Eudoxius of Melitene

Holy Martyr Eudoxius of Melitene was a high commander in the imperial army and received martyrdom around the years 311-312, in the time of the Emperor Maximian Galerius, the successor of Diocletian, together with his friend Zeno and his steward Macarius.

After Diocletian's edict to put to death the Christians who would not sacrifice to the idols, many, among them people of noble birth and officials, fled to various countries with their families to escape torture and death. Then Eudoxius too, with his wife, Saint Basilissa, and all his family, left his high post, abandoned his property and hid in the territory of Armenian Melitene. The governor of Melitene sent soldiers to look for him.

Meeting Eudoxius himself, dressed in poor clothes, and not knowing him, the soldiers asked him where the commander Eudoxius was. Without revealing himself, the saint invited them into his house, fed them and gave them shelter for the night. Eudoxius took his meeting with the soldiers as a call from the Lord to the struggle of martyrdom. In the morning he told his guests that he was the one they sought.

The soldiers, grateful for hospitality, wished to hide from their superiors that they had found him, but Eudoxius did not agree. Making all arrangements in the house, he told his wife that he should not be mourned, but that the day of his martyrdom should be kept as a feast. Dressed in a soldier's garb, he went with the soldiers to the governor. Saint Basilissa and his friends Zeno and Macarius followed him.

The governor tried to persuade him to sacrifice to the idols, to keep his life, rank and property. Eudoxius firmly refused, rebuking the folly of those who worship soulless idols. He took off the soldier's belt, the sign of his command, himself and threw it in the governor's face. The soldiers present, secret Christians, more than a thousand in number, did the same. The governor, disturbed, asked the emperor and received the order: to torture the commanders and let the rest go.

After long torments, Eudoxius was led to death. Following her husband, Basilissa wept, and his friend Zeno wept too. Then Eudoxius again urged his wife not to weep but to rejoice that he had been granted the crown of martyrdom, and asked her to bury his body in the place called Amymna. To the weeping Zeno he foretold that they would arrive at the same time in the Kingdom of heaven.

Strengthened by these words, Zeno confessed himself a Christian in a loud voice and was at once condemned to death. Basilissa calmly took her husband's body and buried it where he had commanded. For this she was seized and brought to the governor; wishing to share her husband's fate, she fearlessly rebuked both the governor and his false gods, the idols. But the governor understood her intention, did not torture her and drove her away. Leaving, the saint told him that God saw her desire to suffer for the faith and would accept it as a fulfilled struggle.

After seven days Eudoxius appeared to his wife in a vision and told her to tell Macarius, his friend and steward, that he with Zeno awaited him. Macarius went at once to the governor, confessed himself a Christian, was condemned to death and beheaded. Many Christians received a martyr's death at that time.

The Synaxarion commemorates Eudoxius, Zeno and Macarius on 19 September (new style).