George the Greatmartyr (Passions, Miracles, Praises, Offices)

The Passion of the Holy George, which was written and sealed with all his courage by the disciple of the Holy George, Basikartos. At the time when the whole world was seized by the service of idols, there was a king over the Greeks, whose name was Diocletian, a raging beast, a destroyer of the flocks of Christ. And he had a faithful friend, whose name was Magnatios. And they were of one mind, and they conspired together for the sake of idol worship, and they desired the destruction of the Christians. And they deliberated, that they might utterly extinguish the worship of God of the Nazarenes everywhere and turn all men to their own idol worship. And they wrote letters to all the governors in every dominion of the Greek realm as follows: "From Diocletian, the great king of the ages, to all the governors and leaders: Peace be with you. I inform you that a report has come to us which has greatly disturbed us, that the impiety of those who are called Christians is manifest, who worship a man named Jesus, who was born of a Jewish woman named Mary, and they blaspheme the great god Apollo and all those gods through whom our kingdom is established.

But those whom they call Jesus, they serve as a god, the one whom the Jews crucified because of his sorcery. And for this reason we command that if any Nazarene of the fields is found in our dominion, whether man or woman, they shall be tortured with bitter torment until they honor the gods and renounce their own delusion and that faith in Christ. And if they recant, let there be forgiveness for them according to what was first said; but if they do not recant, destroy them by fire and sword. And know that everyone who neglects this our command shall be tortured with the same torment. And as this edict reached all places, a fierce and great persecution arose against the flocks of Christ, until many of the notable Christians, after much torture, renounced Christ and could not endure at all. But the Emperor Diocletian gathered his household, generals, and governors and deliberated with them, how by some means he might uproot the seed of the Nazarenes from his kingdom. And each of them was constrained by fear of him. And he said to them: "You think, my friends, that there is nothing more honorable than our gods, for they have given us this kingdom and granted salvation to all men.

And for this reason I resolved that I might offer them sacrifices with offerings at all times. And if any among the Christians is found who blasphemes our gods, let him be tormented with manifold torments, until we extinguish their impiety and utterly uproot their memory and annihilate them completely." Those standing before him answered and said: "We, O king, are hearers and obedient to your commands with joy, and we honor the gods, just as we honor your majesty. And if henceforth we find anyone who bears the name of Christ within his soul, let him die by every form of death." And when this matter was settled among them and all the impious ones agreed upon it, then they prepared manifold torments for the Christians and again appointed many men of the people to hunt down the Nazarenes from all places. Then the holy one of God, George, shone forth like a brilliant star in the night darkness, a valiant horseman of Christ and a precious pearl, our Lord George. And I, his servant Basikartos, was with him and followed after him, and together with him I endured everything and wrote down his life.

And he shone forth, so that he might dry up the darkness of idolatry by his heavenly contemplation and enlighten Christianity by the struggle of his martyrdom. And he was not afraid nor terrified by the threats of the emperor, the persecutor Diocletian, nor by his fellow princes and generals, nor was he shaken by the various torments prepared for him, but he reflected in his heart and said: "George, why do you stand idle? And behold, Christ summons to his wedding all who desire it, and paradise is opened and the crown is prepared. Now why do you delay? Enter before the door is shut. Behold, my Lord Christ stands before me, who for our sake endured the cross, and he cries out and says: 'Do not fear those who can destroy your flesh, but they are unable to kill the soul. Remember, George, the commandment of your Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel, that: "He who confesses me before men, I also confess him before my Father in heaven." Do not choose, George, this vain life, which passes like a shadow, nor honor this vain worldly glory more than the eternal one, for all human glory is like a flower of the field.'

Be patient a little while, so that you may rejoice with the angels forever." And with these words he spoke to his own mind, and as he confirmed this in his own heart and his mind convinced him of this thought, he was not terrified by the threats of the impious, but preached the true word by speech and deed, and mocked the manifold torments that were prepared, and left to the churches of God, together with his own martyrdom, a teaching and a precious memorial. Now this holy George, the martyr of Christ, was from the land of Cappadocia, which is in Greece. And he was a prince, noble, wealthy, and adorned with wisdom. And he was a commander over a certain military camp because of his courage and strength, and he was known before Diocletian. And when the holy George saw the folly and impiety of the idolaters toward Christ, he arose and distributed all his possessions to the poor, and became eager for martyrdom. And immediately he went before the king and his friends and the camps and the authorities, cried out and said: "I am a Christian, O king, and for this reason I worship Christ, the true God and Lord of heaven, Christ my God. And behold, I stand here among you, and I marvel at this error of yours, this idolatry.

