The biography of Theodore Stratilat

In the literal translation from the Greek, the word “stratulator” means “high warrior”, in literary translation - “governor”, ​​“military leader”. The good news of the Holy Gospel in these places was brought back in apostolic times. Saint Theodore was endowed with the Lord by many talents. It was distinguished among others by natural beauty, generous heart, a deep knowledge of Christian truths, wisdom and eloquence.

The courage of the holy warrior became many after he, with the help of God, killed a huge snake, who lived in an abyss in the vicinity of the city of Euchaita. The snake devoured many people and animals, holding the whole district in fear. Saint Theodore, without telling anyone, taking his usual weapon with him and having a cross on his chest, set off. Having reached the field near the abyss, where the snakes lived, the warrior of Christ got off the horse and lay down.

In these places lived a pious wife named Eusebius. She was an advanced summer. A few years before that, she asked the body of the holy martyr Theodore Tiron, who was not burned at the stake during the execution, buried him near her house and every year his memory celebrated his memory on the day of the replacement of February 17 on March 2. The pious Eusebius, seeing the sleeping warrior of Christ Theodore Stratilat, woke him and tried to convince him to leave these places so as not to suffer from the snake.

The courageous warrior of Christ Theodore answered her: "step away and get away from this place, and you will see the power of my Christ." The woman went away and began to pray to the Savior for the bestowing victory to the bold warrior. The prayer to the Lord and St. Theodore turned to the Lord: "Lord Jesus Christ, who shone from the creature, who helped me in battles and gave victory for the resistant, you are now the same Lord Christ, went to me from your saint." Saint Theodore defeated the monster, glorifying the name of Christ among people.

For courage, St. Theodore was appointed a military leader in the city of Hercley near the Black Sea, not far from Euchait. Here, St. Theodore combined the responsible military service with the Apostolic sermon of the Gospel among the pagans subordinate to him. His hot faith, backed up by a personal Christian example, averted many from addictions. As a result, almost all the inhabitants of Heracles adopted Christianity.

At this time, brutal persecution of Christians began. Emperor Likini -, who killed forty martyrs of the Sevastian, brought down his persecution not on ordinary people, but on the enlightened champions of Christianity, in which he saw a serious threat to the dying paganism. Having heard about the brave military leader, the emperor wanted to see him and sent his close associates behind him.

Saint Theodore accepted the ambassadors with honor, but did not want to leave his city. Anticipating the intentions of the emperor, the martyr of Christ wanted to suffer in his city, so he answered the emperor that he could not leave Heracles now and asks him to help him. On the eve of the arrival of the wicked ruler, St. Theodore was awarded a wonderful vision. During the prayer, he suddenly saw himself in the temple, whose roof opened, heavenly light shone over the temple and a voice rang out: “Dare, Theodore, I am with you!

The emperor arrived, taking with him gold and silver idols. He favorably reacted to St. Theodore, praised him for the good management of the city and ordered him to bring victims to the people before the people. The saint asked the emperor to leave idols for the night in his house. The emperor agreed. Having seized the idols, St. Theodore broke them into many parts and distributed pieces of gold and silver to the poor.

So he shaved the vain faith in soulless idols and on the wreckage of paganism affirmed the laws of Christian mercy.

The martyr of Christ on the orders of the emperor was captured and subjected to cruel and sophisticated torture. The tormentors beat him with oxide veins and tin rods, tormented his body with nails and fired with fire. The holy martyr endured all this with great patience and only repeated: “Glory to you, our God! The tormentors hoped that he would die at night on the cross.

In anticipation of close death, St. Theodore already addressed the last prayers to God, saying: “Lord, it re -rolled the first, I am with you, but now it was now badly left me? See, Lord, like the bestials of the division for you to tear my sake, the essence of the anti -aircraft guns are beaten, my flesh is fragmented with wounds, your face is bombarded, my teeth are crushed, one of the sharp bones on the cross hang: remember me, Lord, undergoing a cross for you for the sake of, iron, and a nail of the other Take my spirit, already more than this one from this life.

” The Lord decided to glorify His saint in front of all the inhabitants of Heracles. In the morning, the soldiers who participated in the execution saw the holy martyr alive and sound: the Lord healed the tormented body of the saint and brought him off the cross, on which he was left for the whole night. Convinced personally of the infinite power of the Christian God, they immediately, not far from the place of failed execution, accepted holy baptism.

The martyr Theodore held the inhabitants and warriors who believed in Christ from the rebellion, saying to them: “Stop, lovers!My Lord Jesus Christ, hanging on the cross, holding the angels, so that they would not make a revenge on the human race. ” The martyr of Christ voluntarily gave himself to the hands of tormentors. Going to the execution, the saint in one word opened the doors of the dungeons and freed the prisoners.

The inhabitants of Heracles, touching his clothes, were healed from diseases and freed from demons. Before betraying himself in the hands of the executioner, the martyr Theodore bequeathed to bury his body in the Euchaites on the estate of his parents. He ordered his servant to record all the torment that he was subjected to to edify future generations of Christians. Then the martyr of Christ prayed for a long time and, finally, uttering the word “Amen”, bowed under his sword to his honest and holy chapter.

The execution took place on February 8 on February on Saturday, in the third hour of the day. The people showed great honors to the holy remains of the martyr. During the transfer of the body of the saint and already in the city itself, numerous miracles were performed in the glory of Christ of God. The holy great martyr Theodore Stratilat, faithful to death to the Lord Jesus Christ, a fearless and sacrificial military leader, a brave soldier, has been revered since ancient times as the patron saint of the Orthodox army.

In memory of the great martyr Theodore Stratilat, temples were built in all Orthodox countries. According to prayers, many miracles were performed from his icons. Thus, St. Anastasius Sinait, the Patriarch of Antioch G. When these places were captured by the Saracens, the temple was ruined and later defiled. Saracens settled in the building. Once, one of them, taking the bow, launched an arrow in the image of St.

Theodore written in paints on the wall. The arrow hit the right shoulder of the saint, and immediately a stream of living blood flowed along the wall. The wickers were surprised at this, but the temple did not leave. In total, about twenty families lived in the church. After some time, they all died for an unknown reason. Mor attacked the Saniterats, while their fellow tribesmen, who lived outside the temple, were not injured.