1st Passion of St Theagenes
"Passio Sancti Theogenis Ex Cod. Brux. 207", Analecta Bollandiana 2 (1883), 206-10. Translation by David Woods of University College Cork.
BHL 8106
Here begins the passion of saint Theogenes the martyr.
1. Learn, brothers, what great signs, wonders and good deeds God accomplished in our country at the time when an edict of the tyrant Licinius circulated the whole eastern region which was beneath his rule, to the effect that all those who were serving the state in whatever office should be called to offer sacrifice. It was the devil, who was waging war against the servants of God, who incited Licinius to this action. One of these servants of God was blessed Theogenes who by his great sufferings overcame the devil like a most strong athlete. He had been conscripted into military service, and arrived at Phrygia in the legion entitled Second Trajan under the command of the tribune Zelicentius and the praepositus Possidonius. This legion had its base in a place in Hellespontus. Theogenes was brought to the tribune and the praepositus, and was forced to undertake military service. However, since he was faithful and filled with God, he said in the middle of the legion, "I am a Christian, and I have been accepted into service by the great emperor, the king of kings. I serve him, and I cannot serve another." Zelicentius said, "Serve. Accept the military cloak, the sword-belt and weapons, and be a soldier of Licinius, the great king." Theogenes replied, "I serve my king and cannot serve another." Zelicentius said, "Do you not accept that Licinius is your king?" Theogenes said, "I do not. I am a Christian, and I am not allowed to deny my king." Zelicentius asked, "Are not those standing about Christians who serve in the army also?" Theogenes replied, "I do not know. Each knows how he serves. Yet I know what I have undertaken. I am not permitted to deny my king, and I ought not to serve another king. I am not passing from the service of one to the other."
2. Zelicentius asked, "Do the gods mock you?" Theogenes replied, "Who are the gods? I recognise only the one Lord and his son Jesus Christ who is the king of kings." The praepositus Possidonius spoke, "Your God has a son, then?" Zelicentius added, "Can we know him?" Theogenes replied, "Would that God would give to you such understanding as to know him." Possidonius continued, "And if we recognise him for who he is, can we desert our king and cross to him?" Theogenes said, "You can. For there is nothing which stops you from deserting the darkness and that temporary confidence you have in him who is not a king, from joining the living God who is the king of ages, serving him as I, and living forever."
3. The tribune Zelicentius, seized with fury, began to grind his teeth. He told the legion to bring him by night to the assembly-ground. He ordered four stakes to be erected there, and that he be stretched out and beaten with clubs. When the eight centurions had changed, Zelicentius spoke to him, "Serve, Theogenes." Theogenes replied in a loud voice, "I serve the king of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God who will come to judge the living and the dead, and there is no king, leader or man of authority who can escape him."
4. The tribune again ordered that he be beaten. When he was being beaten, he prayed the psalms, and his face became happier and more joyous. When the eighteen centurions had changed the clubs with which his flesh was being beaten - for they were being broken into pieces like chaff - he actually took more strength, rejoicing and proclaiming, "Blessed be God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and blessed be Jesus Christ his Son, maker of heaven and earth, hell also, and the visible and invisible, guide and ruler, who has found me worthy to suffer these things in his name and become a colleague of the holy martyrs."
5. When he was still speaking, the tribune, the commander and the whole legion thought that he was asking to be released, and Zelicentius asked, "What are you saying? Are you willing to serve?" However Theogenes, Christ's athlete, replied, "I have already told you, and now I tell you again, I am a Christian and serve the king of kings, and I cannot therefore desert the Lord my king and cross to eternal punishment and death. They are nothing those tortures which you think to inflict upon me." Zelicentius said, "Do you not feel your punishment, then?" Theogenes replied, "I suffer no punishment, nor can you do anything to me. You have power over the flesh only; torture that as you will. Bring on bigger clubs even, and call stronger workmen. Do whatever you please, you cannot turn me from my king."
