E06668: The 'epic' Greek Martyrdom of *Zenobios and Zenobia (brother and sister, martyrs of Aegae, S01681) recounts the miraculous accomplishments of the Christian healer Zenobios, in Aegae (Cilicia, south-east Asia Minor) and his martyrdom together with his sister Zenobia. Written possibly in Aegae, probably in the 5th-6th century.

Martyrdom of Zenobios and Zenobia (BHG 1884)

Summary:

§ 1: In the city of Aegae in a gulf on the coast of Cilicia, there is a pious man named Zenodotos. After the death of his parents, his paternal uncle arranges his marriage to a girl named Thekla. Together the couple live a pious life and have a male child, Zenobios, whom they raise in the Christian faith. A little afterwards they also have a daughter, Zenobia.

§ 2: After the boy grows up, he is blessed with both wisdom and grace, and with the grace of Christ heals the sick whom the proudest of doctors cannot cure. He also provides poor people with the things necessary for life. At that time, the Roman emperor dies of an illness and is succeeded by the thrice-accursed Diokletianos, who appoints [as governor] of the province of Cilicia one Lysias, a vile man hostile to Christians. Lysias arrives at Mopsuestia and commences a persecution. Among others, he tortures and crucifies *Klaudios, Asterios and Neon (S02533) from the city of Laranda, and has their bodies thrown to the birds and beasts.

§ 3: Zenobios continues to perform healings through Christ, not accepting any payment for his services in obedience to the commandment in the Gospel 'freely you have received, freely give' (δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε). One day the wife of an Indian tribal chief (φύλαρχος, phylarch) falls ill with the so-called cancer (καρκίνος), located in the innermost part of her chest. After all the doctors and even the magicians of their nation have failed to cure her, her husband is in despair; however, one day he learns of the miraculous grace of Zenobios from a travelling merchant.

§ 4: The Indian takes his wife and their two children with them and embark on a journey to find the saint. When they reach the city of Aegae and search for the great doctor, the Lord appears to the Indian in a dream and tells him to go to the church of the Christians in order to find him. Taking his wife with him, he finds the church (τὸ κυριακὸν) filled with people listening to the honeyed teaching of Zenobios. They fall at the saint's feet and beg him for help; after promising to renounce their pagan religion, the cancerous tumour falls out of the woman's chest and she is cured. The bishop immediately takes them to be baptised. Having partaken of the holy communion, they return to their homeland, glorifying God.

§ 5: In Antioch at Daphne there is a pious woman who is in the habit of giving alms to the poor; she develops a great cancerous tumour (φῦμα) called phagedaena (φαγέδαινα) between her breasts. When the doctors recommend surgical removal, she is afraid that she cannot withstand such pain. She secretly leaves town at night and makes her way hastily to Seleucia and thence by boat to Aegae. Finding the saint, she reveals to him her affliction. With the sign of the cross and a prayer, bishop Zenobios cures the woman, whose tumour bursts and drenches the ground in foul-smelling fluid (ichor). She returns to Antioch, proclaiming the holy man.

§ 6: When the impious Diokletianos begins a persecution of Christians, the vile Lysias orders Zenobios to present himself before him. He gives Zenobios the choice between obeying and enjoying imperial patronage, or refusing and suffering torture and death. Zenobios refuses to sacrifice to the gods and bids the governor torture him. The tyrant, enraged, orders his servants to twist the saint's body on a wooden rack and scrape him with sharp instruments.

§ 7: Having heard of her brother's impending martyrdom, Zenobia arms herself spiritually and arrives at the scene, rebuking Lysias for his treatment of Zenobios. Astounded at her courage, the governor attempts to persuade her to sacrifice, but the saints refuse unanimously to abandon their faith.

§ 8: The governor has both saints placed on iron beds with burning coals beneath. The blood (ichor) from their bodies stains the iron and quenches the fire. Zenobios taunts Lysias, who once again marvels at the siblings' courage and has them taken down in order to give them another chance to sacrifice. Zenobios refuses and instead suggests that the governor himself should repent and convert. Lysias orders pitch to be heated in cauldrons. The saints stand before the cauldrons and pray for Christ to take their souls in peace, and throw themselves into the cauldrons. The pitch at once cools down and the saints emerge unscathed.

§ 9: Finally receiving the verdict condemning them to be executed, the saints rejoice as they are led outside the city walls, and pray to God to accept them into the company of the saints. A voice from the heavens confirms that the saintly doctor has consummated his path and earned the crown of righteousness. Zenobios and Zenobia are beheaded and their bodies thrown outside the city. The presbyters Hermogenes and Gaios, together with all the clergy and many of the faithful, gather the saints' bodies and place them in caskets (γλωσσοκόμοις), which they hide in a cave. Zenobios and Zenobia consummated their martyrdom on 31 October, on Friday, at the ninth hour.

Text: AASS, Oct. XIII, 259-263.
Summary: N. Kälviäinen.