Wednesday, July 8, 2009

The Life and Passion of the Holy Great-martyr Eustathius [Eustace


The Twentieth Day


of the Month of September





The Life and Passion of the Holy Great-martyr


Eustathius [Eustace] Placidas,


and of His Wife and Children





From The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints, Volume 1: September,


compiled by St. Demetrius of Rostov


Translated into English and published by Chrysostom Press www.chrysostompress.org


During the reign of the Emperor Trajan, there lived in
Rome a general named Placidas who was of noble birth, renowned, and
possessed of great wealth. So valiant was he in battle that his very
name was feared by every foe. At the time when the Roman Emperor Titus
conquered the land of Judea, Placidas distinguished himself as the most
eminent of the Roman officers, and he displayed much bravery in combat.





Even though by faith Placidas was an idolater, he
showed himself to be a Christian in his manner of life: he fed the
hungry, clothed the naked, helped those who had fallen into misfortune,
and freed many who were fettered or imprisoned. He rejoiced more when
he had occasion to do good to someone or to extend a helping hand to
someone in distress than when he triumphed over his adversaries. He was
like another Cornelius, of whom mention is made in the Acts of the
Apostles.He was lacking only in the holy faith which is in our Lord
Jesus Christ, without which every good work is dead. His virtuous wife,
who had borne him two sons, was like him in all things. Placidas and
his wife were kind and merciful to all, and they only lacked the
knowledge of the one true God, Whom they honored unknowingly by their
good deeds. God, however, Who loves mankind and desires that all be
saved and Who looks upon those who do good, did not disregard this
virtuous man and did not allow him to perish in the darkness of the
deception of idolatry. Inasmuch as in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him, the
Lord was pleased to accept Placidas and to reveal to him the path to
salvation. This occurred in the following manner. One day, as Placidas
was hunting together with his servants, as was his custom, he came upon
a herd of deer. Having pointed them out to the horsemen accompanying
him, he set out in pursuit. Picking out the largest deer in the group,
he chased after it, and the deer became separated from the herd. The
servants followed Placidas, but their horses became exhausted, and they
were left behind. Placidas, whose horse was the fastest, pursued the
deer alone far into the wilderness. After he chased the deer for a long
time, it climbed atop a great rock and stood there. Placidas drew near
and looked at it, considering how he might take the deer. But the
compassionate God, Who in various ways effects a man’s salvation and by
means which He alone knows sets him upon the true path, ensnared the
hunter. He manifested Himself, not through the agency of another as He
did to Cornelius through Peter, but directly, as He did to Paul.
Placidas remained for a long time gazing at the deer, and Christ the
Lord appeared to him in a vision. A most radiant cross appeared between
the deer’s antlers, and as Placidas gazed upon it, he beheld the
likeness of Jesus Christ, Who was crucified for us. He was astonished
by this strange vision, and he heard a voice saying to him, "Why do you
pursue Me, 0 Placidas?"





As soon as he heard this divine voice, Placidas was
stricken with fear, and he fell from his steed to the ground and lay as
though dead. When he came to himself somewhat, he said, "Who art Thou,
0 Lord, that speakest to me?"





The Lord said unto him, "I am Jesus Christ, Who being
God, clothed Myself in flesh for the salvation of man, underwent
suffering willingly, and bore crucifixion. Even though you do not know
Me, you honor Me by your good works, and your many alms are like a
fragrant sacrifice coming up before Me, and I wish to save you.
Therefore, I have appeared to you from above this beast, that I might
bring you to know Me and unite you to My faithful servants. I do not
desire that a man who works deeds of righteousness should perish in the
snares of the foe."





Placidas arose from the ground, but he saw no one. He
cried out, "Now, 0 Lord, do I believe that Thou art the God of heaven
and earth and the Maker of all creation. Thee alone do I worship, and
henceforth I desire to know no God other than Thee. Wherefore, I pray
Thee, 0 Lord, show me what I am to do."





And again he heard a voice, saying, "Go to a Christian
priest and be baptized, and he shall indicate to you the path to
salvation."





When Placidas heard these things, he was filled with
joy and compunction, and he fell to the ground in tears and worshipped
the Lord Who had appeared to him. He was sorrowful that until now he
had not perceived the truth and had not known the true God, but he
rejoiced in spirit that he had been deemed worthy of grace and had been
brought to the knowledge of the truth and set upon the path of
righteousness. Mounting his steed, he returned to his company, his
spirit joyful, but he told no one what had occurred.





When Placidas returned from the chase, he took his
wife aside and related to her all that he had seen and heard. She said,
"Last night, I heard someone say to me, ’In the morning you, your
husband, and your sons will come to know Me, Jesus Christ, the true
God, Who bestows salvation upon those who love Me.’ Therefore, let us
not wait but rather hasten to do that which we have been commanded."





