Julian the Myrmidonian

Holy Venerable Julian the Myrmidonian was a deacon, brother of Venerable Julius the presbyter, and they lived in the first half of the fifth century. The Church commemorates him on 4 July (new style).

The brothers, natives of Myrmidonia, were ordained for their virtuous life: Julius a presbyter, Julian a deacon. Moved by zeal for spreading the Christian faith, they obtained permission to build churches and went to preach in remote places in the East and West of the Roman Empire, where idol shrines and sacrifices to idols still existed. They passed through several countries and brought many pagans to Christianity, persuading them not only by word but by many miracles. At Constantinople they approached the pious Emperor Theodosius the Younger (408-450), asking him to allow churches to be raised in place of the pagan shrines.

With the blessing of the patriarch and the emperor's leave, the brothers built many churches, in which the people considered it their duty to help. Once some people passed by a church under construction. Fearing that they would be asked to work, they resorted to a deception: one pretended to be dead, and when Saint Julius invited them to take part in the work, they said they were carrying a dead man to burial. The saint asked: "Are you not lying, children?" They stood their ground. Then Venerable Julian said to them: "Let it be to you according to your word." Going on, they saw that the one who pretended to be dead had really died. From then on no one dared to lie to the holy brothers.

Foreseeing his approaching death, Julius went to look for a place for the hundredth church, which he considered the last. Reaching lake Mukoros, he saw in its middle a beautiful island, where no one could live because of the great multitude of snakes. Venerable Julius resolved to build a church there. After prayer he came to the island as in a boat, on his mantle, and planted a cross. In the name of God he commanded all the snakes to gather to him and to leave the island, giving it up for the house of God and the servants of Christ. All the venomous creatures swam across the lake and settled on Mount Kamunkin.

Saint Julius laid the foundation of a church dedicated to the Holy Twelve Apostles. Meanwhile his brother Julian completed the building of a church near the city of Gavdian and resolved to make a tomb beside it for Julius. Venerable Julius visited his brother and urged him to hurry with the building of the tomb, prophesying that he himself would lie in it. Indeed the deacon Julian soon died and was buried in the tomb he had built. The presbyter Julius buried him with honour and returned to the island, where he soon reposed and was buried in the church of the Twelve Apostles. From his grave many sick people received healing.