What was the name of the sword that belonged to Saint George? Icon of St. George the Victorious - meaning, what it helps with
In Cappadocia, in the noble family of the pagan Gerontius and the Christian Polychronia. George's mother raised him in the Christian faith. One day, having fallen ill with a fever, Gerontius, on the advice of his son, called on the name of Christ and was healed. From that moment on, he also became a Christian, and soon was honored to accept torture and death for his faith. This happened when Georgiy was 10 years old. The widowed Polychronia moved with her son to Palestine, where her homeland and rich possessions were.
Having entered military service at the age of 18, George stood out among other soldiers for his intelligence, courage, physical strength, military posture and beauty. Having soon reached the rank of tribune, he showed such courage in battle that he attracted attention and became the favorite of Emperor Diocletian - a talented ruler, but a fanatical adherent of the pagan Roman gods, who carried out one of the most severe persecutions of Christians. Diocletian, who did not yet know about George’s Christianity, honored him with the rank of comite and governor.
From the time George became convinced that the emperor’s unrighteous plan to exterminate Christians could not be canceled, he decided that the time had come that would serve to save his soul. He immediately distributed all his wealth, gold, silver and precious clothes to the poor, granted freedom to the slaves who were with him, and about those slaves who were in his Palestinian possessions, he ordered that some of them be freed and others transferred to the poor. After this, he appeared at a meeting between the emperor and the patricians about the extermination of Christians and courageously denounced them for cruelty and injustice, declaring himself a Christian and throwing the gathering into confusion.
When the Great Martyr George was in prison, people who believed in Christ because of his miracles came to him, gave gold to the guards, fell at the feet of the saint and were instructed by him in the holy faith. By invoking the name of Christ and the sign of the cross, the saint also healed the sick, who came to him in large numbers in prison. Among them was the farmer Glycerius, whose ox was broken to death, but was brought back to life through the prayer of St. George.
In the end, the emperor, seeing that George did not renounce Christ and was leading more and more people to believe in Him, decided to arrange a final test and offered him to become his co-ruler if he made a sacrifice to the pagan gods. George followed the emperor to the temple, but instead of making a sacrifice, he expelled the demons that lived in the statues from there, causing the idols to be crushed, and the gathered people attacked the saint in rage. Then the emperor ordered his head to be cut off with a sword. So the holy sufferer departed to Christ in Nicomedia on April 23 of the year.
Relics and veneration
George's servant, who recorded all his exploits, also received a covenant from him to bury his body in the ancestral Palestinian possessions. The relics of Saint George were placed in the Palestinian city of Lydda, in a temple that received his name, and his head was kept in Rome in a temple also dedicated to him. Saint Demetrius of Rostov adds that his spear and banner were also preserved in the Roman temple. The right hand of the saint now resides on Mount Athos in the monastery of Xenophon in a silver shrine.
Great Martyr George began to be called the Victorious for his courage and spiritual victory over his tormentors who could not force him to renounce Christianity, as well as for his miraculous help to people in danger.
Saint George became famous for his great miracles, of which the most famous is his miracle about the serpent. According to legend, not far from the city of Beirut, there lived a snake in a lake that often devoured the people of that area. To quench the fury of the serpent, superstitious residents began to regularly give him a young man or a girl by lot to be devoured. One day the lot fell on the ruler's daughter. She was taken to the shore of the lake and tied, where she waited in horror for the monster to appear. When the beast began to approach her, a bright young man suddenly appeared on a white horse, struck the snake with a spear and saved the girl. This young man was Saint George, who by his appearance stopped the sacrifices and converted the inhabitants of that country, who had previously been pagans, to Christ.
The miracles of St. George gave rise to the veneration of him as the patron of cattle breeding and protector from predatory animals. St. George the Victorious has also long been revered as the patron of the army. “The Miracle of George about the Serpent” is a favorite subject in the iconography of the saint, who is depicted riding a white horse, slaying a serpent with a spear. This image also symbolizes the victory over the devil - the “ancient serpent” (Rev. 12:3; 20:2).
In Georgia
In Arab countries
In Rus'
In Rus', special veneration of the Great Martyr George spread from the first years after the adoption of Christianity. The blessed prince Yaroslav the Wise, in holy baptism George, following the pious custom of Russian princes to found churches in honor of their guardian angels, laid the foundation for a temple and a men's monastery in honor of the Great Martyr George. The temple was located in front of the gates of Hagia Sophia in Kyiv, Prince Yaroslav spent a lot of money on its construction, and a large number of builders took part in the construction of the temple. On November 26 of the year, the temple was consecrated by St. Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kyiv, and an annual celebration was established in honor of this event. On “St. George’s Day,” as it began to be called, or on “autumn George,” until the reign of Boris Godunov, peasants could freely move to another landowner.