That night, Placidas ordered that the house be found
where the Christian priest lived. Having learned where this house was,
Placidas took his wife and children and several of his devoted servants
and went to the priest, whose name was John. He related in detail
everything concerning how the Lord had appeared to him, and he asked to
be baptized. When the priest heard these things, he glorified God, Who
calls from among the nations those who are pleasing to Him. He
instructed them in the holy faith and told them of all God’s
commandments. When he had taught them sufficiently and prayed, he
baptized them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Placidas was given the name Eustathius in Holy Baptism, and his
wife the name Theopiste, and to their sons the names Agapius and
Theopistus were given. The priest communed them of the divine Mysteries
and dismissed them in peace, saying to them, "May God be with you, and
may He enlighten you with divine knowledge. He has summoned you to the
inheritance of life eternal; therefore, when you are deemed worthy to
behold Him, remember me, your spiritual father."





Thus, having been born again in the font of Baptism
and filled with unutterable joy, they departed to their home. The grace
of God illumined their souls and filled their hearts with such
sweetness that it seemed to them that they were not on earth but in
heaven.





The next morning, Eustathius mounted his horse, and
having taken a few of his servants, he made as though he were setting
out on a hunt. He went to the place where he had seen the Lord, that he
might render thanks there to Him for his inexpressible benefactions.
When he arrived at that place, he sent forth his servants, saying, "Go
in search of game." He then dismounted, fell upon his face on the
ground, and prayed, weeping and thanking God for His unutterable mercy,
in that He chose to enlighten him and his family with the light of
faith. He committed himself to his Lord and cast himself upon His good
and perfect will, trusting that according to God’s goodness, in a way
known to Him and pleasing to Him, He would dispose all things in a
profitable manner. There it was revealed to him what misfortunes and
sorrows should befall him, for he heard the Lord say unto him,
"Eustathius, it behooves you to make manifest your faith and undoubting
hope and the fervor of your love for Me. These things are proven not in
circumstances of fleeting wealth and vain prosperity but in poverty and
tribulation. Therefore, many sorrows shall befall you, and you shall be
tested by misfortunes like another Job, that, having been tried like
gold in a crucible, you might prove worthy of Me and receive a crown
from My hand."





Eustathius said, "0 Lord, I stand before Thee; do Thou
with me as Thou willest. I am prepared to accept all things thankfully
from Thy hand, for good and gracious art Thou. As a Father, Thou dost
temper punishment with mercy. Wherefore, shall I not accept
chastisement at Thy merciful and fatherly hands? Yea, as a bondsman am
I ready to bear and to suffer all that is laid upon me; only let Thine
almighty help be with me."





Then he heard the voice say again, "Do you wish to undergo suffering now or in the final days of your life?"





Eustathius replied, "Lord, if it be not possible that
temptation should pass me by, then let me bear these misfortunes now.
Only send Thine aid, that evil might not overcome me and separate me
from Thy love."





The Lord said, "Take courage, Eustathius; My grace
shall be with you and shall preserve you. When you are plunged into the
abyss of humiliation, I will raise you up and will glorify you before
My angels in heaven. Likewise will I exalt you before men, and after
you have borne many sorrows, I will comfort you once more and return to
you your former rank. However, do not rejoice in fleeting honors but
only in that your name is written in the Book of life."





Thus did Saint Eustathius invisibly converse with God,
receiving of Him this divine revelation. Having been filled with
spiritual joy and the grace of God, he returned to his home, aflame
with divine love. He did not hide these things from his honorable wife
but told her all that God had disclosed in the revelation: how many
misfortunes and sorrows would befall them, which they must needs bear
manfully for the Lord’s sake, and how, if they would suffer all these
things patiently, the Lord would grant them eternal joy and rejoicing.





When his noble wife heard these things, she said, "May
the Lord’s will guide us! Only let us fervently pray that in His
compassion He grant us patience." And so they began to live honorably
in piety, patiently abiding in fasting and prayer, giving alms more
abundantly than before to the poor, and exercising themselves in every
virtue more zealously than they had in their previous life of
excellence.





After a few days, by God’s allowance, sickness and
death came to Eustathius’ home, and all his household, men and beasts
alike, were stricken with illness. Within a short time, almost all his
servants, men and women, and even his animals, died. Thieves stole his
possessions by night, for even though a few of the servants remained
alive, they were confined to their beds by sickness, and there was no
one to keep watch over the master’s valuables. In a short time the
wealthy officer was impoverished, but he was not troubled nor was he
sorrowful. Eustathius did not fall into the sin of despair as all these
things came to pass, but he gave thanks to God like another Job,
saying, The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken
away. As the Lord hath willed, so let it be; blessed be the name of the
Lord unto the ages.





