Who is Saint Basilisk? What is he famous for? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. The Basilisk of Comans is a martyr, a Christian saint. He was the nephew of the sufferer Theodore Tyrone. The basilisk suffered along with the brothers Cleonik and Eutropius during the persecution of the Christians by the emperor Galerius Maximian (305-311).
Miracle
So, who is Saint Basilisk? It is known that the martyrs Cleonik, Basilisk and Eutropius were born in the city of Amasya. They were presented for Orthodoxy before the ruler of the city, Asklepiodot, and then brutally beaten. But he had a vision of St. Tyrone Theodore and the Lord. Therefore, they immediately recovered from all wounds.
Many pagans were surprised at this miracle and turned to Christ, for which they were beheaded. Asclepiodotus saw that he could not force the saints to turn into paganism, so he decided to change the strategy: first he divided them, and then he tried to persuade and convince him with promises and flattery to abandon the Christian faith.
His wretched attempt failed. The righteous Cleonik laughed at the ruler, but did not agree to bribe.
A statue
Further, Saints Basilisk, Eutropius and Cleonius, with prayers, forced the statue of Artemis to fall to the ground. This action was the cause of their bloody martyrdom. Wooden stakes were dug into the ground, to which the martyrs were tied. They began tearing their bodies with iron hooks, pouring them with boiling resin. Torturers sprinkled the wounds of the sufferers with a mixture of salt, mustard and vinegar.
Cleonica and Eutropius were crucified on the morning of March 3, and the martyr Basilisk was sent to Komana, where he was put in prison. At that time, the ruler Agrippa arrived in the city of Amasya and began to persecute Christians. St. Basilisk in prison was preparing for further martyrdom. The Lord appeared to him in a dream, who promised the martyr his support and predicted a suffering death in the Comans.
Farewell to family
It is known that the Christian martyr Basilisk asked the prison guards to let him go to his native village to say goodbye to his relatives. He was released, because he was revered for the miracles and the sanctity of life. When the Basilisk came home, he told his relatives that this was his last meeting with them, and asked them to stand firmly for their faith.
Agrippa soon learned that Basilisk was allowed to go home to his relatives and was angry. He severely punished the prison guards and sent a detachment of soldiers for the martyr, led by a brutal magister (assistant to the ruler).
When the Magistrian met the returning Basilisk, he put massive shackles on him, and shod his legs in boots made of copper, in the soles of which nails were driven in. Next, the Basilisk was sent to Comany.
Magic source
So, the travelers reached one village and on a hot afternoon stopped at the dwelling of a woman of Troyan. The soldiers went into the house to eat and rest, and the Basilisk was tied to a dry tree.
The martyr stood under the scorching sun in heavy shackles and offered holy prayers to God. Suddenly a voice was heard from above: “I am with you. Do not be afraid". The earth hesitated, and the spring clogged out of the rock. The Trojan, the Magisters and the soldiers, frightened by the earthquake, ran out of the house at the same moment. They were struck by the miracle that happened and instantly freed the Basilisk, to which the villagers began to come and receive healings with the help of his holy prayers.
How did the basilisk die?
When the Basilisk was finally brought to Agrippa, he ordered the pagan gods to make a sacrifice. The saint replied: "Every hour I offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and praise." Then he was taken to the temple. There, a fire descended upon the Basilisk from Heaven, which burned the temple, and crushed the idols that stood in it.
Then, in a powerless rage, Agrippa ordered Basilisk to cut off his head and throw his body into the river. The execution of the saint took place in 308.
Secret burial
Soon, Christians were able to redeem the holy relics of the martyr. They buried them secretly at night on a plowed field. A little time passed, and a church was erected on it in the name of the martyr Basilisk. His relics were transferred to it. With the help of holy prayers to the sufferer, healing began to take place.
Data
Who are the saints of the One Church? These are the people who were canonized (i.e., glorified) by the Christian United Church before the Great Schism (1054). They are revered in both Catholic and Orthodox churches.
So, you already know that all the actions described in the article occurred in the III-IV century. The basilisk was born in the city of Amasya, in Cappadocia. He died in the year 308, in the Comans.
The basilisk is revered in the guise of a martyr in both Catholic and Orthodox churches. Basilisk Memorial Day:
- March 3, May 22 - with Catholics;
- March 3 (16), May 22 (June 4) - with the Orthodox.
Nuances
What else can you tell about St. Basilisk? It is known that he was born into a pious family who lived in the village of Kumialsky. The family consisted of four people: a mother and three brothers. It is also known that the ruler, who condemned St. Tyrone Theodore to death in 306, died. Therefore, Agrippa, who began to persecute Christians with the same cruelty (as we spoke above), was appointed in his place.
Eutropius, Basilisk, and Cleonius, while in prison, many pagans contained with them, converted to the Christian faith. The friends wanted to appear before the Lord together, but the Basilisk was thrown into prison so that their wish would not come true.
When the guards released Basilisk from prison to relatives, he arrived in his native village, then he began to explain to them that it is possible to enter the kingdom of Christ only through sorrows. When he completed his speech, people began to cry a lot. They asked the martyr to pray for them to the Lord. As a result, the Basilisk received the blessing of death from his mother and went back to prison.
When the Basilisk was tied to a dry tree and prayed to God, calling on him to show mercy and to show miracles, an underground storm suddenly occurred and the chains were sleeping, and the copper boots melted. Dry oak turned green, and the source of water flowed in the place where the righteous stood, and where the earth was stained with his blood.
On the same day, a herd of oxen, going to the village from the pasture, fell to its knees in front of Basilisk. Magister and his warriors, having seen miracles, repented of their deeds.
When the wanderers continued their journey to Comany, at every picturesque and high place, the Basilisk knelt down and offered prayers to the Lord. He refused food and food, saying that he was nourished by the word of God and the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The great martyr Yevsigiy told that when the Basilisk was killed, a large number of angels appeared, who lifted up his soul to heaven. The Christians bribed the executioner so that he would not dump the body of the Basilisk into the river. When people buried a grave for the burial of holy relics, they wanted to drink. They prayed to the martyr Basilisk, and at the same moment a source appeared near the grave. This spring exists today, and its water is considered healing.
Healing Agrippa
After the death of Basilisk, an unclean force attacked Agrippa. The ruler went to the place where the sufferer was truncated. He found a couple of drops of his shelter there, gathered it with his own hands along with earth dust and tied it in his belt. At that very moment Agrippa was healed and believed in Jesus Christ.
Church
The church in the name of the martyr Basilisk was built by the citizen of Coman Marin. It was he who transferred the holy relics to this church. What are Comans? This place is located high in the mountains of Transcaucasia, in Abkhazia. There is a man’s monastery, near which the chapel of St. Basilisk is located. The history of the spiritual life of this martyr is just as tragic as that of most early Christians.
The chapel of the martyr Basilisk to the wanderer is always open. Before you go into it, you need to take off your shoes and cross yourself. The chapel is clean, gracious. Here, after a long journey through the hot sun, light coolness envelops tired people. Knowing the physical weaknesses of a person, monks always leave glasses and water tanks in the chapel.
It is also known that the righteous John Chrysostom (memory - November 13) before his death in Comany, a martyr Basilisk appeared in a dream and said: "Tomorrow we will be together." And in these mountains a little higher there is a place where the head of the Baptist John has been preserved for over a century.