Theodore of Apamea

Holy Martyr Theodore of Apamea was one of the seventy soldiers of the Holy Martyr Maurice, a commander from Apamea in Syria, who suffered in the year 305 under the Emperor Maximian Galerius (305 to 311), together with his son Photinus. Of the soldiers only two are known by name, Theodore and Philip.

During the persecution the pagan priests denounced Maurice to the emperor for spreading the faith in Christ. Brought to trial, Maurice, his son and his soldiers firmly confessed their faith and yielded neither to persuasion nor to threats. They were then beaten without mercy, burned with fire and torn with iron hooks. The youth Photinus, who bore the tortures firmly, was put to the sword before his father's eyes. Not even this hard trial broke Maurice, who rejoiced that his son had been counted worthy of a martyr's end.

Then a still more ingenious torment was devised for the martyrs: they were taken to a marshy place where clouds of mosquitoes, wasps and horseflies swarmed, and tied to trees with their bodies smeared with honey. The insects stung them cruelly, and thirst and hunger wore them down. For ten days the saints endured these torments, without ceasing to pray and glorify God, until the Lord ended their sufferings. The wicked tormentor ordered their heads cut off and the bodies left unburied, but Christians secretly buried the honoured remains of the holy martyrs by night at the place of their terrible execution. Theodore is commemorated on 7 March (new style). The story of their martyrdom was also written down by Saint Demetrius of Rostov.