E06118: The ‘epic’ Greek Martyrdom of *Kyrikos/Cyricus and Ioulitta/Julitta (child and his mother, martyrs of Tarsus, S00007) tells the story of a precocious child saint and his mother who, after initially fleeing from Ikonion/Iconium, are martyred in Tarsus under the governor Alexander after extravagant torture. Probably written in Tarsus or elsewhere in south-east Asia Minor, most probably in the 5th century.

Martyrdom of Kyrikos and Ioulitta (BHG 313y-z)

Summary:

Note: the name Kyrikos is usually, but not always, spelled Kerykos in the Greek manuscripts.

When Alexandros was governor in Ikonion (the city is only named in BHG 313z), there is a persecution of Christians. Ioulitta, a Christian, flees the city to Tarsus in Cilicia. Alexandros comes to Tarsus, and Ioulitta is brought before the governor with her infant son, Kyrikos. The child is a precocious saint who miraculously speaks as though he were an adult, refusing to be influenced by the governor and mocking and taunting him and his gods openly (parrhesia).

Together with his mother, Kyrikos undergoes the most horrific and fantastic torments imaginable. After a lashing, the child’s body is miraculously unharmed; mustard and salt inserted into their nostrils are shrugged off by the saints as sweet; spits heated in fire inserted into their ears, eyes, mouth and heart are cooled by divine intervention like ice crystals, and the saints remain unharmed.

When the saints are incarcerated for the night, the Devil appears in the form of an angel of light and converses with Kyrikos, trying to persuade him to capitulate, but he sees through the ruse and sends the enemy away ignominiously; the Devil flees in the form of a hurricane and smoke. When the trial resumes, at the saint’s behest an angel of the Lord descends from heavens and pulverises the altar and idols of the false gods. When the executioners are at a loss how to inflict pain on the saint, Kyrikos himself requests the construction of exquisite torture instruments, but the governor’s blacksmith does not know how to make them, so a hundred artisans are called in from the city. There follows a second incarceration for 40 days, and prayer.

When the trial resumes once more, the saints’ heads are shaved and their scalps removed, with burning coals placed on top, but through divine intervention the coals are extinguished. A crowd of new converts (430 in BHG 313z) are executed by the governor. Kyrikos is pierced with three nails from head and shoulders to his feet, but an angel removes them and sticks one of them in the neck of the governor, who is healed by the saint but recants and claims the healing was accomplished by the pagan gods. Even the saint’s tongue is cut out, but he miraculously keeps on talking. The saints are then thrown into a boiling cauldron of tar and brimstone, like the three Hebrew youths in the furnace in the book of Daniel, and Ioulitta is afraid; however, Kyrikos strengthens her resolve, the Devil leaves her and she receives the Holy Spirit. The heat of the cauldron does not harm them.

Finally, the Lord appears in person, surrounded by angels, and grants the saint’s requests made in his final prayer. Kyrikos prays:

1) that his body should not appear upon the earth (τὸ σῶμά μου μὴ ὀφθήτω ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς);

2) that whoever invokes him in prayer and celebrates his feast day (in BHG 313z also whoever builds a church for him, καὶ ποιήσῃ τὸ μαρτύριόν μου) should be rewarded in the heavens;

3) that their wheat and wine should be plentiful;

4) that wherever there be a shrine of the saint (lit. καὶ ὅπου ἐὰν γένηται εὐκτηρίω οἴκω ἐν τῶ ὀνόματί μου) there should not occur disease of men or sheep or cattle, nor shortage of bread or wine or water, and any demon should be driven away from there (BHG 313z)
or
that any possessed people entering his shrine should be cured and the demon driven away, and that anyone who visits his shrine (if this is the meaning of τοῖς χρήζουσιν τὸ μαρτύριόν μου) should receive a reward in the heavens; (BHG 313y)

5) that those who copy this martyrdom account should be rewarded, and those who read it be granted mercy (BHG 313z)
or
that those who read it receive a reward on the last day (BHG 313y)

6) that those who celebrate his feast day should be given wisdom to avoid the snares of the Devil, and that the Holy Spirit should dwell in that place (BHG 313y), or in that house (BHG 313z), and

7) that whoever brings offerings to the church (καρποφορήσει) in the saint’s name should be rewarded.

The Lord then replies affirming the granting of these requests, and (only in BHG 313y) saying that Kyrikos’ body will be interred in the earth (τὸ δὲ σῶμά σου τεθήσεται ἐν τῇ γῇ).

After this, the saints are martyred on 15 July, on Friday, and are crowned by angels. On the following day their followers (numbering 11404 in BHG 313z) are martyred on 16 July. Saint Kyrikos now stands before the throne of God, praying for our souls (in BHG 313z; in BHG 313y it is simply stated that the massacred crowd of saints now pray for us to God).

Text: mss. Coisl. gr. 121 ff. 128-132, Athon. Esphigm. 44 ff. 96v-105v.
Summary: N. Kälviäinen.