The popular Saint George the Great Martyr and Trophy Bearer was born around 275 AD in Cappadocia to Christian parents. His father, in fact, died a martyr’s death for Christ when George was ten years old. His mother then took him with her to her home in Palestine, where she had her farms. When he was 18 years old, he joined the Roman army. Although young in age, he performed his military duties perfectly. Everyone admired him for his stature. Therefore, he was quickly promoted to higher offices and given the title of Count, and Diocletian held him in high esteem.
Confessor
From the time of Emperor Decius until Diocletian ascended the throne in 283 AD, the Christian Church grew immensely because peace prevailed. The Christians took many public positions, built many large churches, various schools, and organized the administration and management of churches and charity.
Diocletian initially worked on the organization of his state. He recruited generals as his assistants whom he named emperors and Caesars, and after succeeding in subduing the enemies of the state and stabilizing its borders, he turned to internal matters. Unfortunately, he turned against the Christian religion to correct idolatry. So for this reason, he summoned his assistants Caesars in 303 AD and the generals in the capital of the eastern Roman state to three general assemblies. Among them was the 28-year-old George, who distinguished himself many times in the wars.
So, they all gathered together to make decisions about the extermination and annihilation of the Christian faith. Diocletian was the first to speak and he ordered everyone to take up the exterminating fight against Christianity. All promised to make every effort to eliminate the Christian religion from the Roman state. Then brave George stood up and said: “Why, O king and princes, do you wish to shed righteous and holy blood, and to compel Christians to worship and adore idols?” And he proclaimed the truth of the Christian religion and the Divinity of Christ.
As soon as he finished, everyone was confused by this confession and tried to persuade him to repent for what he had said, thus soothing Diocletian as well. But George was firm and boldly proclaimed his Christian faith.
In prison
Enraged, Diocletian ordered him to be locked up in prison and have his legs tied to the wood and, after lying on his back, put a large and heavy stone on his chest.
The next morning Diocletian ordered George to be brought before him for questioning. Again he remained steadfast in his confession and despite all the flattery and promises of the emperor he proclaimed his faith and spoke of the heavenly treasures. Diocletian was enraged by his words and ordered the executioners to tie the saint to a large wheel so that his body could be cut to pieces. He even mocked the Saint’s bravery and invited him to worship idols. George thanked God for having merited him to be tested and gladly accepted to undergo this terrible torture, which was splitting his whole body into small thin pieces, because around the wheel there were sharp irons, like knives, stuck into the wheel. Indeed as soon as the wheel moved the sharp irons began to cut his body. Then, there was a voice from heaven saying: “Fear not, George, for I am with thee” and immediately an angel released the Saint, untying him from the wheel and his whole afflicted body was healed.
George, having acquired his wonderful stature, with an angelic aspect, presented himself to Diocletian, who had gone with others to make a sacrifice. As soon as they saw him they were all amazed and astonished. Some claimed that he was someone who resembled him, and others that he was a ghost. But while they were commenting on the event, two of his officers, Protolemy and Anatolius (see April 23), appeared before the king with a thousand soldiers and confessed their faith in Christ. Diocletian was so angry that he became furious and ordered them to be killed, which was done immediately.
Then he ordered a pit to be immediately filled with lime and water, and after throwing George into it, to leave him in it for three days and three nights so that his bones would dissolve.
Indeed the executioners threw the Saint into the scalding lime and closed the mouth of the pit. After three days Diocletian sent soldiers to open the pit. But to their surprise they found George standing in the lime, praying. The event impressed and caused admiration and excitement in the crowd, who shouted: “George’s God is great.” Diocletian asked George to explain where the divination arts came from and how to use them. George then replied that the events were the result of divine grace and power and not of magic and charm.
Diocletian was furious and ordered that he be put in red-hot shoes with iron spikes and forced to walk. The Saint prayed and walked without harm. Again he ordered him to be imprisoned and thought of calling the princes to consider what they should do to George. And having beaten him so severely with whips, and having afflicted the whole body of the Saint, they presented him to Diocletian, who was astonished to see George shining like an Angel. He thought, therefore, that this phenomenon was due to his magical abilities. So he called the magician Athanasius (see April 23) to solve George’s spell.
Harmless from the poison
So the magician Athanasius came, holding in his hands two clay vessels, where there was poison. In the first vessel the poison caused madness, while in the second the poison caused death.
They immediately led the Saint to Diocletian and the magician Athanasius. The king ordered that he be given the first poison to drink. The Saint without hesitation drank the poison of the first vessel, after praying, saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, our God, who hath said even to the deadly drink, do not them harm, now admire thy mercies.” And he suffered absolutely nothing!
As soon as they saw that nothing at all happened to him, the king ordered the magician to give him the second vessel. He drank that too without suffering the slightest harm. Then everyone was amazed at this miracle. Diocletian still insisted that in order that George should not die he had a spell of his own. The magician Athanasius, who knew how potent the poisons were, after kneeling before the martyr, confessed his faith in the true God. Then Diocletian ordered and they killed Athanasius immediately. At that moment Diocletian’s wife Alexandra arrived (see April 21), who confessed her faith in the true God. And the cruel and heartless Diocletian ordered her to be imprisoned and the next day her head cut off. Alexandra, while praying in prison, surrendered her soul into the hands of God.
The martyrdom of the Saint
St. George was locked up in prison and at night he saw Christ in his dream, who announced that he would receive the crown of martyrdom and would deserve eternal life. At dawn the soldiers were ordered by Diocletian to present the Saint before him. Indeed, the Saint was indeed walking towards the king full of joy, because he foresaw that his end had come. So when Diocletian saw him, he suggested that they go to the temple of Apollo to sacrifice to his idol. When the Saint entered the temple, he raised his hand and after making the sign of the cross, he ordered the idol to fall. Immediately it fell and was torn to pieces.
The priest of the idols and the people were so angry that they cried out to the king to put George to death. Diocletian issued an order and cut off his head.
The Saint’s faithful servant, Pasicrates, carrying out the Saint’s wish, received the Holy relic of the Martyr together with that of his mother, Saint Polychronia (see April 23) and carried it to Lydda in Palestine. From there, as the sources attest, the Crusaders took the holy relics of St. Polychronia and carried them to the West.
According to our Church, this glorious great martyr is the precious daisy, the divine master, the glorious lion, the glorious star, the luminous star, the armor-bearer of Christ, the companion of the heavenly army.
The memory of the saint is celebrated on April 23rd. However, if Easter falls after 23 April, then the memory of the Saint is celebrated on the next day of Easter (Monday of Justification).
saints’ lives
