you, and you will become a courageous martyr. For your martyrdom will be renowned throughout the whole world, and all who hear of it will marvel at your courage. They will glorify God because of the powers and the wonders and the courage that the Lord, your God, has granted you. There are great torments

will be a target for the lawless king and great afflictions. But have endurance, and you will receive the crown of incorruption. What man is worthy to touch your body and save it, even if he is in any necessity? They are in a court, they are in a place of judgment, or a danger of the sea, or on the river, or in a disturbance, they will remember your name in faith, they will call upon you, and they will be saved. He who builds a place in your name will make an offering in your name on the day of the Lord's memorial. I will place my blessing and a continuous grace in their dwelling place, and I will not allow any to be cut off forever. He who writes the book of your martyrdom, I will erase the handwriting of his sins and all that he has done. I will not remember them forever, and I will grant him to you as a son in my kingdom. Behold, I have granted you three crowns: one for wealth, one for the labors you will undergo in my name, and another for your virginity, strength, and power, for I am with you. Now when the archangel Michael sent him, he went up to the heavens in glory. Those around him, when they saw the great event that had happened, became as if dead. But he gave orders to his rest.

of Decius the king of his army, to assign the regions and numbers, until they were all gathered in their panoplies of war, and they stood ready for battle against the barbarians. Then the brave one, the holy Mercurius, gave his attention to the multitude of barbarians. He went into their midst, with the power of God that was with him. He lifted his eyes up to the sky and saw the archangel Michael in the form of a general.

A sword was drawn in his right hand, stretched out toward his face, saying to him, "Take heart. Take hold of this sword. Turn your face toward the barbarians. Trample them in the name of Christ, who gives you strength." Then the holy Mercurius stretched out his hand, took the sword from the hand of the angel Michael, turned his face toward the multitudes of the barbarians, and trampled them in the name of Christ, with great courage, until his hand grew weary from the sword, by the swiftness of this bloodshed, striking the barbarians with great slaughter, exceedingly. The day was grievous there. And the ranks fled and scattered, as if fire had burst forth from the sky and consumed them. The king, when he saw the great might that the holy Mercurius had accomplished through the power of God that was with him, rejoiced greatly over the victory and this triumph that had come to the Romans. The king then honored the holy Mercurius with great dignities and abundant riches. He brought them and made him great over the number of the martyrs. But after these things, King Decius gave orders to all his armies, and to the legions, and the numbers, and the commanders, and the generals, and the patricians, and the entire senate of the Romans, that they all assemble.

The temple of Apollo, they sacrifice. Then the blessed Mercurius, when he saw the great deception that had seized the king and his army from without through the devil, he withdrew himself from them and went into his house. He besought the Lord, saying, "Lord Pantocrator, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, incline your heart toward the creation which you fashioned. Drive out the scandal that the devil has cast into the heart of all humanity.

I give a sign to the heart of the people, and to everyone who fears before him, of your holy name. Lord, you give a strengthening to your churches, so that everyone may believe in your holy name. Glory to you and to your good father and to the holy spirit, forever and ever, amen. It happened when the king came to the door of the temple. His entire army gathered together to sacrifice, each one according to his rank. The order of the holy Mercurius also took its place to sacrifice. And he was not found in the midst of the army. And when the king sought after him, he found him sitting in his house, in mourning and weeping, greatly troubled over the great schism that had occurred in the whole world through the devil. Then some of his courtiers gave their testimony to the king. They slandered the blessed Mercurius, saying, "Our lord the king, may you live forever, your honored command, you ordered all kinds of men to sacrifice to the honored gods. Now behold, those who are near to you and those who are far from you, they despise your honored decree. Mercurius now, your command of your kingship, you have exalted him, you have granted him the rank of count over the court. But when the entire army of the Romans heard him,

and they give glory to him, and they submit to him, because of the great honor that you have given to him. But behold, he despises your commandment, and he did not gather with us in the temple to offer sacrifice to the gods, but he went to his house, he abandoned his rank, he disgraced the glory of the Romans, and he violated the sacred laws. He shut himself inside his house, sitting in a corner with ashes, praying to the Lord.