Eustathius comforted his wife so that she would not be
saddened by that which had occurred, and she in turn consoled him.
Thus, they both bore these things patiently, trusting in the will of
their Lord and being consoled by hope in God’s mercy. Seeing himself
reduced to poverty, Eustathius determined to hide himself in a far-off
country from all his acquaintances and to conceal his high rank and
nobifity amid commoners, living humbly and in poverty so that, far from
every hindrance and all tumult, he might labor for Christ our Lord, Who
impoverished and humbled Himself for the sake of our salvation. He took
counsel with his wife, and they resolved to depart by night. Leaving
behind their few remaining servants, all of whom were ill, they took
their two sons, and removing their costly apparel, they clothed
themselves in rags. Having taken what small portion of their
possessions they could carry, they left their home at night, forsaking
all for God’s sake: glory, honor, and wealth. For even though
Eustathius had suffered the loss of these things, he could easily have
acquired them again, for he was a great noble and a man of high rank,
beloved of the Emperor and respected by all; but he counted all the
passing things of this world as dung in order that he might have God
alone as his Helper. He wandered through distant and unfamiliar lands,
concealing his identity, dwelling among the lowliest peasants. Thus,
having abandoned the beautiful chambers of his home, this emulator of
Christ wandered about, having no place to lay his head. Soon it became
known to the Emperor and to all the nobles that their beloved General
Placidas had disappeared. They wondered what had become of him: had he
been murdered by some foe, or had he somehow perished? So they
questioned themselves concerning him and were greatly saddened. They
searched for him, but they could not penetrate the mysteries of God
which were wrought in Eustathius. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counsellor?





At that time, as Eustathius dwelt in a hidden place,
his wife said to him, "Shall we remain in this place for a long time,
my lord? Let us go away into a country even further away so that we
will not be recognized by anyone and become a reproach to them that
know us."





And so they departed, together with their children,
and took the road leading to Egypt. When they had travelled for a few
days, they came to the sea and found a boat there, which was about to
set sail for Egypt. They boarded it and departed. The master of the
ship was a most violent barbarian. Seeing that Eustathius’ wife was
exceedingly fair, he was wounded with lust for her, and he pondered
evil in his heart, thinking that he would take her from her husband.
When they had arrived at the point along the coast where Eustathius was
to disembark and continue along his way, the ship’s captain demanded
Eustathius’ wife in place of the fare. Eustathius refused and would not
agree to surrender her. He was unable to thwart the captain, however,
for that violent and inhuman barbarian drew his sword and attempted to
kill Eustathius and cast him into the sea. There was no one to help
Eustathius, who fell at the feet of that wicked man, weeping and
beseeching him that he not separate him from his beloved wife, but
without success. Finally the captain said, "Either depart from here in
silence if you wish to live, or you shall straightway perish by this
sword, and the sea will be your tomb!"





Then Eustathius, together with his two sons, departed
from the ship lamenting. The captain cast the boat off from the shore
and set sail. How grievous was the separation of that God-pleasing man
from his chaste and honorable wife! They gazed upon each other as they
were parted: Eustathius and his children wept as they stood upon the
shore, and his wife wailed in the ship as it sailed away, separating
her from her husband and taking her to a land she knew not. Who can
describe their sorrow, weeping, and lamentation! Eustathius stood upon
the shore gazing at the boat until it could no longer be seen. Then, he
departed weeping, leading along his young sons. The husband wept for
his wife, and the children wept for their mother. That blessed soul
could only comfort herself by reflecting on how this misfortune had
visited them at the hand of the Lord, contrary to Whose will nothing
can come to pass, and how she had been called to the holy faith, that
by patience she might attain the heavenly homeland.





But Eustathius’ misfortunes had not yet come to an
end, for sorrows were to befall him yet greater than those which had
already come to pass. He had not yet recovered from the tribulations
which had occurred when other trials beset him. A short time after he
was parted from his wife, he was also to be deprived of his children.





Across the path they were travelling there lay a deep
and swiftly flowing river, over which there was no bridge. Since
Eustathius had to cross the river and it was not possible for him to
carry both of his children at the same time to the other shore, he left
one child on the bank and put the other upon his shoulder, taking him
across the river. When he reached the far shore, he set him down and
was returning to bring the other child across the river. When he was in
the middle of the river, one of the children cried out, and when
Eustathius looked up, he saw a lion approach and snatch the child and
then run off into the wilderness. Eustathius stood there looking on and
lamenting pitifully until the lion had run so far with the child he had
seized that he could no longer be seen. Then he turned around and
started toward the other child. However, even before he had ceased
weeping for one son, he was compelled to lament for the other. As he
was returning toward the other child, a wolf suddenly appeared which
seized that child and carried him off into the woods. Overtaken from
every side by misfortunes, Eustathius stood in the river, drowning, as
it were in the sea of his tears. Who can tell of his heart’s
sufferings, of his lamentations and much weeping? He was deprived of
his holy and chaste wife, who shared his faith and comforted him in his
woes, and he was deprived of his children, from whom he derived
consolation in his sorrows. Truly, it was a wonder that he remained
alive and did not slip beneath the waters, spent as he was by his
tribulations! Undoubtedly, the strong right hand of the Most High
strengthened him in patience, for only He Who permitted such
temptations to come upon him could bestow such fortitude.





