E02574: The Martyrdom of *Agathangelos (bishop and martyr of Damascus, S01252), preserved only in Georgian, recounts the miracles and martyrdom of Agathangelos in Damascus under Emperor Severus Alexander and his subsequent death under Emperor Gordian. Translated before the 9th c. from a lost Greek original.

Martyrdom of Agathangelos of Damaskos

Summary:

§ 1: During the reign of Emperor Severus, Christians were severely persecuted. Severus had a close friend called Koms, and the two persecuted the Christians, many of whom died. The churches were demolished and the faithful dispersed across the whole Empire.

§ 2: In those days, a certain pious man called Agathangelos lived in Damascus, who was originally Jewish and who was known for his kindness. His Christianity was revealed to the Emperor's friend, who summoned Agathangelos to his court. He tried to persuade Agathangelos to reject Christ and to embrace the Roman gods, promising him many rewards in Severus' name.

§ 3: Agathangelos' answer was bold, whereby he demonstrated to his judge that the Christians were performing numerous miracles in true God's name, and he was determined to stay true to his faith.

§ 4: ვითარცა ესმა ესე კომსსა და მჴედართა მისთა: და კრებულსა დიდძალსა ფრიად: რომელნი თანა დახუდეს ჰრქუეს აგათე-ანგელეს: შენ სთქუ ვითარ\მედ აღადგენ მკუდართა: აწ ესერა ქალაქსა შინა მომკუდარ არს ჭაბუკი: ძჱ დადაკაცი\სა ქურივისაჲ დღეს: აწ აღადგინე იგი წი\ნაშე ჩუენსა და გვრწმენეს ჩუენ ვითარმედ სიტყუაჲ შენი არს ჭეშმარიტ:. მაშინ მოი\ღეს ცხედარი. რომელსა ზედა იდვა მკუდარი იგი: ხოლო წმიდამან აგათე-ანგელე ილოცა ქრისტჱს მიმართ და აღადგინა მკუ\დარი იგი და მისცა დედასა თჳსსა:. ვითარ\ცა იხილა კოსმან და მჴედართა: და ყო\ველთა მოქალაქეთა: ყოველთა ერთობით და\უკჳრდა: და თჳთ მკუდარსა მას: რომელი აცხოვნა. ჰრწმენა ღმერთი: და უკჳრდა ესე ყოველთა მთავართა: რომელი ძალი აქუნდა წმიდასა მას: და მიერითგან ხედვიდეს მას. ვითარცა ანგელოზსა ღმრთისასა:.

'When Koms, his soldiers and the multitude of people heard this, they told Agathangelos. "You said that you can raise from the dead. A young man, son of a local widow, died today in this town. Bring him back to life in our presence and we will believe that your words are indeed true." They brought the bed, on which the dead man was placed. Saint Agathangelos prayed to Christ and resurrected the dead man and handed him over to his mother. When Koms and the soldiers and all the citizens saw this, all were amazed, and the dead one, brought back to life, believed in God. And all the noblemen were wondering what was the power that the holy man possessed. And since then, they all looked at him as an angel of God.'

§ 5: Ten days later, the Emperor himself visited Damascus on the occasion of a feast. It was immediately reported to him that a certain Agathangelos had brought a dead person back to life, and was performing many more miracles.

§ 6: The Emperor wished to meet Agathangelos, and when he saw the holy man, he was pleasantly surprised, as Agathangelos was thirty years old and fairly good-looking. The Emperor offered his friendship and a place at his table. He also offered to allow him to keep his faith and worship his God, provided he also worshipped Zeus. Agathangelos replied that he would never accept this deal.

§ 7: Then the Emperor ordered his servants to pour hot oil on Agathangelos, but Agathangelos still refused to offer sacrifice to the gods. Then the Emperor wished to know more about the source of Agathangelos' religion. The servants explained to him that it was Christ Jesus, whose teachings he was following. The Emperor knew about Jesus, and that he was son of Mary, and wished to recover Christ's body. He was told by the same servants that after his death and resurrection, Jesus had ascended to heaven in flesh. The Emperor was even more irritated and said that he would pray to god Hermes tonight and ask the god to take him to heaven. The servants recounted to him the story of Simon Magus, who also wished to be taken to heaven, but was thrown down. The king told the servants off because the teaching of the Galilean was disseminated even among them.

§ 8: After this, Agathangelos was taken to the theatre, and twelve lions were unleashed upon him. All twelve however were pacified by God, and on approaching Agathangelos, started licking his feet. Having witnessed yet another miracle, the Emperor, together with one thousand and five hundred people, praised the Lord and were converted to Christianity.

§ 9: The Emperor took Agathangelos with him to his palace, where he told the story of the miracle to his wife. The Empress turned out secretly to be a Christian too, and instructed the Emperor on how to act further as a Christian.

§ 10: Severus engaged in a conversation with Agathangelos over the nature of miracles. He wished to be convinced further, and said that raising from the dead the newly-deceased must have been an easy task, as the souls are still within the bodies. A more challenging miracle, however, would be to raise the dead who had passed many years ago. Severus pointed at a fortress that had been destroyed twenty years earlier, and had caught twenty-nine people underneath. He promised that if Agathangelos' God restored the fortress and brought back to life those people, not only would he become a faithful Christian, but would give half of his kingdom to Agathangelos, and make him a grand prince in the Empire. Agathanelos said that it was God's miracle, and he would indeed bring back those people.

