Holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. The suffering of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus

The holy mu-che-niks Sergius and Vak-kha im-pe-ra-tor Mak-si-mi-an (284-305) were designated for the highest duties -sti in the army, not knowing that they are Christians. It’s not good that Mak-si-mi-a-well that his two chiefs don’t speak the same language. Czech gods, and this was considered a state crime.

Im-per-ra-tor, wishing to satisfy himself in the justice of the do-no-sa, came to Sergius and Bak-hu- do not sacrifice to idols, but they know that they honor the One God and worship Him only.

Mak-si-mi-an came to the hall to remove the insignia of their military rank from the men, dress them in women's clothes and lead around the city with iron-on-ru-cha-mi around the neck, in laughter at-the-ro-du. Then he again called Sergius and Bak-kha to himself and with his friend not to be seduced by the chris-sti-an-ski-mi bas-nya- and turn to the Roman gods. But the saints were adamant. That's when im-per-ra-tor ordered to send them to the ruler in the eastern part of Syria, An-tio-hu, lu-mu Nena -wist-ni-ku chri-sti-an. Antiochus received this position with the help of Sergius and Bacchus. “My fathers and blessings!” he said to the saints, “be kind not only to yourself, but also to me: I wouldn’t want to betray you to much-che-no-yam.” The saints know that for them life is Christ, and death for Him is a re-observation. Once-wrathful An-tioh ordered to beat Vak-ha bi-cha-mi without mercy, and the holy martyr went to the State du. Ser-gia put on iron boots with nails in them and was taken to court in another city, where he was beheaded with a sword (c. 300).

). This continued until Maximian was informed that they did not honor the pagan gods. The emperor, in order to make sure the denunciation was fair, ordered Sergius and Bacchus to sacrifice to idols, but they refused, answering that they honor the One God and worship Him only, after which the emperor ordered the martyrs to be stripped of the insignia of their military rank, dressed in women's clothing and led around city ​​with iron hoops around his neck, to the derision of the people. Having humiliated them, the emperor again called upon Sergius and Bacchus and tried to turn them away from the Christian faith, but the saints were adamant. Then Maximian ordered them to be sent to the ruler of Syria, Antiochus, who hated Christians. Antiochus received the position of ruler with the help of Sergius and Bacchus, that is, he was personally obliged to them, and asked the confessors to leave Christianity. Having received a refusal, the angry Antiochus ordered Bacchus to be beaten with whips, after which he died, and Sergius was taken to trial in another city where he was beheaded by a sword(beheaded).

The Catholic English version of the lives of these saints presents events in a similar way, but in this version Maximian is called Caesar, not the emperor.

The death of the martyr Sergius, according to his life, occurred in a city called Resafa (Demetrius of Rostov in his life of the holy martyrs calls this city Rezafa, or Rozafa). It was subsequently renamed Sergiopol.

The holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus died, according to various sources, around the year 300, or around 303, or in 305.

Historicity

Some researchers question the historicity of the lives of Sergius and Bacchus, setting out the following considerations.

Criticism

As David Woods points out, the story of the saints is told in a Greek text called The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus. This text contains, in his opinion, many anachronisms and contradictions that make it difficult to determine the exact time of writing this text, but it can still be attributed to the 5th century AD. e.

Further, Woods notes, The Passion is filled not only with historical anachronisms, but also with supernatural events. Apparently, for this reason they are considered an unreliable historical source: the text was dated to the mid-fifth century AD, there is no evidence of the veneration of Sergius and Bacchus before 425 (more than 100 years after the described death of these martyrs), and therefore there is great doubt in the historicity of their personality.

Moreover, he argues, there is no precise evidence that the schola of Sergius and Bacchus were used by the emperor Galerius or any other emperors before Constantine I. It is known, he says, that the persecution of Christians began in the army long before it began elsewhere, so that it is doubtful whether even secret Christians were able to rise to high ranks in the army. There is also no evidence of the existence of monks at that time, as described in the life: there a monk finds the body of Sergius on the banks of the Euphrates.

Italian historian Pio Franchi De Cavalieri argues that the Passion of Sergius and Bacchus is based on the previously lost passions of Juventus and Maciminus, two saints who were executed under Emperor Julian II the Apostate in 363. He notes that it was under Julian that Christian soldiers were punished by dressing in women's dresses for everyone to see. David Woods also supports this idea, pointing to the historian Zosima, who in his Historia Nova describes a case in which Julian punishes apostate soldiers in precisely this way, thereby confirming that the author of The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus borrowed material from the stories of martyrs of the times of Julian rather than Galerius.

Possible objections

David Woods's criticism requires detailed analysis. However, his willingness to recognize the “Passion” as an unreliable historical source due to the mention of miracles in it causes serious bewilderment: we also read about miraculous events in the lives of those Christian saints who are much closer to us in time, for example Sergius of Radonezh, the historicity of the individual which was not questioned even in Soviet times. We will encounter many miracles in the life of Seraphim of Sarov, the historicity of whose existence is beyond doubt.

Praise

After the death of the martyr Sergius in Resafa, this city became a place of pilgrimage for Christians who venerated the relics of the martyr Sergius, which is why the city itself began to be called Sergiopolis. From the 5th century, Resafa became the seat of a bishop. In the same century, Bishop Alexander of Hierapolis built a magnificent church in honor of these martyrs. From ancient times, the memory of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus was highly revered throughout the east, and many made pious journeys to their relics.

Relics

The relics of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, originally located in Resafa, long ago left this deserted city (it was abandoned by the inhabitants in the 13th century). Currently the relics are in Venice.