His God, in the tombs, and he persuades everyone to turn away from the worship of the gods. He made them follow Jesus the Nazarene, the one who was crucified, saying, "This is the God who himself created the heaven and the earth." And in this way, he caused everyone to turn away from the gods. The king then said to those who spoke these words, saying, "Are these words true that you are saying to me concerning Mercurius, who is set over me, that he despises our gods? Nevertheless, let two great men of this place go and call him, so that I may know if these words that you are saying to me concerning him are true or not." Then the blessed Mercurius was brought before the feet of the king Decius, his eyes filled with tears, a garment of shame upon him. He was made to stand before the king. When he saw him in this humble appearance, he shook his head, perplexed at what had happened to him. Then he spoke with him, saying, "Mercurius, tell me what has happened to you, and for what reason have you despised this great honor and the rank that I gave you? I made you worthy of the providence of God and the rank that I gave you above all the rest of the army. You have hidden it from everyone. So now tell me, from where did this error come upon you?

The army of the Romans gathered together in the temple to offer sacrifice to the gods of the just. But you alone, you are the one who separated yourself from the number. Yet tell me, what are you from which region? Or by what name did your parents call you? The blessed Mercurius answered, saying to the king, "If you wish to know from which religion I am, listen to my lineage. I am from the Cappadocia in this world. But in truth, I am from the heavenly Jerusalem, the metropolis of the saints. And the name my parents first gave me was Philopator, which means 'lover of his father.' When I became a soldier, however, they called me Mercurius by the recruitment of the number. I am a servant of Jesus Christ, my Lord, the Son of the living God." When the king heard these things, he burst out with great anger, shook his head, saying, "Mercurius, abandon this threat and this madness. Submit your mind to the temple, sacrifice to the great god Apollo, go to your number, to the place of your fellow soldiers, and take your former rank." The holy Mercurius said before the lawless king, "Let this be revealed to you, O lawless king.

I will not sacrifice to your Apollo. I have renounced you, my God. He himself created the sky and the earth and all things. For I am a Christian. I openly declare that I will renounce the military rank of this world and your office; I have no need of it. I am the servant of Christ Jesus, the Son of the living God." The Emperor Decius answered him, saying, "Mercurius, until now I have not believed what your accusers said about you. For I know that it was out of envy that they accused you, these who saw the great honor I gave you among the entire number and the army. Now then, listen to me: sacrifice to the gods. Do not force me to do the deed, to break the covenant, if I have any affection for you, to remove your office from you and to give you great punishments." The blessed one answered,

He said to the king, "The fellowship of this world is nothing; it is enmity before God. And these honors of this kind are for a time. But the glory of God endures forever. Now then, do not trouble yourself further. For I am a Christian. I will not sacrifice to your abominable gods. Moreover, do what you will to me." Decius said to him, "O Mercurius, sacrifice! Do not die an evil death." The blessed Mercurius said to him, "Let one word suffice for you, O king. I will not listen to you. For I have not walked after foreign gods. I have followed my God Jesus Christ." When Decius heard these things, he became very angry. He commanded that he be stripped of his garments, that ten soldiers stretch him out, and that they strike his mouth with sharpened reeds until the ground beneath him was wet with his blood. Decius the king said to him, "Mercurius, have you begun the tortures? For they are evil. Sacrifice, or else not." The blessed Mercurius answered, "As long as I have my Lord Jesus Christ to help me, I do not fear your tortures. For I am the servant of my Lord Jesus Christ, who helps me. This is the king of heaven and of earth.

When King Decius heard these things, he said, "Mercurius, listen to me. Sacrifice to the gods, and I will give you great honors and rewards, so that you may not die an evil death, until now I have known you and I have been confident in you. For I do not wish to do evil to you, especially since you have become a friend to me because of the battle you fought for me in the war. Listen to me, sacrifice to the gods. Do not throw away your youth in terrible tortures. I am concerned for your youth and your friendship.