Emerging from the river, Eustathius remained on the
bank weeping for a long time, and then he went on his way sorrowing,
having as his only consolation God, in Whom he believed and for Whose
sake he bore all these things. He did not murmur against God nor did he
say, "Hast Thou called me to know Thee, 0 Lord, that I might be
deprived of my wife and children? Of what profit to me is faith, if I
am become the most wretched of all men? Is Thy love for Thy faithful
such that they must perish, sundered from one another?" That righteous
and patient man said nothing of the sort: he only bowed his head and in
humility fell down before God, thanking Him for these visitations and
thanking Him that it pleased Him that His servants should not enjoy
worldly prosperity and vain diversions. Eustathius thanked Him, too,
that they should abide in sorrows and misfortunes in order that He
might console them with eternal joy in the age to come. God, Who works
all things to our benefit and Who allows tribulations to befall the
righteous man, does not seek to inflict punishment through this means
but, rather, tries one’s faith and courage. His desire is not that a
man should suffer but that he should display good courage and that he
give thanks to God for every circumstance.





As the Lord once kept Jonah unharmed in the belly of
the whale, so did He preserve whole both of Eustathius’ children, who
had been snatched away in the mouths of the beasts. When the lion
crossed over the river upstream, carrying unharmed the child it had
taken into the wilderness, shepherds caught sight of it, and crying
out, began to chase after it. The lion dropped the child uninjured and
fled. Likewise, the wolf, which was carrying the other child, who was
still alive, was seen by farmers, who chased after it shouting, and so
it left the child to them unharmed. The shepherds and the farmers, who
were from the same village, took the children and cared for them. But
Eustathius knew nothing of their deliverance and continued along his
way, now in patience giving thanks to God, now overcome by nature,
weeping and saying, "Woe is me, who once basked in glory but now am
abased! Woe is me, who was once the master of a great household but am
now homeless! Once I was as a tree having many leaves, which bore much
fruit, but now am I but a withered branch. In my home was I surrounded
by friends; when in the streets, by my servants; in battle, by my
soldiers: but now am I left alone in the wilderness. But forsake me
not, 0 Lord! Do not disdain me, Thou Who beholdest all things! Forget
me not, 0 All-good One! 0 Lord, forsake me not until the end! I
remember, 0 Lord, the words which Thou spakest at the place where Thou
didst appear unto me, saying, ’Like Job shalt thou undergo
misfortunes’; but lo, I have been subjected to more than Job. For
although he was deprived of his possessions and honours, he,
nevertheless, sat upon his own dunghill; but I find myself in a strange
land and know not where to turn. He had friends to comfort him, but my
consolation, my beloved children, have been seized by wild beasts to be
consumed in the wilderness. Although Job was deprived of his children,
he could obtain from his wife some comfort and care, but my good
companion hath fallen into the iniquitous hands of a barbarian, and I,
like a reed in the wilderness, am shaken by the storms of my bitter
woes. But be not angered with Thy servant, who voiceth the sorrow of
his heart, 0 Lord; as a man do I speak. In Thee am I established, 0
Thou Who carest for me and dost guide me. In Thee do I hope, and by Thy
love, as though by a cool dew and a breath of wind, do I quench the
fire of my sorrows. By the sweetness of my desire for Thee the
bitterness of my misfortunes is made sweet!"





Thus spoke Eustathius, sighing and weeping. He arrived
at a certain village named Badessos, where he settled and began to
labor, hiring himself out to those that lived there, that by the work
of his own hands he might feed himself. He toiled at such tasks as were
unfamiliar to him and labored at chores which he had never undertaken
before. Later, he requested the villagers to permit him to guard their
granary, for which they paid him a very small sum. And so he lived in
that village for fifteen years in great poverty and humility, laboring
much and eating his bread by the sweat of his brow. Who can tell of his
virtues and struggles? They may be imagined, should one consider how,
while homeless and living in poverty, he exercised himself in nothing
but prayer, fasting, weeping, and vigils, with sighings of the heart,
lifting up his eyes, hands, and heart unto God and awaiting mercy from
His compassion. His children were being reared nearby in another
village, but he knew nothing of them, neither did the children know
anything of one another, even though they lived in the same village.
His wife, like another Sarah, was preserved by God from the lusts of
that barbarian, for in the hour when he took her from her righteous
husband, he was stricken with illness; whereupon he returned to his own
land and died, leaving his captive untouched and undefiled. Thus did
God preserve His faithful handmaiden, so that finding herself among
snares, she was not entrapped, but like a bird was delivered from the
nets of the hunters. The snare was broken, and she was delivered with
the help of the Most High. After the barbarian’s death, that honorable
woman was free, and she lived untroubled and in peace, obtaining her
food by the labor of her own hands.





