St. Symeon Metaphrastes: The Struggle of the Holy Martyrs Victor and Stephanis

Introduction

Sts. Victor and Stephanis were martyred under one of the Antonines, either Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (r. 161-180) or his predecessor, Antoninus Pius (r. 138-161). This life was written by St. Symeon Metaphrastes, in the 10th century. He is famous for his collection of saints' lives, the Menologion. (In Greek, this word would mean "month-book," as it provides the lives of the saints for each day of the year, arranged by the month of their feast.) He may have merely collected many of his saints' lives rather than writing them himself; however, it is through him that so many have reached us, so we still have him to thank, either way.

Feast Day: May 14

Sts. Victor and Stephanis

In those days, in which the Christians were persecuted by the king of the Romans Antoninus, him being pagan, and by Sebastian his duke, there was a man from Italy, a Christian soldier, altogether reverent and fearing God, named Victor. To this one the duke said, “Writings of the king were brought to me, commanding you Christians to sacrifice to the gods immediately, and those being disobedient will be thrown unto fearful vengeances; therefore, sacrifice, even you, Victor.” The holy Victor said to him, “I am a soldier of the great king Jesus Christ, the immortal God, and I do not obey a mortal king; for this one’s kingdom is temporary and passing; but the kingdom of the God and Savior Jesus Christ is immortal and eternal; and the one remaining in it inherits life eternal.” The duke said, “Being our king’s soldier, therefore, be persuaded, and obey his order, and sacrifice.” The holy Victor said, “And when I served him and was mindful of his, to my Lord and God in secret I worshipped, and now I am not able to abandon Him and to sacrifice to idols; therefore, do what you will unto me; for of my body you have authority, but of my soul only God [has authority], the one able to save and destroy.”
The duke said to him, “I see you adorned with much wisdom in your apology; therefore, look to [your] benefit.” The holy Victor said, “My own wisdom, O judge, is not from me, but my God gave it to me.” The duke said, “Free yourself from many tortures, and, approaching, sacrifice to the gods.” The holy Victor said, “I, for not worshipping, will pleasantly be tortured, and will more affirm, being agonized, that I have been made worthy for the name of Christ to be tortured and to come unto the good hope of the King of the heavens.” The duke said to him, “Are you not a priest of the Christians, since you answer thusly, intelligently?” The holy Victor said, “I of this greatest grace and gift am unworthy; but my Christ’s grace led me unto this; for this is the wisdom and understanding furnished to the upright in heart and to those guarding the commandments of Christ, to partake of all good; therefore as a husbandman, nobly working his land, prepared it for fruit-bearing, thusly also God’s wisdom empowers those hoping in him, and makes [them] wise, and makes [them] to bear fruit to God, not permitting the enemy to prevail over them.”
Sebastian the duke said, “Do you choose to seize rather death or life?” The holy Victor said, “This death grants eternal life to those enduring these temporary tortures unto the end.” The duke said to him, “And you possess this knowledge wholly?” The holy Victor said, “Yes.” Then the duke commanded the joints of his fingers to be broken, until they depart from the skin. The holy Victor said, “I give thanks to my God always, since His grace was near unto me.” The duke said to him, “For what do you not comprehend your folly?” The holy Victor said, “Since it is demanded violently and unjustly, also I do not will to take nor to eat from this; but I have the spiritual nourishment, and I will not hunger unto the age.” The duke, hearing this, commanded the furnace to be kindled and for him to be thrown into it, for three days; and it occurred thusly. And after the three days, the duke, thinking him to have been annihilated by the fire, commanded the furnace to be opened and for his bones to be cast into the river; and, opening it, they found him living and glorifying God, since wholly the fire did not touch him. Then the duke commanded poisonous drugs to be given to him to eat with meat; and, the drugs having been given to him by the mage, the holy Victor said, “It is not allowed for me to touch meat; but, so that you know that your magi are nothing and that I despise them, I eat immediately.” And, taking [the meat] from the hands of the mage, praying to Christ, he began to eat; and, eating, nothing evil he suffered. But the mage, being ashamed for the house of the magi, brought forth to him, again, another drug, more fearful than the first, and said to him, “And now, take and eat; and if, eating, nothing evil you suffer, I will abandon my magic, and I will even believe in God Whom you worship.” And the blessed Victor taking, and eating, and suffering nothing evil, the mage cried out with a voice and said, “You have conquered, leading up a destroyed soul from Hades! For as a bronze statue, having become old and having been purged by the craftsman, is renewed, thusly also the man having become old in evils, if he returns, God saves in His grace.” Then the mage forthwith burned with fire all his magical books and, renouncing all his possessions, he became a Christian.
