Hieromartyrs Hypatius the Bishop and Andrew the Presbyter (+c. 730–735)

The Hieromartyrs Hypatius, bishop of Ephesus, and Andrew the presbyter suffered in the eighth century, in the time of the iconoclast Emperor Leo the Isaurian (717–741). In their youth the saints studied together in a monastery. Afterwards Hypatius was tonsured a monk, while Andrew was ordained presbyter and diligently taught the people the Christian faith. When the persecution of the venerators of icons began under Leo the Isaurian, Saints Hypatius and Andrew stood firm in defence of the veneration of icons. The emperor, who wished to win the saints over, arranged a disputation on the veneration of icons. Hypatius and Andrew were able to defend convincingly the Orthodox veneration of icons. The martyrs were seized and kept locked in prison for a long time, in the hope that they might at least change their minds in this way, but the Lord’s chosen ones did not break. Then the godless autocrat ordered the saints to be tortured. At last, by the king’s order, the martyrs were dragged through the city to be mocked by all, and only after that were they put to death (+c. 730–735). The godless threw the bodies of Saints Hypatius and Andrew to the dogs to be torn apart, but the faithful carried them away with honour and committed them to the earth.