Holy Martyr Alexander of Rome (284–305)

The holy Martyr Alexander of Rome (284–305) met his end for Christ at the beginning of the fourth century. He was a soldier and served in Rome in the regiment of the tribune Tiberian. Saint Alexander was eighteen when the Emperor Maximian Herculius (284–305) issued a decree that on an appointed day all citizens must go to the temple of Zeus and offer sacrifice. Alexander, brought up from childhood in the Christian faith, refused to take part in the festival. The frightened Tiberian denounced the saint to the emperor. When they came to seize him, Alexander was asleep. An angel woke the saint and told him of the martyr’s end that awaited him. Before Maximian Saint Alexander fearlessly confessed Christ. When promises did not avail, the holy martyr was cruelly tortured. By the emperor’s order Tiberian went to Thrace and took Saint Alexander with him. An angel of the Lord revealed to the saint’s mother, Pimenia, her son’s martyr’s struggle. Saint Alexander was sentenced to death. The executioner could not raise his hand to kill the saint, for he saw the angels who had come to take his soul. Through the holy martyr’s prayer the angels became invisible, and the executioner cut off his head. The saint’s body was thrown into the river, but four dogs brought it out onto the land and guarded it faithfully until his mother came and buried her son’s body with honour on the bank of the river Erigon. Healings took place at the saint’s tomb.