E00106: The Martyrdom of *Eustathios of Mcxeta, written in Georgian in the second half of the 6th c., recounts the life and martyrdom in Tbilisi of Guirobondak, a Persian convert to Christianity, who took the name of Eustathios (Persian martyr in Georgia, S00059), and his burial in Mcxeta.
Creators: name: Naleksidze
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2014
Subjects: History

description: Martyrdom of Eustathios of Mcxeta<br><br>Summary:<br><br>During the reign of Xuasro Anushirvan (531-579) a certain man came to Mcxeta from Iran, named Guirobondak. He had already been acquainted with the Christian faith, which prompted him to seek asylum in a Christian land. In Mcxeta he married a Christian woman and participated in everyday Christian life. Eventually the Katholikos of Iberia, Samuel, baptised him as Eustathios. Eustathios consistently refused to partake in Zoroastrian festivities, which was duly noted by local Zoroastrians who reported Eustathios to the head of the city, Ustam. Ustam captured him, together with seven other converted Christians, and dispatched them to the Persian Marzpan, Arvand Gushnasp, who resided in Tbilisi. The Marzpan threatened them with death in prison, and two of them apostatised from the faith. The rest however spent sixth months in prison. Samuel, the Katholikos of Kartli, Arshusha the Vitax of Kartli and Grigol the Mamsaxlisi of Kartli beseeched the Marzpan to set the prisoners free, and he indeed did so.<br><br>Three years later a new Marzpan arrived, called Vejan Buzmihr, who tried to reconvert Eustathios. Eustathios and a companion, Stephen, stood in front of the Marzpan and firmly rejected Zoroastrianism. Stephen was released as he was by birth Christian, Eustathios, however, remained in the Marzpan's presence. Eustathios firmly resisted, preached Christianity to the Marzpan. He recounted the Christian story from Abraham to Christ and to their own days. When the Marzpan saw that he would not yield, he ordered his guards to take him away and to behead him immediately, and then to get rid of the body to prevent Christians from venerating him. <br><br>მაშინ ვითარცა ცნა ბუზმირ მარზპანმან დამტკიცებული და შეუძრველი გული და გონებაჲ ნეტარისა ევსტათისი და ვერ შინებითა და ტანჯვითა და ვერცა კეთილისა ქადებითა არწმუნა მამული რჩული. პყრობად, უბრძანა მსახურთა: “წარიყვანეთ ეგე საპყრობილედ და იდუმალ ღამით თავი წარჰკუეთეთ, რაჲთა არავინ ქრისტეანეთა ცნან და პატივ-სცენ გუამსა მისსა, და წარიხუენით ჴორცნი მისნი ქალაქსა გარე, განაბნიენით შესაჭმელად მჴეცთა და მფრინველთა”. <br><br>'When Marzpan Buzmihr realised that the heart and the mind of blessed Eustathios was unshakeable, that neither through threats nor through torture nor through good promises could he convince him [to return to his] paternal faith, he ordered the servants to detain him: "Take him to prison and at night secretly behead him, so that no Christian hears [about his death] and honours his body. Then take his flesh outside the city and throw it to wild beasts and vultures!"'<br><br>When he was taken to the place of his execution, Eustathios prayed to God, and among other things, asked Him to not leave his body here in Tbilisi but to allow his bones to rest in Mcxeta, so that miracles could be performed through them. Then he heard a voice which announced to him that his wish would be granted. Stephen was immediately and miraculously notified that upon Eustathios' death he was to go and take his relics and bury them in Mcxeta, at the site of Eustathios' baptism. Then Eustathios was beheaded. <br><br>ხოლო გუამი მისი ღამე განიღეს გარეშე და დააგდეს მუნ. ხოლო ცნეს ვიეთ-მე ქრისტეანთა და წარიღეს იგი მცხეთას, რამეთუ სტეფანეს ემცნო მუნ მყოფთა ქრისტეანეთადა. ვითარცა მიიწინეს მცხეთას, უთხრეს სტეფანეს, და სტეფანე აუწყა სამოელს კათალიკოზსა. ხოლო მანდ ფრიად განიხარა და დაჰმარხა იგი დიდითა დიდებითა და პატივითა წმიდასა ეკლესიასა მცხეთისასა და ვიდრე აქამომდის იქმნებიან კურნებანი სნეულთანი მადლითა უფლისა ჩუენისა იესუ ქრისტჱსითა..."<br><br>'So they took his body outside and left it there. But some Christians heard about this and took him to Mcxeta, for Stephen had notified the local Christians [about Eustathios' death]. When they approached Mcxeta, they told Stephen, and Stephen informed the Katholikos Samuel. The latter greatly rejoiced and buried him with great praise and honour in the holy Church of Mcxeta, and until now the sick are being cured through the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ ...'<br><br>Text: Abuladze 1964. Translation: Lang 1976.