The image of a horseman slaying a serpent, known on Russian coins from early times, subsequently became a symbol of Moscow and the Moscow State.
In pre-revolutionary times, on the day of remembrance of St. George, residents of Russian villages for the first time after a cold winter drove their cattle out to pasture, performing a prayer service to the holy great martyr and sprinkling houses and animals with holy water.
In England
St. George has been the patron saint of England since the time of King Edmund III. The English flag represents the Cross of St. George. English literature has repeatedly turned to the image of St. George as the embodiment of “good old England,” in particular in Chesterton’s famous ballad.
Prayers
Troparion, tone 4
As a liberator of captives/ and a defender of the poor,/ a physician of the infirm,/ a champion of kings,/ the victorious Great Martyr George,/ pray to Christ God// to save our souls.
Troparion, same voice
You fought a good fight, / more passionate than Christ, / through faith you also rebuked the tormentors of wickedness, / you offered a sacrifice acceptable to God. / Moreover, you also received a crown. You/ and through your prayers, O saints// you grant forgiveness of sins to all.
Kontakion, tone 4(Similar to: Ascended:)
Crafted by God, you showed yourself/ to be a most honest worker of piety,/ having gathered the handles of virtues for yourself:/ having sowed in tears, reaped with joy,/ having suffered through blood, you received Christ/ and prayed by yours, holy ones, by yours// you grant forgiveness of sins to all.
Kontakion from the Renewal Service of the Church of St. George in Lydda, tone 8(Similar to: Taken:)
To Thy chosen and speedy intercession/ having resorted, faithfully,/ we pray to be delivered, O passion-bearer of Christ,/ from the temptation of the enemy who sings of thee,/ and all sorts of troubles and bitterness, and we call: // Rejoice, martyr George.
Troparion from the service of the consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr. George in Kyiv, voice 4
Today the ends of the world bless you,/ Divine miracles have been fulfilled,/ and the earth rejoices, having drunk your blood./ The people of the city of Kiev celebrate the name of Christ/ with the consecration of the Divine Temple yours/ rejoiced with joy,/ passion-bearing George,/ chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit, servant of Christ./ Him pray with faith and supplication to those who come to your holy temple/ to grant cleansing of sins,// to pacify the world and save our souls.
Kontakion from the service of the consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr. George in Kyiv, voice 2(Similar: Solid:)
The divine and crowned great martyr of Christ George, / in the face of victory over his enemies, / having gathered by faith in the consecrated temple, let us praise, / whom God was pleased to create in him I am his // One to rest in the saints.
Used materials
- St. Dimitry Rostovsky, Lives of the Saints:
Saint George is one of the great martyrs of the Orthodox Church. He was called the Victorious for his courage, strength and will in the fight against the enemy army. The saint also became famous for his help and love for people. The life of St. George the Victorious has become famous for many facts, and the story of his posthumous appearance to humanity is generally similar to a fairy tale.
Life of Saint George the Victorious
The saint's parents were believers and God-fearing Christians. My father suffered for his faith and suffered martyrdom. His mother, remaining a widow, moved with the young George to Palestine and began raising her child as a Christian.
Great Martyr George the Victorious
George grew up to be a brave young man, and having enlisted in the Roman army, he was noticed by the pagan emperor Diocletian. He accepted the warrior into his guard.
The ruler clearly understood the danger that the Christian faith posed to the civilization of the pagans, so he intensified the persecution of Christianity. Diocletian gave the military leaders freedom in relation to reprisals against the Orthodox. George, having learned about the ruler’s unjust decision, distributed to the poor all the property inherited after the death of his parents, granted freedom to the slaves who worked on the estate, and appeared before the emperor.
Without fear, he courageously denounced Diocletian and his cruel plan, and then confessed his faith in Christ before him. The powerful pagan tried to force the warrior to renounce the Savior and sacrifice to idols, to which he received a decisive refusal from the Orthodox warrior. By order of Diocletian, the squires pushed the Victorious out of the room with spears and tried to take him to prison.
But the steel weapon miraculously became soft and easily bent upon contact with the saint’s body.
Having placed the Orthodox warrior in prison, his legs were put in stocks, and his chest was pressed with a large stone. The next morning, the unshakable warrior again confessed his faith in Christ. The angry Diocletian tortured him. Naked George was tied to a chariot, over which boards with iron points were arranged. As the wheels turned, the iron cut his body. But instead of groans and the expected renunciation of the Creator, the saint only called on the Lord’s Help.
