Rufus of Cyzicus

Holy Martyr Rufus of Cyzicus was an old man, among the nine holy martyrs of Cyzicus: Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius and Philemon, put to the sword in Cyzicus, on the shore of the Dardanelles, at the end of the third century.

Christianity had spread in Cyzicus since the preaching of the Apostle Paul, but the persecution of the pagans had made some Christians flee the city and others keep their faith in secret. For this reason, at the end of the third century the city was largely pagan, although it had a Christian church. This state of things grieved the true Christians, who wished to strengthen the faith of Christ, and among them were the nine martyrs. They came from different places and were of different ages: young, like Antipater, and old, like Rufus; they held different places in society: among them were soldiers, peasants, townsmen and clerics. All were united by faith in Christ and the ardent desire to spread and strengthen the true faith.

Arriving at Cyzicus, they boldly confessed Christ and fearlessly rebuked pagan impiety. They were seized and brought before the governor of the city. For several days they were tormented, imprisoned, brought out again and promised freedom if they renounced Christ, but the soldiers of Christ continued to glorify the Name of Christ. All nine were put to the sword (around 284-292), and their bodies were buried near the city.

When in 324 St Constantine the Great came to rule the eastern part of the empire and the persecution ceased, the Christians of Cyzicus took the incorrupt bodies of the nine martyrs from the earth and laid them in a church raised in their honour. Various miracles came from their relics: the sick were healed, madmen came to their senses. The faith of Christ was strengthened in the city by the protection of the martyrs, and many pagans turned to Christianity. In the time of Julian the Apostate (361-363) the pagans of Cyzicus complained to him of the destruction of the temples, and Julian ordered the temples rebuilt and Bishop Eleusius imprisoned. After the death of Julian, Bishop Eleusius was freed and the light of the faith of Christ shone again in Cyzicus.

In Russia, not far from Kazan, the hierodeacon Stephen founded a monastery in honour of the nine martyrs of Cyzicus, bringing with him from Palestine a part of their relics, in the hope of deliverance through their intercession from various illnesses, above all the fevers that raged in Kazan in 1687. St Demetrius of Rostov (†1709), the author of the service to the nine martyrs, writes that these saints were given great grace for driving out fevers. He also described the torments of the saints and composed a homily for their feast day.

St Rufus is commemorated on 12 May, in the new style.