And all these things having thusly occurred, the duke said to the blessed Victor, “Sacrifice to the greatest gods, and thereafter becoming understanding and sensible.” The holy Victor said, “At all times I am understanding, knowing God.” The duke said, “This is not understanding, but folly, to not wish to sacrifice to the gods.” The holy Victor said, “The folly of the world God chose, in order to shame the wise.” The duke said to him, “Where are these things written?” The holy Victor said, “Paul the apostle taught us.” The duke said, “Was Paul not God?” The holy Victor said, “Paul is not God, but of God, an apostle and wise arch-craftsman; for upon the laid foundation he built and filled the universe with his teaching; and, receiving wisdom from God, he had in himself the fullness of the Scriptures and revealed the way to those willing to be saved.” The duke said, “Stop, thereafter, this folly of yours, and sacrifice to the gods, since these utterances do not profit you.” The holy Victor said, “I am not a fool, but all sensible, not denying my God; but fools are they, and senseless, the ones hearing you and sacrificing to demons; for also your father, the devil, is a liar from the beginning and did not know the truth, as also you, his servants; but also your hearts were mutilated, not having the knowledge of the truth.”
Then the duke, having become angered, commanded the sinews of all his body to be cut, and, this occurring, the holy Victor said, “Suffering all these things from you, not wholly did I perceive pain, for the grace of God, the one empowering me, for as the pain produced by the foot carries with it the bad condition and all the pain and supplies rest to the body, thusly also I, my sinews being torn, altogether rested for the faith in Christ and the grace making me mighty.” Then, again, the duke, becoming even more wrathful, earnestly commanded oil to be set aflame and to be poured upon him, onto the hidden members. And, this occurring, the blessed Victor said, “The burning of this is oil is thusly to me, as water given to someone coming thirsty from the burning heat, and drinking, and being cooled.” But the duke, imprisoned by anger unchecked, commanded, again, him to be hung on a tree and lamps of fire to be brought forth to his body. But the blessed Victor, suffering these things, did not wholly sense the lamps, but was empowered more by the grace of God. And after these things, the duke said to him, “Sacrifice, finally; for much have I endured from you.” The holy Victor said, “I do not your will, but that of my God, and I pray to lead forth to him the pure and innocent sacrifice of myself, since He has authority over both the soul and the body.”
And again the duke commanded lye with sour wine to be thrown into his throat; and, this occurring, the holy Victor said, “The sour wine and the lye are to me as honey and comb through Christ.” Then the duke, not bearing the boldness, commanded his eyes to be put out; and the holy Victor said to him, “When my body’s vision you maim, then will I see more through the interior vision, by my soul’s eyes, as Peter the holy apostle said, that, ‘If you understand the soul’s eye, you do not have need of the eyes of the body; for the eyes of the body see the vanities of this world, but the eyes of the heart see the true light.’” The duke said, “You compel me to set for you many and great punishments.” The holy Victor said, “I give thanks to my God, the One Who makes me mighty to endure your tortures; therefore, as you will, punish me and do not spare me, for prepared am I to endure all pain led forth to me by you, God furnishing me with power and endurance.”
Then the duke commanded him to be hung head-down until blood flows from his nose upon the earth; and the soldiers, permitting him to be hung, departed from him for three days; and after the end of the three days, they came to him, considering him to have already died; and, beholding him, forthwith they were blinded. But the holy Victor, having compassion on them and praying, said, “In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom I am here hung, see again!” And the soldiers, seeing again forthwith and departing, announced to the duke all that had occurred. And becoming wrathful, the duke commanded him to be flayed, to remove the skin from all his body; and the holy Victor said, “If even my body’s skin you remove, yet to the mind you will not be able to do anything.” Then some wife of some soldier from his encampment, by the name of Stephanis, being present thither, being as sixteen