§ 11: Severus dispatched messengers all over the Empire to share the news and summoned multitude of people to Damascus, to come and participate in the miracle. And many thousands arrived.

§ 12: When the multitude assembled, Severus told Agathangelos that these people were ready to be baptised upon witnessing the miracle.

და ვითარცა აღასრულა ლო\ცვაჲ თჳსი შეიძრა მთაჲ იგი და შეძრწუნდა ყოველი პირი ქუეყნისაჲ: ვიდრემდის ყოველი იგი ერთი დაეცა პირდაქცევით ქუეყანასა: მაშინ აღემართა გოდოლი იგი ვითარცა პირველ იყო: და განცოცხლდეს და აღდგეს ყოველნი იგი მკუდარნი. რომელნი დაეპყრ\ნეს პირველად გოდოლსა: ლოცვითა წმიდი\სა მოწამისაჲთა: ვითარცა იგი იყვნეს პირ\ველ:. ვითარცა იგი იყო დღეთა სენექირი მეფისა ზჱ. რაჟამს იგი მეოხ იქმნა და მოივ\ლინა ანგელოზი და მოსრა ას ოთხმეოცი და ხუთი ათასი კაცი წამსა შინა ერთსა: ეგრჱ\თჳე აქა მოივლინა: აგათე-ანგელჱს სიკეთისა\თჳს ცხრა ას ოც და ათორმეტი ათასი სული შეეძინა ქრისტესა. რამეთუ გაბრიელ მთავარანგე\ლოზმან განაპო ქუეყანაჲ და გამოადინნა წყალ\ნი. მდინარჱ დიდი ფრიად. შორის ერსა მას რაჲთა ნათელ იღონ ყოველთა: მაშინ ყოველნი ერთობით აღივსნეს შიშითა და ადიდებდეს ღმერთსა: ხოლო ნეტარმან აგათე-ანგელე გულის-ხმაყო ვითარმედ სასწაულად გამოეცა წყალი იგი. რაჲთა ღირს იქმნეს წყლი\თა მით ერი იგი წმიდასა ნათლის-ღებასა: და ყოველთა გულის-ხმათა ყვეს ესე:.

'And when Agathangelos completed his prayer the mountain moved and the earth shattered until the entire crowd fell on their knees. Then the tower was restored in its original state. And all the dead who have been caught under the tower, came back to life and rose in their original state through the prayer of the holy martyr. Similarly to the days of King Sennacherib, when through his intercession, an angel descended and annihilated 185,000 people, so did [the angel] descend here for Agathangelos' sake and added to Christ 932 souls. For Archangel Gabriel split the earth and made the waters flow into a large river among the crowds so that they may be baptised immediately. Then they all were filled with fear and praised God. Then blessed Agathangelos realised that the water came out miraculously to make the crowd worthy of baptism in this water. And everyone saw this too.'

§ 13: Then Agathangelos heard the voice of the Lord who ordered him to baptise all these people, however not to baptise Severus as he would not keep up with the baptism and would apostatise again. Agathangelos did so and baptised the people, but not the Emperor, who initially was surprised but then conceded. And then there was peace for three years.

§ 14: On the fourth year, Severus resumed the persecution of the Christians, and captured Agathangelos, declaring him a sorcerer. Once again he ordered Agathangelos to worship his god, and when the latter once again refused, he threw him into a cell full of hot tar.

§ 15: The Queen heard what Severus was intending to do to Agathangelos, and tried to dissuade him from this. However, the Emperor grew even angrier and immediately ordered his men to execute his order. Then the Queen went to the place where Agathangelos was thrown into the pit with tar, and wished to pray near the place. She ordered the guard to keep the secret, and they did so. God sent angels from heaven who made themselves visible to the guard.

§ 16: Eighty days later Severus came to the place and asked the guard, what was the miracle that they saw. The guard said:

ვიხილენით ცანი და განხმულ\ნი: და სამნი კაცნი სპეტაკითა მოსილნი გარდამოჴდიან და მოვიდიან: პირველსა მას აქუნ სასაკუმევლე ბრწყინვალჱ: და მეორესა ბარძიმი ბრწყინვალჱ: და მესამესა აქუნ ლა\განი სავსჱ ღვნითა::. ესენი მოვიდიან ადგილ\სა მას და აღადგინიან კაცი ესე ღმრთისაჲ: და ესრჱთ მისციან და შეაჭამიან ზეცისა საზრდელი იგი: და კუალად იქციან კაცნი იგი ცადვე:

'We saw heaven open and three men descend in white cloths and come to us. One was holding a bright incense lamp, the second was was holding a bright phial, and the third one held a bowl with wine. They came to the place and resurrected the man of God. And they gave and fed him with this divine meal. And they went back to the heaven.'

The Emperor responded that these three were Hermes, Herakles and Apollo, to which the guars said that they did not look like them. Then the Emperor summoned Ananias, a wise man, and asked him to explain the miracle. Ananias explained that the guardsmen saw the Holy Trinity. Then they opened the door of the cell in order to remove Agathangelos' bones, but instead what they saw was a radiant man, Agathangelos standing their in full health.

§§ 17-18: The Emperor wished to hear more about Christ and his miraculous birth, and then challenged Agathangelos once again by asking him to heal a multitude of people with various af