E06029: Sophronius of Jerusalem, in his Miracles of the Saints Cyrus and John, recounts how *Kyros and Ioannes/Cyrus and John (physician and soldier, martyrs of Egypt, S00406) healed a certain Ammonios from scrofula and a stomach disease at their shrine at Menouthis (near Alexandria, Lower Egypt). Written in Greek in Alexandria, 610/615.

Sophronius of Jerusalem, The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John, 1

Summary:

There was a certain Ammonios in Alexandria, who held the office of octavarius and was one of the first citizens of the city. He had a fortune and took pride in his father, Ioulianos, who had held for quite a long time an important office in the administration of the Church of Alexandria under bishop Eulogios [581-608].

This Ammonios was still young and handsome, but had his neck deformed by scrofula (choirades) which made him resemble a hog. His father took him to various physicians offering them in advance a great sum of money to cure his son. The doctors, who held Ioulianos in high esteem, promised to cure Ammonios. They mobilised all the means of their art and did whatever they could, but without any effect.

Thus the father took his son and presented him to the true physicians (hoi ontos iatroi), that is to the martyrs Cyrus and John. Sprinkling with tears their precious tomb (soros) he begged the saints to deliver his son from the disease. The martyrs listened to Ioulianos and healed the young man.

But the healing did not concern only his body. Having seen that Ammonios was haughty and prone to be too proud because of his richness, the saints also healed his soul. They told him to sweep the area around their tomb so that he did not form too flattering an opinion of himself and, bent forward towards the earth, learnt where he had come from. Thus, when the saints had mortified the swelling in the young man's soul, they applied a remedy to his physical neck. It was a plaster of the all-powerful salve mixed with some bread (kerote he panalkes emplastros, arto michtheisa) that they ordered to be applied around his neck.

Ὅθεν ἐπιτεθέντος αὐταῖς τοῦ βοηθήματος, οὕτως ὀξέως ὥσπερ τινὸς μαστίζοντος αὐτὰς ἢ διώκοντος ἔφυγον· καὶ ἄφνω διαρρήξασαι τὸ περιέχον αὐτὰς τοῦ αὐχένος δερμάτιον πρὸ τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων ἔπεσαν μνήματος· ἑξήκοντα δὲ ἦσαν καὶ ἑπτὰ τὸν ἀριθμόν, ὡς ἔλεγον αὐτὰς οἱ μετρήσαντες· ἃς οἱ τότε τῷ νεῷ διακονούμενοι ἐπὶ πολλὰς ἡμέρας πρὸ τοῦ τῶν ἁγίων ᾐώρησαν μνήματος, τὴν τῶν μαρτύρων ἰσχὺν ἐνδεικνύμενοι, καὶ πάντας κινοῦντες πρὸς θεάρεστον αἴνεσιν. Καὶ Ἀμμώνιος μὲν ἐπὶ διπλῷ τῷ νοσήματι διπλῆν λαβὼν καὶ ἴασιν, ὑγιὴς ἀποδίδοται.

'In effect, after the application of this remedy, [the scrofula] fled as quickly as if someone flogged and chased them. Out of a sudden they burst on the skin of his neck which enveloped them and fell down in front of the saints' tomb. They were sixty seven in number, as said those who counted them. Those who were serving in the shrine that time hang them for many days by the saints' tomb, demonstrating the martyrs' power and encouraging everybody to a praise pleasing to God. Ammonios, having obtained a double cure for a double disease, is rendered healthy.'

Shortly afterwards, however, Ammonios forgot the lesson and became haughty again. So a bodily illness corrected him once more: he was punished by the martyrs with a dangerous disease of the stomach. The physicians who were taking care of him did not treat him in the right way. Thus everything he received, he immediately regurgitated through his mouth. Even though the medics tried hard, in order to get their payment, they were helpless.

So Ammonios went to revisit Cyrus and John, confessing that after God they were his only physicians. He was healed and received a remuneration for his faith from the saints. This time, the remedy for his stomach was composed of the oil and the salve (kerote, from the lamps) that were illuminating the martyrs' tomb. The saints made the vain glory of Ammonios' soul go away with the proper remedy.

One night they came to find Ammonios and bade him cast off his soft clothing and take on a rougher garment, called sakkos, such as is worn by the poorest. Then they ordered him to bring water to his ill brothers, having charged with jars both of his shoulders, and not only one. They said they would not heal him until he complied with the order.

Ammonios executed the order. He went in rough clothing to carry water, and afterwards he regained health. So he praised Cyrus and John and then departed from their shrine.


Text: Fernández Marcos 1976, lightly modified in the light of Gascou 2007. Summary: J. Doroszewska