Cyprian of Corinth

Holy Martyr Cyprian of Corinth was a disciple of Saint Codratus the Martyr and suffered with him in the time of the emperor Decius (249-251). The Azbyka page mentions him only among the friends and followers of Codratus and honours him together with the whole company.

During a persecution of Christians a devout woman named Rufina fled from Corinth into the mountains. There she gave birth to Codratus and died soon after. By God's providence the infant stayed alive and was fed in a wonderful way: a cloud came down over him and nourished him with sweet dew. The childhood and youth of Codratus passed in the wilderness. When he was already a grown man he met Christians who enlightened him with the light of the true faith. He learned to read, and later the art of healing, in which he became very skilled, but above all he loved the stillness of the desert and spent most of his time in the mountains in prayer and meditation on God.

Many years passed. His friends and followers often came to him in the wilderness to hear his teaching. Among them were Cyprian, Dionysius, Anectus, Paul, Crescens and many others.

At the command of the persecutor Decius the commander Jason came to Corinth. Codratus was seized with his friends and thrown into prison. At the trials Jason addressed himself mostly to Codratus, as the eldest, and the saint boldly defended his faith in Christ the Saviour. Then he was tortured. In spite of his sufferings Codratus found strength to support the others, urging them not to be afraid and to stand firm in the faith. Unable to obtain a denial from anyone, Jason ordered the martyrs to be thrown to wild beasts, but the beasts did not touch them. They were tied by the feet to chariots and dragged through the city, while the crowd threw stones at them. In the end they were sentenced to death by the sword. At the place of execution the saints asked for a little time to pray, and then they came one after another to the executioner, bowing their heads beneath the raised sword.

The other disciples of Codratus also suffered for Christ: another Dionysius was stabbed with a knife, Victorinus, Victor and Nicephorus were crushed alive in a huge stone mortar, Claudius had his hands and feet cut off, Diodorus threw himself into the fire prepared for him, Serapion was beheaded, and Papias and Leonidas were drowned in the sea. Several holy women also went willingly to their torments, following the example of the men.

They are commemorated on 23 March, in the new style. Their passion is also found in the Lives of the Saints by Saint Dimitry of Rostov.