Holy Martyr Plato

Life

Plato was from the city of Ancyra in Galatia; a Christian by birth and upbringing. Even in his youth he showed great perfection in all the virtues. Plato did not hide his faith in Christ the Lord but preached it openly, denouncing the idolaters for worshiping dead creatures instead of the living Creator. For this he was brought to trial before the governor Agrippinus and was much interrogated and tortured by him. When the governor began to counsel him to avoid death and preserve his life by worshiping idols, Plato answered him: "There are two deaths, one temporal and the other eternal, and likewise there are two lives, one short-lived and the other endless." Then Agrippinus inflicted terrible tortures upon him. Among other things he commanded that red-hot iron balls be placed on his naked body; after that they stripped leather thongs from his skin. "Torture me even more cruelly," the martyr cried out to the torturer, "that thy inhumanity and my endurance may be clearly seen." When the torturer mentioned to the martyr that Plato the philosopher was a pagan philosopher, the martyr said to him: "Neither am I like Plato nor is Plato like me, except only in name. I teach and learn the wisdom which is Christ's, while he is a teacher of that wisdom which is foolishness before God." After this Plato was thrown into prison, where he spent eighteen days without food or water. When the guards marveled that Plato could live while starving for so long, he said to them: "Ye are satisfied with meat while I with holy prayers; wine gladdens you while Christ, the true Vine, gladdens me." He was finally beheaded by the sword around the year 266 and received the crown of eternal glory.

From the Hymn of Praise

Barulas saw the torments of holy Romanus,And Romanus saw Barulas tearfully weeping;In Barulas was a soul childishly innocent,In Barulas a heart purer than a lily,