Hagiographical and Homiletic Texts from Old Georgian Readers I and II

The Life and Martyrdom of Saint Marina by Theotimos. Reading for July the sixteenth. After the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and the glorious Ascension of His Father into heaven, His blessed apostles fulfilled all the commandments of their teaching and taught the faith to all the ends of the earth, and for the worthy labor of their toil they received the reward of their martyrdom from Christ, and by the power of the precious Cross they compelled the lawless to become Christians. And when the Evil One saw this happening, he stirred up his servants against the Christians and compelled the Christians to serve idols again with many torments. And thus the servants of God were tormented. But I, Theotimos, called by the Lord and raised by His grace from the depths of ignorance to the knowledge of truth and enlightened by the knowledge of the Holy Trinity, began to write the life and martyrdom of Saint Marina and how many miracles Christ wrought through her, and how she humbled the demons by the power and miracle of the precious Cross in the city of Antioch of first Pisidia.

But I, who have been a companion and follower of this holy, God-clad woman, have taken a few drachmas from my poverty to write quickly the deeds and virtues of the blessed one, so that I might tell you with all diligence, you who believe in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. There was a certain man named Edesios. This saint was his offspring. And her father was a priest of demons, and she was an only child. And when she was born, her parents gave her to a wet nurse fifteen miles distant from the city of Antioch. And she was raised in the house of her wet nurse. And this was after the death of her mother, and she had even more care from her wet nurse. And this was when Christ was peaceful everywhere. But she was given in marriage to her father, for she was a bride of the heavenly bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ. And when she was fifteen years old, she advanced in the grace of Christ in all understanding.

She heard what that holy one of the holy martyrs [had done], for they endured much suffering for Christ’s sake. In those days she prayed and said: “O Lord, lover of mankind, you know the weakness of men. Therefore I beseech you: strengthen me against your adversaries and against the devil, that I might overcome him by your power and crush him, and offer glory to you, the giver of victory, from beginning to end.” And this was accomplished by the grace of the holy soul, and all her hope was in God. In those days the ruler of Lycia, Lubraos, set out and came to Antioch to persecute and torment, as many Christians as he found. But this blessed Marina was with the flocks of her mother’s other companions, for she resembled her mother, the blessed Rachel, mother of Joseph. And as that wicked Lubraos was passing by, he saw her and was inflamed, for that holy one was very beautiful. And he ordered her seizure and said to them: “If she is a noblewoman, I will take her as my wife; and if she is a maidservant, I will pay the price, and she shall be my concubine.

And when the envoys of that one seized her, that new bride of Christ began to pray and said: "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, and do not destroy my soul together with the unbelievers, nor my life together with the murderers and betrayers of men, and do not cast me out, O Lord my God Jesus Christ, and give my soul to be known, and may my virginity and faith not be trampled, O Christ, and may my purity not be defiled, and may my heart's thought not be changed from you, O Lord my God, and may my faith not be cast down into bitterness and sorrow, and may my feet not be shaken from steadfastness by the enemy, the hater of good, the devil, but send down from your holy height a spirit of grace for the opening of my mouth to speak, and that I may be strengthened by your power and fearlessly give the word which that unworthy tyrant asks of me, for behold, I see myself among beasts like a sheep, and like a bird caught in a snare, and like a fish in a net. Come, O my Lord Jesus Christ, and save me, my God, for you are my Lord and glory befits you from eternity to eternity. Amen.

And the horsemen reported all this to the commander Lubraoz and said: "We are unable to kill this woman, for she is not of our people and our gods, because she calls upon the God of the Christians, the one whom the Jews crucified." But when the commander heard that she invokes the name of Christ, he ordered a halt, so that he might question her. And he summoned her before him and said to her: "Tell me, O woman, of what lineage are you?" And she said to him: "First of all, I am a Christian, and then a noblewoman." The commander said: "What is your name?" And she said: "Marina is my name." The commander said to her: "And to which god do you render service?" Saint Marina said: "To God, the Creator of all, Jesus Christ, together with His Father and the Holy Spirit, to the one true God." The commander said: "Do you call that Nazarene a god?" And she said: "Yes, I call upon Him, for He is the true God, in whom I trust, that He might deliver me from lawlessness and corruption." And the commander ordered her to be kept in custody until he entered the city and sacrificed to the idols.

