ON SAINT ELPIDEPHORUS, MARTYR AMONG THE GREEKS.
CommentaryElpidephorus, Martyr among the Greeks (Saint)
G. H.
The Greeks celebrate the holy Martyr Elpidephorus on this day in the Great Menaia and in Maximus of Cythera; the Chifletian manuscript Menaia hand down that he was killed by the sword. Other things concerning place and time are hidden. There is a certain Elpidephorus who, under Sapor King of the Persians, was crowned with martyrdom together with Saints Acindynus, Pegasius, Aphthonius, Anempodistus, and very many others; but who will say this is the same man? He is honored in the Menaia with this distich, with an allusion to the name, derived from "bearing hope," which properly befits God, the giver of all good things.
Ὄντως ἀληθὴς Μάρτυς Ἐλπιδηφόρος, Θεὸν φέρων ἄψευστον ἐλπιδηφόρον.
This true and sincere Martyr, Elpidephorus, Bears God, an unfailing rewarder of hope.
Galesinius and Ferrarius also mention Saint Elpidephorus the Martyr, and join him with Saint Bythonius, of whom we treat in the following entry.
ON SAINTS GALICUS, BYTHONIUS, AND DIUS, MARTYRS AMONG THE GREEKS.
CommentaryGalicus, Martyr among the Greeks (Saint) Bythonius, Martyr among the Greeks (Saint) Dius, Martyr among the Greeks (Saint)
G. H.
The Parisian manuscript Synaxary of the Clermont College, on this third day of April, has this: Ἄθλησις τῶν ἁγίων Μαρτύρων Γαλίκου, Βιθυνίου. These Martyrs are joined by others, In the Ambrosian MS, marked with the letter O and number 148, is added καὶ Δίου. In the same way the three are again reported in the Parisian Synaxary on April 29. The same are inscribed by others they are separated, but in reversed order, in the printed Menaia and in the Chifletian MSS, and in Maximus of Cythera: but each is reported separately, as if they had been crowned in different places and times. Bythonius cast into the sea, He who in the said Synaxary is Bithynius is written Bythonius, as also by Galesinius and Ferrarius. He is said in the Menaia to have been cast into the sea, with this allusion to his name and the sea:
Ὁ Βυθίνιος εἰς βυθὸν βεβλημένος, Τὴν κλῆσιν εὗρεν εἰς προφητείας τέλος.
Bythinius, cast into the deep of the sea, Finds in his death the fulfillment of his name.
For the name of Bythinius is derived from βύθος, "deep." He is always placed in the middle between the two Martyrs; Galicus devoured by wild beasts, but Saint Galicus by some is placed last, by others first: to whom what kind of martyrdom befell is indicated by this distich:
Δηχθεὶς ὀδοῦσι Γάλικος τοῦ θηρίου, Θηρὸς νοητοῦ τοὺς ὀδόντας συντρίβει.
Bitten by wild-beast teeth, Galicus, you crush The bloody teeth of the infernal Beast.
The third, or by others the first, and Dius has his head crushed with a potsherd is Saint Dius the Martyr, whose martyrdom, different from the others, is set forth in these senarii:
Βαλὼν κεράμῳ δυσσεβὴς Δίου κάραν Ὡς σκεῦος αὐτὴν συντρίβει κεραμέως.
The wicked one, hurling a tile at the head of Dius, Crushed the head itself like a potter's vessel.