- Martyr Andrew Strateletes and 2,593 soldiers with him in Cilicia (~289)
- "He was an officer, a tribune, in the Roman army in the time of the
Emperor Maximian. A Syrian by birth, he served in his native land. When
the Persians attacked the imperial Roman army, this Andrew was entrusted
with the command in the battle against the enemy — whence his title:
commander, strateletes. A secret Christian,
although as yet unbaptised, Andrew commended himself to the living God,
and, taking only the cream of the army, went to war. Before the battle,
he told his soldiers that, if they all called upon the aid of the one,
true God, Christ the Lord, their enemies would become as dust scattered
before them. All the soldiers, fired with enthusiasm by Andrew and his
faith, invoked Christ's aid and attacked. The Persian army was utterly
routed. When the victorious Andrew returned to Antioch, some jealous men
denounced him as a Christian and the imperial governor summoned him for
trial. Andrew openly proclaimed his steadfast faith in Christ. After
harsh torture, the governor threw Andrew into prison and wrote to the
Emperor in Rome. Knowing Andrew's popularity among the people and in the
army, the Emperor ordered the governor to set Andrew free, but to seek
another occasion and another excuse (not his faith) to kill him. By
God's revelation, Andrew came to know of this imperial command, and,
taking his faithful soldiers (2,593 in all) with him, went off to Tarsus
in Cilicia, where they were all baptised by the bishop, Peter.
Persecuted here also by imperial might, Andrew and his companions
withdrew deep into the Armenian mountain of Tavros. There in a ravine,
while they were at prayer, the Roman army came upon them and beheaded
them all. Not one of them would recant, all being determined on death by
martyrdom for Christ. On the spot where a stream of the martyrs' blood
flowed down, a spring of healing water sprang forth, healing from every
disease. The bishop, Peter, came secretly with his people and buried the
martyrs' bodies in that same place. They all suffered with honour at
the end of the third century and were crowned with wreaths of eternal
glory, entering into the Kingdom of Christ our God." (Prologue)
source: http://www.abbamoses.com
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