Jordan the New Martyr

Jordan the New Martyr of Trebizond was born at Trebizond, married and settled at Galata in Constantinople, at the age of forty. He was beheaded at Constantinople on 2 February 1650 (according to others, 1651). The Church commemorates him on 2 February.

Once he was amusing himself with some Ottoman compatriots, playing a game with them. At one moment one of the partners said mockingly in Greek: "Saint Nicholas the scabby, help me win." Jordan answered in the same manner, but against Mohammed. The next day one of the company accused him as a blasphemer of the religion of Mohammed.

He was taken to the vizier and pressed to accept Islam to avoid the penalty of death. Jordan remained steadfast in his love for "sweetest Jesus" and was led by the eparch to Kucuk Karamani, the place of execution. When the executioner was ready to behead him, a messenger of the vizier arrived and said secretly to Jordan: "The vizier advises you to take pity on your life and say publicly that you are turning Turk, and then go wherever you wish and live as a Christian." Jordan answered: "I thank the vizier, but this I shall never do." So the executioner cut off the head of the glorious martyr. At night his relatives and friends went to the eparch and, after giving him much money, took his holy body and buried it reverently at Beyoglu. His martyrdom was written by I. Karyophyllis, grand logothete of the Great Church, and by Meletios Syrigos.