And you do not know your God, the living one and the creator of all, who gave you the kingship. And now you, O king, do not be deceived, nor all your fellow-sitters deceived by the deceit of the devil. For the god who did not create the heavens and the earth, let him perish and be destroyed. But we Christians worship and believe in one God—the Father, the Creator—and one Lord Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, through whom all were created, and the Holy Spirit of God—one Trinity, complete in divinity and one sovereignty. And in this world we are saved by this honorable service, and after death we await eternal life. But this service of yours is a mockery and there is no righteousness in it; rather, the devil devised it in order to swallow up into perdition all who believe in him." Then the magistrate, who was a follower and friend of the king, looked at him and said to him: "What do you say, or who are you, that you have dared so much before us?" The holy George answered him and said: "My first and honorable name is Christianity, but what I am called by men, they call me George.

Diocletian, that whale of hell, turned to him and said: "George, we have heard your wisdom and your courage, and you are honored by our kingship, but now come, submit and sacrifice to the gods. And listen to us, so that you may not die an evil death, but may rest in our friendship, and you shall be given wealth and honor and access to us. But this present boldness is of no benefit to you." The holy George answered and said: "Blessed would you be, O king, if you had listened to me and known the true God, so that you might be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven, for this authority of yours is for a short time, and your offering and your threat cannot move me from the faith of my God. But let your honor remain with you, and your threats, which are fitting for you, while for me the king is Christ, the heavenly one, and may he grant me glory and victory over the devil and his servants." Then the king became enraged and ordered him to be hung and scraped with a lash until his entrails were scattered upon the ground. And as they scraped him, the lash immediately bent back like a reed, and from his flesh blood gushed forth like a stream.

Then the holy George said: "I thank you, Christ, for you have turned back to me the harm of the servant of the demons and have scattered the boast of the impious one against us." And again that king was filled with wrath and ordered him to be stripped and taken to prison, and for his feet to be placed in stocks and a great stone to be laid on his chest. And when four men lifted that stone and placed it upon him, then the holy George said: "I thank you, Christ God, for you have deemed me worthy to have this heavy stone placed upon my heart, so that your faith might be confirmed in my heart." And from malice the demon cast into the heart of the king and his courtiers the idea to make a great wheel and to prepare in it many-colored instruments of torture. And they placed swords in it and the impious one ordered that the holy one be placed upon it. And when the holy George saw that instrument of torture prepared by the contrivance of the demon, the holy George said: "I thank you, my Lord and God Jesus Christ, for you have summoned me to this. But you, between two thieves, were crucified and tasted death, though you are immortal, in order to save men from death. And now, Lord, grant me firm faith toward you at this time, and protect my soul from the forces of the demon.

And they cast him upon the prepared wheel, and his flesh was torn to pieces. And the king and his friend raised their voice and said: "There is no other god except Apollo and Asidon and the other gods. Where is George's god? Why did he not save him from our hands?" And the king commanded that he be left upon that wheel, and he went off to eat lunch. And when the day was about ten hours, a voice came from heaven, which said: "Be strong, George, and do not be dismayed, for many will be made believers through you." And when those guards heard this voice, they became afraid and fled. And an angel of the Lord came and brought him out from that torment, healed him, and said to him: "Peace be with you, George; let your enlightener, who will complete your martyrdom, make you a believer. And behold, we stand and wait until you are given the full crown of martyrdom." Then George arose, went forth, and gave thanks to his Lord, praising and saying: "I exalt you, my God and my helper, and I bless your name forever and ever. Guide my steps for me, O Lord, and let no lawlessness rule over me.