When the sufferer fell silent, the pagan thought that he had given up the ghost and ordered the cut and torn body to be removed. But suddenly the sky turned black, great thunder struck and the majestic Voice of God was heard: “Do not be afraid, warrior. I'm with you". Immediately a bright glow appeared and a blond young man, the Angel of the Lord, appeared next to the Victorious. He laid his hand on George’s body and he instantly rose up healed.
St. George the Victorious (Lydda)
The imperial soldiers took him to the temple where Diocletian was. He couldn’t believe his eyes - standing before him was a completely healthy and full of strength man. Many pagans who watched the miracle believed in Christ. Even two noble dignitaries immediately publicly confessed the faith of Christ, for which their heads were cut off.
Queen Alexandra also tried to glorify the Almighty, but the imperial servants quickly took her to the palace.
The pagan king, in an attempt to break the unshakable George, betrayed him to even more terrible torment. The martyr was thrown into a deep ditch, and his body was covered with quicklime. They dug up George only on the third day. Surprisingly, his body was not damaged, and the man himself was in a joyful and calm mood. Diocletian did not calm down and ordered the martyr to be put on iron boots with hot nails inside them and put under arrest. In the morning, the warrior showed off his healthy legs and joked that he really liked the boots. Then the enraged ruler ordered to beat the holy body with ox sinews and mix his blood and body with the ground.
Deciding that George was using magic spells, the ruler summoned a sorcerer to the court in order to deprive the former warrior of magic and poison him. He presented the martyr with a potion, but it had no effect, and the saint again glorified God.
Monasteries in honor of St. George the Victorious:
Miracles of God
The emperor wanted to know what helps the former warrior survive after terrible torment? George replied that with God everything is possible. Then the pagan wished that the martyr would raise the dead in his presence. When the Victorious was brought to the tomb, he began to beg the Heavenly Father to show everyone present that He is the God of the whole world. And then the earth shook, the coffin opened and the dead man came to life. Immediately those present at the miracle believed in God and glorified Him.
The miraculous image of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious
Once again George found himself in prison. Suffering people tried to get to the prisoner in various ways and received healing from ailments and help with petitions. Among them was the farmer Glycerius. The other day his ox died and the man came with a prayer to resurrect the animal. The saint promised to bring the cattle back to life. Returning home, the man found a revived ox in the stall and began glorifying the name of the Lord throughout the city.
The end of the earthly journey
On the last night of his earthly life, George prayed fervently. He had a vision that the Lord Himself approached Him and kissed Him and placed a martyr’s crown on His head. In the morning, Diocletian invited the great martyr to become a co-ruler and rule the country together. To which George invited him to immediately go to the temple of Apollo.
The victorious man crossed himself and turned to one of the idols with a question: would he like to accept the sacrifice as God? But the demon sitting in the idol shouted that God is the one whom George preaches, and he is an apostate who deceives people. The priests attacked the saint and beat him furiously.
St. George's Day May 6
Queen Alexandra, the wife of Diocletian, made her way through a large gathering of pagans, fell at the feet of the saint and prayed to the Creator for help, glorifying Him. The Victorious and Alexandra were sentenced to death by the bloodthirsty Diocletian. They followed together to the place of massacre, but along the way the queen fell exhausted. The warrior of Christ forgave all his tormentors and put his holy head under a sharp sword.
Thus ended the era of paganism.
Miracles
The life of Saint George the Victorious is filled with many miracles.
About miracles in Orthodoxy:
Legend has it that not far from a lake in Syria there lived a huge dragon-like serpent. He devoured people and animals, and then released poisonous breath into the air. Many brave men tried to kill the monster, but not a single attempt was successful and all the people died.
The Holy Great Martyr is especially revered in Georgia.
The city governor issued an order according to which a girl or boy had to be given a snake to be eaten every day. Moreover, he himself had a daughter. He promised that if the lot falls on her, then the girl will share the fate of other death row prisoners. And so it happened. The girl was brought to the shore of the lake and tied to a tree. In a frenzy, she awaited the appearance of the serpent and her hour of death. When the monster came out of the water and began to approach the beauty, a blond young man suddenly appeared on a white horse. He thrust a sharp spear into the snake’s body and saved the unfortunate woman.
This was Saint George the Victorious, who put an end to the deaths of young people in the country.
The inhabitants of the country, having learned about the miracle that had occurred, believed in Christ, a healing spring flowed at the site of the battle between the warrior and the serpent, and later a temple was erected in honor of the Victorious. This plot was the basis for the St. George image.
