Saints george and dmitry solunsky. The icon of Dmitry Solunsky in what helps, meaning
DIMITRY SOLUNSKY
Demetrius of Thessalonica is a holy great martyr who suffered during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. His life, suffering and miracles are narrated in our Menaion, on the 26th of October. For the lives of Saint Demetrius, see under the same date in the Monthly Word of Archimandrite Sergius. An attempt was made to prove that Saint Demetrius was by his origin a Slav (see Readings of the Society of Russian History and Antiquities, 1846). In ancient Russian verses, the holy great martyr Demetrius is presented as an assistant to the Russians in the struggle against Mamai. From the earliest times among the Russians and in general among all Slavic peoples, we see a special celebration of Saint Demetrius. Serbs and Bulgarians honor him as the patron of the Slavic people, call him the "patriarch" of the Slavic peoples. In the Russian chronicles, the name of Saint Demetrius is found on the very first pages, before the name of any other saint was mentioned: the Monk Nestor mentions him in his story about the capture of Constantinople by the Grand Duke Oleg. According to our chronicler, the Greeks attributed their defeat not to the courage of the Slavs, but to the intercession for them of Saint Demetrius, their patron. Since ancient times, Russians have tried to acquire even the smallest particles of his relics, clothing, worlds, or even dust from his coffin. This explains why in all ancient monasteries and churches, among the particles of the relics of various saints, there is almost certainly a part of the relics or worlds from St. Demetrius. In 1197 the icon of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius was brought from Solunya to Vladimir by the Grand Duke Vsevolod Yuryevich, and this event was included as a holiday in the ancient calendar. This icon was first located in Kiev, then in Vladimir, and during the reign of Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich, in 1380, it was transferred to Moscow and placed in the Assumption Cathedral. A special reverence for the memory of St. Demetrius is evident, by the way, from the fact that our princes often called their first-borns by the name of this saint. So it was with Yaroslav I, Yuri Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevsky, John II, Ivan the Terrible, Alexei Mikhailovich. In ancient Russia, the day of the holy great martyr Demetrius was considered one of the great holidays; the service was usually performed by the patriarch himself, in the presence of the sovereign. Saint Demetrius was a warrior and ruler of Solunia; accordingly, he is depicted on ancient icons in military attire, with a spear and a sword. P.V.
Brief biographical encyclopedia. 2012
See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what DIMITRY SOLUNSKY is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:
- DIMITRY SOLUNSKY
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". This article is incomplete markup. Demetrius of Thessaloniki (+ c. 306), Great Martyr Commemorated on October 26. ... - DIMITRY SOLUNSKY
christian saint, great martyr. The son of the Solunsky governor, who secretly professed Christianity. Was appointed by the pagan emperor Maximian to the post of proconsul, actively contributed to the spread of Christianity. ... - DIMITRY SOLUNSKY
st. velikomuch., suffered during the empire. Diocletian. There is a story about his life, suffering and miracles in our Menaion, under 26 ... - DIMITRY SOLUNSKY in the Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedia:
? holy great martyr who suffered during the time of the emperor Diocletian. There is a story about his life, suffering and miracles in our Menaion, under ... - DIMITRY SOLUNSKY in the Dictionary of the Russian language Lopatin:
Dimitri ... - DIMITRY SOLUNSKY in the Spelling Dictionary:
dimitri ... - Dimitri in the Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities:
(Demetrius, ?????????). 1) Demetrius Poliorket. that is, the conqueror of cities, who received this name for the huge siege machines invented by him. He was … - Dimitri
Dimitri - Tsarevich, son of Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible and his seventh (fifth married) wife, Maria Feodorovna Naga. Born 19 ... - Dimitry Tsarevich, Son of Tsar Ivan Vasilievich the Terrible in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
and his seventh (fifth married) wife, Maria Feodorovna Nagoya, b. 19 oct. 1581 After the death of his father and ascension to ... - DIMITRY NAME MAKED. AND SIRIYSK. KINGS in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
(?????????) -? The name of many Macedonian and Syrian kings. 1) D. Poliorket, i.e. the conqueror of cities (337-283 BC), son ... - Dimitri in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Euphron:
Demetrius of Thessaloniki - St. Great Martyr, who suffered during the imperial Diocletian. There is a story about his life, suffering and miracles in our Menaion, under ... - Dimitri
DIMITRY ROSTOVSKY (in the world Dan. Savvich Tuptalo) (1651-1709), Metropolitan of Rostov and Yaroslavl (from 1702), writer. Supported the reforms of Peter I, but ... - Dimitri in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
DIḾITRY PRILUTSKY (? -1392), founder and first abbot of the Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery. near Vologda (from 1446). Canonized by Rus. orthodoxy ... - Dimitri in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
Dimitri I Papadopoulos (1914-91), Greek. church. activist, Patriarch of Constantinople (Ecumenical) with ... - Dimitri in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
DIḾITRI (in the world of Dm. Iv. Sambikin) (1839-1908), church. activist and historian, archbishop of Kazan and Sviyazhsky since 1905. Author of the research. ... - Dimitri in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
DIḾITRY (in the world Klim. Iv. Muretov) (1811-83), Archbishop of Kherson and Odessa (from 1860), theologian, preacher. Prof. Kiev Theological Academy (from ... - Dimitri in the Big Russian Encyclopedic Dictionary:
DIMITRI (in the world Dan. And. Sechenov) (1709-1767), Metropolitan of Novgorod and Velikolutsk (from 1762), missionary, educator. As Bishop of Nizhny Novgorod and ... - Dimitri in the dictionary of Synonyms of the Russian language:
dmitry, … - SOLUNSKY
solunsky (from Solun); but: Dimitri of Thessaloniki, Thessalonian brothers (about Cyril and ... - Dimitri in the Complete Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language:
Dimitri, (Dimitrievich, ... - SOLUNSKY in the Spelling Dictionary:
sol`unsky (from sol`un); but: Dimitri of Solun, Solun br'atya (about Cyril and ... - Dimitri in the Modern Explanatory Dictionary, TSB:
Skeptic (Hellespont) (1st century), a prince converted by Saint Cornelius the Centurion, a Christian martyr who suffered from the pagans. Memory in the Orthodox Church 11 (14) ... - SIMEON SOLUNSKY in the Dictionary-index of names and concepts of ancient Russian art:
(c. 1429) Byzantine theologian and church leader, Archbishop of Thessaloniki since 1406. He led the defense of Thessaloniki from the Turkish invasion ... - CHRISTODULUS OF SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Christodulus of Thessalonica, Kassandra (+ 1777), martyr. Commemoration of July 27. Originally from Balka in ... - FLORENTIUS OF SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Florenty of Thessaloniki (2nd century), martyr. Commemorated on October 13. The Holy Martyr Florence was a native of ... - FEONA SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Theon of Theon of Thessalonia (16th century), Metropolitan, reverend. Commemoration April 4 Ascended in the 16th century ... - FEODUL SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Theodulus of Theodolus (+ 303), reader, martyr. Commemorated on April 5. He suffered martyrdom in ... - FANTINE SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Fantin of Thessaloniki (+ 974), miracle worker, reverend. Commemoration August 30 Born in Calabria ... - SIMEON SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Simeon Thessaloniki (+ 1429), archbishop, saint. Commemoration of September 15. Life of the future saint ... - PALLADIUS SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Palladium of Thessaloniki (VI - VII centuries), Alexandria, reverend. Commemorated November 27. From … - NESTOR SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Nestor Solunsky (c. 306), martyr. Commemoration October 27 The young man Nestor was a disciple of Saint Demetrius ... - JOSEPH OF SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Joseph Studite (+ 830 or 833), Archbishop of Thessaloniki, saint, confessor. Commemoration of January 26 ... - JOHN SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". John of Thessaloniki (+ 820 - 850), reverend. Commemorated April 11, April 18. ... - EVFIMY NEW, SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Euthymius the New, Thessalonian (+ 889), reverend. Memory October 15 In the world Nikita was ... - DOMNIN SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Domnin of Thessaloniki (VI century), martyr. Commemorated on October 1. Domnin was from Thessaloniki ... - DIMITRY ROSTOVSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Demetrius (Tuptalo) (1651 - 1709), Metropolitan of Rostov, church writer, preacher, saint. Memory ... - DIMITRY (SECHENOV) in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Dimitri (Sechenov) (1709 - 1767), Metropolitan of Novgorod and Velikolutsk. In the world Sechenov Daniel ... - DIMITRY (ROYSTER) in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Demetrius (Royster) (born 1923), Archbishop b. Dallas and South (Orthodox Church in America). ... - DIMITRY (DOBROSERDOV) in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Dimitri (Dobroserdov) (1864 - 1937), Archbishop of Mozhaisk, Hieromartyr. In the world of Dobroserdov Ivan ... - DIMITRY (ABASHIDZE) in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Dimitri (Prince Abashidze), in schema Anthony (1867 - 1942), schema-bishop b. Tavrichesky and ... - DAVID SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". David of Thessaloniki (+ c. 540), reverend. Commemorated June 26. Ascended in the monastery of the saints ... - VASILY SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Vasily Thessaloniki (+ 896), archbishop, confessor, saint. Commemoration of February 1. Saint ... - ALEXANDER SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Alexander Solunsky (early 4th century), martyr. Commemoration of November 9. The Holy Martyr Alexander Thessaloniki was ... - AGAFOPOD SOLUNSKY in the Orthodox Encyclopedia Tree:
Open Orthodox encyclopedia "DREVO". Agathopod Solunsky (+ 303), deacon, martyr. Commemorated on April 5. Agathopod the deacon and ... - DMITRY TUPTALO in the Brief Biographical Encyclopedia:
Dimitri Tuptalo - saint, the famous Metropolitan of Rostov, was born in 1651 in the town of Makarov, 40 versts from Kiev. Father ... - DIMITRY IVANOVICH (DONSKOY) in the Brief Biographical Encyclopedia:
Dimitri Ivanovich (nicknamed Donskoy) - Grand Duke of Vladimir and Moscow, the eldest son of Grand Duke Ivan Ivanovich from his second wife ... - DIMITRY-FOMA KONSTANTINOVICH in the Brief Biographical Encyclopedia:
Dimitri-Thomas Konstantinovich, son of the Grand Duke of Nizhny Novgorod Konstantin Vasilyevich, Prince of Suzdal, then the Grand Duke of Nizhny Novgorod (1323 - 1384). After death ...
The Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, the son of noble and pious parents, came from the city of Thessalonia, where his father was a governor. At that time, wicked kings persecuted Christians severely; therefore, Father Demetrius, who secretly believed in our Lord Jesus Christ and fulfilled His commandments, did not dare to openly confess His holy name, fearing the terrible threats of the pagans.
Inside his chambers, in the innermost room, he had two holy icons, adorned with gold and stones; on one of them was the image of our Lord Jesus Christ, and on the other - the Most Holy Mother of God; in front of these icons he lit candles and incense. In this secluded temple, he, together with his wife, often offered up prayers to the True God, living in the highest, His Only Begotten Son and the Most Immaculate Lady. These pious spouses generously endowed the poor with alms and never refused people in need. Only one thing greatly saddened them: they had no children. They earnestly asked the Lord to grant them an heir, and after a while their desire was fulfilled.
The Almighty heeded their prayers and gave them a son, Saint Demetrius. The joy of the parents was great; they thanked the Lord greatly. All Solun shared the joy of their governor, who arranged a meal for the whole city, especially for the poor.
When the boy grew up and could already comprehend the truth, his parents brought him into the temple, where the holy icons were and, pointing to them, said:
- Here is the image of the One True God, who created heaven and earth, and this is the image of the Most Holy Theotokos.
They taught him the holy commandments of Christ, explained to him everything through which a person can know our Lord Jesus Christ and presented him how vain and pernicious is faith in the foul pagan gods.
From that time on, Demetrius, enlightened both by the words of his parents, and especially being instructed from above by the Holy Spirit, knew the truth: already God's grace rested on him; He believed in the Lord with all his soul and, worshiping the holy icons, kissed them with reverence.
Then the parents of Demetrius, having called a priest and some Christians known to them, baptized the youth in their secret church in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy. Spirit.
Having received holy baptism, Demetrius learned the true faith, grew both in years and in reason, ascended higher and higher along the ladder of virtues - and the grace of God more enlightened and admonished him.
When Demetrius reached the age of majority, his parents migrated from this temporary life, teaching their son the example of Godly life and leaving him the heir of the entire estate.
Meanwhile, Tsar Maximian, having learned about the death of the governor of Thessaloniki, summoned his son, Saint Demetrius, to him. Noticing that he was intelligent and brave in battles, the tsar appointed him ruler of the entire Thessalonian region; entrusting him with such a position, he said:
- Preserve your native city and cleanse it of wicked Christians, put to death everyone who only calls on the name of the Crucified.
Accepting the royal appointment, Demetrius returned home and was greeted with honor by the inhabitants of the city. For a long time he had wanted to establish the light of true faith in his hometown, and he grieved when he saw that the inhabitants of Solun were worshiping soulless idols. Now, upon arriving in the city, immediately before everyone he began to confess and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ; he taught everyone the commandments of Christ, converted the pagans to the holy faith and eradicated filthy polytheism; in a word, he was the second apostle Paul to the Solunians. The rumor of this soon reached Maximian himself. The Tsar, having learned that the ruler Demetrius appointed by him was a Christian and had already converted many to his faith, became very angry. Just at the same time, returning from the Sarmatian war, the king stopped at Thessaloniki. Even before the arrival of Maximian in the city, Demetrius entrusted his faithful servant named Luppa with all the property that he inherited after his parents, gold, silver, precious stones and clothes, and ordered to distribute all this to the poor and needy.
“Divide this earthly wealth between them,” added the saint, “let us seek for ourselves the wealth of heaven.
And he himself began to pray and fast, thus preparing for the martyr's crown. The king immediately began to find out if what he had heard about Demetrius was true? Daringly speaking before the king, Demetrius confessed himself a Christian and began to condemn pagan polytheism. The evil tormentor immediately ordered that the confessor of true faith be imprisoned. Entering there, the saint prayed in the words of the prophet David: “ Hurry, God, deliver me, [hurry], Lord, help me"(Ps. 69: 2). “For Thou art my hope, O Lord God, my hope from my youth. I was established on You from the womb; You have brought me out of my mother's womb; My praise will never cease to you. My lips rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have delivered; and my tongue will declare thy righteousness every day ”(Ps. 70: 5, 6, 23, 24).
As in a bright palace, Demetrius sat in prison, praising and glorifying God. The devil, wanting to frighten him, turned into a scorpion and wanted to stab the saint in the leg. Having marked himself with the sign of the cross, the saint fearlessly stepped on the scorpion, pronouncing the words of David: " you will step on the asp and the basilisk; you will trample the lion and the dragon"(Psalm 90:13).
Spending time in prison in this way, the saint was worthy of a visit from an angel of God; in a bright light appeared before him the heavenly messenger with a beautiful paradise crown and said:
- Peace be with you, sufferer of Christ, take heart and be strong! The saint answered:
- I rejoice in the Lord and rejoice in God my Savior! This appearance of an angel consoled and encouraged the holy sufferer; even more strongly he wanted to seal with his blood the confession of the true faith of Christ.
Meanwhile, the king arranged games and began to amuse himself with spectacles. He had one outstanding fighter, a Vandal by the name of Leah. Having ordered to build a high stage for him, Maximian watched with great pleasure how Leah fought his opponents and, casting them down from a height onto spears, betrayed them to painful death. Among the spectators there was one young man - a Christian - named Nestor; bonds of spiritual friendship united him with Saint Demetrius, who was his mentor in the faith. Seeing that Leah was killing many and especially badly destroying Christians - the latter were forcibly forced into battle with Leah - this youth, having perked up, wished to fight with the tsarist fighter. But before engaging in battle, he went to prison to Saint Demetrius. Here Nestor told him everything that Leah was doing, said that he wanted to fight this merciless destroyer of Christians, and asked the saint for blessings and prayers. Having marked him with the sign of the cross, Demetrius prophesied to him:
- You will triumph over Leah and suffer torment for Christ!
Approaching the place of the spectacle, Nestor loudly exclaimed:
- God Dimitriev, help me in the fight against my enemy!
Then, having entered into battle with Lie, he defeated the king's fighter and threw him down from the platform onto sharp spears. The death of Leah greatly saddened the king; he at once gave orders to put the blessed Nestor to death. But this could not console Maximian, all day and all night he regretted the death of Leah. Learning that Nestor had entered into single combat with Leah on the advice and blessing of Demetrius, the tsar ordered the holy great martyr to be pierced with spears.
- Li, - thought the lawless tormentor, - was thrown by Nestor's hand onto the spearheads; what death he endured, the same must endure to Saint Demetrius, let him perish by the same death. which also ruined our beloved fighter Leah.
But the insane tormentor was deceived, believing that the death of the righteous and the sinner is the same; he was mistaken in this, for the death of sinners is fierce, and the death of the saints is honorable in the eyes of the Lord.