And when she entered the city of Antioch, she performed impure deeds and praised the king and their gods. And she went up to their assembly with a great multitude and sat upon the thrones and ordered the holy Marina to be brought. And when she came before her, she saw her and became faint-hearted and said to her: "The gods know, O woman, that I pity the youth of your age and I do not wish all my words to you to be in wrath, and now believe me and sacrifice to the gods, and great honor shall be yours from me, and I shall make you better than all your age-mates." But she said: "The Creator of all knows, who created me and breathed this soul into me, I cannot believe for myself, and neither by kindness nor by beating can the steadfastness of my purity be shaken, and I will place my strength together with my soul, for I will offer myself as a sacrifice to the living and true God with the true confession of the word of faith, and I will preach and glorify Him as God as long as this soul is with me, and He is the eternal God, whose glory is fitting from eternity to eternity. Amen.

Then the commander said to the blessed one: "Know that you are about to fall into great evil and beating and terrible torments, and these your limbs will be crushed with a club, and the fire of my wrath will consume you. But if you listen and obey, you will be before me glorious and desired. Before all these I promise you, for as I would soothe my soul, you will be my wife and be freed from my wrath." The holy one said to him: "Already before you have told me my end, and do not think to deceive me, nor am I afraid of your torments, nor can your kindness seduce me, for my good is determined by the Lord, for I give my flesh to be tormented, so that I may be numbered among the holy virgins by the Lord, and because Christ, my God, gave his own head to death for us, and I am prepared for the death of martyrdom for his sake, for he gave me his seal, the cross, and sealed me in his name." Then Lubraos ordered her to be stripped and beaten with rods. But the holy one considered that torment as nothing, but looked up to heaven and said: "You, Lord, know, do not shame me.

Until the Lord comes, let my enemy not laugh at me, and let not those whom you have condemned be put to shame. Look upon me and deliver me from the hands of the lawless one, and let not my soul be crushed. Do not abandon me, O Lord my God, Jesus Christ, for I suffer for the sake of your name; send forth the light of healing, so that my wounds may be diminished and my sorrows be transformed into joy." While the saint was praying thus, the torturers struck his sides, and his blood, like water, flowed upon that place. But the herald cried out and said: "Believe the commander, Marina, and it is better for you to be delivered now." And all who saw wept bitterly and said to him: "Have pity on yourself, for you see your flesh torn by the beating; acknowledge the gods and be delivered from the beating." But the blessed one answered and said to them: "O wicked accomplices of mine, do you not know of mourning in your own houses? Go then to your own business, go, O shameless ones, for I, through these beatings, await repose from my Lord Jesus Christ among the holy virgins, while you, from repose, go to eternal torment.

My Lord God humbles me through these torments, and all who believe in Him, He saves them. And now I do not bow to your folly, nor do I worship your polluted idols: deaf and mute, made by the hands of men. Then the holy one said to the chief: You act in the work of your father the devil, O raging dog, but my Lord God stands before me as my helper and promises me eternal life for my sufferings. And if you have authority over my flesh, torture it. But may my soul be saved by Christ through my faith in Him. And now do whatever you wish, O insatiable dog and serpent of hell and depth of that fiery abyss of Tartarus and despiser of your creator, who has preferred the glory of God to demons, you deserve this reward, by which you will be tormented unceasingly forever with your father the devil. But my Lord is merciful from eternity to eternity. Amen. Then the eparch became enraged and ordered him to be hung and his sides beaten with iron rods. But the holy one raised his eyes to heaven and said: Many dogs have come against me, and a gathering of wicked ones has surrounded me.

But you, O Lord, hasten to my aid; deliver my soul from the sword and from the hands of the dog—my only-begottenness, save me from the face of the lion and from the horns of the unicorn—my humility; strengthen me, O Lord, and give me a living spirit, so that my prayer may ascend before You to heaven; send down, O Lord, my helper from heaven with Your holy self, so that I may keep my virginity undefiled and become victorious over my enemy who fights me face to face, and so that I may see that one who fights me, overcome him, and grant us courage, O Lord, who are devoted to Your holy name, for You are the Lord of lords unto the Lord. But that lawless prince covered his face and said to that holy one: "What is this, that you do not heed the prince, you wretch, and do not even pity yourself? For your flesh has been torn by my command. Now then, believe in me and worship the gods, and do not die an evil death. And if you do not heed me, I will destroy your flesh and bones with the sword before all; and those who see you will pity you.