After the Arabs captured Palestine, another miracle happened. An Arab who entered an Orthodox church saw a clergyman praying at one of the icons. In an attempt to show disdain for the holy faces, the Arab shot an arrow at one of the images. But the arrow did not harm the icon, but returned and pierced the shooter’s hand. In a fit of unbearable pain, the Arab turned to the cleric, to which he advised him to hang the icon of St. George the Victorious over the head of his bed and anoint the wound with oil from the lamp that was lit in front of his face. Upon recovery, the cleric presented the Arab with a book that described the life of the saint. The holy life of the Orthodox warrior and his torment made the greatest impression on the Arab. Soon he accepted Holy Baptism, became a preacher of Christianity, for which he suffered a martyr's death.
1. The saint, in addition to his usual name, is known by the names George of Lydda and Cappadocia.
2. On the day of remembrance of the saint, May 6, the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of Queen Anna, who heartily accepted the torment of the saint, believed in Christ and died for the confession of Orthodoxy.
3. The Holy Great Martyr is especially revered in Georgia. The first of the temples erected in his honor was built in the 1st century.
4. Most Georgian babies are named after George. It is believed that a person named George will never experience failure and will be a winner in life.
The great Orthodox warrior endured all the suffering for the faith of Christ, which he did not betray and did not exchange for the power and wealth offered to him by the pagan Diocletian. The Holy Great Martyr of Christ helps everyone who turns to his intercession. According to the sincere and heartfelt faith of the petitioner, his request will always be fulfilled.
Watch a video about the life of St. George the Victorious
On May 6 (April 23, old style), the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, born in the Lebanese Mountains.
Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious: history
Great Martyr George was the son of rich and pious parents who raised him in the Christian faith. He was born in the city of Beirut (in ancient times - Berit), at the foot of the Lebanese mountains.
Having entered military service, the Great Martyr George stood out among other soldiers for his intelligence, courage, physical strength, military posture and beauty. Having soon reached the rank of commander of a thousand, Saint George became the favorite of Emperor Diocletian. Diocletian was a talented ruler, but a fanatical supporter of the Roman gods. Having set himself the goal of reviving dying paganism in the Roman Empire, he went down in history as one of the most cruel persecutors of Christians.
Having once heard at trial an inhuman sentence about the extermination of Christians, Saint George was inflamed with compassion for them. Anticipating that suffering also awaited him, George distributed his property to the poor, set his slaves free, appeared to Diocletian and, declaring himself a Christian, accused him of cruelty and injustice. George's speech was full of strong and convincing objections to the imperial order to persecute Christians.
After unsuccessful persuasion to renounce Christ, the emperor ordered the saint to be subjected to various tortures. Saint George was imprisoned, where he was laid on his back on the ground, his feet were put in stocks, and a heavy stone was placed on his chest. But Saint George bravely endured suffering and glorified the Lord. Then George’s tormentors began to become more sophisticated in their cruelty. They beat the saint with ox sinews, wheeled him around, threw him into quicklime, and forced him to run in boots with sharp nails inside. The holy martyr endured everything patiently. In the end, the emperor ordered the saint's head to be cut off with a sword. So the holy sufferer went to Christ in Nicomedia in 303.
The Great Martyr George is also called the Victorious for his courage and spiritual victory over his tormentors who could not force him to renounce Christianity, as well as for his miraculous help to people in danger. The relics of Saint George the Victorious were placed in the Palestinian city of Lydda, in a temple bearing his name, and his head was kept in Rome in a temple also dedicated to him.
On the icons, the Great Martyr George is depicted sitting on a white horse and slaying a serpent with a spear. This image is based on legend and refers to the posthumous miracles of the Holy Great Martyr George. They say that not far from the place where Saint George was born in the city of Beirut, there lived a snake in a lake that often devoured the people of that area. What kind of animal it was - a boa constrictor, a crocodile or a large lizard - is unknown.
To quench the fury of the serpent, the superstitious inhabitants of that area began to regularly give him a young man or a girl by lot to be devoured. One day the lot fell on the daughter of the ruler of that area. She was taken to the shore of the lake and tied, where she waited in horror for the snake to appear.
When the beast began to approach her, a bright young man suddenly appeared on a white horse, struck the snake with a spear and saved the girl. This young man was the Holy Great Martyr George. With such a miraculous phenomenon, he stopped the destruction of young men and women within Beirut and converted the inhabitants of that country, who had previously been pagans, to Christ.
It can be assumed that the appearance of St. George on horseback to protect the inhabitants from the serpent, as well as the miraculous revival of the farmer’s only ox described in the life, served as the reason for the veneration of St. George as the patron of cattle breeding and protector from predatory animals.