As soon as the morning of October 26 dawned, the soldiers entered the dungeon to Demetrius; they found the holy man standing in prayer, and immediately rushed at him and pierced him with spears. So this confessor of Christ gave up his honest and holy soul into the hands of the Creator.
At night, the Christians secretly took the body of the saint, dishonorably cast down in the dust, and reverently buried it.
At the place of the blessed death of the holy great martyr, there was his faithful servant, the aforementioned Lupp; he reverently took the robe of his master, sprinkled with his honest blood, in which he also dipped the ring. With this robe and ring he performed many miracles, healing all kinds of diseases and casting out evil spirits.
The rumor of such miracles spread throughout the Solunya, so that all the sick began to flock to Lupp. Learning of this, Maximian ordered to take the blessed Lupp and chop off his head. And so the good servant followed his master, Saint Demetrius, to the heavenly abodes.
When much time had passed and the persecution against Christians had ceased, a small church was erected over the grave of St. Demetrius; here many miracles were performed, and many sick people received healings from their ailments. One Illyrian noble noble named Leonty fell into a grave, incurable illness. Hearing about the miracles of the holy passion-bearer, he turned with faith to the holy Great Martyr Demetrius. When he was brought into the church and laid on the place where the relics of the holy great martyr were buried, he immediately received healing and got up completely healthy, thanking God and glorifying His saint Saint Demetrius.
Out of a feeling of gratitude to Saint Leonty, he wanted to build a great and beautiful church in honor of this glorious martyr. The former small church was dismantled, and now, when they began to dig a moat for the foundation, the relics of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius were found. completely intact and without any decay; fragrant ointment flowed out of them, so that the whole city was filled with a fragrance.
Many people gathered for this spiritual celebration. With great reverence, the holy relics were taken from the earth, and countless sick people received healing through the anointing of the flowing peace. Leonty rejoiced not so much about his healing as about the discovery of the holy relics. Soon he finished the work he had begun and built on that place a beautiful temple in the name of St. Demetrius. Here in the ark, bound with gold and silver and adorned with precious stones, the honest relics of the great martyr were laid. But Leonty's concerns extended even further: he bought villages and vineyards and gave them to the maintenance of the servants at this church. When the time came for him to return to his homeland, he decided to take with him some of the relics of the saint in order to build a church in the name of Demetrius in his city. But the saint, having appeared, forbade him to separate any part of the relics. Then Leonty took only the shroud, stained with the blood of the saint, and, putting it in the golden ark, set off to his place in Illyria. During the journey from that shroud through the prayers of the saint, many miracles happened. Once Leontius, during his return, had to cross one river, which was overflowing and raging menacingly; fear and horror seized him, but suddenly Saint Demetrius appeared before him and said:
- Take the ark with the shroud in your hands and stop being afraid.
Leonty acted on the advice of the saint: he himself and those who were with him all crossed safely. When he returned to his homeland, he first of all built a beautiful temple in the name of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius. Invoking with faith the name of this great ascetic Christ, Leonty, through the prayers of the saint, worked miracles. The ruler of Illyria was very ill, so that pus and scabs covered his entire body from head to toe. But Leonty delivered the sick man from his serious illness, turning with a prayer to Saint Demetrius; he also miraculously healed one who was bleeding, healed another who raged; many other miracles happened there through the prayers of the saint. But there were especially many miracles in Thessaloniki, where the relics of this great martyr rested.
Once a fire broke out in the church dedicated to the holy great martyr. The silver canopy over the relics of the saint of God was especially badly damaged: it melted from the fire. Archbishop Eusebius, who was at that time, was very concerned about making the canopy again. But he had too little silver. In this temple there was a silver throne, which remained completely intact during the fire. The archbishop planned to pour this throne into the canopy of the saint's grave, but he has not yet informed anyone of his intention. At the same time, at this temple there was one pious presbyter named Demetrius. The holy great martyr appeared to him and said:
- Go and tell the bishop of the city: do not dare to transfuse the throne, which is in my church.
Demetrius immediately went to Eusebius and told him to give up his intention. At first, the archbishop was greatly amazed at the words of the presbyter, but then, believing that Demetrius could somehow find out his intention, he ceased to marvel at this and even reprimanded the presbyter. A few days later, the archbishop already ordered the masters to appear to him. At this very time, Presbyter Demetrius came to Eusebius a second time and said:
- The holy great martyr again appeared to me as a sinner in a dream vision and ordered to tell you: for the sake of love for me, do not pour over the throne.
The archbishop also sternly dismissed the presbyter, but has not yet ordered the transfusion of the throne. After a while he again wanted to give up the throne, but Saint Demetrius, appearing to the same presbyter, said:
- Cheer up, I myself take care of my temple and city, leave it to me to take care of that.
Then the archbishop could no longer refrain from crying and said to everyone around:
- Let's wait a little, brethren, for the saint of Christ himself promised us his help.
Before the archbishop had finished his speech, a citizen of Solun, by the name of Mina, came and brought with him 75 pounds of silver.
- Often Saint Demetrius, - said Mina, - saved me from dangers and even saved me from death. I have long wanted to make a donation to the temple of my gracious patron and wondrous patron. Now, from the very morning, a voice urged me:
- Go and do what you intended to do for a long time. Giving away the silver, Mina wished that this silver be spent on the canopy of the great martyr's tomb. After this, other citizens of Solun also appeared and also brought silver. From donations, a beautiful canopy was made for the tomb of the holy great martyr Demetrius.
During the reign of the Emperor Mauritius, the Avars demanded a large tribute from the inhabitants of Byzantium, but Mauritius refused to fulfill their demand. Then they gathered a huge army, which consisted mainly of the Slavs, and decided to take Solun, which was distinguished by its extensive trade and great wealth. Although the emperor Mauritius sent an army to this city, the plague that had raged not long before greatly reduced the number of Thessalonians, and the number of the enemy army was enormous: it extended up to 100,000. 10 days before the arrival of the enemies, Saint Demetrius appeared to Archbishop Eusebius and said that the city is in dire danger. But the Solunians thought that the enemy army would not approach the city soon. Suddenly, contrary to expectations, the enemy appeared not far from the city walls. He could even enter the city at night without hindrance, but the powerful right hand of the Most High, through the prayers of Saint Demetrius, miraculously stopped the terrible enemies not far from the city. The enemies took one of the fortified monasteries outside the city for the very Solun 'and stood under it the whole night; in the morning they noticed their mistake and rushed to the city itself. The enemy detachments went directly to the attack, until here on the city wall in front of everyone there appeared Saint Demetrius in the form of an armed warrior, and the first of the enemies who climbed the wall, he struck with a spear and threw from the wall.The last one, falling, drew other attackers with him. - horror then suddenly took possession of the enemies, - they immediately retreated. But the siege was not over, it was just beginning. At the sight of many enemies, despair seized even the bravest. At first, everyone thought that the death of the city was inevitable. But then, seeing the flight of the enemies and the protection of the wondrous intercessor, the inhabitants took courage and began to hope that the defender of Thessalonia, Saint Demetrius, would not leave his hometown and would not allow the enemies to get it. Meanwhile, the enemies began to besiege the city, moved their guns and began to shake the foundations of the city walls; clouds of arrows and stones fired from throwing weapons obscured the daylight - all hope remained for help from above, and crowds of people filled the temple in the name of St. Demetrius. At that time, there was a God-fearing and very virtuous man in the city named Illustrius. Arriving at night in the church of the holy great martyr Demetrius, in the church vestibule he fervently prayed to God and His glorious saint for the deliverance of the city from enemies, and suddenly he was able to see a wondrous vision: two certain bright youths appeared before him, who looked like royal bodyguards - they were angels Of God. The doors of the temple were thrown open before them, and they went inside the church. Illustrius followed them, wanting to see what would happen next. Entering, they loudly said:
- Where is the master who lives here?
Then another youth appeared, looking like a servant, and asked them:
- What do you need it for?
“The Lord sent us to him,” they answered, “to tell him something.
Pointing to the saint's tomb, the young servant said:
- Here it is!
“Tell him about us,” they said.
Then the young man lifted the curtain, and from there Saint Demetrius came out to meet those who had come; he looked like he is depicted on icons; from him came a bright light, like the sun. From fear and dazzling brilliance of Illustirius, he could not look at the saint. The young men who came greeted Demetrius.
- Grace be with you, - answered the saint, - what prompted you to visit me?
They answered him:
- The Lord sent us, commanding you to leave the city and go to Him, for He wants to deliver it into the hands of enemies.
Hearing this, the saint bowed his head and was silent, shedding bitter tears. And the young man-servant said to those who came:
- If I knew that your coming would not bring joy to my master, I would not tell him about you.