The holy one said: "O wretched one, if only my flesh had been spared, my soul, which is full of sighs, would not have ascended to heaven by Christ." Then the judge ordered him to be taken to prison. And it was the seventh hour. And they brought him into a dark place. And when the holy one entered, his entire body was sealed with the seal of Christ, and he began to pray and said: "Lord God, who established all things visible and invisible, and from your face all things from eternity tremble, and all beings fear, you who are the being of beings, the light of truth, look upon me, have mercy on me, for I am the only-begotten of my mother, and my father abandoned me, but do not abandon me, my Lord God, but look upon me and command that I may see my enemy, who persecutes me and speaks to me face to face, and that I may overcome him through you. For what injustice I have done to him, I do not know. But you, O Lord, judge of the living and the dead, judge between me and him, for behold, I am consumed by his torments.

O Lord, do not be angry, for my soul is in your hands; do not cast me off, and let not my soul perish, and let not my mind be troubled by faithless men and by deaf and blind idols, for my hope is in you, O Christ, and you are the refuge forever and ever. But Theotimos was the nurturer of that holy one and would give him bread and water through a window, and he would listen and write down all his words and prayers, and everything that befell him, with fear of God. And behold, a terrible beast came out of the wall of his house, like a great and fearsome dragon, and its hair was like gold in color, its teeth flashed like silver, its eyes were like pearls, and from its mouth came forth a flame of fire and a thick cloud of smoke, and its tongue was like blood, the eyelashes of its eyes like a flame. And thus it entered that prison and stood before that holy one. And its path, like a road, went into that prison house. And that holy one became terrified by it, and his bones were crushed, and the color of his face changed from fear.

But he did not forget prayer; rather, he prayed and said: "Show me, O Lord, my enemy; give me, O Lord, also the victory over him, for this one is truly the deceiver of all men." And again he prayed, kneeling before the Lord, and said: "O Lord, invisible, by whom the sea and all the abysses tremble, who established the earth and set a boundary for the sea, so that it might not transgress your command, and who loosed the bound and bound the devil, who crushed the power of that great whale—do you yourself, O Lord, quell the strength of this whale, and look upon me, and have mercy on me, an orphan and a soul grievously seized, and do not grant this beast victory over me; rather, give me strength, so that I may overcome my adversary, who desires to devour me swiftly and intends to carry me off to his lair." And as that saint said, that whale opened its mouth and placed its head above the head of that holy maiden, and thrust out its tongue and swallowed her into its belly. But the hands of that blessed one were extended in the form of a cross, and she traced a cross in the belly of that whale, and that whale was split in two, and that saint came out, and there was no harm at all upon her.

He turned and said to him: "Truly, I have found that which I was seeking." And he placed that whale dead. And at that same hour he went to the left side of that prison and saw something seated, like the form of a man, black; and his hands were clasped around his own knees. But when he saw him, he prayed and said: "I praise and glorify you, I am joyful and exultant, O Lord without end, O unshakable rock, O hope of the faithful, O beginning of wisdom, O Lord of the countless angels, O mighty protector and helper, may my established faith not be shaken, but grant grace to my soul, for I have seen the whale slain upon the earth, I have seen my slayer slain by you, I have seen him crushed by your grace, I have seen his path turned away from me, and for his own spear became his slayer, I have seen his terror overthrown, I have seen your cross established, I have seen the fragrance of the spirit upon my flesh and settled with me, I have seen the fragrance of your holy ointments come to me. I await the kindling of my soul by your holy spirit; I have seen grace and I rejoice in its fragrance and I delight. I have slain my terror and crushed him and I have found the boldness of victory.

For this I thank you, holy lord, immortal one, rock of refuge, skillful guide of sailors, strong tower of adamant, pearl, fortress of strength, throne of repose, precious stone, eternal lord, to whom alone is fitting glory from eternity to eternity. Amen. And as that saint was giving thanks, the demon arose and stood before him and seized the feet of that saint and said: "Enough for you now, O woman." But the saint seized his hair and cast him down upon the earth and placed his right foot upon his back and found a stick at one ear and took it and struck his forehead mightily and said: "Be vanquished by me and do not fight me, for I have God as the guardian of my virginity; be vanquished by me, O evil race, corrupter and slayer of men, for Christ is my helper, the Son of God. I am his handmaid, whose name is blessed." And as he was saying this, behold, a light shone forth in that prison, and the cross of Christ appeared up to the height of the sky, and one angel was with that cross and said to that saint: "You who killed the whale, O Marina,