years old, cried out, saying, “Blessed are you, Victor, and all-blessed your holy works! Brought forth is your sacrifice as the sacrifice of Abel, since you brought forth yourself in uprightness of heart; and God accepted you as Enoch the just, who was translated, so that he did not taste the death of this age, until the ordained time would come; you were justified as Noah, having been filled with the good fruits; perfect are you and just as that one in all his generation; you believed as Abraham; you brought forth yourself to God as Isaac; you endured temptations as Jacob, at the time he was chased away by Esau; you were wisened as Joseph, who knew about the famine to come; and you became sensible and faithful; you struggled as Job, who, enduring many temptations, conquered the enemy; you were zealous as Isaiah, who was sawed in the middle by Manasseh. The fire did not touch you, as neither did Nebuchadnezzar’s [touch] the three youths; you hoped upon the Lord as David, the one of Jesse; you received the wisdom of Solomon, until you conquered the adversary’s methods. Brought forth was your sacrifice, as that of Samuel; you became as a sweet-smelling scent, as Eleazar in his priesthood; brought forth was your pursued blood, as that of Daniel through the dream; for I saw two crowns borne from heaven, one greater and one lesser; and the greater, borne by angels, was given to you, but the lesser was sent to me. For if I am a weak vessel, yet wholly also will I struggle and hasten to reach the kingdom of the heavens.”
But the duke, hearing these things, was angered greatly and ordered her to be brought forth to him and said to her, “Who are you?” And she said, “A Christian.” And the duke said, “How many years are you?” And the holy one said, “Fifteen years and eight months.” The duke said to her, “Before when were you joined to man?” The holy Stephanis said, “One year and four months ago.” The duke said, “And for what, thusly ordered, have you dismissed the world?” The holy Stephanis said, “In order, with boldness, that I will encounter my expected Savior Jesus Christ, the heavenly and immortal Bridegroom; for the earthly bridegroom is temporal and mortal, but the heavenly one and the gifts of Christ are immortal, and immoveable, and indissolvable, and eternal.” The duke said, “Having ceased from this unprofitable nonsense, coming forth, sacrifice to the gods, so that I not destroy you with various vengeances and fearful tortures.” The holy one said, “I am called Stephanis, which crown is laid up in the heavens, and for this I do not sacrifice, so that I will obtain it from the just and true prize-giver, Christ.”
The duke, hearing these things and being greatly angered, commanded two trees of palm, being curved, to be joined to each other at the crowns, and to have the blessed one bound there from her two feet; and for them to be loosed, all at once, from each other. And after this order, much having occurred, the holy struggle-bearer of Christ Stephanis was split in the middle, and she was in two parts on the two palms, and thusly she ended [her life] in peace, and her martyrdom was fulfilled faithfully, having received the crown of victory from our Lord Jesus Christ. And the duke commanded the holy Victor to have his throat cut. And the nobly-victorious martyr of Christ, hearing this sentence, said, “I give thanks to my God at all times, to the one granting to me this victory and gift unto perfection.” And, about to [have his life] ended, the blessed Victor said to the quaestors, “Be it known to you, that after seven days the judges will complete, and you yourselves will complete after twelve days, and the duke after twenty-four days will be snatched by the opponents; and after three years our own will come to remove my body; for I have also prepared the urn of old; therefore, I will not be placed into another, I exhort, nor will you prevent the removal of my remains, so that your own will be escorted in peace.” Saying these things and praying he was struck with a sword, and blood and milk went out, as all those present wondered. And many of the Greeks, seeing the perseverance and endurance of his unbending faith, having changed their way, became Christians. And also hearing about the things he foretold, they were made more steadfast; for all which he foretold came to pass, so from this many believed in Christ. And the holy and nobly-victorious martyr of Christ Victor, with the blessed Stephanis, ended [his life] on the eleventh of the month of November, in the city of Damascus of Italy, under king Antoninus and Sebastian the duke, unto the glory of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Source: Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Series Graeca, ed. J.-P. Migne, Tomus CXV (Paris: Garnier Fratres et J.-P. Migne, 1899), 257C-268B. [PG 115:257C-268B]

Originally published at https://bpotto.github.io/Undusted-Texts/s_lives/victor_stephanis.html

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