Then the saint began to say:
- Is it so pleased my Lord? Is it the will of the Lord of all, that the city, redeemed with honest blood, should be delivered into the hands of enemies who do not know Him, do not believe in Him and do not honor His holy name?
To this, those who came answered:
- If our Lord had not so pleased, He would not have sent us to you!
Then Demetrius said:
- Go, brothers, tell my Master that His servant Demetrius says this:
- I know Thy bounties, philanthropic Master Lord; even the iniquities of the whole world cannot surpass Thy mercy; for the sake of sinners You shed Your holy blood, You laid down Your life for us; Show now Thy mercy on this city, and do not command me to leave it. You yourself have made me the guardian of this city; let me imitate You, my Master: let me lay down my soul for the inhabitants of this city, and if they are destined to perish, then I will perish along with them; do not destroy, Lord, the cities where everyone cries out to your holy name; even if these people sinned, they nevertheless did not depart from You: after all, You are the God of the repentant.
The young men who came asked Dimitri:
- Is that how we answer to the Master who sent us?
- Yes, answer like this, - he said, - for I know that the Lord is " not completely angry, and never indignant"(Psalm 102: 9).
Having said this, the saint entered the tomb, and the sacred ark was shut; and the angels who spoke to him became invisible. This is what he was worthy to behold Illustius in a wonderful and terrible vision. Finally, having come to his senses, he fell to the ground, thanked the saint for taking care of the city, praised him for begging the Vladyka not to betray the inhabitants of Solunya into the hands of enemies. In the morning, Illustriy told the citizens about everything he had seen and encouraged them to courageously fight the enemies. Hearing the story of Illustria, everyone with tears asked the Lord to bestow upon them mercy, and called for help from Saint Demetrius. By the intercession of the saint, the city remained intact: soon the enemies retreated from the walls with great shame, not having the strength to take the city, kept by the glorious saint of God. On the seventh day of the siege, the enemies, for no apparent reason, turned into disorderly flight, abandoning their tents and throwing weapons. The next day, some of the enemies returned and recounted the following:
“From the very first day of the siege, we saw so many defenders among you that they were far superior to our army. We thought that your army was hiding behind your walls. Yesterday it suddenly rushed at us, and we ran.
Then the astonished citizens asked: "Who led the army?"
- We saw, - answered the returning enemies, - a fiery shining husband on a white horse in snow-white clothes.
The citizens of Thessalonians, hearing this, understood who had put the enemies to flight. This is how Saint Demetrius defended his city.
Soon after the enemies retreated from Thessalonia, another disaster struck the city. Enemies, in great numbers, devastated all grain reserves during the siege, so that a great famine occurred in the city itself: people in large numbers began to die from lack of food. Seeing that his hometown was dying of hunger, the saint appeared several times on ships sailing in the sea, bypassed the marinas and many islands, commanding ships with wheat to sail everywhere to Solun, and thus relieved his city of hunger.
When the pious Tsar Justinian built a beautiful and magnificent temple in Constantinople in the name of the Wisdom of God, he sent honest men to Thessalonica to bring from there some of the relics of the saint to decorate and consecrate the newly erected temple. Arriving at Thessalonica, the messengers approached the honest ark, where the relics of the great martyr rested, in order to fulfill the king's command; suddenly a column of flame burst out of the ark, showering everyone with a whole sheaf of sparks, and a voice was heard from the fire:
“Stop and don't dare.
Terrified, those present fell to the ground; then the sent ones, having taken only a few lands from that place, returned to the king and told him about everything that had happened to them. All who listened to their story were amazed. The messengers gave one half of the land they had taken to the king, and the other they put in the church vessel-guard.
It was the duty of a certain young man Onesiphorus to light candles and set up lamps in the church of St. Demetrius. Instigated by the devil, this young man began to steal candles and secretly sell them, and appropriated the money received from such a sale. Saint Demetrius did not tolerate such an atrocity committed in the temple dedicated to him: he appeared in a dream to Onesiphorus and with the greatest condescension began to denounce him:
“Brother Onesiphorus, it hates me that you are stealing candles; through this you cause loss to those who bring them; no less you harm yourself; remember that people who act like you will be judged; leave this evil deed and repent.
Onesiphorus, waking up, felt shame and fear; but after a while he forgot the command of the saint and again began to steal candles, as he had done before - the punishment soon overtook him. One day a certain pious man, getting up early in the morning, came to the church of St. Demetrius and brought several large candles. He lit them, set them at the tomb of the great martyr and, having prayed, left the church. Approaching the candles, Onesiphorus stretched out his hand to take them, when suddenly a voice came from the tomb of the saint:
- You do the same again!
Struck by this voice, like thunder, Onesiphorus immediately collapsed to the ground and lay like a dead man until one of the clerics entered. The newcomer raised the young man, seized with horror. As soon as Onesiphorus came to himself, he told everything: his sinful passion, and the first appearance of a saint in a dream, and the second denunciation of Demetrius. Then everyone, hearing such a story, was in great horror.
Many captives were freed by the holy great martyr Demetrius from the yoke of the infidels. - So one bishop was taken by the barbarians and imprisoned in fetters, but the saint appeared to him, freed him from the shackles and, guarded by the saint, the bishop safely arrived in Thessaloniki. Another time the barbarians, rushing into this city, took many inhabitants. Among the captives were two beautiful girls; they were good at embroidering on the hoop and depicting various flowers, trees, birds, animals and human faces on fabric. The barbarians took them to their land and gave them as a gift to their prince. Learning about their art, the prince said to them:
- I know that there is a great god Demetrius in your land, which creates wondrous miracles; embroider on the canvas of his picture, and I worship him.
The girls answered:
- No, prince, Demetrius is not God, but only a great servant of God and a Christian helper. We will not fulfill your demand, because we know that you do not want to bow down to him, but to outrage his image.
- In my power, - the prince answered them, - your life and death; choose what you want: or do what I demand of you, then you will be alive; and if you do not obey my orders, you will be executed immediately.
Fearing to perish, the captives began to embroider the image of St. Demetrius. Just before the day, when the memory of the saint is being celebrated, the girls finished their work and on the night of October 26, sitting at the embroidery frame, they, bowing to the image they embroidered, began to cry:
- Do not be angry with us, martyr of Christ, - they said, - we know that the lawless prince wants to laugh at your image; we call you to witness that we did not want to embroider your image, we were forced to do this under the threat of evil death.
Weeping in this way over the image of the saint, they fell asleep.
During their sleep Saint Demetrios, miraculously, as once the angel of Habakkuk suffered the girls with their work in the same night in Thessalonica for their holiday and put them in the church from its relics during the all-night vigil. Seeing such a miracle, everyone was surprised, and the girls, awakening, exclaimed:
- Thank God. Where are we?
From surprise, they could not come to their senses and thought that all this was happening in a dream.
Finally, they were convinced finally that really are in Thessalonica, they saw before them the tomb of the saint, coming to his temple, where there are many people praying. Then they began to publicly thank their patron, St. Demetrius, and told everything that had happened to them. The inhabitants of Solunya, delighted with such a wondrous miracle, celebrated the day of remembrance of St. Demetrius with great jubilation, and an embroidered image was placed over the altar, and many miracles were performed from him to the glory of God, the One in the Trinity. Glory, honor and worship from all creation be to Him forever, amen.
Troparion, voice 3:
Great is the universe found in the troubles of a champion, more passionate, and conquering tongues. As if you have put down pride for Lieva, and having boldly created Nestor for a bold feat, so, Saint Demetrius, pray to Christ God to grant us great mercy.
One of the most wondrous miracles with which God was pleased to glorify His great saint was the outflow of peace from his honest relics. This outflow is a wondrous sign of the grace of God. The outflow of the world began in the 7th century. A number of writers and historians suggest this and incomprehensible phenomenon. Let us cite the Testimony of one of the writers, namely Dimitri the Chrysologus, who lived in the second half of the XIV century: "it (ie myrrh) is not water by its nature, but is thicker than it and does not resemble any body on earth, either liquid or from solid and none of the artificially prepared ... it is more amazing than all the incense, not only prepared by art, but also by nature created by God. " Many healings occurred through the anointing of this world; even the nations that did not believe in Christ cherished this wondrous current. So, when Solunia was devastated by the Turks in 1429, the prudent enemies intended to take with them a certain amount of this world, about whose celibate power they had heard so much. The Holy Church, calling Saint Demetrius the myrrh-streaming one, thus praises Christ's ascetic: "The world is fragrant and honest, Demetrius, an open source (Canon, Canto 1). Your world is spilled with ever-flowing sources."
