Euodius of Nicaea

Holy Martyr Euodius of Nicaea is commemorated in the circle of martyrs around the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the Deliverer from Bonds, together with Chrysogonus, Theodotia, Eutychian and others. The calendar page we rely on does not say separately what Euodius suffered, but places him among those in a shared account, which we give here in brief. He is commemorated on 4 January (new style).

Anastasia, who suffered around 304 in the time of the Emperor Diocletian, was born in Rome to the senator Praetextatus. Her mother, Fausta, a secret Christian, entrusted her to the learned Saint Chrysogonus for teaching. Her father married her to the pagan Pomplius, but she kept her virginity, claiming to be ill. She secretly visited the Christians in prison, washing their wounds, feeding and comforting them. When her husband learned of this he beat her and shut her in. After he drowned in a storm on the sea, Anastasia resumed her ministry, using her inheritance for clothes, food and medicine for the sick.

Chrysogonus was taken to Aquileia for trial before Diocletian, and Anastasia followed him. After his martyrdom she strengthened three maidens, Agape, Chionia and Irene, and buried their bodies. She then wandered to serve Christian prisoners, which is why she was called the Deliverer from Bonds. In Macedonia she met Theodotia, a young Christian widow, who helped her in the work. The account says that Theodotia and her three sons were put to death for Christ in their native city of Nicaea by an official named Nicetius, around 304.

Anastasia was arrested and brought to Diocletian, then to the high priest Ulpian, who tried to defile her and was struck blind and died. She was imprisoned a second time and tormented by hunger for sixty days, but Theodotia appeared to her each night. The governor of Illyria ordered her drowned together with some convicts, among them Eutychian, who was persecuted for the Christian faith. The soldiers put them on a ship, sailed out to sea and holed it so that it would sink, but the prisoners saw Theodotia steering the ship towards the shore. A hundred and twenty people then believed in Christ and were baptized by Anastasia and Eutychian. Learning of it, the governor ordered all the newly baptized put to death, and Anastasia was stretched over a fire between four posts. Her body remained untouched and was buried by Apollinaria, who later built a church over the tomb.