Theodoritus of Mesukevi

Holy Martyr Theodoritus of Mesukevi, a Georgian, is one of the seventeen martyrs of Mount Sukaketi in Georgia: the Holy Martyr Suchius and his companions, Andrew, Anastasius and many others. He is commemorated on 28 April (new style) and, on a movable day, in the Synaxis of the Saints of Alania (22 November).

Saint Suchius and his sixteen Georgian companions were great nobles at the court of the ruler of Albania (Caucasian Aghvania, on the territory of present-⁠day Azerbaijan). Accompanying the ruler's daughter Satenik, wife of the Armenian king Artaxias (88 to 123), they came to Artashat, the ancient capital of Armenia. There preached the Greek Christian Chrysos, enlightened and ordained priest by the Holy Apostle Thaddaeus (died about 44, commemorated on 21 August). The nobles believed in the Saviour and firmly resolved to devote their whole life to the service of God. All seventeen newly baptized Georgians followed Chrysos into Mesopotamia. At the Baptism in the waters of the Euphrates, performed by the priest Chrysos, they were counted worthy to see the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ.

At the place of the Baptism the holy martyrs raised an honourable cross and called it the "Cross of the Annunciation." At Baptism the priest Chrysos gave all of them new names: to the eldest, Suchius (instead of Bagadras), and to his companions, Andrew, Anastasius, Talale, Theodoritus, Ivchirion, Jordan, Kondrat, Lucian, Mimnenos, Nerangios, Polyeuctus, Jacob, Phocas, Domentian, Victor and Zosimus. After the martyr's death of the blessed Chrysos, Suchius became the spiritual guide of the brothers. Soon all moved into a wild place, on Mount Sukaketi, near the mountain village of Bagrevandi. The former nobles led there the strictest ascetic life, their food the sparse mountain vegetation and their drink cold spring water.

The new ruler of pagan Albania, Datianos, learned that his former nobles had accepted Christianity and settled in prayerful solitude. He sent his confidant Barnabas with a band of soldiers to persuade them to return to court and to the old faith. Barnabas found Suchius and his companions, but they, keeping their vow of service to God, rejected all persuasion. Then, at Barnabas's order, Suchius and his companions were nailed to the ground in the form of a cross and burned. Dying, Saint Kondrat and after him the other martyrs began to sing the twenty-⁠first Psalm. After the burning their bodies were cut to pieces and scattered over the whole of Mount Sukaketi, from which the martyrs received the name Mesukevi (more correctly, of Sukaketi). This took place in the year 123 (by other data, 130; an eleventh-⁠century parchment manuscript of the Iveron monastery on Athos gives the year 100).

The holy remains stayed unburied and uncorrupted until the fourth century, when they were laid in coffins and buried by local Christians (the names of the holy martyrs appeared inscribed on the rock). The Holy Hieromartyr Gregory, Illuminator of Armenia (died about 335, commemorated on 30 September), built a church on that place and founded a monastery. Later a healing spring appeared there.