The Passion of the Holy Martyr Falaleius
During the reign of Numerian, the ignominious Theodoros persecuted the Church of God in the city of Aegeia and put the faithful slaves of Christ to death.
At that time, a Christian youth named Fallaeus, a handsome man with white hair and a beautiful face, was taken by the torturers and brought before an unholy court in the temple of Hadrian [i.e., the temple built in honor of Emperor Hadrian (reigned from 117 to 138).
It should be noted that the ancient Romans had the custom of building temples in honor of their emperors and placing their statues in temples in the public squares.] When the eunuch saw him and was amazed at his beauty, he said to those around him: "Where did you find this beautiful young man?"
And we went and found him sitting under an olive-tree, and found him not; and we took him, and brought him to the king's court.
"I am a Christian, my name is Falalei, and I am from Lebanon [Lebanon - a mountain in Syria; belongs to that mountain range that begins in Sinai, stretches north through Arabia, Palestine and Syria parallel to the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and is adjacent to the Tabor.
Lebanon forms the middle, upper part of this mountain system.] My father, Beruki, was a voivode; my mother, Romilius; I have a brother who is a priest in the church, a deacon; I learned the art of medicine from the physician Macarius.
When all the Christians who lived in Lebanon had fled to the mountains and deserts because of persecution from the Gentiles, I was taken and brought to the district of Tiberias, which is in the province of Edessa [Edes, a city in Macedonia]; and being tormented by him, I confessed the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the true and all-good God, the Creator of all things, and with the help of my Lord I was delivered from the hands of the tormentors and escaped.
Do with me as you will, for I deserve to die for Christ, the heavenly God, my Savior. "Then he said, "Do you hope to escape from my hands, as you escaped from Tiberius?" The saint replied, "I do not want to run anymore, for I believe in my Lord Jesus Christ and hope in him that he will not let me be ashamed, but will help me endure the torment to the end".
And Alexander and Asterius, two executioners, stood by the saint; and the chief of the martyrs, who had been hanged, commanded them to cut off the legs of the martyr, and to hang him with a rope. But their soul's eyes were opened, and they hanged the tree instead of the saint.
And the saint said unto him, Be still, my brother; Christ is with me, my helper. And when he looked, he saw not the martyr, but the tree hanging, and said unto the executioners, What have ye done? I commanded you to hang a man, and ye hanged the tree. And when the executioner was angry, and thought that they were mocking him, he commanded them both to be beaten without pity.
"Blessed be the name of the Lord, for from now on we also become Christians, because we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and suffer for him". When the Ecumenical Patriarch heard these words, he immediately ordered them to be cut off with the sword, and they, having died in agony, received the crowns of Christ God along with the other holy martyrs.
And the Gentiles that were in the temple of Hadrian, when they saw that which was done, lifted up their voices, and said, Great is the God of Christ.
And Hegemon was ashamed, and begged the martyr, and said, Pray for me to thy God, Phalalei, that I may rise up from my place; for thy God is great.
When the saint prayed, Egemon rose, but seeing that it was not divine power, but the magic of Phalaleus, he was very angry with the saint, gnashing his teeth. Then, taking the drill, he began to drill the martyr's feet himself, but immediately his hands dried up. Egemon again called to the martyr, saying, "Again I beg you, Phalaleus, pray for me that my hands may be healed".
Take this sorcerer out of my sight, and cast him into the depths of the sea, that he may perish. And he said unto him, Thou hast begun to seek after me, therefore thou shalt finish him. And the sorcerer said, Depart from me, sorcerer, and perish elsewhere; for I have not yet done thee any harm, but thou hast done me so much evil with thy sorceries.
"Do not think, my tormentor, that I am afraid of your threats, and that I will deny my God; but know that I will by no means sacrifice to your gods, nor worship the demons that you serve". At these words, the holy servants of Ecumenon took him and, putting him in a ship, took him to the middle of the sea, and there they drowned him.
"Lord, my God, do not let me die now, for I am willing to suffer for your holy name, so that after I have done more martyrdom, I may receive from you the incorruptible crown of eternal life".
And while they were yet speaking to him, behold, St. Phalalius came, clothed in white garments; and when he and all that were with him saw him, they were astonished, and said unto him, Behold, thy enchantment hath overcome the sea. And he said unto him, Where is now the power and the might of thy gods? where is thy pride? behold, my Lord Jesus Christ hath destroyed thy counsels, and kept me from dying, that I might yet overcome the devil thy father.
And it came to pass, when the magician, whose name was Urvicius, was with the magician, that he advised the magician, saying, Command, lord, that he be given to the beasts to eat. And the magician called the watchman, and commanded him to prepare a place for the spectacle, and said to the saint,
"Phalaleus, do you sacrifice to the gods, or do you want your body to be eaten by beasts?" The holy martyr replied, "Have you not yet recognized the power and majesty of the Lord and my God Jesus Christ? But I will proclaim to you with prophetic words: 'The right hand of the Lord is exalted, the right hand of the Lord works power. I will not die, but I will live and declare the works of the Lord.'
And the beasts touched him not; and a fierce bear came, and lay at his feet, and licked them. And he gnawed his teeth, and roared with fury, and said, Let the lion and the lioness go out upon the slain. And they came and fell at his feet, and licked them. And he rent his garments in his anger, and his people cried with a loud voice,
"Great God of the Christians, God of Phalaleius, have mercy on us". And when they had seized Urvicius the sorcerer, they cast him to the beasts, and immediately he was torn to pieces and eaten by them.
And the holy martyr was brought to be crucified in a place prepared for him, which is called Hades, and after praying he died, on the twentieth day of the month of May, in the honor and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ, glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.
The martyr of compassion is also a warrior, a soldier of the King of glory was you, temptations and torments the exaltation of idolaters has overcome you: for this I honour your memory, wise Fallalea.