The blessed Mercurius answered, "What hardship will befall me for confessing toward God? It is more than enough for me that I am a poor man, holy. For now, these hardships are not worthy of the glory that will be revealed to us." When King Decius heard these things, he said, "If you have set your heart toward words of folly and the honor of the Romans, you have counted them as nothing. You have not hesitated to sacrifice to the gods of the just, according to the decrees of the council, nor have you listened to the laws of the kings. I too will punish you according to your folly, and I will see whether the God in whom you trust will save you from my hands." The holy Mercurius answered the king, saying, "It is written in the holy apostle: 'Who will separate me from the love of God? Is it tribulation, or torture, or persecution, or hunger, or imprisonment, or danger, or sword?' As it is written concerning you: 'They kill us all day long.' For we are persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angel, nor beginning, nor authority, nor things that exist, nor things that will come to be, will be able to separate me from the love of Christ." When the blessed Mercurius said these things, King Decius became angry and commanded that he be taken to the hermētērion and be bound.

The chief steward, however, was tormenting him until the bone of his back was exposed. But the blessed one did not give up, blessing God, saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten of the Father, born of the holy virgin Mary, who took flesh from the true vine, until he saved the entire race of Adam, and freed us from the slavery of sin. I thank you, for you have made me worthy of your goodness. May you deign to hear me today, I, your servant Mercurius. Make me worthy of your holy calling, and a partaker in your holy labors, and a witness of the faith of your divinity. Now then, my Lord, do not abandon me, and do not let me be separated from you, even if hardships come upon me, and two swords fall upon me. But give me strength, my Lord, until I complete my struggle in peace. Do not let my enemies rejoice over me, and do not let them say among the nations, 'Where is their God?'" And as he was saying these things, a voice came to him, saying, "Take heart, my brave Mercurius. Endure, my chosen strong one. For I am with you, giving you strength, and I will be with you as a protector, helping you in whatever labors you will undergo in my name. Do not be afraid.

nor did the tortures frighten him. "I am with you, giving you strength until you complete your contest, O brave one." And immediately the archangel Michael kissed him and sealed his entire body. And at once the hermētārion split in two, and the limbs that were bound were loosened. He stood up, with no injury within him, but he was glorifying God. When the king saw what had happened, he was filled with rage. He said, "Since this one claims that he has a panoply of work, I order that he be cast out to the wild beasts, and that he be torn apart, neither heaven nor earth having a hold on him." When they did this to him, the king said, "Where now are your weapons, which you were boasting about, before the great god Zeus?" He cast himself out immediately. The holy one looked up to heaven and said, "Lord, help me! I

His servant. Again the king commanded that his body be torn with sharp iron combs and with whips, and afterwards they sprinkled burning coals under him so that he would burn little by little. And the fire was extinguished by the blood of the righteous one as it flowed downward. But the holy one came to him with great strength in the other torture. The king, however, ordered him to be taken out secretly so that he would not die in prison, and they threw him into a dark place secretly. The soldiers then took him under him, and he was near death. A little breath remained hidden within him, and they thought he had died. After a little while, at that very hour, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, "Peace to you, O victorious athlete." When he received this, he strengthened his limbs that were in his body and stood him on his feet, and he was strong as if he had risen. He stood on his feet giving glory to God, and he helped him. After these things, the king commanded that he be brought to the tribunal. When the king came to him, he said to him, "They have taken you from my hand while you were near death. How is it that you now walk? Have you no wound on your body?" Then he commanded the executioners to stand and examine his body. They said to the king, "O king, your strength, O impious one, his entire body is whole.

and there was no destruction within him, like a wound that had healed completely. But Decius himself said, "At any rate, he will say that Christ is the one who healed me. Did you not take signs inward to the torture to have him heal him?" They said, "Your great and honored majesty, who holds the entire world, there is no human healing that can heal him, but

