Thaumasius of Cyzicus

Holy Martyr Thaumasius of Cyzicus is one of the nine martyrs of Cyzicus: Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasius and Philemon. Cyzicus is a city in Asia Minor, on the shore of the Dardanelles. Christianity had spread there since the time of the preaching of the Holy Apostle Paul, but persecutions by the pagans made some Christians flee the city and others keep their faith secret. At the end of the third century Cyzicus was largely pagan, although it had a Christian church. True Christians grieved at this and wished to strengthen faith in Christ.

Among them were the nine holy martyrs, from different places and of different ages, young like Antipater and old like Rufus, soldiers, villagers, townsmen and clerics, but united by faith in Christ and an ardent desire to spread and strengthen it. Coming to Cyzicus, they boldly confessed Christ and fearlessly rebuked pagan impiety. They were seized and brought to trial before the governor of the city. For several days they were tortured, imprisoned and brought out again, with the promise of freedom if they renounced Christ, but they continued to glorify the name of the Lord. All nine were beheaded, around 284 to 292, and their bodies were buried near the city.

In 324, when the eastern half of the empire came under Constantine the Great (306 to 337, commemorated on 21 May) and persecution ceased, the Christians of Cyzicus raised from the earth the incorrupt bodies of the nine martyrs and placed them in a church built in their honour. Miracles came from the holy relics: the sick were healed and the mad regained their reason. The faith of Christ was strengthened in the city under the protection of the martyrs and many pagans became Christians. When Julian the Apostate (361 to 363) came to the throne, the pagans of Cyzicus complained to him about the destruction of their temples, and he ordered the temples rebuilt and Bishop Eleusius imprisoned. After the death of Julian, Eleusius was freed and the light of the faith shone again in Cyzicus.

In Russia, near Kazan, the hierodeacon Stephen, who had brought part of the saints' relics from Palestine, built a monastery in honour of the nine martyrs of Cyzicus, in hope of deliverance through their prayers from various diseases, especially the fever that raged in Kazan in 1687. Saint Demetrius of Rostov (died 1709, commemorated on 21 September) composed the service for the nine martyrs, described their passion and wrote a homily for their day. Thaumasius is commemorated on 12 May (new style).