ON ST. EUTYCHIUS OR EUTYCHES
BISHOP OF MELITENE IN ARMENIA, MARTYR.
COMMENTARY.
On his Office in the Menaea, and on his age referred to the time of the Apostles.
St. Eutychius, or Eutyches, Bishop of Melitene in Lesser Armenia, Martyr.
BY D. P.
Melita or Melitene, the chief and Archiepiscopal city of Lesser Armenia, by the river Euphrates, under the Patriarchate of Constantinople, among other Saints and especially Martyrs, whom we have variously given hitherto in this work, and shall give hereafter, Memory in the Menaea, numbers him whom the Greeks venerate on this XXVIII of May, St. Eutychius or Eutyches, Bishop of the said city and glorious Martyr of Christ, of whom they make a whole Office in the Menaea. It is meanwhile a wonder that no encomium of him is there set forth, although he is proposed in the first place, and in the new Anthology edited by Arcudius by the authority of Clement VIII, he alone is treated of. The words are everywhere these. In the same month of May, on the twenty-eighth day. Of the holy Hieromartyr Eutyches, in Greek Εὐτυχοῦς, Bishop of Melitene. But in the Odes he is called Eutychius. Then these verses also are had in the Anthology:
Ὡς εὐτυχῶς σὺ εὐτύχησας, τρισμάκαρ. Θείας τετευχὼς, Εὐτυχὲς, κληρουχίας.
How fortunately hast thou been allotted, O thrice-happy one, The divine Inheritance by good lot.
An allusion is made to the name Εὐτυχὴς, honor paid to the relics on account of miracles, which in Latin is called Felix and Fortunatus; from the root τύχη, fortune, whence also the adverb ἐυτυχῶς, happily, and the verb ἐυτυχέω, I obtain, I am allotted, and the poetic participle τετευχὼς, having obtained. The similar Sticheria, preceding the Canon, congratulate him, as one who strangled the foolish with the sinews of arguments, νευραῖς τῶν λογίων ἐναπνίξας τοὺς ἄφρονας; and, receiving by the suffocation of waters a blessed end of life, in these very waters he suffocated the incorporeal dragon, καὶ τέλος μακάριον πνιγμὸν ὑδάτων ὑποδέξας, δράκοντα ἐν τούτοις ὑποπνίγων τὸν ἄσαρκον. The last, moreover, of those three Sticheria says: We joyfully kiss thy Relics openly, and experiencing the grace of healings we praise thee from the heart, and entreat thee assiduously with great confidence: now therefore pray, that to our souls may be granted peace and great mercy. Τὰ σὰ λείψανα γηθόμενοι ἀσπαζόμεθα, καὶ ἀῤῥυόμενοι χάριν ἰαμάτων πόθῳ σε γεραίρομεν, καὶ πίστει ἐκτονῶς δυσωποῦμέν σε· καὶ νῦν ἱκέτευε, δωρηθῆναι ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν τὴν ἐιρήνην καὶ τὸ μέγα ἔλεος. Again, in the Hirmus, that is, the Tract, after the third Ode they sing. Συνελθόντες κατὰ χρέος σε τιμῶμεν, πίστει τῶν σῶν λειψάνων τὴν σόρον προσκυνοῦντες, πλουσίως ἡμῖν ἀναπηγάζουσαν χάριν καὶ ἕλεος. Gathering together as is fitting we honor thee, and we adore the ark of thy Relics, whence grace and mercy abundantly gush forth to us. All which things seem to be said in the person of the citizens of Melitene, among whom his body is in honor and famous for miracles. The time when he attained the palm of martyrdom is not indicated by the Greeks, which nevertheless Galesinius, citing a manuscript, presumed to define in these words: At Melitene, of St. Eutychius, Bishop and Martyr, who under the Emperor Gordian, for the cause of religion tortured with various torments, at last struck with the axe, received the heavenly crown. Ferrarius in the General Catalogue cites Galesinius, indeed also the Greeks in the Anthology, but prudently omits the name of Gordian, which we fear may have been wrongly drawn hither from the Acts of St. Heliconis related on this day. he is said to be a disciple of the Apostles, The Canon which is chanted to him by the Greeks, at its very beginning and elsewhere, makes him a disciple of the Apostles: which though it be common to him with St. Eutyches, disciple of SS. John the Evangelist and Paul, to whom the same distich plainly is sung, and who is venerated in the same Lesser Armenia on August XXIV: yet because that one is said to have died in a different city, namely Sebaste, and as a Confessor; we distinguish this one, who is proposed as a Hieromartyr, from the other, though not without fear, lest the note of time from one may have wrongly passed to the other. The Acts being moreover lacking, we render the Canon itself into Latin, with the Theotokia omitted, which according to custom close each ode, because they make nothing to the present purpose.
