Elias Ardounis

Holy New Martyr Elias Ardounis was born at Kalamata in the Peloponnese, of devout parents, and was a barber, held in high esteem by the leading men of the town. Once he urged them to act to lighten the taxes the Turks laid on Christians, since otherwise they were in danger of denying the faith of their fathers. The leaders did not believe it; then he said that if someone gave him a fez he would turn the page. One of them, as a joke, sent to buy him a fez. Elias went at once to the judge and became a Muslim, to the grief of all the Christians.

After a short time he realised his error, fled his homeland and came to the Holy Mountain. There he confessed with great contrition, performed his canon, was anointed with the Holy Chrism and became a monk, remaining eight years in virtue, prayer and preparation for martyrdom. He then returned to Kalamata, appeared before the judge and confessed the Christian faith. Despite flattery and dreadful torments he stood unshaken. The judge ordered him burned with green wood. On the way someone struck him across the back with a sword, but the saint, without fear and with even more courage, walked on singing the Psalms of David. They set the pyre alight, and the saint gave up his soul in the flames. When the fire died down, his holy relics were untouched: neither his cassock nor his beard nor his hair had burned. At night the guards saw a heavenly light descending and surrounding the body, and said that since the fire had not burned him, God had sent fire from heaven to burn him.

The Christians took the martyr's relics and buried them, paying much money. He suffered in the year 1686.