Stamatios

Holy New Martyr Stamatios of Spetses was born in 1804 and was beheaded at Chios in 1822, aged eighteen. He suffered together with his brother John, aged twenty-⁠two, and their companion, the sea captain Nicholas. The brothers' parents were called Theodore Ginis and Anezo.

In 1822 they set out for Constantinople on a merchant ship, with five other sailors. A storm drove them to the Asia Minor coast opposite Chios, at Cesme. Fearing the Turks, they trusted a Christian, to whom they gave money to find materials to repair the boat. He betrayed them to the agha, who sent soldiers after them. Of the seven, two were killed and two fled by sea. The brothers Stamatios and John were seized, with the old captain Nicholas. The pasha imprisoned the brothers, and beheaded Nicholas, who refused to renounce his faith, on the plain outside the fortress.

For seven days the Turks tried to make the brothers Muslims, without success. They secretly sent their written confession to the metropolitan of Chios, who blessed them and sent them the Holy Mysteries through a woman. After receiving communion, they stood before the pasha and cried out to the crowd: "We are Christians; for Christ we go to death." They were beheaded. They are commemorated on 3 February (new style).