Cyprian of Zographou

Holy Venerable Martyr Cyprian of Zographou was one of the twenty-⁠six monks and lay workers of the Zographou monastery on the Holy Mountain of Athos who were put to death by the Latins between 1274 and 1284 because they would not accept the union with Rome.

In 1274 the emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos entered into union with Rome, but most of the Athonite monasteries firmly refused to abandon Orthodoxy and rebuked those who had. For this reason the Holy Mountain suffered the invasions of Latin armies and mercenaries, who killed many monks. The Zographou monastery, inhabited by Bulgarians, was especially exposed, because the emperor did not wish to turn the Greeks against himself and preferred to take out his anger on monasteries of other nations.

Learning in a miraculous way that soldiers were approaching the monastery, the abbot Thomas warned the brethren that those who wished to survive should flee, and those who desired martyrdom should stay. Twenty-⁠six remained: the abbot Thomas, the monks Barsanuphius, Cyril, Michaiah, Simon, Hilarion, James, another James, Job, Cyprian, Sabbas, Martinian, Cosmas, Sergius, Mina, Joasaph, Ioannicius, Paul, Anthony, Euthymius, Dometian and Parthenius, and four lay workers whose names are not known. They shut themselves in the monastery tower.

When they arrived, the Latin soldiers set fire to the tower. While it burned, the martyrs of Christ sang psalms and the akathist to the most holy Mother of God, and gave their souls to God on 10 October, in some year between 1274 and 1284.

Saint Cyprian is commemorated on 4 July, in the new style, with the Synaxis of the Athonite Venerable Fathers.