They do not think that he will die in any way while he is alive. Or how he will be saved in any way, we do not know, for the malice of the Christians is a matter of great effort and cunning. But on that day he himself stood healthy. The king, however, was filled with anger. He said to him, "Tell me truly, who is it that healed you without magic?" The holy Mercurius answered, "My Lord Jesus Christ, the physician of souls and bodies, it is he who granted me the healing." As he said this, the magician and the necromancers and the idol worshippers became strangers to him, and he will bind them with unbreakable fetters. He will hand them over to the fire of Gehenna, because they did not know the God who created them. He said, "I will seize your body with severe tortures. Let me see if the Christ you cling to will heal you." The holy Mercurius said, "I believe that my Lord Jesus Christ, if you bring a multitude of torments upon me, you will not disturb me." For he said, "Do not fear those who will kill your body; they have no power to kill your soul. But fear him who has the power to destroy your soul and your body in Gehenna." Then the king commanded that a red-hot copper bed be brought and placed under his armpits.

And lamps of fire under his ribs, and in the place of incense, a foul smoke arose, billowing outward, so that all who were in that place tortured him all the more. He did not groan, nor did he weep. The king said to him, “Where is your signet ring now? Let him come and heal you, for you said that he has the power to raise the dead.” But the holy Mercurius said to him, “Do what you will, for you have authority within.

My body, but my soul belongs to God, who is master over it. My body, if you destroy it, my soul will endure outside, being indestructible." Again the king commanded that he be dragged by his neck, and that a great stone be brought and tied to his neck, so that when he was thrown in, he would die quickly. The martyr, however, the power of God entered into him, and grace endured outward with great strength in this torture. Decius the king, when he saw the martyr bearing such torments with fortitude, and that no torture overcame him, commanded that the stone be lifted from his neck, and that a whip of four thongs, made of ox-hide, be brought, and that they strike his face until the earth drank his blood. The noble one, however, rose up under the other torture like a stone of adamant in his fortitude, and said, "I give thanks to you, my Lord, for you have made me worthy to suffer for your holy name." The king, when he saw that his reasoning was like stone, and that he was not persuaded to sacrifice, took counsel. For his secrets were to go to Rome. He gave a sentence against him, that they should punish him with the sword, saying, "Mercurius is the one who has become a blasphemer against the gods, and has scorned the holy dogmas of the empire." He condemned him to some penalty, the encratite.

The king commanded that he be taken to the city of Cappadocia, and that his head be cut off in that place, so that everyone might see his death. For all who had received honor from the king, if they should contradict his command, they would be given lashes. But in the end they would deliver him over to the sword. And those who had been ordered to carry him lifted him up, placed him on an animal, and bound him upon it, saying, "This is the body of the martyr. Let everyone stand aside.

He made a detour. They traveled on the road, which was long, and after a few days they arrived at the city of Caesarea. And in this manner they brought him down little by little. But the Lord stood by him and said to him, "Mercurius, come, rest yourself near me, for you have completed your course to the end. You have kept the faith. Take for yourself your crown of martyrdom, which has been appointed for you, to inherit it." And when the Lord revealed himself to him, the martyr took courage. He said to those who were with him, "Do what was commanded to you quickly." But the Lord summons everyone to repentance, that you may be worthy of his grace. For he is a rich man who bestows gifts upon those who turn their faces to him with a gift, without envy. When he received these things, they cut off his head. He completed the good confession on the twenty-fourth of the month of Hathor, which is Athor. Great wonders occurred, worthy of remembrance. After the martyr had completed his course, his body became white like snow, emitting a fragrance like a sweet-smelling flower. Because of this sign, many people became Christians. The holy one was placed in a shrine, manifesting itself there, where a multitude of powers and healings occur. Glory to God the Father, and to his only-begotten son, Jesus Christ our Lord, and to the Holy Spirit.

Now, and at all times, unto all the ages of ages, amen.