The incorrupt heads of the martyrs were kept for some time in Constantinople, where they were seen by Russian pilgrims: monk Anthony (g.) and Stefan Novgorodets (c. g.).

Temples

Temples dedicated to the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus appeared in various parts of the Roman Empire. Even the ruins of the basilica dedicated to them in Resafa make a considerable impression (see).

In Russia at present, apparently, there are no churches dedicated to the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. At one time, however, the temple of the village of Kuzmichi, Smolensk region, was dedicated to them, which is now consecrated in honor of the Ascension of the Lord, and its left side chapel is dedicated to the martyrs Sergius and Bacchus. In the name of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, in 1831, a throne (chapel) was consecrated on the first floor of the now lost Trinity Church in St. Petersburg at the Smolensk Orthodox Cemetery.

Remembrance Day in the Russian Orthodox Church

Misunderstandings

The Martyr Sergius the Roman, who suffered in Resafa, is also called Sarkis (in particular, the monastery named after him in Maaloula is called Mar Sarkis, which in Arabic means "Saint Sergius"). For this reason, he can be confused with the national hero of Armenia - Saint Sarkis, who suffered for refusing to become a fire worshiper and offer pagan sacrifices during the time of Emperor Julian the Apostate along with his son and 14 warriors.

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Notes

1. on the website Pravoslavie.Ru
2. "The Lives of the Saints of St. Dmitry of Rostov - The Fourth Menaion"
3. The Catholic Encyclopedia
4. . Retrieved March 18, 2013.
5. . Retrieved March 18, 2013. .
6. TREE - open Orthodox encyclopedia
7. Dictionary of Antiquity
8. Woods, David (2000). . From. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
9. Vedi:
11. See Flight into Egypt and Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (Abu Serga) ( English)
12. Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople (Istanbul)
13. // ITAR-TASS
14. Temples of Russia
15. Searching for Russian churches dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus in the site database gives the only one the result is the already mentioned and not preserved Old Believer temple ()
18. on the website Pravoslavie.Ru
19. Saint Sarkis Day

Bibliography

• Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John. The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0-14-051312-4.
• E. Key Fowden, The Barbarian Plain: Saint Sergius between Rome and Iran, The Transformation of the Classical Heritage 28 (Berkeley, 1999).
• D. Woods, "The Emperor Julian and the Passion of Sergius and Bacchus", Journal of Early Christian Studies 5 (1997), 335-67.

Links

Excerpt characterizing Sergius and Bacchus

Sunny May lives on!
Flames with flowers
Even the land of graves...
So why is there so little
Have you, my son, lived?
My bright-eyed boy,
Joy, my hope!
Don't go, my darling,
Do not leave me...
He named him Alexander, choosing this name himself, since his mother was in the hospital and he had no one else to ask. And when the grandmother offered to help bury the baby, the father categorically refused. He did everything himself, from start to finish, although I can’t even imagine how much grief he had to endure, burying his newborn son, and at the same time knowing that his beloved wife was dying in the hospital... But dad is everything endured without a single word of reproach to anyone, only the only thing he prayed for was that his beloved Annushka would return to him, until this terrible blow completely knocked her down, and until night fell on her exhausted brain...
And so my mother returned, and he was completely powerless to help her with anything, and did not know at all how to get her out of this terrible, “dead” state...
The death of little Alexander deeply shocked the entire Seryogin family. It seemed that sunlight would never return to this sad house, and laughter would never sound again... Mom was still “dead.” And although her young body, obeying the laws of nature, began to grow stronger and stronger, her wounded soul, despite all the efforts of her father, was still far away, like a bird that had flown away, and, having plunged deeply into the ocean of pain, was in no hurry to return from there...

But soon, after some six months, good news came to them - mom was pregnant again... Dad was scared at first, but seeing that mom suddenly started to come to life very quickly, he decided to take the risk, and now everyone is with great impatience were expecting a second child... This time they were very careful and tried in every possible way to protect my mother from any unwanted accidents. But, unfortunately, trouble, apparently for some reason, fell in love with this hospitable door... And it knocked again...
Out of fright, knowing the sad story of my mother’s first pregnancy, and fearing that something would go “wrong” again, the doctors decided to perform a “caesarean section” even before contractions began (!). And apparently they did it too early... One way or another, a girl was born who was named Marianna. But, unfortunately, she also managed to live for a very short time - three days later, this fragile, slightly blossoming life, for reasons unknown to anyone, was interrupted...
An eerie impression was created that someone really didn’t want her mother to give birth at all... And although by nature and genetics she was a strong woman absolutely suitable for childbearing, she was already afraid to even think about repeating such a cruel attempt once upon a time at all...
But man is a surprisingly strong creature, and is capable of enduring much more than he himself could ever imagine... Well, pain, even the most terrible, (if it does not immediately break the heart) once apparently dulls, repressed, eternally living in each of us, hope. That’s why, exactly a year later, very easily and without any complications, on an early December morning, another daughter was born to the Seryogin family, and this happy daughter turned out to be me... But... this birth would probably have ended differently happily, if everything continued to happen according to the pre-prepared plan of our “compassionate” doctors... On a cold December morning, mother was taken to the hospital, even before her contractions began, in order, again, “to be sure” that “ “nothing bad” will happen (!!!)... Wildly nervous from “bad premonitions,” dad rushed back and forth along the long hospital corridor, unable to calm down, because he knew that, according to their common agreement, mom was doing this try one last time, and if something happens to the child this time too, it means they will never be destined to see their children... The decision was difficult, but dad preferred to see, if not the children, then at least his beloved “ little star” alive, and not bury his entire family at once, without even really understanding what his family really means...
To my father’s great regret, Dr. Ingelevicius, who was still the chief surgeon there, again came to check on my mother, and it was very, very difficult to avoid his “high” attention... After “carefully” examining my mother, Ingelevicius said that he would come tomorrow at 6 o'clock in the morning, perform another “caesarean section” on mom, to which poor dad almost had a heart attack...
But at about five o’clock in the morning a very pleasant young midwife came to my mother and, much to my mother’s surprise, cheerfully said:
- Well, let’s get ready, now we’ll give birth!
When the frightened mother asked - what about the doctor? The woman, calmly looking into her eyes, affectionately replied that, in her opinion, it was high time for her mother to give birth to live (!) children... And she began to gently and carefully massage her mother’s belly, as if little by little preparing her for a “soon and happy” childbirth ... And so, with the light hand of this wonderful unknown midwife, at about six o’clock in the morning, my mother easily and quickly gave birth to her first living child, who, fortunately, turned out to be me.
- Well, look at this doll, mom! – the midwife cheerfully exclaimed, bringing mother the already washed and clean, small, screaming bundle. And my mother, seeing her little daughter alive and healthy for the first time... fainted with joy...

