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In the previous article, we tackled Egypt’s people, who do not fear death, nor do it give up his faith and freedom. This people; whether its men, women or children, has presented a model of bravery and endurance for the whole world. We tackled some of those who pursued this path, including governors, commanders and soldiers. Today, we will continue the procession of this great people who sacrifices all what is precious and dear for the sake of their faith.
Martyr Soldiers
Among the soldiers, Aba Begol the soldier emerges, he followed the Egyptians’ suit in rejecting to give up freedom, disobeying the emperor’s command of offering sacrifices to the idols, so, he went through a long series of severe tortures by the governors of Alexandria; Colossianus and Armanius, whose attempts all failed. Hence, they sent the martyr to Arianus, the governor of Ansena who got fed up with him as well and didn’t manage to seduce him, so he sent him to Emperor Diocletian, and there he was beheaded after the emperor’s failed attempts.
Martyr Bishops
Bishops, priests and deacons had suffered from severe tortures for adhering to their faith. However, the authentic core of the country was permeating strongly in the veins of all who lived on its earth, granting each Egyptian a strong determination and invincible firmness.
Among those bishops, we recall Abba Bisada, the Bishop of Ebsay – a city in Upper Egypt near Akhmim, and now is called Al Monsha’a Sharq. The books of history kept for us the letter Emperor Diocletian sent to him:
(From Emperor Diocletian to Bisada: Peace. If you obeyed the commands I give to you to burn incense to my gods, I will give you a more expanding authority, order my soldiers to guard you wherever you go. While if you rejected to obey me, you will have no other choice than death.)
Here I am astonished at Diocletian’s words, he was an emperor who didn’t know the nature of the people he ruled; he thought the Egyptians could be seduced by grants and giving, he was not aware that the Egyptians would never give up living with dignity in the way they desire. When Abba Bisada received the letter, he rejected its content and bid farewell to his people, affirming them in faith. Then he was thrown into prison of Alexandria, and was beheaded after receiving savage torments.
Another example of firmness manifests in Abba Abadion, the bishop of Ansena, who was summoned by Governor Arianus, to be informed about the decree of the emperor. Arianus then asked the bishop to gather the Christians and to urge them on idolatry. The bishop gathered the congregation, informed them about the decree sent from Caesar, and backboned them in resisting all who desire to deprive them from freedom of religion. The entire congregation went to the governor, expressing their rejection to any pressures, indifferent to any terrorism. He ordered all of them to be beheaded that the streets – according to the historians – were flowing with blood! How great you are, Egypt! You have watered the lands with fragrant blood which had not given up to fear or oppression when they tried to deprive your people from their freedom.
Arianus escorted Abba Abadion to Assiut, where he killed a huge number of people, then to Akhmim where he sent his soldiers to kill the congregation during praying! The Church history books recount that he went on killing people until bloods formed rivers in Akhmim streets! He returned again to Ansena accompanied by Abba Abadion, where he beheaded the bishop after torturing him in various severe methods.
Martyr Priests
Among the priests, we find Priest Aba Celog, from Alfent city, Central Egypt. He was one of those tortured by Arianus during his journey in Upper Egypt made to implement the emperor’s commands, he was beheaded after severe torments. Priests Aba Begol and Aba Kastour also were tortured by Lucianus, the governor of Alexandria, then by Armanius afterwards. The governors attempted to bring fear of torture to the saint’s hearts in order to coerce them to give in, yet they endured several types of torment and suffering until they were beheaded.
Martyr Deacons
Deacon Timothaus was one of the martyr deacons; he lived in a small city in Ansena. Arianus tried to make him deny his faith, making the martyr’s wife a mediator to convince him to submit to the orders, however, Timothaus strengthened his wife and they both stood against the emperor who sentenced them to be crucified to death.
Monks and nuns didn’t flee these massacres, as five thousand monks, together with their bishop Julianus, died in Ansena only.
Martyr Children
Among the Egyptian children who learned from their grandparents’ courage and braver is Child Beckam, who was tortured and killed at the age of ten by Governor Arianus. Also, one other martyr is little Shenousi, who was twelve years old, and lived in the town of Belkim- Al Santah currently.
He was arrested and asked to deny his faith, but he refused, so he was tortured with all sorts of torments until Arianus ordered him to be beheaded. One of the most famous Egyptian boys is Abanoub al Nahaysi from Samanoud, who refused to obey the emperor’s orders. The governor then threw him into prison and took him to Atrib where he suffered many severe tortures. When the governor was able to do nothing against his firmness, he sent him to the governor of Alexandria, and after receiving bitter torments, he was beheaded at the age of twelve. These children are only examples of Egypt’s martyr children, many of whom had sacrificed their lives for their faith without fear or retreat.
Martyrs for Chastity
There are also heroes who defended their chastity and purity, preferring death to doing evil. Among those we have: the Egyptian chaste virgin Theodora, who was martyred in the time of Diocletian at the age of seventeen. Theodora was beautiful daughter of a noble family, the governor ordered her to burn incense for the idols, and otherwise she would be punished by being sent to a brothel! She refused, so one of the youth, disguised as a soldier, picked her out of that place, after being disguised as a soldier herself. When it was discovered this young man was sentenced to death, and she knew about it, followed him and also was martyred.
The Last among Martyrs
I conclude this phase with the martyrdom of Pope Peter, known as the “Last among the Martyrs”. The emperor was very agitated against the Pope of Alexandria due to the firmness of the Egyptian martyrs, and even their encouragement to each other to stand firmly and to sacrifice their lives for the sake of faith, not only in Egypt, but also abroad.
Pope Peter was therefore arrested as commanded by Emperor Maximianus and thrown in prison. When the people heard, they gathered together at the prison’s gate to save him from death. However, the pope was keen on the life of his people and took another way out, reached the place of execution where St. Mark the Apostle had been martyred. There, the Pope prayed to God to end the persecutions and concluded his prayer saying: “O God, accept my life as a ransom for Your people.” He heard a voice saying: “Amen”. It is noteworthy that none of the soldiers was able to carry out the sentence, until the commander promised to give money to him who would cut off the head of that old man, one of them proceeded and cut off his head.
Governor Arianus
As for Arianus, the governor of Ansena; he led torture and murder campaigns against the Christian Egyptians. Nobody, in Egypt and all other states of the Roman Empire, was ever more envious and cruel than he. The governors used to send to him the people whom they failed to turn faith to be tortured by Arianus. In a dialogue with Abba Abadion during his torture, the bishop told Arianus: “You left us a friend, yet you returned an enemy. You left a human, yet you became a wild beast.” Arianus said to him, “The people of Upper Egypt are cruel hearted and stiff- necked, for that, they appointed me in order to chasten them!”
An endless number of Christian Egyptians were martyred on his hands! However, during the execution of the emperor’s orders to torture two people – one was called Philemon and the other Apollonius – one of his eyes was plucked by an arrow hit it, and he was healed by the prayer of those two martyrs. Hence, he declared his faith, so Diocletian, who was in Alexandria at that time tortured him severely until he was martyred!
Stories about Beautiful Egypt, which influence all who live in it, never end!
The General Bishop
Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
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