The suffering of the holy martyr Zosima the warrior

While the Roman state was ruled by Emperor Trajan [reigned 89 to 117 C.E.], the hellenes were still known to be engulfed in idolatry and great spiritual blindness - and so the Church of God was soon subjected to fierce persecution during his reign.

At that time, a prominent Greek man named Domitian, the governor of Antioch in Pisidia, asked the emperor Trajan to grant him authority over Christians so that he could punish anyone who refused to sacrifice to the gods.

Having received such power from the king and having put on the devil's armor, he, like a lion, raged against those who were determined to keep their faith in Christ firm to the end.

Now this is a small town of Sidzeboli.] In this city lived a certain Elin, a warrior, named Zosima, who always sought to become a follower of the faith of Christ. Hearing of the approach of the egemon and of the coming persecution, he, taking off his military weapons, decided to join the holy church and, having learned the faith of Christ and accepted the holy baptism, began to strive for Christian virtues and to exercise in purity and chastity, in fasting and prayers.

And it came to pass after some days, when Domitian the eunuch was come into the city, that one of the idolaters came to him, and said, Behold, there dwelleth in this city a certain soldier, named Zosimus, who despiseth the king and thy power; and he hath cast off his armour, and hath cast off the rank which king Trajan had put upon him, and hath declared himself a Christian, and hath not regarded our gods; and he abhorreth also the king's laws, and despiseth the king's power.

And the king's servants went to Zosimus, and took him, and brought him into the court. And when he saw him, he said, Art thou Zosimus? And he said, I am Zosimus, a servant of my Lord Jesus Christ.

"I was a soldier of your earthly king, but I have renounced your wicked gods and become a soldier of the heavenly King, Christ, the true God". "O lawless one", said Domitian, "the name of Christ will not help you, but offer a better sacrifice to the gods, and you will be forgiven for your sin against our king Trajan, with whom you are honored with a military rank".

Domitian ordered the soldier to be taken to the prison, and in the morning the saint was brought back to the court, his hands tied behind his back, and the Ecumenical Patriarch ordered that he be hanged on the gallows.

And when they began to torment St. Zosimus, he said to the Egemon, In vain thy servants labor, for the Lord strengtheneth me, and I feel not my wounds. And they tormented the saint long, until the earth was covered with his blood.

Lord God Almighty, who art in thy glory, who hast created the heavens, and founded the earth, and gathered the waters into one place, our hope and the hope of thy servants, hear me when I pray unto thee, and let me not be overcome by the threats of torment or the most painful torment, that all who deny thy name may know thee by me, the only true God.

When some heard this, they shouted, "This man is a sorcerer. " Others shouted", He is a servant of Christ and of the God of the Jews".

Then Egimon commanded four soldiers to force the saint to the ground in the form of a cross. The martyr of Christ, already tormented, looked up to heaven and said:

O Lord my God, who knowest the thoughts of men, the hope of the Christians, the refuge and rest of the afflicted, deliver me from the wicked schemes of Domitianus, that all may know that thou art the living God, who art before all ages, and art from everlasting.

And many of the people marveled at his patience, and believed. And when the emperor saw that it was so, he was ashamed, and was writhing with fury, and thought how he might slay the servant of Christ.

And when the fire was hot, he commanded that the holy martyr should be put upon it naked, and Zosima alone, having made the sign of the cross upon himself, went up to the fire, and immediately the Lord turned the fire into a torrent; for by his angels he came down to the aid of the martyr.

But when the people saw what had happened, they praised God, who had saved his servant from the flames by sending his holy angels, and a great number of people believed.

And when he was come to the city of Cononæa [in Pisidia, on the way to Persia], he commanded that Zosimus the martyr should be brought with him, that he might be put to death there in torments.

And when he was come into the city, and sat in the judgment-seat, he gave orders that the martyr should be put in iron sandals, and that he should be bound with an iron chain to young horses, and that he should ride after them. And the holy man, being bound to the horses, and in the iron sandals, and in the nails, ran so swiftly, that it seemed as if he had overtaken the horses; for the Lord was with him, and helped him.

"O Lord God, who has given me the speed of the deer, give me patience to the end". When Hegemon saw the patience of the martyr, he ordered him to be imprisoned and given neither food nor water to die of hunger and thirst.

And the martyr took it, and ate, and drank, and strengthened himself, and said, I thank thee, Lord, that thou hast had pity on me, and hast not despised me, but hast filled me with thy heavenly bread and drink.

The next day, when he sat again in the judgment-seat, he ordered the martyr to be brought before him. The saint appeared with a bright face, but his mind was at that time entirely turned to the Lord. Hegemon was surprised to see the martyr's face unchanged after such torments, and said to him: "O Zosima, since you seem to have come to your senses now, offer a sacrifice to the gods, so that you do not suffer more wounds and die a cruel death.

And he said unto him, If thou wilt, sacrifice unto the devils, and I will, as I have said, serve only my God. And the devil, being angry, commanded to hang the martyr again upon the tree, and said unto him, Seest thou, O devil, how much thou art tormented? and yet dost thou not obey me, and offer not sacrifice unto the gods? And he said, He that loveth the living God doth not understand these torments.

And he commanded that the body of the martyr should be bound with iron chains. And the holy martyr, while he was in all these afflictions, cried with a loud voice to God, saying, "Now especially do I know thy mercy, O Christ, the Creator of light, because thou hast strengthened me to suffer all these things, and not even to speak a word, that in my sufferings thy Divinity might be more fully manifested".

And when he had said this, the governor commanded that Paul should be brought down from the cross, and that he should stand before him again. And when he had said this, he said to him, Thou hast suffered much for thy Christ, and thou hast received no relief; wherefore go, and offer sacrifice to the gods.

O Domitianus, furious, inhuman, and full of every evil torture, fear the God of heaven, and forsake thy error, and call not idols gods; for they are devils, and not gods.

And the king commanded that St. Zosimus should be hanged on the gallows, and that his belly should be burned with candles.

For I would rather die than glory in my death before Christ, if I should die for him. For not knowing what else to do with the martyr, the governor finally sentenced him to death, namely, to be beheaded with a spear.

{To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.} Look upon me a sinner, O Jehovah my God, and take my soul with them that are before thee for ever: for thou art my glory and my praise, from henceforth and for ever.

When the martyr came to the place where they usually put him to death, he was cut off with a sword, laying his honest head for his Christ. This happened on June 19, in the city of Cononæus, - while Trajan ruled in Rome, and over us Christians, our Lord Jesus Christ reigned - to whom be glory and power for ever and ever, amen.