In pre-revolutionary times, on the day of remembrance of St. George the Victorious, residents of Russian villages for the first time after a cold winter drove their cattle out to pasture, performing a prayer service to the holy great martyr and sprinkling houses and animals with holy water. The Day of the Great Martyr George is also popularly called “Yuriev’s Day,” on this day, before the reign of Boris Godunov, peasants could move to another landowner.
The Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious is the patron saint of the army. The image of St. George the Victorious on a horse symbolizes the victory over the devil - the “ancient serpent” (Rev. 12:3, 20:2); this image was included in the ancient coat of arms of the city of Moscow.
Troparion to the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious
Troparion: As the liberator of the captives and the protector of the poor, the physician of the infirm, the champion of kings, the victorious Great Martyr George, pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Life of the Great Martyr George the Victorious
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Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious, originally from Cappadocia (a region in Asia Minor), grew up in a deeply religious Christian family. His father suffered martyrdom for Christ when George was still a child. The mother, who owned estates in Palestine, moved with her son to her homeland and raised him in strict piety.
Having entered the service of the Roman army, Saint George, handsome, courageous and brave in battle, was noticed by the emperor Diocletian (284-305) and accepted into his guard with the rank of comit - one of the senior military leaders.
The pagan emperor, who did a lot to revive Roman power and clearly understood the danger the triumph of the Crucified Savior posed to pagan civilization, especially intensified the persecution of Christians in the last years of his reign. At the council of the Senate in Nicomedia, Diocletian gave all rulers complete freedom to deal with Christians and promised his full assistance.
Saint George, having learned about the emperor’s decision, distributed his inheritance to the poor, set his slaves free and appeared in the Senate. The courageous warrior of Christ openly opposed the imperial plan, confessed himself to be a Christian and called on everyone to recognize the true faith in Christ: “I am a servant of Christ my God, and, trusting in Him, I appeared among you of my own free will to testify to the Truth.” "What is Truth?" - one of the dignitaries repeated Pilate’s question. “The truth is Christ Himself, persecuted by you,” answered the saint.
Stunned by the daring speech of the valiant warrior, the emperor, who loved and exalted George, tried to persuade him not to destroy his youth, glory and honor, but to make a sacrifice to the gods, according to the custom of the Romans. This was followed by a decisive response from the confessor: “Nothing in this fickle life will weaken my desire to serve God.” Then, by order of the angry emperor, the squires began to push Saint George out of the meeting hall with spears in order to take him to prison. But the deadly steel itself became soft and bent as soon as the spears touched the saint’s body, and did not cause him pain. In prison, the martyr's feet were put in stocks and his chest was pressed with a heavy stone.
The next day, during interrogation, exhausted but strong in spirit, Saint George again answered the emperor: “It is more likely that you will become exhausted, tormenting me, than I, tormented by you.” Then Diocletian ordered George to be subjected to the most sophisticated torture. The Great Martyr was tied to a wheel, under which were placed boards with iron points. As the wheel rotated, sharp blades cut the saint's naked body. At first the sufferer loudly called on the Lord, but soon fell silent, without emitting a single groan. Diocletian decided that the tortured man had already died, and, having ordered the removal of the tortured body from the wheel, he went to the temple to offer a thanksgiving sacrifice. At that moment it became dark all around, thunder struck, and a voice was heard: “Don’t be afraid, George, I’m with you.” Then a wondrous light shone and the Angel of the Lord appeared at the wheel in the form of a luminous youth. And he barely laid his hand on the martyr, saying to him: “Rejoice!” - how Saint George rose healed. When the soldiers took him to the temple where the emperor was, the latter did not believe his eyes and thought that before him was another person or a ghost. In bewilderment and horror, the pagans peered at Saint George and became convinced that a miracle had indeed happened. Many then believed in the Life-Giving God of Christians. Two noble dignitaries Saints Anatoly and Protoleon, secret Christians, immediately openly confessed Christ. They were immediately beheaded with a sword, without trial, by order of the emperor. I learned the truth and Queen Alexandra, Diocletian's wife, who was in the temple. She also tried to glorify Christ, but one of the emperor’s servants restrained her and took her to the palace.
The emperor became even more embittered. Without losing hope of breaking Saint George, he handed him over to new terrible tortures. Having been thrown into a deep ditch, the holy martyr was covered with quicklime. Three days later they dug him up, but found him joyful and unharmed. They put the saint in iron boots with red-hot nails and drove him to prison with beatings. In the morning, when he was brought in for questioning, cheerful and with healthy legs, he told the emperor that he liked the boots. They beat him with ox sinews so that his body and blood mixed with the ground, but the courageous sufferer, strengthened by the power of God, remained adamant.
