Synaxarion 2001

Synaxarion 2001
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This page contains the short Synaxarion for the feasts from 9 April to 15 April, since many churches celebrate Matins, when the Greek tradition is to read the Synaxarion entries from the Menaion, each day during the Great and Holy Week. I have yet to complete my version of the Synaxarion of the Triodion. During Holy Week the Russian Triodion gives the full Synaxarion for each day.

The translations are free, in order to reproduce the Iambic Trimeters and Epic Hexameters of the original. The transcriptions of the Greek words, included to draw attention to the many paronomasias of the original, are practical, rather than consistent and scientific. The stressed syllable in unfamiliar proper names are marked with an acute accent.

SYNAXARION

9 APRIL

On the 9th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Efpsýchios of Caesarea.

Verses
Against Efpsýchios the sword came there,
Where Christ to Caesarea’s parts had come.
And on the ninth of the month Efpsýchios’ throat met the sword’s blade.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Venerable Archimandrite Vadímos and his seven disciples.

Verses
Vadímos was with seven disciples slain,
But they reached heaven, where God has his throne.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs who died in captivity in Persia.

Verses
In Persia, land of worshippers of fire,
A band of worshippers of Christ was slain.

On the same day, Commemoration of the newly revealed and wonderworking monk martyrs, Raphael and Nicolas, and of the holy virgin martyr, Irene, and their companions, who were martyred in the sacred Monastery of Karyes, which is near Thermi on the island of Lesvos, in 1463, and miraculously revealed to us in 1959.

Verses
For Raphael and Nicolas
As a great light to us they were revealed,
Nicólaos and Raphael, once concealed.

For Irene
Irene with her parents fought the fight,
To us made known by wonders marvellous.

For the unnamed others
In Karyes of old you fought the fight,
Glory on high, O Martyrs, you attained.

On the same day, the Holy Avdiesús died by the sword.

Verses
Being by chance a captive, Avdiesús,
Giving his life as ransom, was set free.

At their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us.

10 APRIL

On the 10th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Terence, Africanus, Maximus, Pompey, and thirty six others; also of those with the blessed Zeno, Alexander and Theodore.

Verses
For Terence what rewards for martyrdom?
Those that eye, ear or heart have not conceived.

Let us behold the champions that were slain:
Ten multiplied by four, and others too.

And on the tenth of the month was Terence’s throat slashed right open.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Prophetess Olda.

Verses
Foreseeing spirit Olda yielded up,
A Prophetess with God’s own Spirit filled.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs, the Presbyter James and the Deacon Aza.

Verses
For James
Of James who died a martyr’s death I write,
And of the crown received as death’s reward.

For Aza
Christ’s Levite Aza with his head cut off,
Christ’s enemy Leviathan now shames.

The Holy New Martyr Demos was martyred in Smyrna in 1363 and died by the sword.

Verses
Demos, not fearing executioners [demios],
New athlete with the athletes’ ranks [demos] is joined.

On the same day of the same month, Commemoration of our father among the Saints, Gregory V, the new Hieromartyr, archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch, who was martyred by hanging in 1821.

Verses
Though, Patriarch, ‘twas by the rope you died,
In God’s own Eden you now live for aye.

Others
As a good shepherd of the flock of Christ,
Father, on its behalf you gladly died.

At the intercessions of your Saints, Christ God, have mercy on us.

11 APRIL

On the 11th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Antipas, Bishop of Pergamon.

Verses
Martyr Antípas, with a bull you fought,
That to burn you, but not to gore, was able.
Thrown in an ox made of bronze, the eleventh you perished, Antípas.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Venerable Trýphaina of Kyzikos.

Verses
Trýphaina, parted from her flesh of clay,
Thought of this clay of hers as rare delights [tryphe].

On the same day, Commemoration of our Venerable Father Pharmouthios.

Verses
From things of earth Pharmouthios went forth.
The month? Pharmouthi, that is April time.

At the intercessions of your Saints, Christ God, have mercy on us.

12 APRIL

On the 12th of the same month, Commemoration of our Venerable Father Basil, Bishop of Parios, the Confessor.

Verses
Thrice-blessed Basil, meet your end with joy,
For you have reached where all joy is fulfilled.
And on the twelfth as a corpse you went down to the grave, blessed Basil.