Remembrance Day November 8 on the Gregorian calendar. A Brief Life. Miracles through prayers to the saint. The history of the city of Thessaloniki and the temple of St. Demetrius. Holy relics. The veneration of the martyr Demetrius in Russia. Celebration of the memory of the saint in Thessaloniki. All this is our report from Greece.
Thessaloniki
Northern Greece. Thessaloniki. Heat the southern city special. It seems to envelop from all sides. The way from the hotel where I was staying to the Basilica of St. Demetrius was short. Everywhere there are ancient temples, at times there are ruins of the old city, carefully fenced and carefully guarded. Any resident of the city can show the way to the temple of St. Demetrius. This temple - the spiritual heart of Thessaloniki.
The city was founded in 315 BC Macedonian king Cassander, who named him after his wife Thessalonica. Around the year 50, the apostle Paul, having been driven out of Philip by the Gentiles, came to Thessalonica. For several weeks the Thessalonians listened to the heartfelt sermons of the holy apostle, and many people, believing, were baptized.
I go to the temple. Massive doors, and there are several of them from different sides, are, as always, open in the warm season and ... this is a wonderful fragrance that cannot be compared with anything. Heavenly scent! The Church calls the Great Martyr Demetrius - Myrrh-streaming. In the year 306, Saint Demetrius suffered martyrdom for the Lord, and his relics still flow with myrrh to this day. The saint's shrine is crowded. Here are both Greeks and many pilgrims from all over the Orthodox world. The path to Holy Mount Athos passes through Thessaloniki. Therefore, all Athonite pilgrims come to the temple of St. Demetrius to bow to the great martyr.
Holy Great Martyr Demetrius
The future saint was born of a pious couple of secret Christians. And he was a long-awaited and begged child from the Lord. His father was proconsul of Thessalonica. From infancy, Demetrius was brought up in the faith of Christ. As a youth, he received a good education and was distinguished by good manners. At that time, there was another and very fierce persecution of Christians (303-311). In 305, the emperor Maximian Galerius, an ardent hater of Christians, summoned Demetrius to himself and, convinced of his abilities, appointed Thessalonica as proconsul (mayor) instead of his father. Maximian wanted Demetrius to persecute Christians. But the opposite happened: Demetrius became the second apostle Paul for Solunia. He taught the inhabitants of the Christian faith everywhere. His ardent sermons and deeds of mercy won him the sincere love of the townspeople. This became known to Maximian. He was furious. On the way back from the campaign in the Black Sea region, the emperor decided to visit Thessaloniki and personally see everything. Demetrius distributed all his possessions to the poor and, being in ardent prayer, prepared to endure suffering for the Lord, whom he loved so much and to whom he strove with all his soul.
The confessor of Christ, Demetrius, met the ruler with courage and steadfastness. Maximian was indignant. He ordered to immediately imprison Demetrius in prison, and he himself, tired of a long march, hastened to have fun at gladiator fights. One of his favorites, the German Leah, was so powerful and ferocious that he dealt with all rivals almost without difficulty. It was a special fun for Leah to kill Christians who were taken out of their dungeons to be punished. Leah threw the sufferers onto spears to the roar and approval of the raging crowd. One brave Christian youth named Nestor came to Demetrius in prison and asked his blessing to fight Leah. The saint made the sign of the cross over the forehead and chest of Nestor and said: "You will overcome Leah, and you will be tortured for Christ." Nestor went into a duel, like David against Goliath, and won, throwing Leah onto his spears. And there and then he was beheaded by order of the emperor (commemoration of the holy martyr Nestor on November 9 in the new style). On the same day, the enraged Maximian ordered the soldiers to pierce with spears and Demetrius.
Lupp, a faithful servant of Saint Demetrius, after his martyrdom took the saint's mantle and ring, moistening them with the blood of Christ the sufferer. Many miracles and healings immediately began to occur from these shrines. Soon Lupp was captured and executed. The faithful servant, following his master, was also honored with martyrdom for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Under St. Constantine, Equal to the Apostles, a church was erected over the grave of St. Demetrius, and a hundred years later, during the construction of a new church on the site of the dilapidated one, the incorruptible relics of the holy great martyr were found. Miracles through the prayers of Demetrius of Thessaloniki are impossible to disappear. The saint repeatedly defended his native Solun 'from enemies, saved the city from hunger and destruction. There is a known case when Saint Demetrius miraculously freed the captives, who were embroidering his face by order of their master, who wanted to mock the holy image. In the blink of an eye, the women were at the saint's shrine, along with an icon embroidered by them. At this time, an all-night vigil was served in the church on the day of memory of the great martyr Demetrius.
Basilica of St. Demetrius
The Church of St. Demetrius is of impressive size. It is still the largest in Greece. The basilica is 43.5 meters long and 33 meters wide. The ancient temple was built in the 5th century on the place where the great martyr Demetrius suffered. What have these walls not seen in the more than 1500-year history of the temple!
Basilica damaged by fire during the reign of Heraclius, who ruled in 629-634 years. In 904, the temple was plundered by the Saracens. In 1185, when Thessaloniki was captured by the Normans (the people of northern Europe), the temple was plundered and the tomb of St. Demetrius was desecrated.
After the conquest of Thessaloniki by the Turks in 1430, the temple was for a short time by the Christians. His transfer was secured by the decree of Sultan Murad II the Conqueror. He, according to the Byzantine historian Doukas, bringing in the sheep sacrifice, ordered to leave the temple at the disposal of the Christians, but all the decoration of the temple and the tomb of the saint were destroyed by the Turks. The temple was completely plundered. In 1493 the church was converted into a mosque and remained so until 1912. During this period, Christians had only access to the Cenotaph St. Demetrius, set in a small chapel in the western part of the left nave of the basilica, where he was made a separate entrance.
The temple was almost completely burned out in a fire in 1917. The destruction began to be restored in 1926, and the restoration work was completely completed only 12 years later. Since that time, regular services have been held in it. The handsome temple is now not only the pride of Greece, but of the entire Christian world. In 1988, the Church of St. Demetrius Thessaloniki was included in the list of World Heritage Sites as part of the early Christian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki.
... I see a group of people near the altar: their faces are focused, thoughtful. I ask the minister of the temple what kind of meeting this is, and I hear in response: "Now confession will begin." I come closer. I see a small glassed-in room. This is the confessional. Confession in Greece takes place outside of the service hours and not necessarily on the eve of Communion. These two ordinances are performed separately. Those wishing to receive communion in Greek churches need to take this circumstance into account. Even if you are fluent in Greek, no one will profess you during the service. And again, notes and candles in a Greek temple no charge - for candles can donate at will, and notes on Proskomedia (for the health and for the repose of) people put in a specially reserved for this place. There are steps to the left of the Royal Doors. A narrow passage leads to the place of suffering of the great martyr Demetrius. From time to time here they serve at night in memory of those events. This is the so-called holy agrippnia (translated from Greek - vigil). I had the opportunity to pray at such a service on my last visit to Thessaloniki.
The state of mind during agrippnia is amazing. It seems that this is exactly how the services were held in early Christian times: night, catacombs, fiery prayer ... And although the sermon at the end of the service was incomprehensible, because it was pronounced in Greek, it seems that the heart grasped its main meaning: faith, love, sacrifice, repentance ...
… I go up to the priest of the church under the blessing and ask him to give me a piece of the holy peace from the relics of the great martyr. And here is a packet of fragrant cotton wool in my hands. I rejoice and thank St. Demetrius! I return to the hotel happy. Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, pray to God for us!
Where else do you need to visit in Thessaloniki? In the cathedral. There are relics of St. Gregory Palamas. Be sure to visit the church of St. George. It is also called the Rotunda. This is the oldest temple in Thessaloniki, and it is considered one of the first Christian temples in the world (III century). Certainly need to go in the church of Hagia Sophia (VIII century) and the Church of the Image of Our Lady (V century), the Church of St. Panteleimon (V century). A few meters from Aristotle Square is the monastery of the Holy Martyr Theodora, where you can venerate her relics, as well as the relics of the Monk David of Theodora. Small chapels are found throughout Greece. They are either located in the immediate vicinity of the temple, or stand separately. Order is always maintained in the chapel: an icon is on, candles are in a neat slide. Everyone can come in, pray, light a candle. The chapel can be seen at a bus stop, along a busy road, in a park, at a supermarket - in short, everywhere.
