Galaktion of Emesa

Holy Martyr Galaktion of Emesa in Phoenicia suffered together with the holy martyr Epistime, in the third century, put to death after grievous torments. He is commemorated on 18 November.

Clitophon and Leucippe, a rich and noble couple of the city of Emesa, had long been without children. They gave much gold to pagan priests, but remained barren. Emesa was ruled at that time by Secundus, a Syrian put in by the Caesars, a fierce persecutor of Christians, who had set in the streets ingenious instruments of torture. The slightest suspicion of belonging to the sect of the Galileans, as the pagans called the Christians, was enough for a man to be seized and tormented. Nevertheless many Christians gave themselves willingly into the hands of the executioners, wishing to suffer for Christ.

The calling

An old man named Onuphrius, who hid under a beggar's rags his rank as monk and priest, went about Emesa from house to house asking alms, and preached Christ wherever he saw a chance to turn people from pagan error. Once he came to the rich house of Leucippe and, taking the alms, felt that the woman was sad and asked her why. She told him the family's grief. Comforting her, Onuphrius spoke to her of the One true God, of His almighty power and mercy, of the fact that He always gives what is asked to those who turn to Him with faith. Hope filled Leucippe's soul. She believed and received holy baptism. Soon after it was revealed to her in a dream that she would bear a son who would be a true follower of Christ. At first Leucippe hid her joy from her husband, but when the child was born, she told him the secret and persuaded him to be baptized. The child was named Galaktion. His parents raised him in the Christian faith and gave him an excellent education. He could have made a brilliant career, but Galaktion longed for the pure monastic life, for solitude and prayer. When he was twenty-⁠four, his father decided to marry him and found him a bride, a beautiful girl of noble family named Epistime. The son did not oppose his father's will, but, by God's providence, the wedding was put off for a time. Visiting his bride often, Galaktion gradually opened his faith to her, brought her to Christ and baptized her secretly. With Epistime one of her slaves, Eutolmius, was baptized. The newly baptized resolved to give their lives to monasticism, following the example of Galaktion. They left the city and hid on Mount Publion, where there were two secret monasteries, one of men and one of women. The new monastics had to take upon themselves all the necessary bodily work, because the inhabitants of both monasteries were old and frail. For several years they laboured in toil, fasting and prayer.

Martyrdom

Once Epistime had a vision in a dream: she and Galaktion stood in a wonderful palace before the radiant King, who gave them crowns of gold. It was an announcement of their approaching end by martyrdom. The pagans learned of the monasteries and a band was sent to seize their inhabitants, but the monks and nuns managed to hide in the mountains. Only Galaktion would not flee and stayed in his cell, reading Holy Scripture. When Epistime saw that the soldiers were leading Galaktion bound, she begged the abbess to let her go, wishing to receive the torments for Christ together with her betrothed and teacher. The abbess blessed her with tears for the struggle. The saints endured very heavy torments, praying and glorifying Christ. By the judge's order they were quartered. Eutolmius, Epistime's former slave, her brother in Christ and fellow labourer, buried the holy martyrs' bodies secretly with honour and wrote their life for the instruction of his contemporaries and of posterity.