CANON
From the Greater Menaea of the Greeks.
St. Eutychius, or Eutyches, Bishop of Melitene in Lesser Armenia, Martyr.
FROM THE MENAEA.
I. Ταῖς θείαις δυνάμεσι συναγελάζων, Εὐτύχιε· καὶ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος νῦν παραστάμενος, τοὺς τιμωντάς σου τὴν μνήμην τὴν φωσφόρον ἐνθέως καταύγασον τῇ μεσιτείᾳ σου.
Ὁσίως ἐβίωσας μαθητευθεὶς ἀκριβέστατα, παμμάκαρ Εὐτύχιε, τοῖς Ἀποστόλοις Χριστοῦ, καὶ εἰς τελείαν ἀνήχθης ἡλικίαν, ἀθλήσας λαμπρότατα, ἀξιοθαύμαστε.
Ὑπῆλθες τὸ στάδιον τῆς μαρτυρίας γηθόμενος, καὶ θάνατον πρόξενον ζωῆς ὑπόθησας· καὶ ἀπέπνηξας ἐχθροῦ τὰς μυριάδας θαλάσσῃ πνιγόμενος, μάκαρ Εὐτύχιε.
III. Εὑρὼν τοὺς τοῦ Λόγου ὑπηρέτας ἐργάτας, θεόφρον, τῶν καλῶν ἐδέξω ἐν καρδίᾳ σου τὸν σπόρον τὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος· καὶ εὐσεβῶς ἐβλάστησας ἑκατοστεύοντα ἄσταχυν.
Πυρὶ τῆς θεότητος ἀΰλῳ, παμμάκαρ, σαφῶς ἀναφλεχθεὶς, ὡς ὕλην τὴν δυσσέβειαν κατέφλεξας, Εὐτύχιε, καὶ ἱερῶς ἐνήθλησας· ὅθεν πιστῶς εὐφημοῦμέν σε.
Ἁγίοις τοῦ Λόγου ὑπηρέταις ψυχῇ καὶ καρδίᾳ κολληθεὶς, ἁγίως σου διήνυσας τὸν βίον· καὶ ἐσκήνωσας περιφανῶς, Εὐτύχιε, ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων λαμπρότησι.
IV. Ὥριμον ὡς βότρυν σε τῆς νοητῆς, ἔνδοξε, ἀμπέλου ὑπάρχοντα ὑμνολογοῦμεν· κατανύξεως ἡμῖν ὡς ἀληθῶς, Εὐτύχιε, οἶνον εὐσεβῶς ἀναβλύζοντα.
Μέγιστος ὡς ἥλιος, Μάρτυς, ἀνατολῇ τῶν ἀγώνων σου ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην καταυγάζεις ἀληθῶς· τὸν σκοτασμὸν, Εὐτύχιε, παύων τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν χάριτι.
V. Ὑψώθης πρὸς Κυρίου χρυσαῖς, παμμάκαρ, πτέρυξι τοῦ ἱερωτατοῦ μαρτυρίου καὶ πρὸς ἐνθείους μόνας κατέπαυσας· δήμοις ἀθλητῶν παρακλεῶν νῦν συναριθμούμενος, θεομάκαρ Εὐτύχιε.
Σταυρῷ τοῦ τανύσαντος ἐθελουσίως χεῖρας μιμησάμενος, ὅσιε, ἐμφρόνως χερσὶν ἐδέθης κατακλειόμενος· καὶ παραδιδόμενος βυθῷ, καὶ τέλος δεχόμενος ἐν αὐτῷ τὸ μακάριον.
Ἐγνώσθησαν, ἔνδοξε, πορεῖαί σου ἐν ὕδασιν· ἐν οἵς τελεούμενος ἐμφρόνως, τὸν ἀλαξῶνα πανστρατὶ τύραννον, Μάρτυς, ἕνα πέπνιχας, σοφέ· ὅθεν μακαρίζοντες εὐσεβῶς σε, γεραίρομεν.
VI. Θαυμάτων χάριν δεξάμενος ἰᾶσαι τῶν ψυχῶν ἀῤῥωστέματα, Μάρτυς Εὐτύχιε· καὶ θεράπευε νοσήματα τῶν προτρεχόντων πίστει ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην σου.