Deciding that magic was helping the saint, the emperor called sorcerer Athanasius, so that he could deprive the saint of his miraculous powers, or poison him. The sorcerer presented Saint George with two bowls of potions, one of which was supposed to make him submissive, and the other to kill him. But the potions did not work either - the saint continued to denounce pagan superstitions and glorify the True God.
To the emperor’s question what kind of power helps the martyr, Saint George answered: “Do not think that torment does not harm me thanks to human effort - I am saved only by the calling of Christ and His power. He who believes in Him counts torment as nothing and is able to do deeds, which Christ created" (). Diocletian asked what the works of Christ were. - “To enlighten the blind, to cleanse the lepers, to give walking to the lame, to give hearing to the deaf, to cast out demons, to raise the dead.” Knowing that neither sorcery nor the gods known to him had ever been able to resurrect the dead, the emperor, in order to disgrace the hope of the saint, ordered him to resurrect the dead before his eyes. To this the saint said: “You are tempting me, but for the sake of the salvation of the people who will see the work of Christ, my God will create this sign.” And when Saint George was brought to the tomb, he cried out: “Lord! Show those who are present that You are the One God throughout the whole earth, so that they may know You, the Almighty Lord.” And the earth shook, the tomb opened, the dead man came to life and came out of it. Seeing with their own eyes the manifestation of the almighty power of Christ, the people wept and glorified the True God. The sorcerer Athanasius, falling at the feet of Saint George, confessed Christ as the Almighty God and asked forgiveness for sins committed in ignorance. However, the emperor, stubborn in wickedness, did not come to his senses: in a rage, he ordered the beheading of Athanasius, who believed, as well as the resurrected man, and again imprisoned Saint George. People burdened with illnesses began to enter the prison in various ways and there received healing and help from the saint. A certain person turned to him in grief farmer Glycerius whose ox fell. The saint comforted him with a smile and assured him that God would bring the ox back to life. Seeing the revived ox at home, the farmer began to glorify the Christian God throughout the city. By order of the emperor, Saint Glycerius was captured and beheaded.
The exploits and miracles of the Great Martyr George multiplied the number of Christians, so Diocletian decided to make a last attempt to force the saint to sacrifice to idols. They began to prepare the court at the temple of Apollo. On the last night, the holy martyr prayed fervently, and when he dozed off, he saw the Lord Himself, who lifted him with His hand, hugged him and kissed him. The Savior placed a crown on the head of the great martyr and said: “Do not be afraid, but dare and you will be worthy to reign with Me.”
The next morning at the trial, the emperor offered Saint George a new test - he invited him to become his co-ruler. The holy martyr responded with feigned readiness that the emperor should not have tormented him from the very beginning, but should have shown him such mercy, and at the same time expressed a desire to immediately go to the temple of Apollo. Diocletian decided that the martyr accepted his offer, and followed him to the temple, accompanied by his retinue and people. Everyone expected Saint George to make a sacrifice to the gods. He, approaching the idol, made the sign of the cross and addressed it as if it were alive: “Do you want to accept a sacrifice from me as God?” The demon that lived in the idol shouted: “I am not God and none of those like me is God. There is only one God, the one you preach. We, from the Angels serving Him, have become apostates, and, obsessed with envy, we deceive people.” “How dare you be here when I, the servant of the True God, came here?” - asked the saint. There was noise and crying, the idols fell and were crushed.
There was general confusion. The priests and many from the crowd furiously attacked the holy martyr, tied him up, began to beat him and demand his immediate execution.
I hurried to hear the noise and screams holy queen Alexandra. Making her way through the crowd, she shouted: “God Georgiev, help me, since You alone are Omnipotent.” At the feet of the great martyr, the holy queen glorified Christ, humiliating idols and those who worshiped them.
Diocletian, in a frenzy, immediately pronounced the death sentence on the Great Martyr George and the holy Queen Alexandra, who followed Saint George to execution without resistance. On the way, she became exhausted and leaned unconscious against the wall. Everyone decided that the queen had died. Saint George thanked God and prayed that his journey would end with dignity. At the place of execution, the saint in fervent prayer asked the Lord to forgive the torturers, who did not know what they were doing, and to lead them to the knowledge of the Truth. Calmly and courageously, the holy Great Martyr George bowed his head under the sword. It was April 23, 303.
The executioners and judges looked at their Conqueror in confusion. The era of paganism ended in bloody agony and senseless tossing. Only ten years have passed - and Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine, one of Diocletian’s successors on the Roman throne, will order the Cross and the covenant, sealed with the blood of the Great Martyr and Victorious George and thousands of unknown martyrs, to be inscribed on the banners: “By this you will conquer.”