And he went to that place where the idol of Apollo was, and there he found the king and his friend and many of their companions, as they were sacrificing to that idol. The holy George approached them, raised his voice, and said: "I, O king, and know God, whom I proclaim to you, who delivered me from your hands and from your deadly torments which you prepared for my destruction. And behold, you are in error and you sacrifice to idols." The king looked at him and said: "Who are you?" And the holy George said: "I am George, the servant of Christ, whom by your command they cast upon the wheel and left me wounded, and you thought that I was dead. And behold, I have come to show you that my God is able to deliver from death, to which you condemned me." The king began to test him and said: "Is it not he himself?" And his friend said: "He is like him." The holy George said to them: "I am George, the servant of Christ. Do not sacrifice to the idols, but know that it is Christ who raises the dead, and all who serve Him, He delivered them from your hands.

And when Anatolius and Bartulion, the generals, saw and heard these words, they believed in God, and all their household, and cried out, saying: "The God of the Christians alone is the true God." When the accursed king heard this, he ordered them to be taken to a desert place and their heads to be cut off. And as they were being led away, they cried out with a voice of grace: "Our Lord and God Jesus Christ, receive our souls in peace, and place us under your dominion, and accept this small confession of ours to you as true faith and as redemption for our sins." And their martyrdom was accomplished. And when Queen Alexandra heard all that the holy George had done, she believed in the Lord and went to the king, cried out, and said: "I am a Christian and a servant of George, the man of God." Magnatius, the king's friend, said to her: "Tell us, O Queen, why you have believed in Christ and renounced the gods?" The Queen said to him: "Because I desired excellence and despised deficiency." And she went to her own house with fear of God and firm faith. The king became enraged and ordered that the holy George be thrown into a pit of quicklime and that guards be placed over him.

And after three days the king said: "Take out those bones of that dead, accursed one and hide them under the earth, so that no one may take anything from him." And the horsemen went to see him, and they found the holy George, and there was no injury at all to his flesh, for an angel of God was guarding him. When the people saw that deed, they cried out and said: "Great is the God of the Christians." And when the queen Alexandra heard this, she again went to that place, crying out and saying: "There is no God but the God of the Christians, who saves his servants from the hand of the serpent." And the horsemen who were sent to bring him out of the dungeon believed. But the king placed the holy George before him and gathered his household around him and said to the holy one: "Tell us, who saved you?" The holy George said to him: "I know, O king, that even if I tell you, you will not believe, but I will not hide it: know, O king, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, preserved me from all torments and saves from the snares of the devil all those who invoke his holy name.

And again the king commanded that iron sandals be made for him, within which were sharp nails heated red-hot, and they were fastened to his feet with screws, and they dragged him about by pulling. But the holy one was unable to walk, but was dragged by pulling. And he cried out and said to himself: "Run, George, to that portion which is prepared for you." And then he prayed and said: "My Lord and my God Jesus Christ, you are the deliverer of the sorrowful and the place of refuge for those who call upon you, and you grant patience to all who are tormented for the sake of your name. And now do not abandon me, but grant me patience until the end, so that the enemy may not say in his heart: 'Where is his God?'" And as he finished his prayer, a voice came to him from heaven, which said: "Be strong, George, for I am with you." And immediately his feet were healed. And then the king commanded that he be cast into prison, and from the prison he summoned him and said: "How long will you endure these torments and prevail by endurance? Submit from now on and sacrifice to the gods." The holy George said to him and to all who were with him: "By the help of my God I endure your torments, with which you torment me.

And lo, behold, I stand before you alive, as you see me, and I swear to you by the power of my God. And again I am prepared for every torment whatsoever that may come upon me from you, by the power of my Lord Jesus Christ. But what hope have you, since you serve soulless and vain idols? Be ashamed henceforth and do not call them gods, for their citizenship was but lewdness, those who adhered to them in this world, and drunkenness and manslaughter. And then they died and went to the fire of Gehenna, which is prepared for them and for all who adhered to them." And that king was enraged and commanded that he be beaten with a rod mercilessly, and when they had struck him very much, the king and his friend said to him: "How long will you not yield to us, wretch, that you might sacrifice to the idols and receive great honor?" The holy George answered them and said: "I offer a sacrifice of praise to the living God every day and every hour, who delivered me from your hands, and I glorify Him with heavenly glory. And blessed would you be if you would hearken to me and together with me worship the true God." And then Magnatios, the friend of the king, besought the king to order his release.