Ἐνθέου πίστεως ἔμπλεος καὶ χάριτος γενομένος ἔνδοξε, λόγον σωτήριον σὺν Ἀποστόλοις ἐκήρυξας, τῆς δυσσεβείας λύων σκότος βαρύτατον.
Ὁσίως Λόγον τὸν ἄναρχον κηρύττων, ὡς ἐν θήχῃ ἐμβέβλησαι δέῤῥει, Εὐτύχιε· καὶ τῷ βυθῷ παραδίδοσαι, πρὸς σωτηρίας ὅρμον κατεπειγόμενος.
VII. Σταθηρὰν ἐπιδεικνύμενος τὴν ἔνστασιν, Μάρτυς Εὐτύχιε, τοὺς τῶν ἑλλὴνων σοφοὺς ἀνδρείως κατῄσχυνας μέλπων ἐν πνεύματι, ὑπερύμνητε, Ὁ τῶν πατέρων Κύριος καὶ Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς ἐ͂ι.
Τοὺς τοῦ Λόγου μαθητὰς καταμυοῦντάς σε εὑρὼν, Εὐτύχιε, τὰ ὑπὲρ ἔννοιαν, τὸ οὖς σου ὑπέκλινας· καὶ ἰάσεων ἀναπηγάζεις νάματα τοῖς πιστῶς σοι προσιοῦσιν.
Ῥεῖθρον ζῶν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, Εὐτύχιε, ὑποδεξάμενος τοῦ πνεύματος ἀληθῶς, πλάνης ἀπεξήρανας θολώδη ῥεύματα· καὶ ἰάσεων ἀναπηγάζεις νάματα τοῖς πιστῶς σοι προσιοῦσιν.
VIII. Πολλὰ κατά σου καινολογοῦντες οἱ πλάνοι θεομακάριστε, ᾐσχύνθησαν μώμους σοι προσάπτοντες, ἄμωνον φυλάξαντι τὴν σὴν ψυχὴν, καἱ μέλποντι, Μάρτυς Εὐτύχιε, Τὸν Κύριον ὑμνεῖτε τὰ ἔργα.
Ὁ νοῦς σου φωτὶ λελαμπρυσμένος, Εὐτύχιε ἔνδοξε, τοῦ Πνεύματος, πλάνης ἀμαυρώσεως ἔμεινεν ἀμέτοχος· ταῖς πρὸς Θεὸν ὑψούμενος ἀπαύστοις νεύσεσι, Τὸν Κύρίον ὑμνεῖτε, κραυγάζων, καὶ ὑπερυψοῦτε εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας.
IX. Ἴδε ἡ σεπτὴ πανήγυρις σήμερον τοῦ ἀθλοφόρου Χριστοῦ· πάντες οὐν συνδράμωμεν εὐσεβοφρόνως, τούτου τὰ θαύματα καὶ ἱερὰ παλαίσματα ἀνευφημῆσαι πιστῶς, δι᾽ ὧν ὦφθη ἄγγελος ἐπίγειος ἀληθῶς, καὶ οὐράνιος ἄνθρωπος.
Ὥσπερ προσφερὰν, παμμάκαρ, παρέδωκας τὴν σὴν ψυχὴν τῷ Θεῷ, μέσον τῶν ὑδάτων μὲν τὸ θεῖον τέλος ὑποδεχόμενος, πρὸς τῆς τρυφῆς χειμάῤῥουν δὲ κατασκηνούμενος, καὶ μεθέξει κάλλιστα θεούμενος, καὶ φωτὸς ἀιδίου πληρούμενος.
Στήριγμα πιστῶν ὑπάρχεις, καὶ καύχημα, ἀξιοθαύμαστε, τῶν ἀσπαζομένων σου, θεόφρον Μάρτυς, τὰ θεῖα λείψανα· καὶ ἐκτελοῦντων πάντοτε τὴν θείαν μνήμην σου, ἀθλοφύρων μέγα ἀκροθήνιον, τῶν Ἀγγέλων ἁπάντων συνόμιλε.
Ἥθροισται λαὸς ὑμνῆσαί σου σήμερον τὰ ἀριστεύματα καὶ τὰ καθορθώματα, καὶ τοὺς ἀγῶνας καὶ τὰ παλαίσματα, ὃν ταῖς εὐχαῖς σου, μέγιστε Μάρτυς Εὐτύχιε, ἀπὸ πάσης λύτρωσαι στενώσεως, καὶ ἀθέων βαρβάρων ἁλώσεως.
