The Holy Martyr Hyacinth of Amastris.
Today we commemorate the holy martyr
Hyacinth of Amastris in Paphlagonia, who died in prison after much
suffering, under the prefect Castritus. (4th Century)
The Holy Martyr Emilian
During the reign of Julian the
Apostate, in the Thracian town of Dorostolon, lived a young man,
Emilian, a servant of the mayor of the town. When the apostate
emperor began to destroy Christianity throughout the realm of the
Roman Empire by fire and sword and, when the emperor's representative
came to Dorostolon to kill the Christians, he did not find a single
one. Rejoicing at this, he sponsored a great banquet for the citizens
of Dorostolon and ordered sacrifices to be offered to the idols and
rejoicing ensued throughout the entire town, day and night. That
night, St. Emilian entered the pagan temples, markets and the streets
of the town and smashed all of the idols with a sledgehammer. The
next day there was terror in the city. Everyone sought the destroyer
of their gods. A peasant was passing by the temple that morning and
was seized. Emilian, seeing that an innocent man would suffer, said
to himself: "If I conceal my works, what benefit would I receive
from that which I did? Before God, will I not be found as the
murderer of this innocent man?" Therefore, he appeared before
the emperor's legate and admitted all. The enraged legate asked
Emilian, who had prompted you to do this? The martyr of Christ
replied: "God and my soul ordered me to destroy those lifeless
pillars which you call gods." The judge then ordered that
Emilian be flogged and, after flogging and other tortures, ordered
him to be buried alive. Thus ended the earthly life of St. Emilian
and he was received into the heavenly life on July 18, 362 A.D.
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