Epimachus

Holy Martyr Epimachus suffered at Alexandria in Egypt in the time of the persecution of the Emperor Decius (249-251), together with Alexander, around the years 249-251. He is commemorated in the company of the martyrs of Alexandria, among them the old man Julian, Cronion, the soldier Besas, Macarius, Epimachus, Alexander and others.

In the years of Decius' persecution there were many brave Christians in Alexandria, wondrous witnesses of the Kingdom of God, who remained unshaken amid terrible torments. The first was the old man Julian, who, sick with gout, could neither stand nor walk; he was brought to the judge with two servants who carried him. One of the servants at once denied Christ, the other, Cronion, confessed the faith firmly with Julian.

They were set on camels and paraded through all Alexandria, scourged without ceasing, then burned in a great fire before the people. The anger of the pagans was so great that a soldier, Besas, who had defended Cronion and Julian from the fury of the mob, was seized, taken to the place of execution and beheaded. Another Christian, a Libyan, Macarius, received the blessedness promised by the Lord to those persecuted for His sake: the judge could not make him deny Christ by any insistence, and he was burned alive.

Epimachus and Alexander suffered the same fate. For a long time they lay in prison, enduring thousands of kinds of torments, but neither scourging nor the tearing of the body with iron claws could shake their courage, and the weary executioners burned them alive. Women were not spared either: the holy virgin Ammonaria received from the judge the most exquisite tortures, because she had announced beforehand that she would not utter the words he demanded; despite the cruellest tortures she remained unyielding and was put to death. Thirteen other martyrs suffered with them.

The Greeks commemorate them on 12 November (new style). The name of Epimachus is not included in the present calendar of the Russian Church.