Saint Mark the Confessor, Bishop of Arethusa in Syria

Life

His suffering is recounted by Saint Gregory the Theologian and the blessed Theodoret. According to these accounts, Mark, in the time of Emperor Constantine, had demolished a pagan temple and brought many into the faith of Christ. But when Emperor Julian came to the throne and soon became an apostate from the faith of Christ, certain citizens of Arethusa also renounced Christ and returned to paganism. And now they rose up against Mark because he had destroyed their temple, demanding that he either rebuild it or pay a large sum of money. When the elder Mark refused to do either, he was flogged, mocked, and dragged through the streets. Then they cut off his ears with a thin and strong cord, stripped him naked and smeared him with honey, and left him bound to a tree in the summer heat so that wasps, mosquitoes, and hornets might sting him. But the martyr of Christ endured all without a cry. He was quite old, yet his face shone like the face of an angel of God. The pagans kept lowering the price of their temple, demanding in the end from Mark a quite insignificant sum that he could easily have given. But he refused to give even a single coin. His endurance made an enormous impression on the citizens, who began to admire him and pity him, and for this reason kept reducing the price of their temple to almost nothing, if only he might remain alive. In the end they released him, and one by one they all again received instruction from him and returned to the faith of Christ.

For a similar act, Deacon Cyril of the city of Heliopolis at the foot of Mount Lebanon suffered at that same time. He had smashed certain idols during the time of Christian freedom, and under Julian was severely tortured for this. So enraged against him were the pagans that when they killed him they tore open his belly with their teeth. On the same day as the holy Cyril, many others also suffered. The wicked pagans cut their bodies into pieces, mixed them with barley, and fed them to swine. But punishment soon overtook them — all their teeth fell out and an unbearable stench struck their mouths.

From the Hymn of Praise

### SAINT MARK THE CONFESSOR AND SAINT JOHN THE HERMIT