Holy Great Martyr Euphemia

Life

By birth from Chalcedon. Her father was the senator Philophron, and her mother Theodosia — both devout Christians. Euphemia was a beautiful maiden both in body and in soul. When the proconsul Priscus organized a feast with sacrifices to Ares in Chalcedon, forty-nine Christians withdrew from that foul sacrifice and hid themselves. But they were discovered and brought before Priscus. Among them was the holy Euphemia. When the proud Priscus asked them why they did not obey the imperial command, they replied: "Both the emperor's command and yours should be obeyed if it is not contrary to the God of heaven; but if it is contrary to God, not only must one not obey it, one must also resist it." Then Priscus subjected them to various tortures over the course of nineteen days, from day to day. On the twentieth day he separated Euphemia from the others and began to flatter her because of her beauty, hoping to win her over to idolatry. But when all his flattery proved fruitless, he ordered the maiden to be tortured. First they tortured her on the wheel, but an angel of God appeared and shattered the wheel. Then they cast her into a fiery furnace, but by the power of God she was preserved. Seeing this, two soldiers, Victor and Sosthenes, believed in Christ, for which they were thrown to wild beasts; and thus they gloriously ended their earthly life. Then Euphemia was cast into a pit filled with water and every poisonous creature; but she made the sign of the Cross over the water when she entered the pit, and remained unharmed. Finally, brought before wild beasts, she prayed to God with thanksgiving and surrendered her spirit. Her parents honorably buried her body. She suffered in the year 304 and passed over into eternal joy. She is also commemorated on July 11.

From the Hymn of Praise

All-blessed Euphemia,Holy virgin,She gave herself as a sacrifice to God,A lamb of God;