Description

Feast Day/Commemorated: September 16

The Holy Great Martyr Euphemia, the daughter of Christian aristocrats, suffered for her faith in 304 AD in Chalcedon, during the persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The Proconsul Priscus issued a decree compelling all local inhabitants to attend a pagan festival and offer sacrifice to the idol of Ares under threat of severe punishment. However, Euphemia and forty-eight other Christians gathered secretly in a house to worship the True God. Their hiding place was discovered, and the entire group was brought before Priscus. For nineteen days, these martyrs were subjected to various tortures, but their faith remained unbreakable. Frustrated, Priscus sent the other forty-eight to the Emperor for trial, but he kept the young virgin Euphemia, hoping to break her resolve through isolation.

Left alone, Saint Euphemia prayed fervently for strength as Priscus tempted her with rewards before subjecting her to horrific tortures. When she refused to sacrifice to the idol, the governor ordered her to be tied to a wheel fitted with sharp knives. As the device began to slash her body, Euphemia prayed aloud, and the wheel miraculously stopped and could not be moved. An Angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, freed her from the wheel, and healed her wounds completely. Unaware of the miracle, Priscus ordered the soldiers Victor and Sosthenes to throw the saint into a red-hot furnace. Seeing two angels in the flames, the soldiers immediately refused the order, declared their own faith in Christ, and were themselves condemned to be devoured by wild beasts. A divine voice received Victor and Sosthenes into the Heavenly Kingdom, and the beasts left their bodies unharmed.

Despite surviving the fire and other torments unscathed, which Priscus wrongly attributed to sorcery, Euphemia faced her final execution. The proconsul then ordered a pit filled with knives to be dug and concealed, but the Saint miraculously walked over it safely. Finally, she was sentenced to be devoured by wild beasts in the arena. Euphemia prayed for the grace of martyrdom, and though the bears and lions initially refused to harm her, one she-bear eventually wounded her foot slightly. It was this small shedding of blood that marked the completion of her martyrdom, and the Holy Great Martyr Euphemia immediately gave up her soul.

At the moment of her passing, a great earthquake shook the city, causing the walls and pagan temples to collapse. Amidst the chaos, Euphemia's parents were able to recover her body and bury it near Chalcedon. Later, a magnificent church was built over her grave, becoming the site of the Fourth Ecumenical Council in 451 AD. During the Council, her relics performed a famous miracle, confirming the Orthodox doctrine and exposing the Monophysite heresy. Due to subsequent invasions and heresies, her relics were repeatedly moved from Chalcedon to Constantinople, and then to Lemnos, before being finally returned. Today, her incorrupt body is venerated in the Patriarchal Church of Saint George at the Phanar in Constantinople.

About Our Icons (Print and Mounted):

Theophany Works Icons are handcrafted reproductions, made with prayer and a desire for excellence. Choose from our standard mounted option on Museum Quality Paper or you may choose to upgrade to Museum Quality Matte Canvas. Both offer a rich print with saturated coloration and are finished with our high-grade UV protection sealant offering a subtle tactile texture that gives our icons a truly authentic feel. Additionally, each Maple-shelled panel is prepared with a painted chamfered front edge as well as a round-over on the back edge to give a shadow box effect when hung on the wall. Our Icons come standard with a sliding key-hole slot on the back which allows for balanced hanging. These beautiful American-made reproductions will be a beloved addition to any home or parish at the fraction of the cost of a hand painted icon.

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