6. When he had said these things, the tribune ordered him to be led into the city. Now it was the ninth hour almost, and he stretched him out publicly in the forum. He was stretched to four columns. Passing by the optio of the legion saw him and said, "Where is your God, the king whom you serve? Why has he not freed you from this punishment?" Theogenes answered him, "I have told you already that I do not feel this punishment. For Jesus Christ, my lord and my king, stands in my sight, and he alleviates the torture of this savage punishment. You do not see him because you are blind in the eyes of your soul." The optio replied to him, "If I had the right of execution, I would cut you into pieces now, and give you to the dogs." Theogenes said to him, "You are able to do these things to me now, but there will come a time, not long from now, when your limbs and those of your tribune will be cast into the wilderness and burned by the sun. Your flesh, and that of all your families who do not believe in my Lord the crucified king, will be devoured by the beasts. There will be tribulation, sorrow and great ruin for all of you who are seen to serve in the army."
7. When Theogenes had said these things, the tribune ordered him to be thrown into prison, and stretched on the rack as far as the fourth inch. He sealed the door of the prison, and left him there to die of hunger. However, Theogenes was nourished by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Lord appeared to him that very night, and said, "Be comforted, Theogenes, for I will be with you. Do not accept food and drink from all these. Everlasting life will be yours in heaven with me." When the Lord had departed, Theogenes began to sing psalms and rejoice. Moreover, there was a great crowd responding to him. Accordingly, the prison-guards heard the voice of Theogenes and those responding to him. They rose and ran to the door of the prison. They found the door closed, the seal intact, and heard the sound of those singing psalms with Theogenes.
8. Then the tribune made the soldiers stand around about the prison armed with shield and weapons. He opened it and went in, thinking that there were Christians within with Theogenes. But when he went in he saw no-one except Theogenes, who was singing psalms while stretched out on the rack, and great dread immediately seized him. Moreover, great fear seized in a similar manner also the crowd of soldiers who had accompanied him, and they closed up the entrance and left. Indeed, the tribune ordered a little bread and some water to be given to Theogenes. But in accordance with scripture, "The just man lives on faith", or as the Lord himself said, "I am the bread which comes down from Heaven", and since he was being fed by the Lord, Theogenes refused to accept anything, and replied, "My Lord and King feeds me."
9. When it was light, the tribune reported to the king all the things that Theogenes had done, and that he was refusing to serve in the army. The king wrote that he should be thrown into the sea. When he heard the tyrant's command, Theogenes praised almighty God and the Lord Jesus Christ saying, "I bless you, Lord, because you have not deserted me your servant." So on the 4 January he was thrown into the sea. He had spent 40 days in jail without food or water, be he went rejoicing and exulting to the eternal life to which God had called him, looking like he was on the way back from the baths or from lunch.
10. When they had reached the place from which he was to be thrown into the sea, Theagenes asked the sailors and soldiers to give him time to pray. When he had prayed for three hours continuously, the sailors and soldiers began to be afraid. He himself swore and said to them,
11. When they returned to the city they reported all the things which they had seen the holy martyr Theagenes do, and they believed in the Lord. In addition, a second group also from the same legion took faith in the Lord. Furthermore, 40 days later the king ordered the legs of Zelicentius and the other officers to be broken at the 12th milestone from the city, in addition to which even the legion was slaughtered when it went to war.
12. Three days after Theogenes had been thrown into the sea, the brothers Euticus, Eustochius, Zoticus, Germanus and other brothers recovered him secretly from the sea. And when they had clothed him, they placed him in a casket, carried him through the night and deposited him outside the walls of the city at the villa of a certain Adamantius, a man of faith. Many healings occur in that place now. For the possessed are cleansed, the feverish are cured, and many other wonders occur there.
13. Accordingly, we have written this to the churches of God so that, when these things are read, others may be strengthened by the example of the blessed martyr. Pay attention, you brothers who are in charge of the churches of God, since I, Euticus, a humble servant of God, have written these things by the revelation of Jesus Christ. So if anyone who is in charge of the churches of God is negligent with the result that these things are not read, he will receive judgement both now and in the next world. Moreover, when you read or hear these things, pray for me and for those brothers who have laboured for the holy martyr. The blessed martyr Theagenes died on 3 January in the forum at Hellespontus. Amen.
