Память святых мучеников Трофима и Евкарпия

When persecution was launched against Christians in Nicomedia, all the confessors of Christ were seized and kept in prison, and then they were put on trial, and they were subjected to numerous tortures and various torments, and those who remained steadfast in the confession of Christ our God were put to death. At this time, the holy martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpius were known in the army as the most courageous and brave warriors, and therefore they turned out to be the strongest enemies of Christ. They seized Christians, imprisoned them, and, having received full power over them, at their discretion they handed over some to torture, while others were left to languish in prison. One day, when they were going to capture some Christians, they saw a large cloud of fire descending from the sky and getting thicker as it approached them. A voice came from the cloud saying: - Why are you so zealous, threatening My servants? Do not be deceived: no one can subjugate those who believe in Me to their power, but it is better to join them yourself, and then you will gain for yourself the Kingdom of Heaven. Seeing this vision and hearing such words, Trophimus and Eucarpius, these so furious and cruel persecutors of the slaves of Christ, fell to the ground, since they could neither look at the vision nor endure the thunderous voice coming from the cloud, and, lying on the ground, they only said to each other: – Truly great is the God who has appeared to us today. We will be happy if we become His slaves. And while they were speaking these words with fear, the cloud was divided, standing on either side of them, and from it a voice was heard again, saying to them: - Arise and repent, and your sins will be forgiven. When they got up, they saw a certain white-faced man, very handsome, sitting in the middle of a cloud, and a great crowd standing before Him. Struck by His extraordinary appearance, Trophimus and Eucarpius said to Him in one voice: - Receive us, for our sins are evil and unspeakable. There is no other God but You, the Creator and the One true God, and we have not yet joined Your servants! When they said these words, the cloud immediately came together and rose into the sky. After this, Trophimus and Eukarpius remained in place for a long time and cried, and then, having prayed to God, they returned back and with fear they freed all those who were kept in custody from prison. Kissing them like brothers, bowing to them and removing their shackles, they saw everyone off, and all the prisoners thus returned to their homes. The governor of the city of Nicomedia, having learned about this, was very angry with Trophimus and Eucarpius and, calling them to him, began to interrogate them, wanting to find out the reason for their change. They told him in detail everything they had seen in the vision. Then he ordered to hang them on a tree and plan their ribs, and then rub the wounds with hair ropes. The holy martyrs courageously endured torment and prayed, rejoicing and thanking God. This made the city leader even more angry, and he ordered a large fire to be lit and they were thrown into it. When the fire was lit, the saints themselves entered the fire and, glorifying God, betrayed their righteous souls into the hands of God. The holy martyrs Trophimus and Eucarpius accepted such a martyrdom in 2023. Saints Trophimus and Eucarpius died around the year 300. You might be interested in: