The Holy Great Martyr Artemije: Life. Praying to the Great Martyr Artemius

Praise the Lord that he sent us such bright saints who, through the example of their pious and righteous life, showed to people a great and saving faith in Christ. And that there is no more reliable and faithful hand that is always ready to support and guide the poor and feeble person on the path of truth. Next, we will talk about two glorified saints .

One of them - Antiochian Artemije - the Great Martyr, Artemy Vercolsky is considered a holy righteous child, but not a martyr. You need to know this, then not to be confused and properly addressed to them in your prayers. Their life is impressive enough to feel the power of their faith and deed to get acquainted with it.

Life of the Great Martyr Artemia

The future Saint Artemius was born in a noble Roman family and belonged to the senatorial estate. He was a participant in the battle of Emperor Constantine with the emperor Maxentius, which was held at the Mulva Bridge in 312. At this time in the sky suddenly appeared Cross inscribed: "Sim conquer!". This divine sign made a great impression on the warrior Artemy and turned him into Christianity.

The Great Martyr Artemije was a famous military leader during the reign of the Roman emperors Constantine I (306-337) and his son Constantius (337-361). With them, he was an approximate adviser and confidant. For his faithful service, he was awarded diplomas and was appointed head of Egypt, with special powers. On the instructions of the ruler Constance, with great honors, he transported the relics of the holy apostles Andrew and Luke from Constantinople to Patrina.

Julian the Apostate

But after the reign of the emperor Constantius, Julian the Apostate (361-363) ascended the throne, a pagan who began to conduct a brutal and implacable struggle against Christianity. Everywhere executions began, hundreds of Christians were doomed to a painful death. In Antioch, he ordered the torturing of two bishops who did not renounce their faith in Christ. It was at this time in the city came the Great Martyr Artemije, the widespread executions of Christians could not leave his noble heart indifferent. And he openly began to expose the ruler Julian in dishonor, cruelty and pagan delusions. Then the angry emperor accused him of complicity in the murder of his elder brother Gall. He was immediately arrested, then cruelly tortured for a long time, and then imprisoned.

When the holy Great Martyr Artemius once again prayed to his Lord, Jesus Christ himself appeared with angels and said that he would take courage, since He would save him from all the pain that his tormentors caused him, and that a crown of glory was prepared for him. For as he preached Christ before the people, he also will confess him before the Heavenly Father. And Christ added that he was courageous and rejoiced, for he will soon be with Him in His Kingdom. And he healed him, because he, wounded by torture, for a long time was without food and food, fed only by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Execution

Then rejoiced by such news, the Great Martyr Artemije began to praise and thank the Lord fervently. The next day he was again led to Julian to force a strong and glorious warrior to bow and sacrifice to the pagan gods. But, having achieved nothing, he again subjected him to terrible and painful tortures. But the great ascetic suffered all the suffering without a single cry and groan.

The Great Martyr Artemijus of Antioch predicted to Julian that soon he would be overtaken by the just punishment of God for the numerous evils he inflicted on Christians. From these words, the emperor became even more fierce and again ordered the torturing of a faithful Christian, but he could not break his will.

At this time in Antioch, from a fire that fell from the sky burned a pagan temple - the sanctuary of Apollo in Daphni. Julian, taking advantage of the occasion, immediately blamed the Christians for this. And Saint Artemius appointed execution (362). First he was crushed by a stone, and then they cut off his head with a sword.

Retribution

Soon after this, the Roman ruler was struck. The prophecies of St. Artemius came true exactly one year later. Julian with the army, coming out of Antioch, went to war with the Persians. Approaching the city of Ctesiphon, they met an old Persian who asked to be the conductor of Julian, who promised to betray his fellow citizens for a small reward. But as it turned out, he deceived them and led the soldiers into the wild impenetrable Karmanit desert, where there was neither water nor food. Greco-Roman troops, hungry and exhausted from the heat, entered into a forced battle with the forces of the Persians, well prepared for the meeting. In the battle with the Persians, a cavalry spear cut his arm, pierced the ribs and got stuck in the liver. As a result, Julian, struck by an invisible hand, groaned heavily and pronounced before his death the words: "You conquered, Galilean!".