At that time foreign tribes made war against Rome and
wrought much havoc, overrunning a number of cities and provinces. The
Emperor Trajan was greatly saddened, and he remembered his valiant
General Placidas and said, "If Placidas were with us, our enemies would
not mock us, for he was frightful to our foes. Our adversaries feared
his very name, since he was courageous and fortunate in battle."





The Emperor and all his nobles still wondered as to
how Placidas, together with his wife and children, could have
disappeared, and they resolved to search throughout the Empire for him.
The Emperor said to his suite, "I will bestow great honor and numerous
gifts upon the man who finds Placidas."





And lo, two good soldiers, Antiochus and Acacius, who
were once devoted friends of Placidas and had lived in his palace,
stepped forth and said, "0 Emperor, supreme in power, give the command
that we make a search for that man, without whom the Empire will be
lost. Even if we must go to the ends of the earth to find him, we will
do so with all haste!"





The Emperor rejoiced at their eagerness, and he
immediately dispatched them in search of Placidas. They passed through
many lands, cities, and towns, searching for the beloved General; and
they asked all whom they met whether they had seen such a man anywhere.
Finally, they drew near to the village where Eustathius lived. At that
time Eustathius was in the fields, watching over the granary. When he
saw the soldiers approaching, he looked carefully at them and
recognized them from afar as his friends. He rejoiced and wept out of
joy, and he cried out to God, sighing in the depths of his heart. He
went and stood alongside the road on the which the soldiers were to
pass. When they drew near to Eustathius, they greeted him in the usual
manner and asked him the name of the village and who was lord over it.
Likewise, they inquired whether there was a certain man living there
who was a stranger, whose height was such and his countenance of this
sort, whose name was Placidas. Eustathius asked them, "Why do you seek
him?"





They answered, "He is our friend, and for a long time
we have not seen him, and we do not know where he or his wife and two
children are to be found. If someone would apprise us concerning him,
we would give him much gold."





Eustathius said, "I do not know him, neither have I
heard of this Placidas. Nevertheless, my lords, I pray you, come to the
village and rest in my hut. I see that you and your horses have been
wearied by your journey. Therefore, rest in my dwelling place, and
later you may inquire concerning him whom you seek."





The soldiers agreed and went with the saint into the
village, but they did not recognize him. Eustathius, however, certainly
knew them, and tears began to flow from his eyes. Nevertheless, he
restrained himself so that they might not perceive who he was.





Now there lived in that village a certain good man on
whose property Eustathius lived. Eustathius took the soldiers to that
man, and he asked him to offer them hospitality and to feed them.





"I will recompense you by my labor for whatever you spend on them," he said, "for they are my friends."





Out of the goodness of his heart, and because he was
moved by Eustathius’ entreaties, and also since he had work to give the
saint, he provided abundant hospitality for the strangers. Eustathius
served them and brought in the food, and he placed it before them. He
remembered how in his previous life those whom he now waited upon
served him, and overcome by nature, he wished to weep, but he
restrained himself so that he would not be discovered. He left the
room, and having wept somewhat and then wiped away his tears, he
immediately returned and continued to serve like a slave or the
simplest peasant. The soldiers, who had looked frequently at him,
gradually came to recognize him, and they said quietly to one another,
"This man is like Placidas; perhaps he is actually Placidas himself."





They likewise said, "We remember that Placidas bore a
deep scar upon his neck from a wound suffered in battle. If this man
has such a scar, then he truly must be Placidas."





When they beheld that scar, they immediately arose
from the table and fell at his feet. They wept much out of joy and
said, "You are Placidas, whom we seek! You are the favorite of the
Emperor, concerning whom he has long been grieved! You are the
commander of the Romans, on account of whose absence the whole army has
not ceased to lament!"





Eustathius then perceived that the time had come when,
as the Lord had promised him, his former rank and estate should be
restored; and he said, "Brethren, I am he whom you seek. I am Placidas,
together with whom you long campaigned. I am he who was once the glory
of Rome, fearful to aliens, and beloved of you. Now am I poor, however,
useless, and utterly obscure."





