E00337: The Martyrdom of *Alexandros (martyr of Dryzipera, S00070), probably of the 5th/6th c., contains several references to the veneration of relics, including a mention of women perfuming and venerating the remains of saints. It also refers to the burial of Alexander in a sarcophagus, and to miracles and cures at his shrine. Probably written at or near Dryzipera (eastern Balkans).
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Martyrdom of Alexandros of Dryzipera (BHG 48-49)<br><br>For the story told by the Martyrdom, see $E00321.<br><br><br>10. εἰ δὲ ἐπιμείνῃς τῇ ἀπονοίᾳ σου τῇ πονηρᾷ ἐντεῦθεν σοι λέγω, μὰ τοὺς θεοὺς ἅπαντας, ὅτι σκορπιῶ τὰ ὀστᾶ σου κατὰ πᾶσαν πόλιν καὶ πατρίδα.<br><br>“But if you insist in your evil folly any more, I tell you that, by all the gods, I shall disperse your bones in every city and country.”<br><br><br>15. Τιβερειανὸς εἶπεν· «Ἄθλιε, εἰς τὸν πῦρ σε ἔχω ἀναλῶσαι καὶ ἴδω εἰ ἔρχεται ὁ Χριστός, ὃν λέγεις, καὶ ῥύεταί σε ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου· τοῦτο γὰρ ἵνα οἶδας ὅτι διασκορπιῶ τὰς σάρκας σου καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ σου κατὰ πᾶσαν χώραν δι’ ὧν μέλλω διέρχεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ εὕρωσιν αἱ γυναῖκες ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν σου ἢ ἐκ τῶν ὀστέων σου καὶ μυρίσασαι αὐτὰ ὡς ἕνα τῶν ἁγίων μἐλλωσί σε προσκυνεῖν· νῦν οὖν κελεύσω καὶ τὴν ὑπόλοιπόν σου κόνιν ῥιφῆναι εἰς ποταμόν, ὥστε μηκέτι εὑρεθῆναι τὸ μνημόσυνόν σου.»<br><br>“Wretched man, I shall consume you by fire, and will see if the Christ you are talking about comes and delivers you from my hands! For you must know this: that I shall disperse your flesh and your bones in every land through which I shall pass, so that no women will find pieces of your flesh or your bones, nor will they perfume them and venerate you as one of the saints. And now I shall order even the remaining dust of yours to be thrown into the river, so that your memory may never be found.”<br><br><br>29. Καὶ θεὶς τὰ γόνατα αὐτοῦ ηὔξατο λέγων· «Κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, ἐπάκουσον τοῦ δούλου σου τοῦ κοπιάσαντος διὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου καὶ δὸς χάριν τῷ σώματί μου, ὅπου ἀποτεθῇ, σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα καὶ ἱάσεις γίνωνται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ἐκεῖνῳ.» Εὐξαμένου δὲ αὐτοῦ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα πρὸς αὐτὸν· «Ὅσα ᾐτήσω, ἀγαπητὲ Ἀλέξανδρε καὶ τέλειε μάρτυς, πάντα ποιήσω καὶ οὐ μή σε λυπήσω ἔν τινι.»<br><br>‘And he fell onto his knees and prayed saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, hear your servant who has laboured for your name, and grant grace unto my body, wherever it may be laid to rest, so that miracles and wonders and cures may occur at that place.” And, once he prayed, a voice came from heaven saying to him: “I shall do all those things that you have asked for, dear Alexandros and excellent martyr, and I shall not displease you in anything.”’<br><br><br>31. Ἐρχομένης δὲ αὐτῆς διὰ τῆς δημοσίας ὀδυρομένης καὶ βοώσης ὥσπερ βουθηλία ζητοῦσα τὸ ἴδιον μοσχάριον, ὑπήντησε τοῖς κυεστιοναρίοις· ἀποκεφαλίσαντες γὰρ τὸν ἅγιον μάρτυρα ἔλαβον τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔρριψαν εἰς τὸν ποταμόν. Κατὰ δὲ οἰκονομίαν Θεοῦ κύνες τέσσαρες ἐλθόντες ἐπὶ τὸν ποταμὸν ἔσυραν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος ἐκ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἔξω, μετὰ δὲ τῆς γλώσσης αὐτῶν ἀναλείξαντες αὐτὸ καὶ παρακαθεζόμενοι ἐφύλαττον αὐτό. Ὡς δὲ ἦλθεν ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ μακαρίου ἀπὸ σημείων δύο, ἐν ᾧ ἦν τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐπορεύθησαν δρομαῖοι οἱ δύο κύνες εἰς ὑπάντησιν τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ μὲν εἷς ἦν ἐκ δεξιῶν, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος ἐξ εὐωνύμων· καὶ ὁδηγήσαντες αὐτὴν ἀπήγαγον πρὸς τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος. Ἡ δὲ λαβοῦσα τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἁγίου ἐν μύροις πολλοῖς καὶ σινδόσι πολυτίμοις ἐντυλίξασα, κατέθετο ἐν γλωσσοκόμῳ ἐν ἐπισήμῳ τόπῳ πέραν τοῦ ποταμοῦ Ἐργίνα κατὰ δυσμάς, ὅπου ἔδοξε τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι. <br><br>'And as she was coming along the highway, lamenting and crying like a cow seeking her calf, she met the quaestionarii. After they beheaded the holy martyr, they took his body and threw it into the river. But, by God’s providence, four dogs came to the river and dragged the body of the holy martyr out of the river, and they licked it with their tongues, and sat by it and guarded it. And when his mother came two miles from where his body was, two of the dogs ran to meet his mother, and one was on the right and the other on the left. And they guided and took her to the body of the holy martyr. And she took the body of the saint, enshrouded it with many perfumes and precious sheets, and buried it in a sarcophagus at a prominent place, beyond the river Ergina, towards the west, where the Holy Spirit decided.' <br><br><br>32. Ποιῶν τε θαυμάσια μεγάλα ὁ ἅγιος Ἀλέξανδρος βοηθεῖ τοῖς καταπονουμένοις καὶ τοῖς ἐν μακρονοσίᾳ ἴασιν παρέχει διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἧς ἔλαβε παρ’ αὐτοῦ. <br><br>‘So, performing great miracles, Saint Alexandros helps the afflicted and grants cure to those with long-term maladies, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he received from Him.’<br><br><br>Text: Dimitrov 1935. Translation: E. Rizos.