And when they had released him, they said to him: "If you wish that we should believe in your God, show us a miracle and raise up one of these dead men, who are in this tomb before us." The holy George said to them: "God is powerful, who created everything from nothing, the heavens and the earth, and can also raise this dead man. And this is not hidden from the faithful. But if you are invincible in the deception of the devil, even if the dead man should rise, you will not believe at all; yet for the sake of this people standing here, I do this with the hope and mercy of my God. Before you all, I will pray that He perform this wonder." And the holy George bent his knees and prayed, and rose and stretched forth his hands to heaven and said: "Lord God, ruler of all, who wills the life of all men, you are the one who by the hand of the apostles and of your Son performed wonders, so that the pagans might believe and know you as God. And now, Lord, hear the prayer of me, your humble servant, and raise up one of these dead men for the glory of the faith in the name of your Son and your anointed one.

And before he had finished this prayer, there was a great trembling, and the door of that tomb opened, and one of those dead men came forth alive from it, and he came to Saint George and fell at his feet, and besought him and said: "Have mercy on me, servant of the Most High God, and give me the light of life, the seal of Christ." Saint George said to him: "If you believe in Christ, who raises the dead, you too are saved." And he said: "I believe in the living God and in His Son Jesus Christ, who now has raised me from the dead through your prayers." Then the king Ibi and Adivso were amazed at the evil faith, and they questioned that one who had risen from the dead, and said: "Tell us, when you died and what was before your death?" He answered and said: "Before the coming of Christ was my death. But I was an idolater, and after death, throughout all these years, I was in torment." And when the multitude of the people and the armies heard this, they believed in God and glorified Christ. But when the king saw this, Adivso with fury added blindness to his own blindness and said: "George is a sorcerer, and he has brought up some spirit to us, so that by it he might deceive us.

The saint said to him: "How long will you be deceived, O king, and not believe in God? Know, O king, that the demons are not able to hear the name of Christ, and how then is it possible for them to do what you have seen and heard?" And the king commanded that he be cast into prison, but he went into his own house. And those who had heard came by night to the saint and gave a bribe to the jailer, so that they might attack him, but the saint taught them concerning the faith. And they brought the sick and the blind, and through his prayer they were healed. And there was a certain man named Ghorakleoz, a tiller of the land. And his ox, with which he plowed, died, and he came to the prison and fell before Saint George and said to him: "My lord, have mercy on me, for my ox has died. Now I beseech you, pray that it may rise, for I know that whatever you ask of God, it will be given to you." The holy George said to him: "If you believe in my God, your ox will rise." That tiller of the land answered: "I believe, for there is no other God but the God of the Christians." The holy George said to him: "Go and find your ox alive." And again he turned back, crying out and saying: "There is no God but the God of the Christians.

Great is he indeed." When his fellow courtiers of the king heard this, they seized him and brought him before the king and told him of his deed. And he was greatly enraged and asked nothing at all, but commanded that he be cut to pieces. And as they were cutting him, he cried out and said: "True God, do not despise me, for I am despicable, but I believe in you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; yet I am afraid, for I have not been enlightened and I desire baptism, but I was unable to accomplish it. And if you wish, O Lord, that I be saved, I entreat you, Christ, that you count this shedding of my blood as baptism, for you are a God who knows hearts." A voice came to him from heaven, which said to him: "Come to me with joy, for you are complete and your martyrdom is fulfilled." Then again he approached the king, as it were: Many come to the prison of George, and he teaches the faith in Christ and heals the sick among the people. The king commanded that the holy George be brought. Then his friend said to the king: "Know, O king, that the race of Christians is not won over by force, but speak to him with flattery, if you wish that he be won over and submit.

And as the holy George was being led from the prison, he was singing psalms and saying: "O God, heed my help, O Lord, hasten to my aid." And when he stood before the king, the king began to entreat him: "I adjure you by the sun, the Lord, and all the other gods, if you would obey me, George, and sacrifice, I will grant you a great reward and make you second in my kingdom, for I pity you and do not wish your death at all." The holy George said to him: "You have spoken well, and if only from the very beginning you had spoken thus, I would have heeded you; but now, where has all this desire and my great and mighty torment been laid?" The king answered and said: "Grant me that which was done to your father, when he did evil to you, and sacrifice, and be with the gods and me in honor." The holy George said to him: "Since you have repented toward me, O king, and this is your joy, that you may sacrifice, come, let us go to the place of your gods." The king rejoiced greatly and commanded all his household and his entire camp to go to the temple, and ordered a proclamation thus: "The priest of the Galileans is going to sacrifice to the great Apollo." And all those idolaters began to cry out: "Apollo has prevailed, and may King Diocletian be saved forever.