Finding the relics

After the death of the tyrant, the relics of the holy Great Martyr Artemy from Antioch took with them the deaconesses Aristos and brought them to Constantinople. Later they were buried in the church of St. John the Baptist, built by the Emperor Anastasius I, after receiving the second name in honor of the holy Great martyr Artemy.

Today the name of the saint is at a special honor in the city of Patras. Day of the Great Martyr Artemia is celebrated on October 20 (November 2). He is considered the patron of the city and the founder of the monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Gyrokomiu. On this day, solemn commemoration is always performed, prayers and akathist to the Great Martyr Artemius are read. From his holy relics are performed numerous miracles.

Icons and Prayers

On the icons the Great Martyr Artemy is traditionally depicted with long hair and a bifurcated short beard in military armor and gimatia. But there are other interpretations.

Prayer to the Great Martyr Artemius, begins with the words: "Holy servant of God, Artemy the righteous!". The second is "The Holy Martyr Artemie!".

For the first time the life of the holy martyr and warrior Artemy was described by John of Rhodes at the end of the 10th century, then it was processed and supplemented by Simeon Metaphrast. Ancient Byzantine historians Ammianus Marcellinus and Philostorgius also reported on the holy Artemia of Antioch.

In 1073 a part of his relics was found by the Kiev-Caves Monastery. It is also known about the finding of holy relics in the cross-relics of the Russian Emperor Mikhail Fedorovich, who became the blessing of Patriarch Filaret.

St. Artemius of Vercolsky

In 1532, in the pious family of Kosmy (nicknamed Maly) and Apollinaria in the village of Vercole, near the Pinega River in the Dvinsky District, a son was born who was called Artemy. Parents raised him in good Christian traditions. He was an obedient, meek and God-fearing child who, since five years, did not like any children's pranks and amusements. He diligently, as far as he could at his young age, helped his father in the household.

On June 23, 1545, twelve-year-old Artemy worked with his father in the field when suddenly lightning flashed nearby and thunder struck, at which time the child fell to the ground dead. Frightened superstitious peasants considered this incident to be a punishment for Heavenly, and therefore Artemia's body, covered with brushwood and birch bark, was left untouched and unburied in a forest called Sosonia.

Holy relics

Thirty years after the death of Artemy in 1577, Deacon Agafonik, who served in the local church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, saw in the forest an unusual glow just above the spot where the remains of Artemy were once left. Thus the incorruptible body of the holy youth Artemy was found, which the people brought and laid on the porch of the church of St. Nicholas in Vercol. The Lord glorified him with miracles, as a result of which in 1639 Metropolitan Cyprian sent an order to the "tutoshnemuyu" clergy to compile evident evidences, which were soon delivered to the metropolitan. And the following year he sent a "created festival" - stichera, lithium, verse, glory, troparion, icosa, kontakion, luminous, hymns and sowing under the banner.

Prayers and Miracles

Through the prayers of St. Artemius, many patients were healed, and especially those who suffered from eye diseases. Once a resident of Holmogor Ilarion came to the temple, he lost sight and desperate to return it. And on the day of St. Nicholas, righteous Artemijus appeared to the sufferer with a cross in his right hand, in the left with a staff, having crossed the cross of a sick man, told him that Christ had healed him by the hand of his servant Artemy. And he sent the townspeople to go to Vercola to bow to his coffin and tell him about what had happened to the priest and the peasants.

The patient recovered immediately. The admirers of the holy youth in 1584 moved his holy relics from the church's porch to the arranged limit.

Mezensky governor Pashkov Athanasius for the healing of his sick son in gratitude to the saint built a temple in honor of the holy Great martyr Artemy - heavenly patron saint and righteous boy. In 1619, the relics of the saint were examined and on December 6 they were moved to a new church that burned down in 30 years, but in 1649 a monastery was built in the place of the relics under Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich, where the relics were also delivered.

There is a legend that the holy youth had a sister, the righteous miracle worker Paraskeva Piriminskaya.

Now St. Artemy commemorates June 23 (the day of the performance) and October 20 (the day of the memory of the great martyr Artemy).