2nd Passion of St Theagenes
Acta Sanctorum, Jan. I, 133-35. Translation by David Woods of University College Cork.
BHL 8107
1. Many martyrs have conquered the devil and all his contrivances in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who has crowned them, among whom He deigned to number the most blessed martyr Theogenes who mocked and conquered the Adversary as follows. For in the time of the most pagan tyrant Licinius he was seized in Phrygia, since he was the son of a bishop, and delivered to the legion which is called the Second Trajan, to the tribune Zilicentius and thepraepositusPossidonius, which legion was stationed in Cyzicus, which is the metropolis of Hellespontus, and he was forced to serve by the tribune Zilicentius and thepraepositus. Possidonius. However, this most faithful soldier of the True God, filled with the Holy Spirit, resolutely declared in the midst of the legion, "I am a Christian, and I serve my King who is the King of Kings: serving him, I cannot serve another." The tribune Zilicentius said, "Accept the cloak and belt instead, and all the fine weapons, and serve the great emperor Licinius." Theogenes said, "I have already told you, I serve my King; I cannot serve another." The tribune said, "Does the emperor Licinius not satisfy you?" Theogenes said, "I do not recognise him, I am a Christian, and it does not befit me to serve the world which I have rejected: neither can I deny that the King whom I serve is eternal." The tribune said, "Behold all these soldiers who are standing present, they are Christians, and yet they serve." Theogenes said, "Each one knows in what way he serves, yet I recognise the King whom I serve."
2. The tribune said, "Are the gods not of the spirit, while you are of the flesh?" Theogenes said, "I do not accept that there are gods except the one almighty God through his son Jesus Christ." The praepositus Possidonius said, "So your God has a son?" Theogenes replied, "He has a son born of the word of his truth." The Tribune said, "Can we know him?" Theogenes said, "If God gives you the understanding to recognise him, you will see him." The praepositus Possidonius said, "And if we recognise him, can we leave our king, and go to him?" Theogenes replied, "If you want, there is nothing to stop you: besides, if you leave the darkness of this world, and the dignities and honours which you have for a time, and go to the living God, and eternal King, and serve Him, in the same way that I do, you will for life eternal."
3. The tribune Zilicentius, raging like a lion and grinding his teeth at him, ordered the whole legion to proceed by night to the plain outside the city: and when they had reached the plain at daybreak, he ordered four stakes to be fixed, and most blessed Theogenes to be stretched out there. And when he had been stretched out between the four stakes, he ordered him to be beaten with the toughest rough-wood clubs until the eight centurions were exhausted. Then the tribune said, "Do you serve, or not?" Theogenes said, "I serve the King of Kings, my Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who will come to judge the living and the dead. There will be no king upon the earth then, nor emperor, who will escape him or the day of his judgement."
4. As he said this, the tribune ordered him to be beaten a second time again for continuing his nonsense. Being beaten, the most blessed Theogenes sang a hymn to God, and his face exulted in joy and great happiness. Furthermore, when the eighteen centurions were being changed, and all the clubs had been broken like chaff, with greater courage of heart, he gave thanks to God and sang, "Blessed are you God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you who have deemed me worthy to reach this day, and have led me your servant to this happiness; and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, King of Heaven and earth, of the sea and the underworld, and of all things visible and invisible. I praise and glorify you Lord God who have deemed me worthy to suffer for your name and to become a colleague of the holy martyrs."
5. As he said this, the tribune and praepositus thought that he was asking them to release him, and said to him, "So you want to serve?" The servant of God Theogenes replied in a louder voice, saying "I have said to you before, and I say it now, that I am a Christian and serve the King of Kings, and that I cannot be a deserter from my Lord and King; furthermore, in your willingness to force me by these punishments, you are readying eternal punishments for yourselves. But these which you think are punishments for me are nothing." The tribune said to him, "If you have felt nothing so far as a result of the punishments, those which follow will be greater." Theogenes replied, "I do not suffer these, nor feel them: and you can do nothing to me, nor can you darken my spirit strengthened in the Lord Jesus Christ by means of these punishments. You have power over my body alone: torture that just as you wish, but you will be able to separate me from my King. Bring forward bigger sticks, and set stronger labourers upon me: but those whom you have are weak, and can do nothing to me."