On the same day, in the year 942, the precious Girdle of our most holy Lady the Mother of God was brought from the Bishopric of Zela to the queen of cities under the Porphyrogenneti, Constantine and Romanos. Later in the holy casket of the Chalkoprateii on the 31st of August.

On the same day, Commemoration of our Venerable Mother Anthousa, daughter of the Emperor Constantine V.

Verses
Sweet-smelling fruit sprung from a foul-stenched root,
Holy Anthousa fades [apanthei] from earth and life.

On the same day, Commemoration of Deme and Protion.

Verses
Protion’s head was severed first [protos] of all,
Then Déme’s by the executioner [demios].

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Hieromartyr Artémon.

Verses
His head new severed [artitmitos], then Artémon found
Crowns that were fitting to a head cut off [tetmimeni].

On the same day, Commemoration of the three Holy Martyrs, Menas, David and John.

Verses
Three of God’s servants, who the passions slew,
Manslayers slay with arrows shot from bows.

The Venerable Akakios the Young, who led the ascetic life in the skete of Kapsokalyvia on the Holy Mountain, died in peace in 1730.

Verses
Though you were young, Akakios, in years,
Yet you surpassed the struggles of the old.

At their holy intercessions, Christ God, have mercy on us.

13 APRIL

On the 13th of the same month, Commemoration of our Father among the Saints, Martin, Pope of Rome, the Confessor.

Verses
Martin, O Saviour, ate your flesh joy,
And then with joy his own flesh he cast off.
And on the thirteenth day of the month died Martin, the far-famed.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs, Maximos, Quintilian and Dadas.

Verses
Who then are these who lie with heads cut off?
Maximos, Dadas and Quintilian.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Eleftherios the Persian.

Verses
To error Eleftherios was no slave,
But free [eleftheros] he stood before the sword’s bright blade.

On the same day, Commemoration of the holy Martyr Theodosios.

Verses
To offer gifts [dosis] to gods [theoi] he would not yield,
So Theodosios was brought—gift for the sword.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Zóďlos.

Verses
Fixed to a tree, Zóďlos, by a dart,
Cause of corruption by a tree you wound.

Through their holy intercessions, Christ God, have mercy on us.

14 APRIL

On the 14th day of the same month, On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Apostles of the Seventy, Arístarchos, Poudes and Tróphimos.

Verses
For Aristarchos
Arístarchos I honour, great in valour [aristeus],
Nobly valiant [aristeusas] even to the sword.

For Poudes
Where then [pou de], O Poudes, did you go when slain?
Where then [pou de], if not to glory without end?

For Trophimos
Heaven’s delight [tryphe] Tróphimos keenly craved;
Was led as nourishment [trophos] for sharpened sword.
While on the fourteenth day three disciples of Christ once departed.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Ardalíon the Actor.

Verses
Now a true actor rather than of old,
He acts the Martyr’s part and loves the fire.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Thomaďs.

Verses
You took Thomaďs from this present age,
Father, as Scripture says, of th’age to come.

On the same day, the contest of the Holy New Martyr, Demetrios the Peloponnesian, from Ligoudiste of Triphylia, who died by the sword in Tripolis in 1803.

Verses
Like a gazelle Demetrios once sped
In Tripolis to win a martyr’s prize.

At the intercessions of your Saints, O God, have mercy on us.

15 APRIL

On the 15th of the same month, Commemoration of the Holy Martyr Kresces of Myra in Lykia.

Verses
Marvel to see great Kresces mid the fire,
Thinking the flame a meadow of delight.
And on the fifteenth day died Kresces by the fire’s fury.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Vasílissa and Anastasia.

Verses
They slay two ewe lambs of the Lamb of God,
Anastasía and Vasílissa.

On the same day, Commemoration of our Father in among the Saints Leonídas, Bishop of Athens.

Verses
Darkness took hold of Athens all at once
When Leonídas, Athens’ sun, had set.

On the same day, Commemoration of the Holy Martyrs Theodore the Presbyter and Pavsolypios.

Verses
The sword a gift that makes end of grief [pavsilypos]
For Pavsolýpios and Theodore.

At their holy intercessions, Christ God, have mercy on us.

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This page was last updated on 14 April 2001