When exactly at six o'clock in the morning Dr. Ingelevichius entered the room, a wonderful picture appeared before his eyes - a very happy couple was lying on the bed - it was my mother and I, her living newborn daughter... But instead of being happy for such an unexpected happy In the end, for some reason the doctor went into a real rage and, without saying a word, jumped out of the room...
We never found out what really happened with all the “tragically unusual” births of my poor, suffering mother. But one thing was clear for sure - someone really didn’t want at least one mother’s child to be born into this world alive. But apparently the one who so carefully and reliably protected me throughout my entire life, this time decided to prevent the death of the Seryogins’ child, somehow knowing that he would probably be the last in this family...
This is how, “with obstacles,” my amazing and unusual life once began, the appearance of which, even before my birth, fate, already quite complex and unpredictable, had in store for me....
Or maybe it was someone who already knew then that someone would need my life for something, and someone tried very hard so that I would still be born on this earth, despite all the “difficulties” created obstacles"...

As time went. My tenth winter has already completely ruled the yard, covering everything around with a snow-white fluffy cover, as if wanting to show that she is the full-fledged mistress here at the moment.
More and more people went into stores to stock up on New Year's gifts in advance, and even the air already “smelled” the holiday.
Two of my favorite days were approaching - my birthday and New Year, between which there was only a two-week difference, which allowed me to fully enjoy their “celebration”, without any long break...
I hovered around my grandmother all day long, trying to find out what I would get for my “special” day this year?.. But for some reason my grandmother did not give in, although before it had never been very difficult for me to “melt” her silence even before my birthday and find out what kind of “pleasure” I can expect. But this year, for some reason, to all my “hopeless” attempts, my grandmother only smiled mysteriously and answered that it was a “surprise” and that she was absolutely sure that I would really like it. So, no matter how hard I tried, she stood firm and did not give in to any provocations. There was nowhere to go - we had to wait...
Therefore, in order to at least occupy myself with something and not think about gifts, I began to compile a “holiday menu”, which my grandmother allowed me to choose at my own discretion this year. But, I must honestly say, this was not the easiest task, since the grandmother could create real culinary miracles and choosing from such an “abundance” was not so easy, and even more so, catching the grandmother doing something impossible was In general, the matter is almost hopeless. Even the most fastidious gourmets, I think, would find something to enjoy at her place! for the first time it was allowed to invite so many guests. Grandma took all this very seriously, and we sat with her for about an hour, discussing what special thing she could “spell” for me. Now, of course, I understand that she just wanted to please me and show that what is important to me is just as important to her. This was always very pleasant and helped me feel needed and to some extent even “significant”, as if I were an adult, mature person who meant a lot to her. I think it is very important for each of us (children) that someone truly believes in us, since we all need to maintain our self-confidence in this fragile and highly “fluctuating” time of childhood maturation, which is already almost always reveals a violent inferiority complex and extreme risk in everything we try to prove our human worth. Grandmother understood this perfectly, and her friendly attitude always helped me to continue my “crazy” search for myself without fear in any life circumstances that came my way.
Having finally finished preparing my “birthday table” with my grandmother, I went in search of my dad, who had a day off and who (I was almost sure of this) was somewhere in “his corner,” doing his favorite pastime. ..
As I thought, sitting comfortably on the sofa, dad was calmly reading some very old book, one of those that I was not yet allowed to take, and which, as I understood, I had not yet grown up to read. The gray cat Grishka, curled up in a warm ball on daddy’s lap, was squinting his eyes contentedly from the excess of feelings overwhelming him, purring with inspiration for the whole “cat orchestra”... I sat down next to daddy on the edge of the sofa, as I did very often, and quietly began to observe the expression his face... He was somewhere far away, in the world of his thoughts and dreams, following a thread that the author apparently very enthusiastically wove, and at the same time, he was probably already arranging the information he received according to the shelves of his “logical thinking” so that you can then pass it through your understanding and perception, and send the finished product to your huge “mental archive”...
- Well, what do we have there? – Dad asked quietly, patting me on the head.
– And our teacher said today that there is no soul at all, and all the talk about it is just an invention of priests in order to “undermine the happy psyche of the Soviet person”... Why are they lying to us, dad? – I blurted out in one breath.
“Because this whole world in which we live here is built precisely on lies...” the father answered very calmly. – Even the word – SOUL – is gradually going out of circulation. Or rather, they “leave” him... Look, they used to say: soul-stirring, heart-to-heart, heartbreaking, heartbreaking, soul-opening, open the soul, etc. And now it is being replaced - painful, friendly, padded jacket, responsive, need... Soon there will be no soul left in the Russian language... And the language itself has become different - stingy, faceless, dead... I know, you didn’t notice, Svetlenkaya ,” Dad smiled affectionately. “But this is only because you were already born with him as he is today... And before he was unusually bright, beautiful, rich!.. Truly sincere... Now sometimes I don’t even want to write,” Dad fell silent for a few seconds, thinking about something of his own, and then added indignantly. – How can I express my “I” if they send me a list (!) of which words can be used and which are a “relic of the bourgeois system”... Savagery...
“Then is it better to study on your own than to go to school?” – I asked, puzzled.
- No, my little man, I need to go to school. – And without giving me the opportunity to object, he continued. – At school they give you the “grains” of your foundation - mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, etc., which I simply wouldn’t have time to teach you at home. And without these “seeds,” unfortunately, you will not be able to grow your “mental harvest”... - Dad smiled. – Only first, you will definitely have to thoroughly “sift” these “grains” from the husks and rotten seeds... And what kind of “harvest” you will get later will depend only on you... Life is a complicated thing, you see.. And sometimes it’s not so easy to stay on the surface... without sinking to the bottom. But there’s nowhere to go, right? - Dad patted me on the head again, for some reason he was sad... - So think about whether to be one of those who are told how you should live or be one of those who think for themselves and look for their own way.. True, they hit you on the head very thoroughly for this, but on the other hand, you will always carry it proudly raised. So think carefully before you decide what you like best...