6. When he had said these things, he ordered him to be led into the city. It was about the ninth hour, and he stretched him out publicly in the city. Now, the legion's optio passed by there, and seeing him said, "Where is your God and the King whom you serve? Why does he not free you from these punishments?" Blessed Theogenes replied, "I have both told you earlier and tell you now, that I do not deserve these punishments in the judgement of my King: that my King and God is my protector, and frees me from these punishments. But you do not see him since you are blind of mind and eyes." The optio answered him, "If I had the power, I would have you cut to pieces by the sword and would throw you to the dogs." Blessed Theogenes said, "You can do nothing to me, but the days will come after a short time when both your legs and those of your tribune will be broken, and your bodies will be consumed by the beasts and the birds, and all of you who do not believe in my King will perish. For even your king himself will be slain after a short time by those pursuing him, and there will be great tribulation for you who serve him."
7. When Theogenes had said such things, the tribune ordered him to be thrown into prison, and to be stretched on the rack, and fastened down by four nails, and he himself sealed the prison, and left him to die there from tortures and hunger. However, Theogenes was fed there by the Holy Spirit. The Lord appeared to him that very night, saying "Recover you strength, Theogenes, for I am with you. Do not accept food or drink from all these. For there is life everlasting for you in heaven." And saying these things, he left him. As the Lord left, he began to sing psalms, rejoicing because of the Lord's promise: and there were angels there singing in response like a large crowd. Then the guards ran to the door of the prison, and saw the door closed and the seal intact, and looking within, they saw a great crowd in white vestments singing psalms and saying, "Glory be to almighty God." Afraid, they reported this to the tribune.
8. Rising immediately, he ran to the door, and checked that the chain was in place and the seal intact: but he also heard a great noise of people singing psalms with Theogenes. Accordingly, he made a crowd of soldiers armed with shields stand in front of the prison, and hurriedly opening the prison, he went in, thinking that there were Christians with Theogenes. Yet when he entered he saw no-one inside except [Theogenes] stretched out on the rack and singing psalms. Great fear then seized the tribune and the whole crowd of soldiers with him; and they closed the door, and went away from there. Then, repenting of such action, the tribune ordered bread and water to be given to him. But Theogenes refused to accept in accordance with the Lord's command which he had heard earlier, saying "My King feeds me, and I receive his daily bread."
9. And when it was morning, [the tribune] sent a report to his king Licinius, telling everything which he had done to Theogenes in his refusal to serve. Licinius wrote back that he was to be thrown into the sea, and that his body was not to be collected. Receiving the message, the tribune ordered him to be thrown into the sea. Then the blessed servant of God Theogenes, worthy of such a sentence, walked rejoicing to the eternal life to which God called him. And his face and whole body shone, as if he had been led from the bath and not from prison and was off to a great delight: and leaving the prison, he was placed on a ship, and they led him to the place where they wanted to cast him into the sea.
10. He now called the soldiers and sailors together, asking them to give him a period to pray. And standing towards the east, with his hands raised, the blessed servant of God prayed for almost three hours: and lo, there appeared there a light by whose brightness the eyes of the sailors and soldiers were blinded, so that they would not see the crowd of angels. They only heard the voices speaking to Theogenes, and the sailors were so terrified with fear that they refused to throw him into the sea. However, he adjured them, saying "Do what you have been ordered, and returning to the city, believe in God that you may have eternal life." When he had said this, they threw him into the sea.
11. Returning to the city, the sailors reported what they had seen, and believed in Christ, as did their sons, and many others from among the people, on that day, and some from the legion itself. Furthermore, after sixty days there was a great battle against Licinius: there, whoever from that very legion did not believe in God, fell by the sword. Angered at this occurrence, the emperor Licinius ordered the same tribune and the optio of this very legion to be led to the twelfth milestone from the city, and their legs to be broken there as an example for the other legions, just as the most blessed martyr had predicted.
12. Now, after the most blessed martyr had been thrown into the sea, faithful brothers arrived, Eutyches, Eustathius, Zoticus, and many others from among the brothers, and collected his body from the shore; they themselves were both faithful and God-fearing, and they placed his body in a casket, and they carried it off by night, and buried it outside the walls of the city in the cellar at the villa of Adamantius, a most faithful man. Great wonders now occur at this place, and the sicknesses of all are cured, by whatever illness they are gripped.
13. All these things were written to all the churches of God, at Nicomedia, Bithynia, Heraclea, Cyzicus, in order that the passion of the holy martyr may be reported to all peoples, and that brothers may be strengthened in the faith of the Lord. His feastday is celebrated on 3 January, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