Eustathius and the soldiers rejoiced greatly and wept
for joy. They clothed him in the costly vesture of a general and gave
him the Emperor’s letter, and they earnestly entreated him to come
without delay to the Emperor, saying, "Lo, our enemies have lifted up
their horn, for there is no one of valor like you, who might overcome
and scatter our adversaries."





Hearing these things, the master of that household and
all the domestics were amazed and perplexed, and it was noised
throughout the village that the presence of a great man had been
revealed in that house. And all went forth as if to behold a mighty
wonder, and they marvelled, seeing Eustathius arrayed as a general and
receiving honor from the soldiers. Antiochus and Acacius told the
people of Eustathius’ deeds and bravery and of his glory and noble
birth. Hearing that Eustathius was a Roman general, the people were
astonished and said, "How is it that this great man labored for us as a
hired servant?" And falling down before him, they did reverence to him,
saying, "Why, 0 master, did you not tell us of your great estate and
rank?"





Likewise, Eustathius’ lord, with whom he had dwelt,
fell down before him and entreated him that he be not angry with him
for not having held him in high esteem. And all the men of that village
were put to shame inasmuch as they had employed such a man as a hired
servant. The soldiers seated Eustathius upon a horse, and with all the
people of that village escorting them off in great honor, they set
forth to return to Rome.





Along the way, Eustathius conversed with the soldiers,
and they made inquiry concerning his wife and children. He related to
them everything as it had occurred, and they wept upon hearing of his
ill fortune. Likewise, they told him how the Emperor had been cast into
grief on his account. "Not only the Emperor," said they, "but the
entire court and army were saddened by your disappearance."





Conversing thus, within a few days they arrived in
Rome. The soldiers informed the Emperor that they had found Placidas,
and they told Trajan of the circumstances in which they had discovered
him. The Emperor, together with all his nobles, received him with honor
and joyfully kissed him, asking him how it was that he had left his
home. Eustathius related all that had come to pass and the things
concerning his wife and children, and all who heard were moved to pity.
Then the Emperor restored Eustathius to his former rank and bestowed
upon him wealth greater than that which he had previously enjoyed. All
Rome rejoiced at Eustathius’ return, and the Emperor entreated him to
take up arms against the barbarians, to defend Rome by his valor
against their attacks, and to punish them for having subdued a number
of cities. Eustathius collected all his forces and saw that they were
insufficient for a campaign such as that which he was compelled to
undertake, and so he asked the Emperor to send forth a decree
throughout his dominions, ordering that suitable youths be impressed in
every city and town and that they be dispatched to Rome for military
training. And so it came to pass: the Emperor issued the ordinance, and
a multitude of young and strong men, fit to be soldiers, were brought
to Rome. Among them were Eustathius’ two sons, Agapius and Theopistus,
who had already reached manhood and who were fair of countenance, as
well as of great stature and strength. When these young men were
brought to Rome, the General beheld them and loved them greatly, for
nature itself draws a father to his children; therefore, he was
overcome by love for them. Eustathius did not know that they were his
children, however, even though he loved them as sons. He kept them
always in his presence and shared his table with them, and they were
pleasing in his sight. Thereafter, Eustathius went forth to do battle,
and having engaged the barbarians, by the power of Christ he emerged
victorious. Not only did he liberate the cities and lands overrun by
them; he conquered the entire country of the barbarians and utterly
overwhelmed their forces. Strengthened by his Lord, he displayed much
valor and won a victory greater than any of his previous triumphs.





When the war was concluded and Eustathius was
returning home in peace, he chanced upon a certain village which was
situated on a beautiful spot by a river. It was a pleasant place,
conducive to repose. Therefore, Eustathius rested there with his troops
for three days, for it was pleasing to God that His faithful servant be
reunited with his wife and children and that the flock which had been
scattered be gathered together. It was in that village that his wife
lived. She had a garden from which she obtained her food with much
labor. By God’s providence, Agapius and Theopistus, knowing nothing of
their mother, pitched their tent alongside her garden, for inasmuch as
they hailed from the same village, they determined to share the same
tent and to stay together. They loved one another as brothers, even
though they did not know that they were brothers, and although they did
not suspect the fraternal bond between them, they shared a fraternal
love for each other. Therefore, they took their rest together by the
garden of the one who had borne them, not far from their commander’s
camp.





At noontime one day, while Eustathius was encamped
with his troops in that village, the mother of Agapius and Theopistus
was working in her garden, and she heard the two young men talking as
they rested nearby in their tent. They were asking each other about
their origin, and the elder of the two said, "I remember that my father
was a general in Rome, but I do not know why he left Rome with my
mother, taking me and my younger brother (for there were two of us). We
went to the sea and boarded a ship. We then set sail, and when we
reached our destination, my father left the ship with me and my
brother, but my mother remained on the ship although I do not know why.
I remember only that my father wept much over her, and we wept also and
continued to lament as we went along our way. When we came to a river,
my father left me on the bank, put my younger brother on his shoulder,
and took him to the other side of the river. After he had carried him
to the opposite bank, and as he was returning for me, a lion came,
snatched me up, and took me into the wilderness. However, shepherds
rescued me from him, and thus I came to be reared in the village that
you know."