I. Joined to the heavenly Powers, O Eutychius, and now standing by the throne of divine grace; with thy intercession divinely
illumine those who honor thy light-bearing memory.
Thou didst live holily, O most blessed Eutychius, most diligently instructed by the Apostles of Christ, and being advanced to the supreme age thou didst contend most beautifully, O most worthy of admiration.
Exulting thou didst enter the stadium of martyrdom, and didst endure death the procurer of life; and being plunged into the sea, O blessed Eutychius, thou didst plunge under the myriads of the enemy.
The II Ode is wanting, according to custom, to be supplied from elsewhere.
III. Finding the ministers of the Word, the workers of good things, O divinely wise one, thou didst receive in thy heart the seed of the Holy Spirit; and religiously thou didst bring forth the hundredfold ear of corn.
Visibly kindled with the immaterial fire of the Godhead, O most blessed one, thou didst burn up impiety as it were stubble, O Eutychius; and didst contend holily: whence also we faithfully celebrate thee.
Cleaving with heart and mind to the holy ministers of the Word, thou didst pass thy life holily: and in the splendors of the Saints thou didst obtain a noble dwelling, O Eutychius.
IV. We sing hymns to thee, O Glorious one, as to the ripe cluster of the spiritual vine, who religiously pourest forth for us the wine of true compunction, O Eutychius.
As a certain greatest sun, O Martyr, by the rising of thy contests thou didst truly illuminate the whole earth, O Eutychius; by grace dispelling the darkness of our souls.
V. Thou wast carried up to the Lord, O most blessed one, on the golden wings of most holy martyrdom, and didst rest in the divine mansions, now numbered with the peoples of the illustrious Athletes, O blessed in God, Eutychius.
Thou didst wisely imitate him who voluntarily stretched out his hands on the cross, O holy one, shut up with bound hands; and being cast into the deep, thou didst receive in it a happy end.
Thy ways became known, O Glorious one, in the waters; in which prudently finishing thy life, thou didst suffocate, O wise Martyr, the proud tyrant with all his army: wherefore calling thee blessed, we religiously venerate thee.
VI. Having obtained the grace of miracles, heal the infirmities of our souls, O Martyr Eutychius, who run to thy protection with faith.
Filled with divine faith and grace, O Glorious one, thou didst preach the saving word with the Apostles, dispelling the densest darkness of impiety.
Preaching the Word which has no beginning, O Eutychius, thou wast cast into a leather sack as into an ark: and being delivered to the deep, thou didst arrive at the port of salvation.
VII. Showing constant perseverance, O Martyr Eutychius, thou didst generously confound the wise men of the Gentiles, singing in spirit, O Superexalted one, Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of our fathers.
Finding the disciples of the Word, O Eutychius, declaring to thee the things which surpass all thought; thou didst incline thy ear to them, and didst pour forth streams of healings to those coming faithfully to thee.
Receiving truly into thy heart the living stream of the Spirit, O Eutychius, thou didst dry up the muddy torrents of error, and didst pour forth streams of healings to those coming faithfully to thee.
VIII. The deceivers, vainly babbling much against thee, were confounded, O most blessed in God, when they brought against thee reprovers, against thee who didst keep thy soul irreprehensible, O Martyr Eutychius, and didst sing, Praise the Lord, all His works.
Thy mind, illumined with the light of the Spirit, O glorious Eutychius, remained without share of the darkness of errors; and with thine eyes lifted up to God without ceasing thou didst exclaim, Praise the Lord and superexalt Him unto the ages.
IX. Behold, today is the venerable solemnity of the Athlete of Christ, let us all therefore concur with pious mind, faithfully to celebrate his miracles and holy contests; on account of which he was seen truly to be a terrestrial Angel, and a heavenly man.
As an oblation, O Blessed one, thou didst deliver thy soul to God, in the midst indeed of the waters obtaining a divine end, then placed at the torrent of pleasure, beholding most beautiful things, and full of venerable light.
Thou wast made the firmament and ornament of the faithful, O most worthy of admiration, of those who kiss thy Relics, and continually celebrate thy divine memory, O Great one among the first-fruits of Martyrs, and companion of all the Angels.
The people are gathered together today to praise thy rightly and gloriously done deeds, thy battles and victories: by thy prayers, O greatest Martyr Eutychius, free them from every distress and incursion of impious barbarians.