and her teeth were ground down, and her virginity was preserved immaculate. For you is prepared the crown of glory, and the holy virgins open for you the gates of paradise to enter into the bosom of Abraham, for you have vanquished the enemy. And the holy one said: I thank you, O Lord my God, who revealed yourself to your servant, who awaits the conversion and salvation of sinners, heal my wound. I praise you, for you are holy; I extol you, for you are great; I beseech you, for you are good. O Lord, deem me worthy to enter the font of baptism and thereby to receive grace in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, which is the strength of Christianity for your faithful. And again there was a voice to her, and it said: O Marina, that which you have under your feet, judge and question concerning its deeds, so that it may reveal to you all its work. First bind it and come to me. But the holy one said to that demon: What is your name, O unclean spirit? And it said: Beelzebul, chief of the exousiai. And the holy one said: Where is your origin, or your root?

Then the devil said to her: "I beseech you, O holy handmaiden of Christ, lift your foot from me, that I may rest a little and tell you everything about myself." And when she lifted her foot from his neck, he began to speak: "I have brought forth the fruit of many falsehoods and swallowed them into my womb. I fight against all men, and no one has been able to stand before me or to fight and overcome me, but you have vanquished me. No one has been able to seize my hands, but you have seized me and seen my lies and placed your seal upon my shoulders. And I will tell you the truth, for my birth is from the dark air, which they call Satan. I am the one who turns aside the hearts of men and incites them to evil thoughts, and I destroy all their good righteousness and blind their understanding, so that they may not comprehend the truth of God and be saved by righteousness. Then my wickedness becomes their weapon, and they are vanquished by my power.

And when I go, like a serpent, upon the bodies and drink blood, at once I enter the heart of the saint and turn them aside from their true paths, and I alter their mind and pour into their simple heart’s utterance and set their prayer aside to turn them away from it. I am the one who has dried up their tears and blinded their knowledge and confused their mind and made them forgetful of every divine work. And when they burn, I go and awaken them, and they go off to a stranger’s house. And to whom I am unable to lead away from his own corpse, I make with them a secret, so that by whatever form I reveal myself, it may be their accomplice. And I desire that no one escape my hands, and I fight against all and deceive them, and now behold, I am defeated by a single woman. For I see Christ dwelling within you, and do whatever you wish with me. First I gave you the soul of the earth, and you were nothing, and all your bones were invisible, but now when you have brought the soul of heaven and heard the voice of help, I see you as wiser than a wise strong one, more powerful than a powerful one. Whence are with you the invulnerable feet? Whence is with you the seal of Christ? Whence is with you the fruit of righteousness and the soul of souls?

Your eyes are full of grace, your teeth are white as milk, your fingers are like the rings of Christ, for from this miracle I am weakened, with this sign you have seized me and you slay me. The ring of Christ dwells with you, and by it you have shattered my weapon. If it were from some man or youth that I had been overcome, I would not grieve so much, but I am vanquished by a girl, a maiden of fifteen years, I am shattered. For her father and mother were under my power, and now she has arisen as an enemy against my kindred. This is a marvel, for a young soul has overcome her parents in wisdom and all her kindred, and by adherence to Christ she now gathers the demons and slays me and persecutes my companions. Truly my power has now become weak, for I am vanquished today by a girl. But the saint said to him: Tell me, why, or from whence is your lineage? Or who sent you as a warrior against the saints? The demon said to him: Tell me, from whence is your life? Or from whence are these virtues that you possess? Or from whence is your soul? And this wondrous power, from whence did it enter into you? And I will also reveal to you all my deeds, about which you ask me.

The saint said to him: “It is not fitting for you to tell this to me, nor are you worthy to tell even one thing, for the grace of God is with me as my helper. Tell me now, O enemy of truth, before you are cast into the abyss.” And the demon said to him: “Satan is my master, and no one is able to know the multitude of our race, for we all fell from heaven with him, and wherever we hear the good deed of the righteous, we quickly find ourselves with them, together with our other fellow demons. And our way is not by foot, but we move through the air as swiftly as birds. All this I have told you, O blessed one, and now I beseech you, do not bring death upon me, but let me be bound by you until the end, for we were first bound by Solomon in bronze vessels and sealed with that seal which was given to him from heaven. But at the coming of the Chaldeans, someone, thinking that seal was gold, took it away. Then we all were set loose.

