Episteme of Emesa

Holy Martyr Episteme of Emesa in Phoenicia suffered in the third century together with her betrothed, the Holy Venerable Martyr Galaction, for faith in Christ.

The parents of Galaction, the rich Clitophon and Leucippe, of Emesa, had long been childless. An old man, Onuphrius, who under a beggar's rags hid his rank of monk and priest, came into Leucippe's house, asked why she was sad, spoke to her of the one true God, and she believed and was baptized. In a dream it was shown her that she would bear a son who would be a true follower of Christ; when the child was born she told her husband and persuaded him to be baptized.

They named him Galaction, raised him in the Christian faith and gave him a good education. He could have made a brilliant career, but Galaction aspired to the monastic life, to solitude and prayer. When he turned twenty-⁠four his father decided to marry him and found him a bride, beautiful and of noble birth, Episteme. The son did not resist, but by God's providence the wedding was put off.

Visiting her often, Galaction gradually revealed his faith to her, brought her to Christ and secretly baptized her, together with one of her slaves, Eutolmius. The newly baptized resolved to dedicate their life to monasticism, following Galaction's example. Leaving the city, they hid on Mount Publion, where there were two secret monasteries, one of men and one of women. The new monastics had to do all the physical work, because the inhabitants of both monasteries were old and weak. For several years they laboured in toil, fasting and prayer.

One day Episteme saw in a dream that she and Galaction stood in a wondrous palace before a radiant King, who gave them golden crowns. This foretold their imminent martyrdom. The pagans learned of the monasteries and sent a detachment to seize their inhabitants; the monks and nuns hid in the mountains, only Galaction would not flee and stayed in his cell reading the Holy Scriptures.

When Episteme saw Galaction led away bound, she begged the abbess to let her go, because she wished to take the torments for Christ together with her betrothed and teacher. The abbess blessed her with tears. The saints endured very heavy tortures, praying and glorifying Christ. At the judge's order they were quartered. Eutolmius, formerly Episteme's slave, her brother in Christ and fellow ascetic, secretly buried their bodies with honour and wrote their life for the instruction of his contemporaries and of posterity.

Episteme is commemorated on 5 May, in the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of Sinai, and on 18 November (new style).