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St. Muchch. Eustratia, Auxentia, Eugenia, Mardaria and Orestes These martyrs suffered for the confession of Christ during the persecution under Diocletian. Eustratius, one of the most noble dignitaries in the city of Satalion, an educated and respected Christian, seeing with what firmness numerous confessors of Christ went to suffer torment for the faith, he himself did not want to hide from the persecution of the persecutors. Having learned that the righteous presbyter Auxentius, along with others, was imprisoned after torture, Evstratius came to them there and said: “I ask you for Christ’s sake, pray for me, because I want to be a participant in your feat,” and together with the condemned, having prayed earnestly, he himself declared himself a Christian. After cruel torture, he was taken to Armenian Sevastya (now Sivash), and there, after new trials, among which he miraculously remained unharmed for a long time, he was condemned to be burned. Preparing for execution, Evstratiy said in prayerful inspiration: “I magnify You, Lord, for You have looked upon my humility, and have shut me up in the hands of the enemy; but you saved my soul from need! And now, Master, may Thy hand cover me, and may Thy mercy come upon me, as my soul is troubled and painful in its journey, from my accursed and foul body: lest the evil adversary lay down the council and cast me down in darkness, for the unknown and the known in this life my former sins. Be merciful to me, Master, and may my soul not see the dark gaze of wicked demons, but may Your bright and blessed angels receive me. Give glory to Thy Holy Name, and by Thy power lead me to Thy Divine Judgment: never be judged by me, so that the hand of the prince of this world may not accept me, so as to cast me out as a sinner into the depths of hell, but stand before me and be my Savior and Intercessor: this bodily torment is the joy of Thy servant. Have mercy, O Lord, my soul, defiled by the passions of this life, and accept it pure through repentance and confession, for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages, amen” 177. - And crossing himself, he entered the kindled oven, in which, having betrayed his soul to God, he died. Presbyter Auxentius was beheaded in the city of Aravrac. Eugene the warrior, friend and comrade in the service of Eustratius, a witness of his sufferings and the wonderful signs with which they were accompanied and which converted many to Christ, also courageously openly declared himself a Christian and accepted a martyr’s death: his tongue and hands were cut off and his legs were broken. Mardarius, also a citizen of Aravrak, who stood on the roof of his house while prisoners were being led to Sebastia through this city, including Eustratius, walking in iron boots with sharp nails, hastily went down and said to his wife: “Do you see this man, noble and rich, and an honored warrior, whom everyone in this country loves and respects? And he did not value any of these benefits, but preferred to sacrifice everything to God... Blessed is this Eustratius... he was glorious in this life, and in the future he will be worthy of indescribable glory and bliss”... “What prevents you from following the same path and being worthy of the same martyrdom, for the sake of which you will become an intercessor before God for me, and for our little children, and for your entire family?”, answered his pious wife to Mardari. These words of his wife finally aroused Mardarius’s zeal to suffer along with other martyrs for the confession of the holy faith of Christ. Having dressed hastily, he embraced his wife and children and, entrusting them to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 178 joined the prisoners, declaring that he too was a Christian. He answered all questions at the trial by repeating the same words: “I am a Christian.” This is what Eustratius taught him, seeing that Mardarius, as an unlearned man, was at a loss as to how to answer in court... The judge ordered his legs to be twisted, hanged headlong and scorched with a hot iron. In these torments, Mardarius died, thanking and glorifying God, and with complete hope surrendering his soul to Him. After the execution of many already tortured Christians, the imperial dignitary Lysias went to the field to review the troops. At the same time, he drew attention to one young warrior named Orestes, who amazed him with his beautiful appearance and dexterity in exercises. Watching him while shooting at a target, Lysias suddenly saw that with one movement, Orestes’ cross fell from his chest. - What is this? - asked the persecutor, taking up the cross, - are you really one of those who honor the crucified Christ? “I am a servant of the crucified God,” the young warrior confessed, “I wear this sign to protect myself from all evil.” This answer decided the fate of Orestes, who was tortured to death on a hot bed. He bravely endured the fiery torture and joyfully surrendered his soul to God. The remains of these five martyrs were buried by Bishop Blasius (comm. February 11) in their hometown of Aravrak, where later “a church was built in their honor and miracles were performed from their relics. - In front of the gates of Constantinople there was a monastery of these martyrs, named Olympus. The patriarch served here every year on their memorial day. Currently, their relics rest in Rome in the Church of St. Apollinaris of Ravennia" 179. In the Pech monastery, on the left side of the royal doors of the middle church near the iconostasis, there is a shrine with the heads of the holy “five-fold” martyrs - Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugenius, Mardarius and Orestes, which, according to legend, received the blessed Archbishop of Serbia Arsenius (October 28) from Bulgarian Ternov 180. In the settlement of Seredin. Bude (Novgorod-Seversky district, Chernigov diocese) in the parish church there is an icon of these martyrs with particles of their relics, reverently revered by the parishioners. The story of the suffering of St. Muchch. Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugenius, Mardarius and Orestes are attributed to Eusebius, a monk of Sebaste, and is remarkable for many features, recorded as if by a close witness of their feat 181. Originally from Syracuse, in gratitude to God for the healing of his mother at the relics of St. Agathia decided to lead a celibate life in Katana, and together with her mother she began to distribute her property to the poor and widows. Lukia's fiancé found out about this and, out of annoyance, informed the ruler that Lukia was a Christian. The ruler exhorted her for a long time to renounce Christ and make a sacrifice to the gods, but, seeing her inflexibility, he tortured her and then ordered her to be beheaded (305 years) in Syracuse. This prayer has been accepted into church use and is read at the Midnight Office on Saturday. The prayer that Mardari said when going to suffer: “Lord God, Father Almighty,” is read at the end of the 3rd hour and at the Midnight Office. “Monthly. East." vol. II, part 2, p. 387. "The Lives of the Saints" Philareta, Archbishop. Chernigov, p. 279. “A month. Vost.”, vol. II, part 2, p. 386.