Mazgaba Maṣāḥəft

Titles

• ገድል፡ ወስምዕ፡ ዘቅዱስ፡ ኤሌውትሮስ፡ ወእሙ፡ እንትያ፡, Gadl wa-sǝmʿ za-qǝddus ʾElewtǝros wa-ʾǝmmu ʾƎntǝyā, Combat and Martyrdom of Saint Eleutherus and his Mother Antia
• Martyrium of Eleutherus and his mother Antia (Arabic version)

Description

(Synaxary version as in ) Eleutherus was brought up by a God-fearing bishop whose name was Anicetus. When he was sixteen years of age he was made a deacon, when he was eighteen he was made a priest, and at the age of twenty years he was made bishop of the country of ‘Elerikos. In those days Andrianus the emperor came to the city of Rome, and when he heard about Eleutherus he commanded Pilkes to bring him to him; and Pilkes found him in the church teaching the Word of God. When Pilkes heard the Faith of Eleutherus, he believed and was baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ. When he had brought Eleutherus to Andrianus the emperor, he said unto him, “Offer sacrifice to the gods. Thou art a free man, why dost thou worship a man who was crucified?” And Eleutherus said, “My freedom is the Cross of Jesus Christ, Who is the Creator of the heavens and of the earth.” When the emperor heard this he commanded [his soldiers] to throw him into a red-hot oven and to shut him in; and they did so, and straightway the fiery oven was cooled; and [they threw him on the wheel, and] the wheel was broken. When the emperor saw this he marveled greatly, and not knowing what to do he commanded the soldiers to throw him into prison. And a raven brought him food from the Garden (i.e. Paradise) and he ate and was satisfied. And when Illyricus (?) the governor saw him, he believed in the God of Saint Eleutherus, and they cut off his head with a sword. And Andrianus commanded his soldiers to bring small horses, and to harness them to a chariot, and they tied Eleutherus to the middle of the chariot, and they dragged him about until is limbs were cut to pieces. And straightway an angel of God came down and released him from his fetters, and he took him into a high place, and he sat down with the wild beasts glorifying God. And straightway Andrianus ordered his soldiers to hunt down the wild beasts that were in the mountain in which they had found Eleutherus, and they took Eleutherus to Andrianus the emperor. When they had brought him to him the emperor commanded them to give him to the lions, and when the lions came they licked the moisture from his face and feet; and all the men of Rome wondered. Now the lions had slain fifty hundred pagans. When the emperor saw this he was filled with wrath, and he commanded two soldiers to spear him [and they did so]. And his mother Entia also--after they had tortured her greatly, they speared her with him, and whilst she was embracing the neck of her son they delivered up their souls to God.