Martyr
Martyr Neophytus of Nicaea
†ок. 303-305 (при имп. Диоклетиане), ок. 15 лет от роду
Martyr Neophytus of Nicaea — a boy from a Christian family, renowned from childhood for miracles (drawing water from a wall), who withdrew to a cave on Mount Olympus, where he tamed a wild lion and lived with it for 5 years, then returned to Nicaea to denounce paganism during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian; the same lion refused to tear him apart in the arena.
The Martyr Neophytus was born in Nicaea to a Christian family. Even as a child he was renowned for a miracle: at his prayer, water flowed from the wall of his house to quench the thirsty. Led by a dove that appeared to him, the boy withdrew to a cave on Mount Olympus, inhabited by a wild lion — the saint miraculously tamed the beast, and the two lived together for about five years in fasting and prayer. When the persecution of Emperor Diocletian began, Neophytus returned to Nicaea and openly denounced idol worship. For this he was subjected to brutal torture: his skin was flayed, his flesh scraped, he was held in a heated furnace for three days — yet remained unharmed. He was then thrown to wild beasts, among which was his former lion — the beast refused to attack the saint and only licked his feet. Finally the Martyr Neophytus was put to death by the sword.