Martyr
Martyr Eulampius and Eulampia of Nicomedia, Martyrs
нач. IV века
Martyr Eulampius of Nicomedia — together with his own sister Eulampia, suffered in Nicomedia in the early 4th century (under Emperor Maximian, per other sources Galerius); he was seized for denouncing the persecution edict, endured torture on a heated bed, shattered an idol of Ares through prayer (converting about 200 witnesses), and was beheaded together with his sister.
The young Christian Eulampius, sent by the secret Christian community of Nicomedia to buy bread, was seized after openly denouncing the emperor's edict of persecution against Christians. Brought to trial before the governor Maximus, he was tortured, including being placed on a heated iron bed, but emerged unharmed — his wounds were miraculously healed. To demonstrate the falsehood of the pagan gods, he was taken to the temple of Ares, where his prayer caused the idol to shatter, converting about two hundred witnesses to this miracle. Learning of her brother's arrest, his own sister Eulampia came before the judge and openly confessed herself a Christian; both were subjected to further torture — cast into boiling water and then a furnace — but emerged unharmed, prompting further conversions among the pagans. In the end, brother and sister were sentenced to be beheaded; tradition holds that Eulampia gave up her soul to God just before the executioner's blow fell. A church was later built in their honor in Constantinople. Their memory is kept on October 10/23.