Then the younger brother arose quickly and embraced
him joyfully, and weeping, he said, "Truly you are my brother, for I
remember all that you have recounted. I saw with my own eyes how the
lion seized you. At the same time, a wolf snatched me away, but farmers
delivered me from him."





And so the brothers recognized one another, and they
rejoiced exceedingly, embracing and kissing one another, weeping
copiously out of joy. Their mother, hearing their conversation,
marvelled and lifted up her eyes to God, sighing and shedding tears.
She was convinced that they were truly her children, and her heart,
after so many bitter woes, was refreshed. Nevertheless, being a prudent
woman, she did not venture without indubitable proof to reveal her
identity to them, for she was impoverished and clad in vile raiment
while they were eminent and distinguished soldiers. She decided to go
to the General and to ask him to be allowed to return to Rome with his
troops, that there she might more conveniently disclose who she was to
her sons and might also learn of her husband, whether he was alive or
not. She went to the General and was brought into his presence, and
bowing down before him, she said, "I entreat you, sir, to permit me to
accompany your forces into Rome, for I am a Roman and was taken captive
by barbarians in this land sixteen years ago. Now am I free, but I
wander about a strange country and suffer from great want."





The compassionate Eustathius immediately granted her
request and commanded that she be allowed to return untroubled to her
native land. As she stood before the General and gazed upon him, she
clearly perceived that he was her husband. In astonishment she remained
standing there, as though in a stupor, but Eustathius did not recognize
his wife. Thus, she was granted joy upon joy even as once she had known
sorrow upon sorrow. Within she cried out unto God with sighing, but she
feared to tell her husband that she was his wife, for she saw that he
was most majestic and of a dread countenance and that he was surrounded
by a multitude of attendants while she was reduced to a state of
extreme poverty. She departed from his presence and prayed to God her
Master that He would Himself cause her to be recognized by her husband
and children. At a convenient time she returned to the General and was
ushered into his presence. He looked upon her and said, "What else do
you require of me, aged woman?"





She prostrated herself to the ground before him and
said, "I entreat you, my lord, be not angry with me, your handmaiden. I
wish to inquire of your lordship about a certain matter. Only be
patient, my lord, and hear out your handmaid."





He said to her, "Very well; speak."





And so she began, saying, "Are you not Placidas, who
in Holy Baptism was named Eustathius? Did you not see Christ on the
Cross between the deer’s antlers? Did you not depart from Rome with
your wife and two children, Agapius and Theopistus, for God’s sake? Was
your wife not taken from you by a barbarian while you were on a ship?
Christ the Lord Himself, for Whose sake I have suffered many
tribulations, is my sure Witness in heaven that I am truly your wife
and that I have been preserved by His grace from defilement. That
barbarian perished in the same hour in which he took me from you,
punished by the wrath of God; therefore, I remained unsullied and until
now wander about in want."





When Eustathius heard her, it was as though he had
been awakened from sleep. He straightway recognized his wife, arose,
and embraced her, and out of joy they shed abundant tears. Then
Eustathius said, "Praise and gratitude do we render unto Christ our
Saviour, Who in His mercy has not forsaken us, but even as He promised
that He would grant us consolation after we had undergone tribulations,
so has He caused it to be."





And thus they rejoiced and wept much, giving thanks
unto God. When Eustathius had ceased weeping, his wife asked him, "And
where are our children?"





He sighed from the depths of his heart and said, "They were eaten by beasts."





His wife replied, "Be no longer sorrowful, my lord,
for as God has unexpectedly granted us to encounter one another, so
will He enable us to find our children."





Eustathius said, "Did I not tell you that they were consumed by beasts?"





Theopiste then began to relate to him all that she had
heard the day before as she labored in her garden, what she had heard
said by the two soldiers as they conversed with each other, and how she
had perceived that they were her sons. Eustathius immediately summoned
them and asked them, "Who were your parents? Where were you born? Where
were you reared?"





Then the elder brother began to tell him of their
childhood, saying, "We, sir, were very young when we were separated
from our parents, and we remember very little. We do recall, however,
that our father was a Roman general, like your lordship, but we do not
know what happened to him. We left Rome together by night, but when we
took ship across the sea, our mother remained on the ship although we
do not know why. Weeping for her, our father came with us to a certain
river, across which he decided to carry us one at a time. When he was
in the midst of the river, beasts snatched us up; a lion took me, and a
wolf seized my brother. However, we were both delivered from being
eaten by the beasts--I by shepherds and my brother by farmers, who took
us and reared us."





