Holy Martyr Kalliopis

Life

The only son, obtained from God through weeping, of a certain senator from Perge in Pamphylia. His pious mother Theokleia had taught him from early childhood in the fear of God and a pure life. Kalliopis was still a young man when the terrible persecution of Christians began under Emperor Maximian. In order to save him from death, his mother put him on a ship, gave him a sufficient sum of money, and sent him off to the city of Pompeopolis. But God's Providence had ordained otherwise. Disembarking at Pompeopolis, Kalliopis fell into the midst of a tumultuous pagan festival. And when he, at the insistence of the frenzied crowd, refused to take part in that foolish feast, he was dragged before the commander Maximus, to whom he confessed that he was a Christian. The commander ordered him to be beaten with leaden rods, roasted over fire, and finally thrown badly wounded into prison. When his mother Theokleia heard of her son's sufferings, she distributed all her possessions to the poor and destitute, and with a small amount of money hastened to the prison to her son. Entering the prison, she bowed before her son and bound up his wounds. At last the commander pronounced the final sentence: that Kalliopis be crucified. In the mother's heart joy and grief mingled together. When they led her son to the place of execution, she pressed five gold coins into the executioners' hands so that they might crucify her son not as the Lord had been crucified but in the opposite manner. This she did out of humility before the Lord. On Great Thursday Kalliopis was crucified head downward, and his mother stood beneath the cross giving thanks to God. And when on the following day they brought him down dead from the cross, she fell upon him and herself breathed her last. Thus both of them departed together before the throne of the King of Glory. They suffered honorably in the year 304.