The relics of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki
Since the 5th century, holy relics have been in the temple built by the ruler Leonty. Eparch of Illyricon Leonty, as a token of love and gratitude to the saint for his miraculous healing, erected a new majestic temple on the site of a small church in 412. The holy great martyr did not allow the sharing of his relics. So it was denied to the emperors Justinian and Mauritius, when they wanted to acquire particles of the relics of the saint of God. Both the Saracens (904) and the Normans (1185) did not dare to touch the holy relics. The crusaders (1204 - 1223) brought a new calamity to Solunia and the temple. During this period, the relics of the holy great martyr were divided and transferred to the West, namely to Italy, to the Abbey of San Lorenzo. For more than three hundred years, no one knew anything about the holy relics. They were lost. Only in 1520, during the restoration work in the temple of this abbey, a wooden box was found with a sign: "Here is the body of St. Demetrius." The official confirmation of the authenticity of the holy relics took place almost 450 years later, in 1968. Then it was officially recognized that the relics belonged to the holy great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki. The final confirmation of the authenticity of the holy relics took place another 10 years later, in 1978.
When all the procedural issues were left behind, Metropolitan Panteleimon II († 2003) of Thessalonik left for Italy to transfer the relics to Greece. On October 23, 1978, the head of the great martyr arrived in Thessaloniki, to the temple of St. Demetrius, and on April 10, 1980, the rest of the relics were transported. Since then, the holy relics have been in the temple in a beautiful silver shrine.
Miracles of Saint Demetrius
Back in the 6th century, Archbishop John of Thessaloniki published the Collection of Miracles of St. Demetrius. These miracles tell about the blessed help that was shown to the townspeople through the prayers of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius. Here is one of the miracles of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica, described in his life. “During the reign of the Emperor Mauritius, the Avars demanded a large tribute from the inhabitants of Byzantium, but Mauritius refused to fulfill their demand. Then they gathered a huge army, which consisted mainly of the Slavs, and decided to take Solun, which was famous for its extensive trade and great riches. Even ten days before the arrival of the enemies, Saint Demetrius appeared to Archbishop Eusebius and said that the city was in dire danger. But the Solunians thought that the enemy army would not approach the city soon. Suddenly, contrary to expectations, the enemy appeared not far from the city walls. The Avars could freely enter the city at night, but the powerful right hand of the Most High, through the prayers of Saint Demetrius, miraculously stopped the terrible enemies near the city. The enemies took one of the fortified monasteries outside the city for the very Solun 'and stood under it the whole night; in the morning they noticed their mistake and rushed to the city.
The enemy detachments went on an attack, but then on the city wall, in front of everyone's eyes, Saint Demetrius appeared in the guise of an armed warrior. The saint struck the very first enemy who climbed the wall with a spear and threw him off the wall. The latter, falling, carried away the other attackers with him - horror then suddenly seized the enemies - they immediately retreated. But the siege was not over, it was just beginning. At the sight of many enemies, despair seized even the bravest. At first, everyone thought that the death of the city was inevitable. But then, seeing the flight of the enemy and the protection of the wondrous intercessor, the inhabitants took courage and began to believe that the defender of Solunya, Saint Demetrius, would not leave his hometown and would not allow the enemy to get it. Meanwhile, the enemies began to besiege the city, moved their guns and began to shake the foundations of the city walls; clouds of arrows and stones fired from throwing weapons obscured the daylight. All hope remained for help from above. Crowds of people filled the church in the name of St. Demetrius. At that time, there was a God-fearing and very virtuous man in the city named Illustrius. Arriving at night in the church of the holy great martyr Demetrius, in the church vestibule he fervently prayed to God and His glorious saint for the deliverance of the city from enemies, and suddenly he was honored with a wondrous vision: two certain bright young men appeared before him, who looked like royal bodyguards. They were the angels of God. The doors of the temple were thrown open before them, and they went inside the church. Illustrius followed them, wanting to see what would happen next. Entering, they loudly said:
- Where is the master who lives here?
Then another youth appeared, looking like a servant, and asked them:
- What do you need it for?
“The Lord sent us to him,” they answered, “to tell him something.
Pointing to the saint's tomb, the young servant said:
- Here it is!
“Tell him about us,” they said.
Then the young man lifted the curtain, and from there Saint Demetrius came out to meet those who had come. He looked like he is depicted in the icons. From him came a bright light, like the sun. From fear and dazzling brilliance of Illustirius, he could not look at the saint. The young men who came greeted Demetrius.
- Grace be with you, - answered the saint, - what prompted you to visit me?
They answered him:
- The Lord sent us, commanding you to leave the city and go to Him, for He wants to deliver it into the hands of enemies.
Hearing this, the saint bowed his head and was silent, shedding bitter tears. And the young man-servant said to those who came:
- If I knew that your coming would not bring joy to my master, I would not tell him about you.
Then the saint began to say:
- Is it so pleased my Lord? Is it the will of the Lord of all, that the city, redeemed with honest blood, should be delivered into the hands of enemies who do not know Him, do not believe in Him and do not honor His holy name?
To this, those who came answered:
- If our Lord had not so pleased, He would not have sent us to you!
Then Demetrius said:
“Go, brethren, tell my Master that His servant Demetrius speaks like this:“ I know Thy compassions, philanthropic Master Lord: even the iniquities of the whole world cannot surpass Thy mercy; for the sake of sinners You shed Your holy blood, You laid down Your life for us. Show now Thy mercy on this city and do not command me to leave it. You yourself have made me the guardian of this city; let me imitate You, my Master: let me lay down my soul for the inhabitants of this city, and if they are destined to perish, then I will perish along with them. Do not destroy, Lord, the cities where everyone cries out to Your holy name. Even if these people sinned, they still did not depart from You: after all, You are the God of the repentant. "
The young men who came asked Dimitri:
- Is that how we answer to the Master who sent us?
- Yes, answer this way, - he said, - for I know that the Lord is not completely angry, and is never indignant for ever (Psalm 102: 9).
Having said this, the saint entered the tomb, and the sacred ark was shut; and the angels who spoke to him became invisible. This is what he was worthy to behold Illustius in a wonderful and terrible vision. Finally, having come to his senses, he fell to the ground, thanked the saint for taking care of the city, praised him for begging the Vladyka not to betray the inhabitants of Solunya into the hands of enemies. In the morning, Illustriy told the townspeople about everything he had seen and encouraged them to courageously fight their enemies. Hearing the story of Illusion, everyone with tears asked the Lord to bestow upon them mercy, and called for help from Saint Demetrius. By the intercession of the saint, the city remained intact: soon the enemies retreated from the walls with great shame, not having the strength to take the city, kept by the glorious saint of God. On the seventh day of the siege, the enemies, for no apparent reason, turned into disorderly flight, abandoning their tents and throwing weapons. The next day, some of the enemies returned and said:
“From the very first day of the siege, we saw so many defenders among you that they were far superior to our army. We thought that your army was hiding behind your walls. Yesterday it suddenly rushed at us - and we ran.
Then the astonished townspeople asked: "Who led the army?"
- We saw, - answered the returning enemies, - a fiery shining husband on a white horse in snow-white clothes.
The citizens of Solun, hearing this, understood who had put the enemies to flight. This is how Saint Demetrius defended his city. "
Veneration in Russia
Church veneration of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius in Russia began immediately after the baptism of Russia. In the 11th century, the Dimitrievsky Monastery was founded in Kiev. It was built by the son of Yaroslav the Wise Izyaslav, in holy baptism Demetrius. The Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod III the Big Nest, in baptism also Demetrius, built a beautiful church in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki with frescoes, as it is said, "in his yard."
The Holy Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky named his eldest son in honor of the glorious great martyr - Demetrius. And the youngest son of Saint Alexander, the venerable Reverend Prince Daniel of Moscow, built the Church of Saint Demetrius in Moscow. It was in the 1280s. This temple was the first stone church in Moscow. A hundred years later, the faithful prince Dimitry Donskoy, who greatly respected the great martyr, transferred from Vladimir to Moscow an icon of the saint, written on a board from the grave of the great martyr Demetrius. It is also deeply symbolic that this happened on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, since it is known that Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica is the patron saint of the army. Later, in the Moscow Dormition Cathedral, which was erected on the site of that very first church to St. Demetrius in Moscow (under John Kalita, the temple was dismantled), a chapel was built in the name of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius.
Saint Demetrius is very revered in Russia and as an assistant to the soldiers. I immediately recall the saint's miraculous help in the defense of Pskov during the Livonian War, the miracle of Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Novgorod in 1627 and many other miracles. The town of Dmitrov near Moscow is named after the glorious great martyr. Saint Prince Dimitri of Donskoy fervently prayed to his Heavenly patron the Great Martyr Dimitri and, having won a victory over Mamai on the Kulikovo field, established a day of remembrance of the dead in memory of the fallen soldiers. This day eventually became a common autumn commemoration of all the dead for the Russian Church. Dmitrov Saturday - according to the behest of the prince, the closest to the day of memory of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki, in whose honor the prince was named.
