E07696: 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 Georgios from a cataract and delivered him from death during a pestilence, all at their sanctuary at Menouthis (near Alexandria, Lower Egypt). He also mentions veneration of *Paul (the Apostle, S00008) and *Menas (soldier and martyr buried at Abu Mena, S00073). Written in Greek in Alexandria, 610/615.

Sophronius of Jerusalem, The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John, 51


There was a certain presbyter [presbyteros] Georgios who, having completed all the orders of the clergy, for some time administered wonderfully the sanctuary of the martyrs. He was originally from Tarsus in Cilicia and called Paul [the Apostle] his defender, proud of this fellow citizen and the city. He spent his childhood in Tarsus, but then left it with his parents. The family decided to go and venerate saint Menas of the Mareotis. They arrived thus in Alexandria and venerated the martyr. The winter hindered their return, and shortly afterwards Georgios’ father died. The young man became an orphan, and soon lost his sight as he developed a cataract.

The physicians could not help him, so he was advised to go to the martyrs Cyrus and John. They delivered him from the disease and he regained his sight. They commanded him to apply on his eyes a mixture made of cheese from Bithynia with the salve (kerote). Georgios executed this order and was healed.

The saints decided not to send him back to his mother but kept him in their sanctuary, having made themselves his parents. They raised him in their sanctuary like Samuel, promoted his career in the clergy and entrusted him with the management (oikonomia) of their shrine. They also saved his life twice.

Λοιμὸς ἦν, καὶ οἱ τότε νοσοῦντες πρὶν ἢ διαγνωσθῆναι τὴν νόσον ἀπέθνησκον. Ἐνόσησε καὶ Γεώργιος, καὶ τῶν ὅρων τῆς ζωῆς πληρωθέντων, τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς ἐκδεδήμηκεν· καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ὁρᾷ λαβόντας αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπάγοντας, καὶ Κῦρον αὐτοῖς καὶ Ἰωάννην συναντῶντας τοὺς μάρτυρας, καὶ χαρίζεσθαι αὐτοῖς τὸν πρεσβύτην πρεσβεύοντας, ὅπερ ποιεῖν ἔλεγον αἱ δυνάμεις μὴ δύνασθαι, θείῳ δὲ θεσπίσματι κατὰ τρόπον δουλεύουσαι· μένειν δ’ αὐτῶν τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν ἱκετείαν ἀπήγγελλον, καὶ δευτέραν αὐτοῦ προσδέχεσθαι κέλευσιν.

Ταύτην λαβόντες οἱ μάρτυρες τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, πρὸς ἱκετείαν ἐτρέποντο, καὶ πρὸς Θεὸν τὰ γόνατα κλίναντες, δωρηθῆναι αὐτοῖς τὸν λάτρην ἐδέοντο· καὶ τοῦτο ποιούντων, ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ φωνὴ κατεφέρετο, διδόναι προστάττουσα τοῖς μάρτυσι τὸν πρεσβύτερον, καὶ χρόνους εἴκοσι ἐν σαρκὶ διορίζουσα. Καὶ οὕτω μὲν οὗτος ὁ θαυμάσιος τὸν τότε διέφυγε θάνατον, Ἐζεκίου πλέον ἔτη πέντε ζωῆς κομισάμενος, μαρτύρων σπουδῇ καὶ θείῳ δωρήματι.

‘There was a pestilence and those who were then sick died before the disease was recognised. Georgios too was affected, and, since the limits of his life were achieved, he was departing from this life. He saw angels who came to take and lead him away, and Cyrus and John the martyrs went to meet them, and negotiated with them that the presbyter be given to them. The powers said they could not do this, as they are normally subject to divine decree. However, they announced that they would await supplication to God, and to receive another command of His.

Having received this answer, the martyrs turned to supplication and, kneeling before God, begged that their worshipper be given to them. And while they were doing this, from the sky a voice descended which commanded that the presbyter be given to them and that his mortal [existence] be limited to twenty years [more]. And in this way this admirable man escaped death on that occasion, having completed five years more of life than Hezekiah, thanks to the martyrs’ zeal and the divine gift.’

When he completed the twenty years, he died again; the angels came and took him, but he again met the martyrs and received, with immortal life, deliverance once more from death, thanks to their grace and power, and their familiarity with God.


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