Of the many miracles performed by the Holy Great Martyr George, the most famous is depicted in iconography. In the saint's homeland, in the city of Beirut, there were many idolaters. Near the city, near the Lebanese Mountains, there was a large lake in which a huge snake lived. Coming out of the lake, he devoured people, and the inhabitants could not do anything, since his very breath contaminated the air.
According to the teachings of the demons who lived in the idols, the king made the following decision: every day the inhabitants had to give their children as food to the snake by lot, and when his turn came, he promised to give his only daughter. Time passed, and the king, dressed her in the best clothes, sent her to the lake. The girl cried bitterly, waiting for her death hour. Suddenly, the Great Martyr George rode up to her on horseback with a spear in his hand. The girl begged him not to stay with her so as not to die. But the saint, seeing the serpent, made the sign of the cross and with the words “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” rushed at him. The Great Martyr George pierced the serpent's throat with a spear and trampled it with his horse. Then he ordered the girl to tie the snake with her belt and lead it to the city like a dog. The inhabitants fled in fear, but the saint stopped them with the words: “Do not be afraid, but trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in Him, for it was He who sent me to you to save you.” Then the saint killed the serpent with a sword, and the inhabitants burned it outside the city. Twenty-five thousand people, not counting women and children, were baptized then, and a church was built in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos and the Great Martyr George.
Saint George could become a talented commander and surprise the world with his military exploits. He died when he was not even 30 years old. Hastening to unite with the Heavenly army, he entered the history of the Church as the Victorious. He became famous with this name from the very beginning of Christianity and in Holy Rus'.
Saint George the Victorious was the angel and patron of several great builders of Russian statehood and Russian military power. The son of Saint Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, Yaroslav the Wise, in Holy Baptism George († 1054), greatly contributed to the veneration of the saint in the Russian Church. He built the city of Yuryev, founded the Yuryevsky Monastery in Novgorod, and erected the Church of St. George the Victorious in Kyiv. The day celebrated on November 26, 1051 by Saint Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus', forever entered the liturgical treasury of the Church as a special church holiday, St. George’s Day, beloved by the Russian people “autumn George”.
The name of St. George was borne by the founder of Moscow Yuri Dolgoruky († 1157), the creator of many St. George's churches, the builder of the city of Yuryev-Polsky. In 1238, he led the heroic struggle of the Russian people against the Mongol hordes († 1238; commemorated February 4), who died in the Battle of the City. The memory of him as Yegor the Brave, defender of his native land, is reflected in Russian spiritual poems and epics. The first Grand Duke of Moscow, during the period when Moscow became the center of gathering of the Russian land, was Yuri Danilovich († 1325) - the son of St. Daniel of Moscow, grandson of St. Alexander Nevsky. Since that time, Saint George the Victorious - the horseman slaying the serpent - has become the coat of arms of Moscow and the emblem of the Russian state. And this further strengthened the ties of Christian peoples and especially with the same faith Iberia (Georgia - the country of George).
The Holy Queen Alexandra, whose supposed death was recorded in the acts of martyrdom of St. George, compiled immediately after his death, was, however, awarded the crown of martyrdom several years later, in 314.
Many events have happened over the years. Emperor Diocletian abdicated the throne in 305 and power passed to his co-ruler Maximian Galerius (305-311), a fanatic of paganism, a rude and cruel warrior. His wife was the daughter of the holy Queen Alexandra - Holy Martyr Valeria, whom Diocletian married against her will during his reign. Saint Alexandra raised her daughter in Christian piety. When Galerius died, Emperor Maximin began to seek her hand. Having received a refusal, he exiled Saint Valeria to Syria, where she lived with her mother. After the death of Maximinus in 313, mother and daughter arrived in Nicomedia, hoping for the mercy of Emperor Licinius (313-324). Together with the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles King Constantine, he signed the Edict of Milan, which granted Christians freedom of religion, but secretly remained an enemy of Christianity. Licinius ordered the execution of the holy queen Alexandra and her daughter Valeria. They were beheaded and their bodies thrown into the sea.
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Rus. OK. 1170.Vmch. Georgy. Icon. Rus. Around 1170, the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. |
On April 23, 303, the Christian saint and great martyr George the Victorious was beheaded. This is one of the most revered Orthodox saints. It is believed that George was cast on the wheel by order of Emperor Diocletian for his devotion to the Orthodox faith, but an angel appeared, laid his hand on the tormented George, and the latter was healed. Having seen the miracle, many of the pagans converted to the Orthodox faith. George did not renounce his faith even under terrible torture, which lasted eight days.
