Holy Martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno and Macarius (+311)
The holy Martyrs Eudoxius, Zeno and Macarius died as martyrs in the time of Diocletian’s successor, Maximian Galerius (305–311).
When Diocletian issued an order to put to death all the faithful who refused to offer sacrifice to the idols, some of the Christians, among them nobles and officers of state, avoided the torments awaiting them and fled to various countries. Eudoxius left his high office and went with his wife Basilissa and his whole household to the Armenian city of Melitene.
When the governor of the city learned of the saint’s arrival, he sent soldiers to look for him. The soldiers met the martyr disguised in a beggar’s clothing; they did not recognise him and asked him where Eudoxius was. The saint hid who he was, invited the soldiers into his house, and let them spend the night there. He took the meeting with the soldiers as a call from the Lord to the labour of martyrdom, and in the morning he revealed to his guests who he was. The soldiers were troubled and proposed to Eudoxius: “We will not betray thee, our good host, nor repay thy hospitality with evil”; but the martyr refused. He called his wife, “set in order the affairs of his house,” and asked her not to mourn on the day of his martyrdom, but to rejoice. Eudoxius was accompanied by his wife Basilissa and his friends Zeno and Macarius. The head of the city promised the saint that he would keep his life, high position and property at the price of offering sacrifice to the idols, but the blessed one stood firm in the faith. More than a thousand soldiers standing there, secret confessors of Christ, followed the blessed one’s example. The perplexed governor asked the emperor what he should do, “and he commanded that the leaders of such boldness be subjected to heavy torments, and as for the rest of the people, that he deal with them as he himself wished.” Saint Eudoxius was cruelly tortured and at last led out to be put to death. Before his end the martyr turned to Basilissa, who stood there in tears, encouraged her, and asked her to bury his body in the village called Mimna; then he foretold to his friend Zeno that they would stand before the Lord together. Inspired by these words, Zeno confessed Christ aloud. Basilissa, wishing to share her husband’s lot, fearlessly denounced the lawless ruler. The head of the city understood what the valiant confessor desired; he did not torture her, but drove her away. Before leaving, the blessed mother said to the tormentor: if I have not found death at thy hand, dost thou think I shall lose the crown? My King, who sees what is hidden, will count even my desire for martyrdom as a labour accomplished, and will give me a reward equal to my husband’s!
Seven days later Eudoxius appeared to Basilissa in her sleep and told her: tell my friend and steward Macarius that Saint Zeno and I are waiting for him to come. The latter at once appeared before the governor and openly confessed Christ, for which he was beheaded. At this time many more Christians suffered for their faithfulness to the true faith (+311–312).