Thessalonica rejoices over your memory
In the 4th century, King Maximian ruled in Thessaloniki. It was he who ordered the execution of Demetrius for preaching Christianity, thinking that he would defeat all who “call on the name of the Crucified”. What do we see today? Memorial Day of St. Demetrius in the city begins to celebrate about two months before the main celebration, which falls on October 26. The municipality organizes various concerts, festivals, fairs. The whole city is changing: everything is cleaned and washed, as we have for Easter. This tradition goes back centuries. It is known that fairs called Dimitriana were organized in Thessaloniki on the day of the holy great martyr back in the 14th century.
But special celebrations, of course, take place in the church of the great martyr Demetrius. They usually begin two weeks before his commemoration day. You can learn about this from the schedule of festive church services, which hangs in every temple in Thessaloniki so that parishioners can take part in prayer in the holiday. Special services are held in the church: akathists, molebens, agrippnia (vigils) addressed to the holy saint of God Demetrius of Thessaloniki. Is this not a triumph of Orthodoxy? This is how the celebration of the saint went in 2011. On October 24, during the Divine Liturgy, a silver reliquary with the relics of St. Demetrius, from which a wondrous fragrance was spread throughout the temple, was taken out of the marble jug into the center of the temple and installed right in front of the Royal Doors. To the left of the relics is a copy of the miraculous Athos icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Three-handed", a gift to Thessaloniki from the Athonite. On the right is a full-length icon of the great martyr.
The relics of the saint are constantly in the church, and it was all the more surprising and joyful to see how thousands of people, young and old, from morning until late at night, went to worship their beloved saint. On October 25, after the liturgy, to the ringing of bells, accompanied by a guard of honor of the marines and a great number of pilgrims, the relics and both icons were taken out of the church. Solemn processions on the saint's memory day have been known since ancient times: in front of the procession they usually carried a vessel with peace, they always carried the icon of the Mother of God and St. Demetrius in the image of a warrior with weapons. This tradition, as we see, has survived to our time. Three military vehicles and thousands of believers were waiting for relics and icons on the street. To the accompaniment of the military march of the brass band, with the singing of the troparion to the great martyr, a solemn procession of the cross began along the main street. During his lifetime, the great martyr was the ruler of the entire Thessalonian region. And today he seemed to come out of the church to look at his city and console his people, who have remained faithful to the Orthodox faith, for the confession of which the holy great martyr did not regret his life.
Now Greece has a difficult economic and political situation. But the inhabitants of Thessaloniki know that they have a Heavenly patron and intercessor who has helped them to defeat their enemies more than once. The great martyr also saved the townspeople from hunger. "During the siege, the enemies devastated grain reserves, so that a great famine began in the city ... Seeing that people were dying of hunger, Saint Demetrius appeared several times on ships and commanded the shipbuilders to sail with wheat to Thessaloniki." The townspeople remember the great miracles shown by Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki, and now they rely on his intercession: they walk on a procession with the cross through the city, loudly sing the magnificence of the saint, put up huge, almost human-sized, candles. It is surprising that there was absolutely no crush in such a mass procession. The culmination of the holiday was the Divine Liturgy on October 26. It was served by a host of bishops, both of the Hellenic and of other Local Orthodox Churches. The service was headed by Metropolitan Anthim Thessalonik. The temple was overflowing with believers. I must say that in Thessaloniki the day of St. Demetrius is an official day off.
In Russia, the memory of the great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki is celebrated on November 8. Small Vespers on the eve of the holiday begins with the words of the stichera: "Thessalonica rejoices over your memory and convenes all the surrounding towns, Demetrius Treblajenne ...". Now it is clear that this is not just the poetic syllable of the stichera: Thessaloniki is really rejoicing - for a long time, solemnly, on a grand scale.
Dmitry Avdeev
The Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessaloniki (modern Thessaloniki, the Slavic name is Thessaloniki). It was the third century of Christianity. Roman paganism, spiritually broken and defeated by the host of martyrs and confessors of the Crucified Savior, intensified the persecution. The father and mother of Saint Demetrius were secret Christians. In the secret house church, which was in the house of the proconsul, the boy was baptized and instructed in the Christian faith. When his father died, and Demetrius had already reached adulthood, the emperor Galerius Maximian, who ascended the throne in 305, summoned him and, convinced of his education and military-administrative abilities, appointed him to his father's place as proconsul of the Thessaloniki region. The main task assigned to the young strategist was to defend the city from the barbarians and exterminate Christianity. It is interesting that among the barbarians who threatened the Romans, our ancestors, the Slavs, occupied an important place, especially willingly settled on the Thessaloniki Peninsula. There is an opinion that the parents of Demetrius were of Slavic origin. In relation to Christians, the will of the emperor was expressed unambiguously: "Put to death everyone who calls on the name of the Crucified." The emperor did not suspect, when appointing Demetrius, what a wide path of confessional deeds he left to the secret ascetic. Accepting the appointment, Demetrius returned to Thessaloniki and immediately confessed and glorified our Lord Jesus Christ before everyone. Instead of persecuting and executing Christians, he began to openly teach the inhabitants of the city of the Christian faith and to eradicate pagan customs and idolatry. The compiler of the Life, Metaphrast, says that he became for Thessaloniki in his teaching zeal "the second apostle Paul", because it was the "apostle of tongues" who once founded the first community of believers in this city (1 Thess., 2 Thess.). Saint Demetrius was destined by the Lord to follow the holy Apostle Paul in his martyrdom.
When Maximian learned that the newly appointed proconsul was a Christian and converted many Roman subjects, carried away by his example, to Christianity, the emperor's anger knew no bounds. Returning from a campaign in the Black Sea region, the emperor decided to lead an army through Thessaloniki, full of a desire to deal with the Solunian Christians.
Having learned about this, Saint Demetrius ordered his faithful servant Luppa in advance to distribute the property to the poor with the words: "Divide the earthly wealth between them - let us seek for ourselves the heavenly wealth." And he himself indulged in fasting and prayer, preparing himself to receive the martyr's crown.
When the emperor entered the city, Demetrius was summoned to him, and he boldly confessed himself a Christian and denounced the falsehood and vanity of Roman polytheism. Maximian ordered that the confessor be imprisoned, and the Angel descended to him in prison, consoling and strengthening him in his heroic deed. Meanwhile, the emperor indulged in gloomy gladiatorial spectacles, admiring how his beloved strongman, a German named Leah, threw from the platform onto the spears the soldiers of the Christians he had defeated in the struggle. A brave young man named Nestor, from the Solunsky Christians, came to the dungeon to his mentor Dimitri and asked him to bless him for a single combat with the barbarian. With the blessing of Demetrius, Nestor overpowered the ferocious Germanic with the prayers of the holy saint and threw him from the platform onto the spears of the soldiers, like a pagan killer threw Christians down. The enraged sovereign ordered the immediate execution of the holy martyr Nestor (Comm. 27 October) and sent a guard into the dungeon - to pierce with spears Saint Demetrius, who had blessed him for the feat.
At dawn on October 26, 306, soldiers appeared in the underground dungeon of the saint prisoner and pierced him with spears. The faithful servant Saint Lupp collected the blood of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius on a towel, removed the imperial ring, a sign of his high dignity, from his finger, and also dipped it in blood. With the ring and other shrines consecrated with the blood of Saint Demetrius, Saint Lupp began to heal the sick. The emperor ordered to seize and kill him.
The body of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius was thrown out to be devoured by wild beasts, but the Christians of Solun took it and secretly buried it. Under Saint Constantine Equal to the Apostles (306-337), a church was erected over the grave of Saint Demetrius. A hundred years later, during the construction of a new majestic church on the site of the dilapidated one, the incorruptible relics of the holy martyr were found. Since the 7th century, at the cancer of the great martyr Demetrius, a miraculous outflow of the fragrant world begins, in connection with which the great martyr Demetrius receives the church name of the Myrrh-streaming one. Several times admirers of the Salun miracle worker made attempts to transfer his holy relics or a part of them to Constantinople. But invariably Saint Demetrius mysteriously manifested his will to remain the patron and protector of the family of Thessaloniki. Repeatedly approaching the city, the pagan Slavs were driven away from the walls of Solunya by the form of a formidable bright youth who bypassed the walls and inspired terror in the soldiers. Perhaps that is why the name of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica is especially revered in the Slavic peoples after their enlightenment with the light of the Gospel truth. On the other hand, the Greeks considered Saint Demetrius as a Slavic saint par excellence.