We present to your attention several interesting facts about the Great Martyr George the Victorious.
“The Miracle of George on the Dragon” (icon, late 14th century). DepictedSt. George the Victoriousslaying a snake with a spear
1) He was born into a Christian family. When he entered military service, he distinguished himself with intelligence, courage and physical strength. George became the best commander at the court of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
2) After the death of his parents, he received a rich inheritance, and when persecution of Christians began in the country, George appeared in the Senate, declared that he was Orthodox, and distributed all his property to the poor.
3) Diocletian begged George for a long time to renounce Christ, but saw that the commander was firm in his faith. Because of this, George was subjected to terrible torture.
4) George under torture:
On the 1st day, when they began to push him into prison with stakes, one of them miraculously broke, like a straw. Then he was tied to the posts, and a heavy stone was placed on his chest.
The next day he was tortured with a wheel studded with knives and swords. Diocletian considered him dead, but suddenly, according to legend, an angel appeared and George greeted him as the soldiers did, then the emperor realized that the martyr was still alive. They took him off the wheel and saw that all his wounds were healed.
Then they threw him into a pit where there was quicklime, but this did not harm the saint.
A day later, the bones in his arms and legs were broken, but the next morning they were whole again.
He was forced to run in red-hot iron boots with sharp nails inside. He prayed all the next night and the next morning again appeared before the emperor.
He was beaten with whips until the skin peeled off his back, but he rose up healed.
On the 7th day, he was forced to drink two cups of potions prepared by the sorcerer Athanasius, from one of which he was supposed to lose his mind, and from the second - to die. But they didn't harm him. He then performed several miracles (resurrecting the dead and reviving a fallen ox), which caused many to convert to Christianity.
Michael van Coxie. "Martyrdom of St. George"
5) On the eighth day, he was taken to the temple of Apollo where he made the sign of the cross over himself and the statue of Apollo - and this forced the demon who lived in it to declare himself a fallen angel. After this, all the idols in the temple were crushed. Enraged by this, the priests rushed to beat George, and the wife of Emperor Alexander, who ran to the temple, threw herself at his feet and, sobbing, asked to be forgiven for the sins of her tyrant husband. Diocletian shouted in anger: “ Cut it off! Cut off the heads! Cut off both!“And George, having prayed for the last time, laid his head on the block with a calm smile.
6) George was canonized as a great martyr as he fearlessly suffered for the Christian faith. They began to call him the Victorious because he showed invincible will during torture, and subsequently repeatedly helped Christian soldiers. Most of St. George's miracles are posthumous.
7) Saint George is one of the most revered saints of Georgia and is considered its heavenly protector. In the Middle Ages, Greeks and Europeans called Georgia Georgia, since there was a church in his honor on almost every hill. St. George's Day is officially declared a non-working day in Georgia.
8) The wooden Church of St. George the Victorious, built in 1493, is considered the oldest wooden church in Russia, which stands on its historical site.
Paolo Uccello. "The Battle of St. George with the Serpent"
9) One of the most famous posthumous miracles of St. George is the killing of a serpent (dragon) with a spear, which devastated the land of a pagan king in Beirut. As the legend says, when the lot fell to give the king’s daughter to be torn to pieces by the monster, George appeared on horseback and pierced the snake with a spear, saving the princess from death. The appearance of the saint contributed to the conversion of local residents to Christianity.
10) The appearance of the city of Moscow is associated with the name of St. George the Victorious. When the Grand Duke of Kyiv Vladimir Monomakh had a son, he named him Yuri. St. George the Victorious became his heavenly patron, and the prince’s seal depicted St. George dismounted and drawing a sword (there was no snake in that image). According to legend, Yuri Dolgoruky was traveling from Kyiv to Vladimir and on the way stopped to stay with the boyar Kuchka. The prince did not like the reception, and at first he decided to execute the boyar, but having loved his possessions, he gave the order to found the city of Moscow there. And for the coat of arms of the new city he gave the image of his heavenly patron.
11) St. George the Victorious is considered the patron saint of the Russian army. The St. George Ribbon appeared under Catherine II along with the Order of St. George, the highest military award of the Russian Empire. And in 1807, the “St. George Cross” was established - an award included in the Order of St. George in the Russian Imperial Army ( The insignia of the Military Order was the highest award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers for military merits and for courage shown against the enemy).
12) Ribbons distributed as part of the “St. George Ribbon” campaign, dedicated to the celebration of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, are called St. George ribbons, referring to the two-color ribbon for the Order of St. George, although critics argue that in fact they are more consistent with the Guards, as they mean a symbol of victory in the Great Patriotic War and have orange stripes, not yellow.
