Holy Great Martyr Eustathius Placidas

Life

A great Roman military commander in the time of Emperors Titus and Trajan. Though a pagan, Placidas (for that was his pagan name) was a righteous and merciful man, similar to the centurion Cornelius whom the Apostle Peter baptized (Acts 10). Once while hunting, he pursued a stag. By God's providence a radiant cross appeared between the antlers of the stag, and the voice of the Lord came to Placidas, directing him to go to a Christian priest and be baptized. Placidas was baptized together with his wife and two sons. At baptism he received the name Eustathius, his wife — Theopistia (meaning "faithful to God"), and their sons — Agapius and Theopistus. After his baptism Eustathius went to the very same place where the revelation had appeared through the stag, and kneeling, gave thanks to God for having led him to the truth. Then the voice of the Lord came to him again, foretelling his suffering for His name, and strengthening him. Then Eustathius secretly left Rome with his family, intending to withdraw among the common people and in an unknown and humble setting to serve God. Upon arriving in Egypt, trials immediately beset him. A certain evil barbarian seized his wife, and both his sons were snatched by wild beasts and carried off. But soon that barbarian perished, and his children were saved from the beasts by shepherds. Eustathius settled in a certain Egyptian village called Vadisis, and there as a hired laborer he lived for fifteen years. After that, barbarians attacked the Roman Empire, and Emperor Trajan lamented that he no longer had his brave commander Placidas, who had won victory wherever he fought. The emperor sent two of his officers to search throughout the entire empire for the great commander. By God's providence, those officers, former comrades of Eustathius, came to that very village of Vadisis, found Eustathius, and brought him to the emperor. Eustathius assembled an army and defeated the barbarians. On the way back to Rome, Eustathius found both his wife and both his sons. When he arrived in Rome, Emperor Trajan had died and Emperor Hadrian was on the throne. When Hadrian summoned the commander Eustathius to offer sacrifice to the gods, Eustathius told him that he was a Christian. The emperor cast him to torment together with his wife and sons. But when the wild beasts did them no harm, they were cast into a red-hot metal ox. On the third day their bodies were taken out — dead, but unharmed by the fire. Thus this glorious commander rendered both unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's, and passed into the eternal Kingdom of Christ our God.

From the Hymn of Praise

Eustathius, a marvel among commanders,Gave his life for the living Lord.Authority and glory and imperial honors —All he cast aside as empty chaff,