I am the deceiver of all people who desire to enter into life; I fight them until I confuse their life and make them forget wisdom, and thus they are found vanquished by me, and instead of incense they receive the spirit of stench, and I kindle in their heart the fire of sin like a furnace. But the holy one said to him: “Be silent from now on, for I no longer wish to hear the speech of your mouth.” And she bound him with the sign of the precious cross and hung him from one ear of that house, and she inscribed the cross on the place, and immediately that place shook, and a great abyss appeared, and she cast him into it and said: “Go to the depth of hell, until you give account to the judge for those souls which you have destroyed.” But the commander from the region ordered the holy Marina to be brought before his thrones. And when the holy one came out of the prison, all her limbs were sealed with the seal of Christ, and the whole city came to see her holiness. Then the commander said: “Have mercy on me, Marina, and bow down to our gods, so that you may receive good from them.

The holy man said to her: "Truly you are contending with me and you should bow to God, the creator of heaven and earth, and not to vain things, and become a lover of his saints, and not be a lover of deaf and blind idols and those deceitful demons." Then Lubraios became enraged and ordered her to be stripped and hung up and lighted lamps to be brought near, so that her flesh might be burned. And those tormentors did so, and her flesh was scorched with fire. But she prayed and said: "My kidneys and heart have been melted, yet there is found in me no denial of my God. I have passed through fire, and lead me out to my resting place." And those tormentors ceased their beating of her with that fire. And again Lubraios said: "Hear me and bow to the gods, Marina." The holy woman said to him: "Let the word of your heart be confirmed, for you cannot convince me, nor will I bow to your foul gods, and because the devil cannot deceive a handmaid of Christ, for I am sealed by Christ with the Lord's seal, for my soul, like a pledge, Christ has sealed and with the sign of his glory he has signed me forever.

Then the lawless one ordered a large jar to be brought and filled with water, and commanded that his hands and feet be bound and that he be thrown into it, so that he might drown in that narrow space. And the tormentors did as the judge had commanded them. But the blessed one looked up to heaven and said: "You who are, O Lord, O Lord, enthroned in the heights, deliver me from my bonds, for to you, O Lord, I offer a sacrifice of praise and confession; I glorify and exalt you, O Lord, my God. May this water become for me a font of baptism, and clothe me in the garment of your holy Spirit. Come, O Lord, your holy Spirit, to bless this water, so that I may strip off the old man and be clothed in renewal through the water and the holy Spirit, and purify me through this water with a bath for eternal life, and confirm my faith, and drive away and expel sin from me, and make me glad with your glory forever. And now enlighten me in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, for you are the giver of baptism, and yours is the glory from eternity to eternity. Amen.

And when the holy one said this, that place shook, and a single ray came from heaven and had on its face a shining, gold-colored circle. And immediately the bonds of his hands and feet were loosened, and he came up out of that water, glorifying God and saying: The Lord reigns, beauty has clothed me, the Lord has clothed me with power and has encompassed me. Enlighten me, O Christ, glorify me, O Christ, with the springs of the baptism of your salvation, remember me, O Savior, from the world and accept me, your only-begotten handmaid, for you are blessed unto eternity. And a voice was heard, which said: Come, Marina, to the kingdom of heaven; blessed are you, for you have been bathed; blessed are you, for you have received the circle; blessed are you, for you desired the virginity; blessed are you, for you wished to take up the cross of the Lord. And this voice was heard by all that multitude, and a great multitude of the people believed in our Lord Christ, fifteen thousand souls, apart from women and children. When the lawless Lubraos saw that great multitude of confessors of Christ, he ordered them to be cut down with the sword.

And after this, the faithless one was terrified, lest the entire city become a confessor of Christ, and he ordered that the saint be beheaded by the sword. And they led him outside the city, so that they might execute him there. And as they went out, Malchos the executioner said to him: "Stretch out your neck quickly, for I see Christ standing with his angels." But the holy one said: "I beseech you, brother, if you truly see Christ, allow me a little while, so that I may first pray, that my soul may be taken up to the place of repose." And he said: "Pray as long as you wish, for I am waiting for you.