And when that multitude entered the temple, all the crowd fell silent. But the holy George stood before the idol Apollo and said to him: "Are you a god, and is it fitting for you that men should serve you?" The demon that was in that idol cried out and said: "I am not a god, nor are these who are with me. But the true God is only the God of the Christians, and His Son Jesus Christ, by whom everything was created. We were His angels, and when we rejected Him, we were called demons, and men are deceived by us." The holy George said to him: "If you are not gods, why do you deceive men, and how did you ever dare to come here, since I, a servant of Christ, am standing here, who am called by His name?" And "He is the youth Christ, of the true God," the demons cried out instantly with a voice of lamentation. And a great tumult arose there, and all those idols that were in that temple fell down at once and were shattered, for the holy George also traced the sign of the cross with his word. When those impure priests of the temple saw this, they fell upon the holy George, seized him, and said to the king: "Destroy this sorcerer, O king, for by his sorcery he has deceived men and destroyed the gods.

Then the king grew angry and said to the holy George: "O evil head, filled with all cunning, did you not swear that you would sacrifice to the gods?" The holy George said to him: "O blind and shameless one, did you not see how, when I performed my sacrifice and prayer to my God Jesus Christ, immediately all your gods were destroyed? And now know that they are not able to help themselves, how then can they help others? For they are soulless idols and demons, which deceive men. But the servants of Christ destroy them, as you have seen." And when the queen heard this, she ran to the king, cried out before him, and said: "O God of George, of the invincible warrior, forgive this sinner and do not remember my transgressions, which I committed in ignorance. O Lord God, remember my later conversion to you and grant me a portion with the Christians and with your servant George." Then many believed in Christ. And the king grew angry and issued a decree concerning George and the queen, and said to the holy George: "George, you wretch, for you have deceived the queen and become the cause of her death; therefore you and she shall go forth, so that I may take vengeance on you for all the insults you have heaped upon the gods.

And lo, I have been informed and have said that the head of George should be cut off with a sword, along with that priest of the Galileans and the queen as well, because he did not worship Apollo, but rather led the queen astray. And immediately they led them away by horsemen outside the city. The queen went with joy together with the holy George and prayed to God in her heart, while outwardly only her lips moved and her eyes looked toward heaven. And as they were still going, the queen sat down for a short while on the road and peacefully surrendered her soul to God. But when the holy George was brought to that place, he said to them: "Wait a little, brothers, so that I may pray." And he raised his eyes to heaven and spread out his hands, sighed deeply, and said: "My Lord and my God, who existed before the ages, to whom I have fled from my youth, who is the good and great hope of Christians, whose reign has no end. You are the one who grants gifts to your lovers even before their request.

Hear me, O Lord, and as Thou hast given me patience and the full measure of martyrdom, so also, O Lord, accept my soul and deliver it from those demons, the examiners, who are in the air, and place it among all Thy willing ones, and forgive these pagans all the evil they have done to Thy servants. And enlighten their hearts to knowledge of the truth, for Thou desirest the salvation of all men. And send, O Lord, Thy aid to all who call upon Thy name, and set among them Thy fear and love and desire for Thy saints, that they may celebrate their feasts and emulate their faith, so that together with them they may be deemed worthy of the kingdom of heaven, for Thine is the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and unto eternity, amen. And when he had finished his prayer, he bent his knees and bowed his head. And the swordsman struck him with the sword, and the martyrdom of the holy George was completed on the 23rd of April, on the day of Friday, at the seventh hour of the day. And I, Basikartos, servant of the holy George, submitted to my Lord and wrote down this martyrdom of his truly and without alteration. And blessed is he who believes in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, mighty in our souls and bodies, whose is the glory unto eternity, amen.