With the name of the holy great martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, the very first pages of the Russian chronicle are associated, according to the premonition of God. When the Prophetic Oleg defeated the Greeks near Constantinople (907), according to the chronicle, "the Greeks were afraid and said: this is not Oleg, but Saint Demetrius was sent to us from God." Russian soldiers have always believed that they are under the special protection of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius. Moreover, in ancient Russian epics, the great martyr Demetrius is portrayed as Russian in origin - this is how this image merged with the soul of the Russian people.
Church veneration of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius in the Russian Church began immediately after the Baptism of Rus. The foundation of the Dimitrievsky Monastery in Kiev, later known as the Mikhailov-Golden-Domed Monastery, dates back to the early 70s of the 11th century. The monastery was built by the son of Yaroslav the Wise, the Grand Duke Izyaslav, at Baptism by Demetrius (+ 1078). The mosaic icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica from the Cathedral of the Demetrius Monastery has survived to this day and is in the State Tretyakov Gallery. In 1194-1197, the Grand Duke of Vladimir Vsevolod III the Big Nest, in baptism, Demetrius, "created a beautiful church in his courtyard, the holy Martyr Demetrius, and adorned it wonderfully with icons and writings" (ie, frescoes). Dimitrievsky Cathedral is still an adornment of ancient Vladimir. The miraculous icon of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica from the cathedral's iconostasis is also now in Moscow in the Tretyakov Gallery. It is written on a board from the grave of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius, brought in 1197 from Thessalonia to Vladimir. One of the most valuable depictions of the saint is the fresco on the pillar of the Vladimir Dormition Cathedral, which belongs to the brush of the monk monk-icon painter Andrei Rublev. The veneration of Saint Demetrius continued in the family of Saint Alexander Nevsky (Comm. 23 November). Saint Alexander named his eldest son in honor of the holy great martyr. And the younger son, the holy noble Prince Daniel of Moscow (+ 1303; Comm. 4 March), erected in Moscow a church in the name of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius in the 1280s, which was the first stone church in the Moscow Kremlin. Later, in 1326, during the reign of Prince John Kalita, it was dismantled, and the Assumption Cathedral was erected in its place.
The memory of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki has been associated since ancient times in Russia with military exploits, patriotism and defense of the Fatherland. The saint is depicted on icons in the form of a warrior in feathered armor, with a spear and sword in his hands. On the scroll (in later images) they wrote a prayer with which Saint Demetrius turned to God for the salvation of his native Solunya: "Lord, do not destroy the city and people. If you save the city and people, I will be saved with them, if you destroy, I will be with them. and I will perish. "
In the spiritual experience of the Russian Church, the veneration of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki is closely connected with the memory of the defender of the Motherland and the Church, the Grand Duke of Moscow Demetrius Donskoy (+ 1389). "The Word about the Life and the Repose of the Grand Duke Dimitri Ivanovich, Tsar of Russia", written in 1393, like other ancient sources, pleases him as a saint. Spiritual son and pupil of Metropolitan Alexy, saint of Moscow (+ 1378; Comm. 12 February), disciple and interlocutor of the great prayer books of the Russian land - the Monks Sergius of Radonezh (+ 1392; Comm. 25 September), Demetrius Prilutsky (+ 1392; Comm. 11 February), saint Theodore of Rostov (+ 1394; Comm. 28 November), Grand Duke Dimitri "was very grieving about the churches of God, and he held the country of the Russian land with his courage: he defeated many enemies who stood up against us and fenced his glorious city Moscow with wonderful walls." Since the time of the white-stone Kremlin built by Grand Duke Dimitri (1366), Moscow began to be called White-stone. "The Russian land flourished in the years of his reign," the named "Word" testifies. Through the prayers of his Heavenly patron, the holy warrior Demetrius of Thessalonica, Grand Duke Demetrius won a number of brilliant military victories that predetermined the further rise of Russia: he repelled the onslaught of Olgerd's Lithuanian troops (1368,1373) on Moscow, defeated the Tatar army of Begich on the Vozha River (1378), crushed the mighty military the entire Golden Horde in the battle on the Kulikovo field (September 8, 1380, on the day of the celebration of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos) between the Don and Nepryadva rivers. The Battle of Kulikovo, for which the people called Dmitry Donskoy, became the first all-Russian national feat that rallied the spiritual forces of the Russian people around Moscow. Zadonshchina, an inspired heroic poem written by Priest Zephaniya Ryazanets (1381), is dedicated to this crucial event in Russian history.
Prince Demetrius of Donskoy was a great admirer of the holy Great Martyr Demetrius. In 1380, on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, he solemnly transferred from Vladimir to Moscow the main shrine of the Vladimir Dimitrievsky Cathedral - the icon of the Great Martyr Dimitri of Thessaloniki, written on the board of the saint's sepulcher. In the Moscow Dormition Cathedral, a chapel was built in the name of the great martyr Demetrius. In memory of the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo, Dimitriev's parental Saturday was established for the general church commemoration. The first time this requiem was performed at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery on October 20, 1380 by the Monk Sergius, Abbot of Radonezh, in the presence of the Grand Duke Demetrius Donskoy himself. Since then, it has been annually performed in the monastery with a solemn commemoration of the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo, including the schema-monks-warriors Alexander (Peresvet) and Andrey (Oslyabi).
christian saint, venerated in the face of the great martyrs
Biography
According to the life, Demetrius was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessalonica. His parents were secret Christians, they baptized their son in a home church and raised in accordance with Christian principles. After the death of his father, Demetrius was appointed by Emperor Galerius to replace him. After receiving the appointment, Demetrius showed himself as an open Christian, preached in the city and converted many of its inhabitants to Christianity.
News of the activities of Demetrius reached the emperor and, returning from the war against the Slavic tribes, Maximian stopped in Thessaloniki. Before that, Demetrius instructed his slave Lupp to distribute his property to the poor, and he himself, according to the hagiographer, "began to pray and fast, thus preparing for the martyr's crown." Brought to trial before the emperor, Demetrius confessed himself a Christian and was imprisoned. A few days later, battles were staged in the city, in which the imperial favorite, the fighter Liy, defeated many opponents, including urban Christians, who were forced to fight with him. Christian Nestor who was present with the blessing of Demetrius entered the battle and threw Leah from the platform onto his spears. In anger, the emperor ordered Nestor to be executed immediately, and the next morning, and Dimitri:
The body of the martyr was buried at night by the Christians of Solun, and servant Lupp “reverently took the robe of his master, sprinkled with his honest blood, in which he also dipped the ring. With this garment and ring he has done many miracles. "
The version of the Pannonian origin of the saint
The most ancient martyrologists associate the martyrdom of Demetrius with the city of Sirmium (modern Sremska Mitrovica in Serbia), the then capital of the Roman province of Lower Pannonia. So the Syrian martyrology of 411 under April 9 indicates the memory "in Sirmium of Demetrius", and the martyrology of Jerome of Stridon under this date indicates the memory of "in Sirmia of Demetrius the deacon" For this reason, there is a hypothesis about the Serbian origin of the cult of St. it was April 9, and October 26 is a memory of the transfer of his relics from Sirmium to Thessaloniki. According to researchers, the relics of Demetrius could have been transferred to Thessaloniki either after the capture of the city by Attila in 441, or by the Avars in 582 (the latter assumption was disputed by archaeologists who excavated the Basilica of St. Demetrius in Solun).
History of relics
According to his life, after the execution of Demetrius, his body was thrown to be devoured by the beasts, but they did not touch him and the remains were buried by the Salun Christians. In the 4th century, the first church in his honor was built over the tomb of the saint in Thessaloniki - the Basilica of St. Demetrius. A hundred years later, in 412-413, the Illyrian nobleman Leonty, in memory of his deliverance from paralysis, built the first large church between the ruins of ancient baths and a stadium. The altar part of the built church was located above the supposed burial place of the saint, and during its construction the relics of St. Demetrius were found.
The relics were placed in a silver ciborium. It had a hexagonal base, blank walls and a roof topped with a cross. Inside was a silver box with the image of the face of the saint. Believers could go inside and light candles in front of him. The description of the ciborium was made by the Thessalonian Archbishop John in the middle of the 7th century, and his image was also on the mosaic of the north colonnade of the basilica (known only from the watercolors of the English architect US George). The precious ciborium was lost in a fire in the 7th century.
After that, the relics were placed in a marble tomb. Presumably at the end of the XII - beginning of the XIII century, possibly during the existence of the Latin Kingdom of Thessalonica, they were exported from Thessaloniki to Italy. The relics were discovered in 1520 in the abbey of the city of San Lorenzo in Campo and returned back to Thessaloniki only in the 20th century: in 1978 - the honest chapter, and in 1980 - the main part of the relics (six large particles remained in Italy).