Philemon of Cyzicus

Holy Martyr Philemon of Cyzicus was one of the nine martyrs of Cyzicus: Theognides, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius and Philemon. The page says nothing of him in particular, but tells the passion of all, at the end of the third century, between the years 284 and 292.

Cyzicus, a city on the shore of the Dardanelles, was largely pagan, though it had a Christian church. The nine, young and old, soldiers, villagers, townsmen and clerics, come from various places, boldly confessed Christ and rebuked paganism. Seized and brought before the governor, they were tortured and imprisoned for days on end, with the promise of freedom if they denied Christ, but they remained unshaken. They were beheaded with the sword, and their bodies were buried near the city. After, in the year 324, Saint Constantine the Great ended the persecution in the East, the Christians took their incorrupt bodies from the earth and laid them in a church built in their honour. Miracles and healings of sickness were wrought from the relics, and many pagans turned to Christianity.

Under Julian the Apostate the pagans demanded the rebuilding of the temples, and Bishop Eleusius was imprisoned, then freed after the emperor's death. Saint Dimitry of Rostov composed the service of the nine martyrs, wrote of their passion and delivered a sermon for their commemoration. Near Kazan a monastery was founded in their honour by the hierodeacon Stephen, who had brought a part of the relics from Palestine. The martyrs are commemorated on 12 May.