Memory holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus takes place in the Orthodox Church on October 20 according to the new style.

Saints Sergius and Bacchus carried out military service under the emperor Maximian, whose reign took place at the end of the third - beginning of the fourth century. The pagan ruler had no idea that the saints of God were Christians, so he appointed them to high positions in the army. Soon after his promotion, people appeared suffering from the disease of envy, who informed the pagan ruler that his military commanders Sergius and Bacchus did not make sacrifices to pagan idols.
The ruler was an adherent of paganism, and refusal to worship idols was considered a state crime, for which there could be a death penalty. Sergius and Bacchus knew about this, but remaining faithful to the Lord was more valuable to them than temporary well-being in life. In order to check how true the denunciations against these military commanders were, Maximian gave the command that Saints Sergius and Bacchus worship the pagan idols. The martyrs boldly defended the truth of their convictions and firmly expressed their Christian position. The saints said that they could not worship soulless idols, but that they must give all honor to the One God, who created everything in heaven and on earth.
In order to punish the soldiers who were unfaithful to the pagan faith, Emperor Maximian gave the order to remove the badges of their military dignity from the guilty ones, dress them in women's clothes, and hang metal hoops on their necks. In this form, the saints of God were led through the central streets of the city so that its residents could ridicule these people and their refusal to obey the emperor. After this, the ruler began to talk with the warriors Sergius and Bacchus, affectionately urging them to renounce their Christian beliefs and worship idols. Seeing the firmness of the holy warriors’ trust in God, the ruler ordered the martyrs to be sent to the ruler Antiochus, who ruled the eastern part of Syria and was distinguished by his particularly vicious attitude towards Christians. As it turned out, the ruler Antiochus began to occupy such a high position in society thanks to the help of saints Sergius and Bacchus, so he began to beg them in a friendly manner to perform a pagan sacrifice in order to avoid the death penalty prescribed by law. The saints of God were not afraid of the death penalty, explaining that life for them is the Lord Jesus Christ, and they understand death for the Lord as gain. Hearing such speeches from the soldiers, Antiochus became furious: he gave the order that Bacchus be beaten to death with special whips, and Sergius, wearing metal boots with sharp nails inside, was taken to another city, where he was beheaded with a sword.
The death of the saints of God followed around the year 300.
The holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus showed the sincerity of their faith even in the face of death. Their courage was manifested not only in valiant military service to the earthly ruler, but shone as an unquenchable ray in the Kingdom of Heaven. They carried out their official duties with great zeal until the moment when their fulfillment came into conflict with the service of the One True God. The example of the life of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus serves as clear confirmation that between achieving well-being in temporary earthly life and inheriting the Heavenly Kingdom with the Lord, a Christian must always choose to serve the Lord, even if this requires damaging his health and taking his life. A Christian is required to responsibly fulfill his duties to earthly authorities to the extent that this does not interfere with serving the Lord.

Troparion, tone 5:
Fertilization of Christ's passion-bearers/ and the eyes of Christ's Church,/ eyes enlighten our souls,/ Sergius, the long-suffering and most glorious Vaksa:/ pray to the Lord,/ that we may flee the darkness of sin/ and may we appear in communion with the uneven Light// through your prayers, holy ones.

Kontakion, voice 2:
Manfully armed with reason against the enemies,/ destroying all those flattery,/ and accepting victory from above, all-validating martyrs,/ unanimously crying out // for the goodness and beauty of being with God.

Magnification:
We magnify you, passion-bearers of Christ, and honor your honest sufferings, which you naturally endured for Christ.

Total 54 photos

Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus- one of the most ancient surviving churches of Constantinople, which served as the prototype for the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna (centric temple) and (domed basilica) (hence the second name - “Little Hagia Sophia”). Apparently the Church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus is the work of the same masters who built Hagia Sophia - Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. According to another version, the architect Anthemius from Tralles, who was better known as a mathematician and the author of a book about the burning of a mirror, “Paradoxographia,” worked on the temple.

The temple is dedicated to the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus; it is no less striking than the famous Hagia Sophia itself, and this is not an exaggeration. The church is like the younger sister of Hagia Sophia. It is not so majestic due to its relatively modest size, but it sincerely impresses and surprises with its “live” good clean deep light energy. You are captured by a wave of surprise and a joyful understanding that you are in one of the most ancient and amazing places in Byzantine Constantinople. And this very understanding comes without any preliminary explanation for oneself. By the way, I got here intentionally and out of curiosity - without checking the guidebook, and intuitively found the Little Hagia Sophia easily and naturally.

Since the church itself fascinated me so much, I took a large number of photographs both externally and internally of the temple. So there will be two posts about the Church of Sergius and Bacchus. One is about the external appearance of the church, the history of its creation, Saints Sergius and Bacchus, and the second is about its internal spaces, which left the strongest impressions. Despite the fact that the famous golden Byzantine mosaics have not been preserved in the church, you can quite imagine them if you visit it, which dates back to approximately the same period as the Little Hagia Sophia. So this immersion in the history of Orthodox Byzantium turned out to be very rich in impressions, which I will try to convey.

The church (now a working mosque) is located in the historical center of Istanbul in the Sultanahmet district almost on the shore of the Sea of ​​Marmara. You can get to Little Hagia Sophia without much effort, you only need the desire.

We are now at one of the most iconic landmarks of Istanbul - the historical Sultanahmet Square or the location of the famous.
02.

From the Hippodrome Square in its southern part, having passed the Egyptian Obelisk, we go around the Obelisk of Constantine on the left by the University of Marmara, which is located on the former rounded southern part of the Hippodrome base - the sfend - the site of the spectator stands, once located in a semicircular amphitheater, repeating the southwestern turn of the running track.
03.


Marmara University and the Obelisk of Constantine in Sultanahmet Square

Now we will go around this building on the left and begin to go down the narrow streets to the Sea of ​​​​Marmara. To the right we soon have the impressive ruins of Sfenda. This is all that remains of the once famous Hippodrome of Constantinople.

04.

Having examined the sfenda, then we take a left and go down to the sea along the narrow streets of Istanbul...
05.

And after 3-4 minutes we are already there - at the Church of the Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus.
06.

This area was once home to the most fashionable palaces of the City, including the houses of Pulcheria and the Focus family, as well as the so-called House of Darius (according to legend, its owner was one of the eight patricians whom Constantine the Great brought with him from Rome). None of these buildings have been there for a long time. The greatness of the palaces that stood here is evidenced by the numerous local underground cisterns that fed them with water (and own water is a sign of wealth). None of them are currently publicly accessible.
07.

Many Russian pilgrims mentioned the church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, including Anthony of Novgorod: “Behind the foothills there is the church of the holy martyr Sergius and Bacchus: and their heads lie here, and the hand of Sergius and his blood.” Alexander the Deacon is tied to another landmark: “Near the Tsarev’s Kostyantinov Palace there is a monastery of St. Sergius and Bacchus.”
08.

In addition, the dome of Sophia looks more like a smooth hemisphere, while that of Sergius and Bacchus is more reminiscent of a ribbed “shell”. It is divided into sixteen lobes, eight of which are flat and cut by windows, and eight others, concave, alternating with them, correspond to the corners of the octagon. This gives the dome (its height is 16.33 m) a wavy outline, which is clearly visible when viewed from the height of the First Hill. Overall, the treatment of both space and light in Sergius and Bacchus was extremely innovative.
20.

Let's take a closer look at this church from the outside.
21.

Now the Church of Sergius and Bacchus is a functioning mosque (its founder, Hussein Aga, is buried in the mausoleum north of the temple, pictured below on the right). You can enter the mosque either before or after prayer.
22.

The dome of the church from the northeast.
24.

We are now walking along the northern wall of the church.
28.

And now we will enter the courtyard of the Church of Sergius and Bacchus.
30.


North wall of the Church of Sergius and Bacchus

This is the main entrance to the church from the north.
31.

Church courtyard.
33.

The northern gate and the church wall from the inside.
37.

In general, the building has undergone minimal alterations: for example, those windows that are now on both sides of the entrance were previously doors, as in Hagia Sophia.
39.

The holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus, Romans by origin, were noble dignitaries 1 and the first of the nobles at the court of Tsar Maximian. The king loved and respected them very much for their prudent advice at meetings, for their courage in war and for their loyalty in service.

And rarely could anyone turn to the king with a request other than through these most faithful advisers: they were in such favor with him as no one else.

However, Sergius and Bacchus sought mercy not so much from the king of the earth as from the King of Heaven: because they believed in our Lord Jesus Christ, tried to please Him with their lives and diligently served Him.

But out of fear of the king, they hid their faith in Christ for the time being, for Maximian treated Christians with immeasurable hatred and indomitable rage. However, the light of the faith of Christ was not hidden in them for long, and soon it was clearly revealed to everyone.

Some, jealous of their high position and the royal love for them, and wishing to bring upon them the hatred and wrath of the king, informed him that Sergius and Bacchus were Christians and that they refused to worship idols. Maximian did not want to believe that the people who enjoyed his favor would not agree with him in the veneration of the gods - and he was ashamed to ask them about this or to denounce them without knowing it for certain. However, he decided to test them in the following way.

One day he appointed a festival in honor of his gods and went with all the princes and dignitaries, with warriors and servants, surrounded by all his royal greatness, to the temple of the main god Zeus 2 to make a solemn sacrifice to him there. At the same time, he carefully watched to see if his beloved nobles, Sergius and Bacchus, would enter the idol temple with him.

But when the king entered the temple, the servants of Christ remained outside it and did not enter with the king into the vile temple; stopping in the distance, they prayed to the true God, asking Him to enlighten the blindness of the darkened eyes of that wicked people and to glorify His most holy Name through them. The king, seeing that Sergius and Bacchus did not enter the celebration with him, sent servants to take them and bring them by force to the temple.

When the saints were brought into this ungodly meeting, Maximian ordered them to worship the idols with him, make a sacrifice and partake of the offerings offered to idols.

But Sergius and Bacchus did not want to fulfill this royal order.

“We have,” they said, a God in heaven, not a false and insensitive God, like your idols are insensitive, but a true and living God, who holds the whole world in His power, and we worship Him.

And they began to denounce the king for his evil faith, that he gives the honor due to the One God to idols - the blind, deaf and dumb.

Then the king, angry, ordered to remove from them all the distinctions of their high rank: military belts, and gold hryvnias, and rings, and all clothes and, for the sake of disgrace, to dress them in women's underwear, and to place iron hoops on their necks.

In this form, the saints began to be led around the city, so that, thus, such glorious and noble nobles of Rome would be mocked and ridiculed by all the people for worshiping the One true God and defamation of false pagan gods, or, better to say, the demons themselves, to whom they did not want to bring These sacrifices are servants of God, who have already sacrificed themselves to Christ.

At the end of the ungodly sacrifices, Maximian returned to his chambers and, taking pity on Sergius and Bacchus, since he loved them very much, called them to him and said:

- My dear and faithful friends! Why did you plan to dishonor our gods and sadden your king, who is so merciful and supportive of you? Why did they bring such dishonor upon themselves? Although I love you very much, I cannot tolerate the desecration of my gods and will have to hand you over to torture, even against my will. Therefore, I ask you, my friends, leave this Son of Tecton 3, Whom the Jews hanged on the cross with the villains as a villain, and do not get carried away by Christian fables and sorcery; turn again to our great gods, and I will show you even greater honor and even greater mercy to you, and you will enjoy my love and inseparably enjoy with me all the benefits of my kingdom.

But Sergius and Bacchus, not wanting to fall away from the love of God for the sake of royal love and to lose eternal ones for the sake of temporary benefits, did not listen to the king. Filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, they boldly and convincingly began to prove to the king all the powerlessness of his false gods, boldly confessed to him the power and Divinity of Jesus Christ and advised the king to know this heavenly truth himself. The wicked king, whose heart was hardened and whose mind was blinded, did not accept their good advice and, on the contrary, was inflamed with even greater anger and rage.

Out of his love for them, not wanting to betray them to torment himself, he sent them to the eastern hegemon 4 Antiochus. This man was a cruel persecutor and tormentor of Christians; He achieved the rank of hegemon through the intercession of Sergius and Bacchus before the king and after that he was sent to the East. The saints were now sent to this hegemon.

The king thought that they would be afraid of his cruelty, the rumor of which had spread throughout the empire, and at the same time they would be ashamed to be in the power of one who had previously been almost their slave and, thus, out of fear and shame, they would renounce Christ.

But even if this had not happened, then the king, in any case, would have been more desirable for them to be tortured in a distant area than before his eyes.

And so the saints were led out of Rome in chains. After a whole day of travel, the soldiers accompanying them stopped for the night at a hotel. Here, at midnight, when the soldiers who led them were fast asleep, Sergius and Bacchus stood up in prayer and began to ask God for strength - to courageously endure all the suffering that lay ahead of them.

While they were praying, an Angel of the Lord appeared to them, shining heavenly light on them and strengthening them with the following words:

- Be bold, servants of Christ, and like good warriors, arm yourself against the devil: you will soon defeat him.

After these words, the Angel became invisible.

Sergius and Bacchus, filled with inexpressible joy, began to send praise to the Lord, who was pleased to visit His servants with such an angelic appearance.

Throughout their long journey to the East, the holy martyrs spent time in prayer and psalmody, and thus armed themselves even more against the invisible spirits of malice.

Having passed through many cities and villages, they finally reached the eastern city of Varvalisso 5, where at that time the hegemon Antiochus was located, to whom the soldiers gave the prisoners they had brought, along with the royal letter with the following content:

- Maximian, eternal king, to Antiochus, hegemon of the Eastern country. - Rejoice! Our gods do not allow any person, and especially the champions and servants of our kingdom, to be evil people and not participate in sacrifices to them; Therefore, we condemned Sergius and Bacchus and, as followers of the evil Christian faith, considered them deserving of the death penalty. But since they are unworthy to accept punishment from the king himself, we sent them to you. If they, having repented, listen to us and make a sacrifice to the gods, then show them leniency and free them from the appointed torment; at the same time, promise that we will be merciful to them, and that each of them will receive their former dignity and will earn greater favor from us than before. If they do not obey and remain in their former evil faith, then give them over to deserved torment and condemn them to death by beheading with a sword. In the hope of a long life - be healthy.

Having read the royal letter, Antiochus ordered Sergius and Bacchus to be taken into custody until the morning. In the morning, entering the praetorium 6, he sat down in the judge’s seat and, placing the holy martyrs before him, began to speak to them like this:

“My fathers and benefactors, who petitioned me for this dignity, the culprits of my true glory, how your position has changed!” Now I sit before you as a judge, but you, bound prisoners, stand before me - you, to whom I formerly stood as a servant. I pray you, do not cause yourself such harm, listen to the king and make a sacrifice to the gods, and you will again receive your former rank and will again be honored with glory; if you do not do this, then I, contrary to even my own will, will have to force you to fulfill this royal command with torment: after all, you yourself heard what the king orders me in his message. Therefore, my gentlemen, be merciful to yourselves, and also to me, for I would not at all want to be a cruel tormentor for you, my benefactors.

The saints answered him:

“It’s in vain that you want to deceive us with your speech: for those who seek heavenly life, honor and dishonor, life and death are absolutely indifferent: “ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain"(Phil.1:21)..

And Sergius and Bacchus said much more, reproaching and denouncing the idolatry and atheism of the wicked. After this, Antiochus, angry, ordered that Saint Sergius be put in prison, and Bacchus, stripped and laid out on the ground, was beaten mercilessly. They beat the saint all over his body for such a long time that even the servants who beat him, exhausted from fatigue, alternated with each other. From these beatings the body of St. the martyr seemed to have fallen from his bones, and blood poured out of him like water. In the midst of such torment, Saint Bacchus gave up his soul in the hands of the Lord. Antiochus ordered the body of the sufferer to be taken out of the city and thrown somewhere far away to be devoured by animals and birds. But the Lord preserved his bones: some of the Christians, who were hiding out of fear of idolaters outside the city, in caves and ravines, came out of their shelters at night, took the body of the saint and buried him with honor in one of those caves in which they themselves were hiding.

Sergius, sitting in prison and hearing about the death of his friend, was greatly saddened and grieved for a long time over his separation from him.

“Alas for me, take my Bacchus,” he repeated repeatedly, “now you and I can no longer sing: “ How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to live together!"(Ps. 133:1): You left me alone.

While Saint Sergius was so lamenting, the very next night Saint Bacchus appeared to him in a dream, with the face of an angel, in clothes shining with heavenly light. He began to console him, announcing to him about the reward prepared for them in heaven, and strengthened him for the soon-to-be martyrdom, for which he would receive great mercy and boldness from Christ the Lord. After this appearance, Sergius was filled with joy and began to sing to the Lord with gladness of heart.

Soon the hegemon, going to another city called Sura 7, ordered Sergius to follow him. There, sitting down in the judge’s seat, he began to say this to the saint:

- A wicked man named Bacchus did not want to make sacrifices to the gods and agreed to die a violent death rather than honor them - and so he accepted the execution worthy of his deeds. But you, Sergius, why are you seduced by this godless teaching and expose yourself to such a great misadventure? My benefactor, do not indulge yourself in torment! I am ashamed of your previous benefits to me and of your rank: after all, you stand before me as a condemned person, and I, sitting, carry out judgment on you: once an insignificant person, now, thanks to your intercession with the king, I have been exalted with a great rank and now I am already higher you; You, who asked the king for so much and for so many good things, now wish evil for yourself. I pray you, listen to my advice, fulfill the royal command, make a sacrifice to the gods, and you will be elevated to your former rank and awarded your former glory.

Saint Sergius answered him:

– Temporary honor and glory are vain, but temporary dishonor is followed by eternal glory, and for me this earthly dishonor is nothing, and I do not seek temporary glory, for I hope to be awarded from my Savior true and eternal honor in heavenly glory. You remember my previous benefits to you - that I petitioned the earthly king for such a great rank; Now I tell you, listen to me and, having known the truth, reject your false gods and worship with me the Heavenly God and the King of the ages, and I promise to ask Him for even more good things for you than Maximian.

Then Antiochus, convinced that he was unable to turn him away from Christ and force him to submit to the royal will, said:

“You make me, Sergius, forget all your good deeds and betray you to fierce torment.”

Sergius answered:

- Do what you want: I have Christ as my helper, who once said: do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; So now you have power over my body to torment it, but neither you nor your father, Satan, have power over my soul.

After this, Antiochus became angry and said:

“I see that my long-suffering only makes you even more impudent,” and he ordered to put him in iron boots, with sharp and long nails on the soles, which pierced the saint’s feet. In such shoes, Antiochus ordered Sergius to be driven in front of his chariot, and he himself went to the city of Tetrapyrgius 8, from where he was supposed to go to the city of Rozapha 9.

Enduring such suffering, the saint sang along the way: “I firmly trusted in the Lord, and He bowed to me and heard my cry; He brought me out of the terrible pit, out of the miry swamp, and set my feet on a rock and established my steps” (Ps. 39:2-3).

When they came to the city of Tetrapyrgius, which was twenty miles away from Sura, the martyr was taken to prison. On the way to her, he sang: “Even the man who was at peace with me, in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, lifted up his heel against me. But you, Lord, have mercy on me and raise me up, and I will repay them” (Ps. 40:10-11).

At night in prison, when the martyr was praying, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and healed his wounds. The next day, Antiochus ordered Saint Sergius to be taken out of prison, thinking that from pain he could not even step on his feet. Seeing from afar that he was walking like a completely healthy person, not even limping at all, the tormentor was horrified and said:

“Truly this man is a sorcerer, for how can one walk without limping after such torment?” And it was as if he had never even suffered from his legs.

After this, Antiochus ordered the martyr to be put on the same boots and led before him to Rozafa, and before him there was a distance of 70 stadia from the city of Sura. Here, having ascended to the judgment seat, Antiochus began to force Saint Sergius to worship idols; but could not tear him away from his confession of Christ, and condemned the martyr to death. When the saint was brought outside the city, to the place of execution, he asked for time for prayer. While praying, he heard a voice from heaven calling him to the heavenly abodes, and, joyfully bowing his head under the sword, he died. His body was buried in the same place by Christians.

After a little time, the Christians of the city of Sura agreed to secretly take the body of the saint from Rozafa and transfer it to their city. When they approached the tomb at night, a pillar of fire appeared from the tomb, its height reaching to the very sky. Some of the soldiers who lived in Rozafa, seeing at midnight a pillar of fire that illuminated their entire city, went armed to that place and saw the Suran citizens seized with horror at the sight of this fiery phenomenon. Soon the appearance of the miraculous pillar disappeared. After this, the citizens of Sur realized that Saint Sergius did not want to leave the place where he shed his blood and laid down his soul for Christ; In honor of the martyr, they only erected a wonderful stone tomb in that place. With the spread of Christianity, a temple was built in the city of Rozafa in the name of the holy martyr Sergius.

Fifteen bishops of the surrounding cities, having gathered, solemnly transferred the incorrupt and fragrant relics of the holy martyr to the newly created church and decided to celebrate his memory on October 7, the day of his death. In this and that place - both in the church, with the relics of the martyr Sergius, and where he died and was buried - many demoniacs and sick people received healing from their ailments 10.

It is worthy of note that every year, on the day of remembrance of the saint, wild animals, as if observing some law, came out of the surrounding deserts and gathered at the place where the holy martyr was first buried.

At this time, their wild disposition was replaced by the meekness of lambs: they did not attack either people or livestock, but, calmly bypassing St. place, returned again to their deserts. God so glorified His saint that he inspired not only people, but also animals to celebrate his memory.

Through the prayers of Saint Sergius, may the Lord tame the rage of our enemies, just as he once tamed the ferocity of these wild beasts - for His glory forever. - Amen.

TO THE MARTYRS SERGIUS AND BACCHUS

Troparion, tone 4

Thy martyrs, O Lord, / in their suffering received incorruptible crowns from Thee, our God, / having Thy strength, / they overthrew the tormentors, / crushed the demons of weak insolence. / Through those prayers / save our souls.

Another troparion, tone 5

Fertilization of Christ's passion-bearers / and the eyes of Christ to the Church, / enlighten the eyes of our souls, / Sergius, the long-suffering and most glorious Vaksa: / pray to the Lord, / that we may flee the darkness of sin / and may we appear as a community of the uneven Light / through your prayers, holy ones.

Kontakion, tone 2

Manfully armed with reason against the enemies, / destroying all their flattery, / and accepting victory from above, all-praised martyrs, / crying with one mind: / it is good and beautiful to be with God.

1 In the hagiographical original, Sergius is called a “primicar,” i.e., the first commander of the “Gentilian regiment,” which consisted of allies (who were called: gentilles) of the Romans, and Bacchus is called a “secondotorium,” i.e. second commander of this regiment.

2 Zeus, or Jupiter, is a Greco-Roman god, revered by pagans as the ruler of heaven and earth, the father of all, gods and people.

3 That is Jesus Christ, Whom the Jews of His time called the “Son of Tekton” (Gospel of Matt. Ch. 13, v. 55), considering Him the son of the betrothed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph, who was engaged in carpentry (“tekton” - from Greek: carpenter , builder). This name was later adopted by the Roman pagans, applying it to Christ in the form of ridicule and mockery of the King of Christians.

4 That is, to the ruler of the eastern, Asian provinces of the Roman Empire.

5 Varvalisso is a city in Mesopotamia, on the western side of the Euphrates River.

6 Praetoria is the highest judicial seat in the central cities of the Roman provinces, where cases were decided by the governors of the Roman emperors, i.e. hegemons or rulers of several provinces.

7 Sura is a city on the western side of the Euphrates.

8 Tetrapyrgium is a city between Sura and Rozafa near the Euphrates.

9 Rozaf or Rezaf, later renamed after the famous monastery founded in it in honor of the holy martyr Sergius Sergiopol, is a city located 6 miles from Sura.

10 From ancient times, the memory of the holy martyrs Sergius and Bacchus was highly revered throughout the east, and many made pious journeys to their relics. The annual celebration of the martyr Sergius has been known since the beginning of the 5th century. In the same century, Bishop Alexander of Hierapolis built a magnificent church in honor of these martyrs. Their honest, imperishable heads were kept for some time in Constantinople, where they were seen by Russian pilgrims: monk Anthony (1200) and Stefan Novgorod (c. 1350). The Byzantine Emperor Justinian the Great (527-565) fortified the city of Rozafa, where St. suffered. Sergius and where his relics were, and at the beginning of his reign he built a magnificent church in the name of Sts. near his palace in Constantinople. Sergius and Bacchus for saving him from prison even before his accession to the throne. When the Persian king Khosroes (532-579) approached Rozafa, which had already been renamed Sergiopolis, the few inhabitants who fortified themselves in this city gave him all the precious things so that he would spare the city, except for the relics of St. Martyr Sergius, who rested in an oblong shrine lined with silver; Having learned about this, Khosroes moved the entire army towards the city, but an uncountable number of warriors armed with shields and ready to defend appeared on the wall; Khozroi realized that this miracle was being performed by a martyr, and, struck with fear, he withdrew from the city. The famous Frankish chronicler of the 5th century, Gregory of Tours, writes that in his time this saint was highly revered in the West for the many miracles and benefits shown to those who flocked to him with faith.

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