And the saint began to pray and said: "O God, who created heaven and earth by the word of your power, hear the voice of my supplication; and whosoever shall read the book of my martyrdom, and whosoever shall listen, let their sins be removed; and whosoever shall light a candle in my name, a sinner, in your church, grant him every desire of his heart; and whosoever is found in judgment, deliver him unjustly through the remembrance of my humble name, I beseech you, O Lord; and whosoever shall build a church in my humble and poor name, and shall write the book of my martyrdom, bestow upon him healing of soul and body, and grant him your holy and true Spirit." And as he was praying thus, a great trembling occurred in that place, so that all the people fell there on their faces, and they were unable to stand with him, and with them the executioner also fell as if dead. And the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove, and a multitude of angels, and a cloud of light overshadowed the blessed one. But when he saw the Lord coming in glory, he was afraid and trembled. And the Lord said to him: "Peace to you, Marina, crown of the ascetics!

And he ran and struck the soles of the feet of the Lord, and began to give thanks and said: "Lord God, all-powerful, I beseech you, fulfill my request, O Lord my God, hear your servant and grant healing to my flesh and bones—all who have suffered for you." And the Lord said: "Behold, everything you have asked for has been granted to you, and even more than your request I shall fulfill for you before my angels." And again the saint said in prayer: "Now, O Lord, I beseech you, there are many here, my kinsmen, who wish to take away my body and hear of my struggle; grant them forgiveness of sins. And if anyone enters into the work of judgment and calls upon you, O Lord, in the name of your servant, may he overcome his enemies." And the Lord said to him: "Arise, blessed Marina, for my heart has spoken mercy to you. Blessed are you, for in your prayers you remember all sinners. And now everything you have asked for, I hear you. And those whom you have not remembered, I have granted to you.

And if anyone should present himself with all his heart in the church in remembrance of your name, I shall grant him all his request, and this I shall reveal to you: for behold, angels will come to meet you and will take your head and carry it to paradise, but your flesh will remain on the earth, so that whoever touches your limbs will receive healing from his illness, from which he was suffering. And for this you are blessed, because in your trials you remember sinners. And wherever a portion of your limbs and the book of your martyrdom may be, there an evil spirit will not approach, but peace and protection of the soul will be granted by the holy one. And if anyone prays to you, I shall deliver him from all evil, and blessed is the family in which I am believed through you. And now come to the place which I have prepared for you at the right hand of Thecla and the other saints, joyfully with you, radiantly beautiful and crowned. Blessed are you, because you have preserved your virginity immaculate.

Then the holy one looked at those standing around and said to them: "Fathers and mothers, who have come to see my God, I adjure you by the name of the eternal Lord, make a tomb in which to lay this wretched body of mine, and I will pray to our Lord Jesus Christ that He may grant you forgiveness of all your sins and keep you in His great mercy. I thank the eternal God, who deemed me worthy to know His holy name and enrolled me in the holy rank of His martyrs. I praise and glorify Him alone, for He is the only God from eternity to eternity. Amen." And when he had accomplished all this, he said to that executioner: "Brother, take the sword and fulfill the command given you by the ruler, for by the power of my Christ I have overcome that unclean judge." But he said: "Do not cause your death by my hand, for I have seen your God, and he was speaking with you, and how can I now dare to cause the death of his servant?" The holy one said: "If you do not do this, you will have no share with me in the kingdom of my Lord Christ.

Then the executioner, trembling with fear, took up the sword and cut off the head of that holy one, and she was praying and said: "Lord, do not count this sin against me." And he cut off his own head with the same sword and fell on his side beside that blessed one. Then angels came swiftly over the body of holy Marina, and a great wonder occurred; they cried out and said: "One is the God of the Christians, God is mighty and great." And when the death of that holy one was heard, all the infirm, the blind, the leprous, and those afflicted with every disease came and touched that holy body, and all were instantly healed. Then the angels took up the head of that holy one and ascended to heaven with singing, and they said: "There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, and nothing is like your works." And so it was. But I, Theotimos, took the relics of that holy one and placed them in a marble casket with myrrh and incense, and set it in the city of Antioch, in the house of the syncletic, and I recorded all her prayers with all diligence and truth. And blessed is he who makes a commemoration of that holy martyr, for through her intercession we may be deemed worthy of mercy and forgiveness of sins by Christ.

She suffered martyrdom, this holy one, in the month of July on the seventeenth day, in the reign of the impious Diocletian, and in our reign, that of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose glory and honor, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.