When Eustathius and his wife heard these thing, they
realized that these were their children. They embraced them and wept
for a long time, and there was great joy in the soldiers’ camp even as
once there had been in Egypt when Joseph was made known to his
brethren. Every cohort learned that its General had found his wife and
sons. All joined together in rejoicing, and there was a celebration
exceeding that which had ensued following the troops’ great victory.
Thus did God grant consolation to his faithful servants, for He puts to
death and makes alive, makes poor and makes rich, casts down into
sorrows and lifts up to joy and jubilation. Then could Eustathius have
said with David, Come and hear, and I willdeclare
unto you, all ye that fear God, what things He hath done for my soul.I
will remember Thee, 0 Thou Who hast shewn mercy unto me. The right hand
of the Lord hath wrought strength, the right hand of the Lord hath
exalted me.





And so Eustathius
returned from battle, rejoicing both over his victory and because he
had found his wife and sons. Before he arrived in Rome, the Emperor
Trajan died. He was succeeded by Hadrian, who was exceedingly wicked
and who hated the good and persecuted the pious. Eustathius entered the
city in great pomp, as was the custom with Roman generals, bringing
with him many captives and countless valuable spoils. He was received
with honor by the Emperor and by all the Romans. They praised his valor
yet more than they had before, and he was held in still greater esteem
than he had been previously. Nevertheless, God, Who does not wish that
His servants be honored and glorified overmuch in this perverted and
inconstant world, Who has prepared eternal and immutable honor and
glory for them in the heavens, and Who had restored Eustathius to his
former exalted estate, transforming his sorrow into joy, ordained that
martyrdom be his path to heaven. In but a short while He returned
Eustathius to a state of dishonor and sorrow, which he gladly accepted
for Christ’s sake. When the impious Hadrian wished to worship and to
sacrifice to the demons in gratitude for the victory over his enemies,
he went into the temple of the idols, together with his nobles. Only
Eustathius did not enter the temple, but remained without. The Emperor
asked him, "Why do you not wish to enter the temple with us and worship
the gods? You should be the first to render thanksgiving to the gods
inasmuch as they not only preserved you whole and hale and have granted
you victory over your enemies but have restored your wife and sons to
you."





Eustathius answered, "I am a Christian, and I know
Jesus Christ alone to be my God. Him do I honor and thank, and I
worship Him, for He has granted me every blessing: health, victory, my
wife, and my children. I will not worship the idols, which are deaf,
dumb, and powerless." And so Eustathius returned to his own home.





The Emperor was enraged and considered how he might
punish the saint for the disrespect he had shown toward his gods.
First, he stripped Eustathius of his rank and commanded that he be
brought into his presence as a commoner. Likewise, he had Eustathius’
wife and sons brought before him. He enjoined them to sacrifice to the
idols, but since he was unable to separate them from Christ, he
sentenced them to be eaten by beasts. Thus Saint Eustathius, the
glorious and valorous soldier, together with his family, was sentenced
to be put to death in the arena. He was not ashamed to be subjected to
such dishonor, neither did he fear death for the sake of Christ, Whom
he zealously served, but instead he finished his course eagerly,
faithfully, and well, confessing Christ’s holy name openly before all.
He exhorted his honorable wife and beloved children not to fear death
for the Lord, Who grants life unto all, and they likewise strengthened
one another by their words and hope for rewards to come so that they
went forth to their deaths as though to a feast. The beasts were loosed
upon them, but they did not harm them, for whenever one of the beasts
began to approach them, it would immediately turn about and retreat
with its head bowed down. Thus the beasts were made calm, but the
Emperor became yet more enraged. He ordered that they be led out of the
arena and cast into prison. In the morning he commanded that a brass ox
be heated and that Saint Eustathius, his wife, and two sons be placed
therein. That blazing ox was cooled with dew for the holy martyrs, as
once the Chaldean furnace was cooled for the Three Youths. Therein the
holy martyrs prayed, and they surrendered their sacred souls into the
hands of God, being translated unto the heavenly kingdom.





Three days later, Hadrian returned to the ox, wishing
to see the ashes of the martyrs, but when he opened its doors, he found
the saints’ bodies whole and unharmed. Not a hair of their heads had
been burnt; they seemed, rather, to be alive and but sleeping, radiant
with a most wondrous and supernatural beauty. All the people cried out,
"Great is the God of the Christians!" Thus the Emperor returned in
humiliation to his palace, and all the people reviled him for his
cruelty and for having needlessly put to death a general so
indispensable to Rome. The bodies of the saints were then buried with
fitting reverence.





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