Страдание святых мучеников Фронтасия, Северина, Севериана и Силана

Saint Frontasius, Severinus, Severian and Silanus were sent by the first Petragorian bishop Fronto in 3626 to preach the word of God. During the sermon, hegemon Squiridon seized them and interrogated them: – Tell me: where are you from and what names are you called? For you not only did not make sacrifices to the gods, but you turned away many others from this and even destroyed the churches of the gods. Tell me, by what authority are you doing this? - Why are you interrogating us, hegemon, being alien to Divine virtue? Are you no longer striving to destroy a just cause? Then, before you begin to fulfill your intention, consider: who created your soul and body? After all, pagan idols are the product of human hands and cannot benefit themselves or help others, much less create anything. “I see,” said Squiridon, “that you are impudent and loquacious, having learned all sorts of idle talk from your Teacher.” “Our words are full of truth,” answered Severin and Severian, “but you worship idols, which are stones set up by demons; they are deaf, dumb and empty. “Leave your reasoning,” Squiridon interrupted them, “and if you want to stay alive, make a sacrifice to the gods.” “Our acquisition lies in this,” answered Frontasius, “to live and die for Christ!” After that, the hegemon turned to Silan, who knew how to play the harp, euphonious cymbals and lyres, and asked him: - And you, young man, why don’t you make a sacrifice to the gods? “I have prepared,” answered Saint Silanus, “to sacrifice myself to my Lord Jesus Christ, Who with the grace of baptism washed the world from sinful filth.” - How did you wash it? – asked the hegemon. – My Lord Jesus Christ said to His disciples: “Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19), “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Thus, you, hegemon, if you believe in Christ and are baptized, you will be saved, but if you do not believe, you will be condemned. Angry, the hegemon ordered them to be taken to the place of execution outside the city and subjected to severe torture. At the same time, the torturers drove iron nails into the heads of the martyrs, in the likeness of the crown of thorns of our Savior, and nailed them to a stake. There were nine nails in each head. But the cruel rage of the tormentors could not turn His soldiers away from Christ. After the hegemon could not defeat the saints with the aforementioned torments, he made his last decision regarding them - he ordered to cut off their heads. Then the holy martyrs, bending their knees to the ground and entrusting their souls to God, presented their necks to the executioners and suffered martyrdom for confessing the name of Christ. The wicked warriors, having beheaded the heads of the martyrs, threw their bodies to the ground for desecration, leaving the honorable remains without burial. But Divine power performed the following miracle. The bodies of the saints, with the sudden influx of the Holy Spirit on them, came to life, and each, taking his head lying nearby in his hands, without any human help stood on his own feet and thus came to the river called Il. Having stepped onto the waters here, the revived bodies of the martyrs walked along them, as if on dry ground. Having then crossed the river, in full view of many who watched the miracle in amazement, they climbed a high hill. Here they reached the Church of the Most Pure Mother of God the Virgin Mary, in which the holy Bishop Fronton prayed. The holy martyrs entered the church and, bending their knees, laid their heads before the feet of the bishop, and spread out their bodies in a cross shape on the ground, and they again became dead. Then the holy Bishop Fronton, with the presbyter Anian and with the participation of a large crowd, with honor and hymns, buried Frontasius, Severinus and Silanus in the above-mentioned church. Severian, at the request of a certain reverent woman, he buried with honor in another place located in her possessions, not far from his holy fellow-sufferers. The holy martyrs suffered during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius 3627, glorifying by their deeds and firm confession of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. The Petragorian episcopal see was otherwise called Pericheskaya. The city of Perigueux was located in southern Gaul. The Roman Emperor Claudius reigned from 41 to 54. You might be interested in: