Life of Saint George. Prayer to St. George the Victorious for victory. Trials and death

Name: George the Victorious (Saint George)

Date of Birth: between 275 and 281

Age: 23 years old

Place of Birth: Lod, Syria Palestinian, Roman Empire

A place of death: Nicomedia, Bithynia, Roman Empire

Activity: Christian saint, great martyr

Family status: not married

George the Victorious - Biography

George the Victorious is a beloved saint of many Christian churches, including the Russian one. At the same time, nothing reliable can be said about his life, and the main miracle, martial arts with a snake, is clearly attributed to him later. Why did an ordinary Roman soldier from the provincial garrison receive such fame?

The life of George has come down to us in several versions, which does not add clarity to the biography of the saint. He was born either in Beirut, or in Palestinian Lydda (now Lod), or in Caesarea Cappadocia in present-day Turkey. There is also a reconciling version: the family lived in Cappadocia until its head Gerontius was put to death for believing in Christ. His widow Polychronia and her son fled to Palestine, where her family owned a vast estate near Bethlehem. All relatives of George were Christians, and his cousin Nina later became the baptist of Georgia.

By that time, Christianity had won strong positions in the Roman Empire, while undermining its ideological foundation - faith in the god-likeness of the emperor. The new ruler Diocletian, who restored the unity of the state with a firm hand, also decisively took up religious affairs. He first expelled Christians from the senate and from officer positions; it is surprising that it was at this time that George, who did not hide his faith, went to serve in the army and made an incredibly fast career. The Life claims that at the age of 20 he became a “commander of the thousand” (comit) and head of the emperor’s guard.

He lived at the court of Diocletian in Nicomedia (now Izmit), was rich, handsome, and brave. The future seemed cloudless. But in 303, Diocletian and three of his associates, with whom he shared power, began open persecution of Christians. Their churches were closed, crosses and sacred books were burned, priests were sent into exile. All Christians holding public office were forced to make sacrifices to pagan gods, those who refused were subjected to cruel torture and execution. The authorities hoped that the meek followers of Christ would show humility, but they were greatly mistaken. Many believers aspired to become martyrs in order to get to heaven as soon as possible.

As soon as an edict against Christians was posted in Nicomedia, a certain Eusebius tore it off the wall, scolding the emperor with might and main, for which he was burned at the stake. Soon George followed his example - at the palace feast, he turned to Diocletian himself, urging him to stop persecution and believe in Christ. Of course, he was immediately thrown into prison and tortured. At first they crushed his chest with a heavy stone, but an angel from heaven saved the young man.

Learning the next day that George had survived, the emperor ordered him to be tied to a wheel studded with sharp nails. When the wheel began to turn, the bleeding martyr prayed until he lost consciousness. Deciding that he was about to die, Diocletian ordered to untie him and take him to the cell, but there the angel miraculously healed him. Seeing the next morning the unharmed prisoner, the emperor was furious, and his wife Alexandra (in fact, the empress was called Priska) believed in Christ.

Then the executioners threw their victim into a stone well and covered it with quicklime. But the angel was alert. When Diocletian ordered the bones of the martyr to be brought to him from the well, the living George was brought to him, who loudly offered praises to the Lord. They put on George red-hot iron boots, beat him with sledgehammers, tortured him with whips from ox sinews - all to no avail. The emperor decided that George was being saved by witchcraft, and ordered his sorcerer Athanasius to give the martyr water to drink, which would remove all the spells.

This did not help either - moreover, the martyr resurrected the dead man on a dare, which the pagan sorcerer could not do, which is why he retired in disgrace. Not knowing what to do with George, he was sent to prison, where he continued to preach the Christian faith and perform miracles - for example, he revived the fallen ox of a peasant.

When the best people of the city, including Empress Alexandra, came to the emperor to ask for the release of George, Diocletian, in a rage, ordered not only the martyr, but also his wife to be "cut with a sword". Before the execution, for the last time, he offered his former favorite to recant, and he asked to be taken to the temple of Apollo. The emperor gladly agreed, hoping that George would make a sacrifice to the solar god. But he, standing in front of the statue of Apollo, overshadowed it with the sign of the cross, and a demon flew out of it, screaming loudly in pain. Immediately, all the statues in the temple fell to the ground and broke.

Having lost his patience, Diocletian ordered the condemned to be executed immediately. On the way, the exhausted Alexandra died, and George, smiling, prayed to Christ for the last time and himself lay down on the chopping block. When the executioner cut off George's head, a wonderful fragrance spread around, and many in the assembled crowd immediately fell to their knees and confessed the true faith. The faithful servant of the executed Pasicrates took his body to Lydda and buried it there in the ancestral tomb. The body of George remained incorrupt, and soon healings began to be performed on his grave.

This story is reminiscent of many lives of the martyrs of that era. It seems that Diocletian only did what he came up with the most sophisticated torture for Christians. In fact, the emperor continuously fought, built, visited different provinces and almost never visited the capital. In addition, he was not bloodthirsty: his son-in-law and co-ruler Galerius was much more zealous in persecution. Yes, and they lasted only a few years, after which Christianity again came into force and soon became the state religion.

Diocletian still found these times - he renounced power, lived on his estate and cultivated cabbage. Some legends call the tormentor of George not him, but the Persian king Dacian, or Damian, adding that after the execution of the saint, he was immediately incinerated by lightning. The same legends show great ingenuity in describing the tortures to which the martyr was subjected. For example, Yakov Voraginsky in The Golden Legend writes that George was torn with iron hooks, “until the intestines crawled out”, poisoned with poison, thrown into a cauldron with molten lead. In another legend, it was said that George was put on a red-hot iron bull, but that, through the prayer of the saint, not only instantly cooled down, but also began to proclaim praise to the Lord.

The cult of George, which arose already in the 4th century around his tomb in Lydda, gave rise to many new legends. One declared him the patron of rural labor - only because his name means "farmer" and was in ancient times an epithet of Zeus. Christians tried to replace with it the popular god of fertility Dionysus, whose sanctuaries everywhere turned into temples of St. George.

The holidays of Dionysus - the great and small Dionysius, celebrated in April and November - turned into days of memory of George (today the Russian church celebrates them on May 6 and December 9). Like Dionysus, the saint was considered the master of wild animals, the "wolf shepherd." He also became the patron saint of warriors, like his colleagues Theodore Tiron and Theodore Stratilat, who also suffered during the persecution of Diocletian.

But the most popular legend made him a snake fighter. It said that near the city of Lasia, somewhere in the East, a snake lived in a lake; so that he would not destroy people and livestock, the townspeople every year gave him the most beautiful of the girls to eat. Once the lot fell on the king's daughter, who was "dressed up in purple and fine linen", adorned with gold and taken to the shore of the lake. At this time, Saint George rode by on horseback, who, having learned from the virgin about her terrible fate, promised to save her.

When the monster appeared, the saint “hit the serpent with force in the larynx, struck him and pressed him to the ground; the horse of the saint trampled the serpent underfoot.” On most icons and paintings, the snake does not look at all scary, and George strikes him not too actively; this is explained by the fact that, at his prayer, the reptile became numb and became completely helpless. The serpent is depicted in different ways - usually it is a winged and fire-breathing dragon, but sometimes a worm-like creature with a crocodile's mouth.

Be that as it may, the saint immobilized the snake, ordered the princess to tie him up with her belt, and took him to the city. There he announced that he had defeated the monster in the name of Christ and converted all the inhabitants - whether 25 thousand, or as many as 240 - to a new faith. Then he killed the snake, cut it into pieces and burned them. This story puts George on a par with such mythical serpent fighters as Marduk, Indra, Sigurd, Zeus and especially Perseus, who in the same way saved the Ethiopian princess Andromeda, who was given to be eaten by a snake.

He also reminds of Christ, who also defeated the "ancient serpent", by which the devil is understood. Most commentators believe that George's snake fighting is an allegorical description of the victory over the devil, which is achieved not by weapons, but by prayer. By the way, the Orthodox tradition believes that the saint performed his “miracle about the serpent” posthumously, which makes not only the snake, but also its winner an allegory.

All this did not prevent Christians from sincerely believing in the reality of George and the miracles he performed. In terms of the number of relics and relics, he is perhaps ahead of all other saints. At least a dozen of the heads of George are known; the most famous is in the Roman Basilica of San Giorgio in Velabro, along with the sword with which the dragon was killed. The keepers of the tomb of the saint in Lod assure that they have the real relics, but no one has seen them for several centuries, since the church where the tomb is located was devastated by the Turks.

The right hand of George is kept in the monastery of Xenophon on Mount Athos, another hand (and also the right one) is in the Venetian basilica of San Giorgio Maggiore. In one of the Coptic monasteries of Cairo, pilgrims are shown things that supposedly belonged to the saint - boots and a silver bowl.

Some of his relics are placed in Paris, in the Sainte-Chapelle chapel, where they were brought from the Crusades by King Louis Saint. It was these campaigns, when the Europeans first found themselves in George's native places, that made him the patron of chivalry and martial arts. The famous crusader, King Richard the Lionheart, entrusted his army to the patronage of the saint and raised a white banner with a red St. George's cross over it. Since then, this banner has been considered the flag of England, and George is its patron. Portugal, Greece, Lithuania, Genoa, Milan, Barcelona also enjoy the patronage of the saint. And, of course, Georgia - the first temple in his honor was built there in the 4th century according to the will of his relative, St. Nina.

Under Queen Tamara, the St. George Cross appeared on the banner of Georgia, and “White George” (Tetri Giorgi), reminiscent of a pagan moon god, appeared on the coat of arms. In neighboring Ossetia, his connection with paganism turned out to be even stronger: St. George, or Uastirdzhi, is considered here the main deity, the patron saint of male warriors. In Greece, George's Day, celebrated on April 23, has turned into a joyful fertility festival. The veneration of the saint has crossed the boundaries of the Christian world: Muslims know him as Jirjis (Girgis), or El-Khudi, the famous sage and friend of the Prophet Muhammad. Sent to Mosul with the preaching of Islam, he was executed three times by the evil ruler of the city, but each time he was resurrected. Sometimes he is considered immortal and is depicted as an old man with a long white beard.

In the Slavic countries, George (Yuri, Jiri, Jerzy) has been loved for a long time. In the 11th century, Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise received his name in baptism, erecting monasteries in Kiev and Novgorod in honor of St. "Autumn" and "spring" George in the Russian tradition bear little resemblance to each other. The first, Yegoriy the Brave, aka the Victorious, is a hero-warrior who withstood the tortures of the "Tsar Demyani-shcha" and struck "a fierce snake, a fierce fiery one." The second is the protector of livestock, the giver of the harvest, who opens the field work. Russian peasants addressed him in "Yuri's songs":

Egory you are our brave,
You save our cattle
From the ravenous wolf
From a fierce bear
From the evil beast

Spring St. George's Day (Ederlezi) is the main holiday of the Balkan gypsies, the day of miracles and fortune-telling. Egory Autumn has its own customs, but in Rus' it was known primarily as a day when a serf can go to another master. The abolition of this custom under Boris Godunov was reflected in the bitter saying: “Here you are, grandmother, and St. George's day!

Russian heraldry recalls the popularity of St. George: since the time of Dmitry Donskoy, he has been placed on the coat of arms of Moscow. For a long time, the image of a “rider”, a rider, with a spear, striking a snake, was present on Russian copper coins, which is why they got the name “penny”. Until now, George is depicted not only on the Moscow coat of arms, but also on the state one - in a shield on the chest of a double-headed eagle. True, there, unlike the old icons, he rides to the left and does not have a halo. Attempts to deprive George of holiness, presenting him as a nameless "horseman", are being undertaken not only by our heraldists.

The Catholic Church decided back in 1969 that there was somehow little evidence of the real existence of George. Therefore, he was transferred to the category of "second-class" saints, in which a Christian is not obliged to believe. However, in England the national saint is still popular.

The entire centuries-old history of the holy serpent fighter is full of symbols, saturated with ancient mysticism and modern ideology. Therefore, it is not so important whether a warrior named George actually lived in Nicomedia and whether he performed the miracles attributed to him. It is important that his image ideally corresponded to the dreams and aspirations of many people of different nations, which made George a hero without borders.

And now the text from Abbot Vitaly about St. George:

The Great Martyr George was the son of rich and pious parents who raised him in the Christian faith. He was born in the city of Beirut (in ancient times - Belit), at the foot of the Lebanese mountains.

Having entered the military service, the Great Martyr George stood out among other soldiers with his mind, courage, physical strength, military posture and beauty. Having soon reached the rank of commander, St. George became the favorite of Emperor Diocletian. Diocletian was a talented ruler, but a fanatical follower of the Roman gods. Having set himself the goal of reviving dying paganism in the Roman Empire, he went down in history as one of the most cruel persecutors of Christians.

Having once heard an inhuman verdict on the extermination of Christians at the trial, St. George was inflamed with compassion for them. Foreseeing that he, too, would suffer suffering, George distributed his property to the poor, set his slaves free, appeared to Diocletian and, declaring himself a Christian, denounced him of cruelty and injustice. Speech of St. George was full of strong and convincing objections to the imperial order to persecute Christians.

After futile persuasion to renounce Christ, the emperor ordered the saint to be subjected to various torments. St. George was imprisoned, where they laid him on his back on the ground, put his feet in stocks, and placed a heavy stone on his chest. But St. George courageously endured suffering and glorified the Lord. Then the tormentors of George began to excel in cruelty. They beat the saint with ox sinews, wheeled him, threw him into quicklime, forced him to run in boots with sharp nails inside. The holy martyr endured everything patiently. In the end, the emperor ordered that the head of the saint be cut off with a sword. Thus the holy sufferer departed to Christ in Nicomedia in the year 303.

On the icons of St. George is depicted sitting on a white horse and striking a serpent with a spear. This image is based on tradition and refers to the posthumous miracles of the Holy Great Martyr George. They say that not far from the place where St. George in the city of Beirut, a snake lived in the lake, which often devoured the people of that area.
The superstitious people of that area, in order to quench the fury of the serpent, began regularly by lot to give him a young man or a girl to be eaten. Once the lot fell on the daughter of the ruler of that area. She was taken to the shore of the lake and tied, where she waited in horror for the appearance of a snake.

When the beast began to approach her, a bright young man suddenly appeared on a white horse, who struck the snake with a spear and saved the girl. This young man was the holy Great Martyr George. With such a miraculous phenomenon, he stopped the destruction of young men and women within the boundaries of Beirut and converted to Christ the inhabitants of that country, who had previously been pagans.

It can be assumed that the appearance of St. George on a horse to protect the inhabitants from a snake, as well as the miraculous revival of a farmer’s only ox described in his life, served as a reason for the veneration of St. George as the patron of cattle breeding and a protector from predatory animals.

In pre-revolutionary times, on the day of memory of St. George the Victorious, the inhabitants of Russian villages for the first time after a cold winter drove their cattle to pasture, performing a prayer service to the holy great martyr with sprinkling houses and animals with holy water. The day of the Great Martyr George is also popularly called "St. George's Day", on this day, until the reign of Boris Godunov, peasants could move to another landowner.

The image of George the Victorious on a horse symbolizes the victory over the devil - the "ancient serpent" (Rev. 12, 3; 20, 2).
Saint George the Victorious from ancient times was considered the patron of the Russian army.
The George Cross is a symbol of soldier's prowess and glory.
The name of St. George the Victorious entered the thousand-year history of the Russian state. The image of George the Victorious, a copy of the striking serpent, adorns the coat of arms of the city of Moscow. Since the reign of Prince Dmitry Donskoy, Saint George has been considered the patron saint of Moscow. The coat of arms of Moscow traditionally depicts St. George, piercing a serpent - Satan - with a spear. George the Victorious is the patron saint of all valiant warriors fighting at different times for faith and the Fatherland.

Saint George became the ideal image of a warrior, defender of the Motherland. In Rus', icons depicting St. George became known already in the 12th century:
spear, sword, chain mail - the attributes of a warrior.
A scarlet cloak thrown over his shoulder is a symbol of martyrdom.

In Rus', in honor of the patron saint of warriors, George the Victorious, the order was established on December 9 (November 26, old style) in 1769 by Empress Catherine II and was awarded to soldiers solely for bravery on the battlefield. The Order of St. George was divided into four classes, or degrees, when established. Moreover, there was the highest command "this order should never be removed" and "the order granted by this order should be called holders of the Order of St. George."

There was another award, the insignia of the military order - an award badge for soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the Russian army from 1807 to 1917 - the St. George Cross, established by Emperor Alexander I. The motto of the award: "For service and courage." For centuries, there was no higher military distinction in Russia than the “Cavalier of St. George”.

Heroes of the First World War:
Strakhov Aleksey - sergeant major of the 16th East Siberian Rifle Regiment, full St. George Knight, who received all four St. George's Crosses during the 1st World War

As a sign of special distinctions, for the shown personal courage and dedication, the St. George's Golden Weapons were awarded - a sword, a dagger, a saber.

The priests also became knights of St. George. Behind each such award - unprecedented feats on the battlefield. The history of the Fatherland knows eighteen such names.
Father Vasily Vasilkovsky - Order of St. George IV degree. War of 1812.
Father Iov Kaminsky was awarded the Order of St. George in the Russian-Turkish campaign in 1829.
Archpriest John Pyatibokov - Order of St. George IV degree and a pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon for exploits during the defense of Sevastopol in 1855.
Father John Straganovich was awarded a gold pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon for his exploits in the Russo-Japanese War

The golden pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon has become not only a very honorable, but also a relatively rare military award; before the Russo-Japanese War, only 111 people were awarded it. And behind each award - a specific feat.
One of the best ceremonial halls of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, built in the middle of the 19th century, was subsequently named in honor of the Order of St. George and his military cavaliers.
In this Hall of Military Glory, the names of 11,000 Knights of St. George are inscribed in gold letters on marble plaques. Among them - Georgy Zhukov.
The black and orange colors of the St. George Ribbon have become a symbol of military prowess and glory in Russia, moving on to some orders and medals of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation.

In October 1943, on the initiative of I.V. Stalin, the Order of Glory was established, which was awarded to privates and sergeants of the Red Army, and in aviation and to persons with the rank of junior lieutenant, who showed glorious feats of courage, courage and fearlessness in battles for the Soviet Motherland . The colors of the ribbon of the Order of Glory repeat the colors of the ribbon of the Russian Imperial Order of St. George.

On March 20, 1992, the Order of George was restored by the Decree of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation.

"George Ribbon" is a public action dedicated to the celebration of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which has been taking place since 2005. The purpose of the action is not to let new generations forget who and at what cost won the most terrible war of the last century, whose heirs we remain, what and whom we should be proud of, who to remember

In the Orthodox Church, several holidays have been approved in memory of the Great Martyr and Victorious George:
Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious. Memorial Day April 23 (old style) / May 6 (new style).
Consecration of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George in Lydda. Memorial Day November 3 (old style) / November 16 (new style).
The wheeling of the Holy Great Martyr George. November 10 (old style) / November 23 (new style).
Consecration of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious in Kyiv. November 26 (old style) / December 9 (new style).

In the Christian religion, George the Victorious is a symbol of justice and courage. There are many legends describing his many deeds for the sake of the people. Prayer addressed to the Victorious is considered a strong protection from troubles and an assistant in various problems.

How does Saint George help?

The victorious is the personification of male power, therefore he is considered the patron saint of all military personnel, but other people also pray to him.

1. Men who are at war ask for protection from injury and victory over the enemy. In ancient times, before each campaign, all the soldiers gathered in the temple and read a prayer.
2. The saint helps people save livestock from various misfortunes.
3. They turn to him before long trips or business trips, so that the road is easy and without any trouble.
4. It is believed that Saint George can overcome any disease and witchcraft. You can pray to him to protect your home from thieves, enemies and other problems.

Life of St. George the Victorious

George was born into a rich and noble family, and when the boy grew up, he decided to become a warrior, and he showed himself exemplary and courageous. In battles, he showed his determination and considerable intelligence. After the death of his parents, he received a rich inheritance, but decided to give it to the poor. The life of St. George took place at a time when Christianity was not recognized and was persecuted by the emperor. The victorious believed in the Lord and could not betray him, so he began to defend Christianity.

The emperor did not like this decision, and he ordered to subject him to torment. Saint George was thrown into prison and tortured: they beat him with whips, put him on nails, used quicklime, and so on. He endured everything steadfastly and did not give up on God. Every day he was miraculously healed, calling for help from Jesus Christ. This only angered the emperor even more, and he ordered the head of the Victorious to be cut off. It happened in 303.

George was canonized as a great martyr who suffered for the Christian faith. The Victorious received his nickname for the fact that during the torture he showed invincible faith. Many of the saint's miracles are posthumous. George is one of the main saints of Georgia, where he is considered the heavenly protector. In ancient times, this country was called Georgia.

Icon of St. George the Victorious - meaning

There are several images of the saint, but the most famous is where he is on horseback. Often the icons also depict a snake, which is associated with paganism, and George symbolizes the Church. There is also an icon on which the Victorious is written by a warrior in a cloak over a tunic, and in his hand he has a cross. As for the appearance, they represent him as young men with curly hair. The image of St. George is usually perceived as a protection from various evils, so it is often used by warriors.

Legend of Saint George

In many paintings, the Victorious is shown fighting with a snake, and this is the plot of the legend "The Miracle of St. George about the Serpent." It tells that a snake wound up in a swamp near the city of Lasia, which attacked the local population. People decided to rebel so that the governor could somehow deal with this problem. He decided to pay off the snake by giving him his daughter. At this time, George was passing by and he could not allow the death of the girl, so he fought with the snake and killed him. The feat of St. George the Victorious was marked by the construction of a temple, and the people of this area converted to Christianity.

Prayer to St. George the Victorious for victory

There are some rules for reading prayer texts that should be considered in order to get what you want.

1. Prayer to St. George the Victorious should come from a pure heart and be pronounced with great faith in a positive result.
2. If a person will pray at home, then you must first acquire the image of a saint and three. It is also recommended to take holy water.
3. Light candles in front of the image, place a jug of holy water next to it.
4. Looking at the flame, imagine how the desired becomes a reality.
5. After this, a prayer is read to St. George, and then, it is necessary to cross yourself and drink holy water.

In Cappadocia, in a noble family of the pagan Gerontius and the Christian Polychronia. Mother raised George in the Christian faith. One day, falling ill with a fever, Gerontius, on the advice of his son, called on the name of Christ and was healed. From that moment on, he also became a Christian, and was soon honored to accept torment and death for his faith. This happened when George was 10 years old. The widowed Polychronia moved with her son to Palestine, where her homeland and rich possessions were.

Having entered the military service at the age of 18, George stood out among other soldiers with his mind, courage, physical strength, military posture and beauty. Having soon reached the rank of tribune, he showed such courage in battle that he drew attention to himself and became the favorite of the emperor Diocletian, a talented ruler, but a fanatical follower of the pagan Roman gods, who perpetrated one of the most severe persecutions of Christians. Not yet aware of George's Christianity, Diocletian honored him with the rank of committee and governor.

From the time George became convinced that the unrighteous plan of the emperor to exterminate Christians could not be canceled, he decided that the time had come that would serve to save his soul. He immediately distributed all his wealth, gold, silver and precious clothes to the poor, gave freedom to the slaves who were with him, and ordered those slaves who were in his Palestinian possessions that some of them be freed and others handed over to the poor. After that, he appeared at a meeting of the emperor and the patricians on the extermination of Christians and courageously denounced them for cruelty and injustice, declaring himself a Christian and throwing the crowd into confusion.

When the Great Martyr George was in prison, people came to him who believed in Christ from his miracles, gave gold to the guards, fell at the feet of the saint and instructed him in the holy faith. By invoking the name of Christ and the sign of the cross, the saint also healed the sick, who came to him in the dungeon in multitudes. Among them was the farmer Glycerius, whose ox was smashed to death, but was brought back to life through the prayer of St. George.

In the end, the emperor, seeing that George did not renounce Christ and was leading more and more people to faith in Him, decided to arrange the last test and invited him to become his co-ruler if he sacrificed to the pagan gods. George proceeded with the emperor to the temple, but instead of sacrificing, he expelled the demons that lived in the statues from there, which caused the idols to be crushed, and the assembled people attacked the saint in a rage. Then the emperor ordered to cut off his head with a sword. Thus the holy sufferer departed to Christ in Nicomedia on April 23rd.

Relics and veneration

The servant of George, who recorded all his exploits, also received from him a covenant to give his body to burial in the ancestral Palestinian possessions. The relics of St. George were laid in the Palestinian city of Lydda, in a temple that received his name, while his head was kept in Rome in a temple also dedicated to him. St. Demetrius of Rostov adds that his spear and banner were also preserved in the Roman temple. The right hand of the saint now resides on Mount Athos in the monastery of Xenophon in a silver reliquary.

Great Martyr George for courage and for the spiritual victory over the tormentors who could not force him to renounce Christianity, as well as for miraculous help to people in danger, began to be called the Victorious.

Saint George became famous for his great miracles, of which the most famous is his miracle of the serpent. According to legend, a snake lived in a lake near the city of Beirut, which often devoured the people of that area. Superstitious inhabitants, in order to quench the fury of the serpent, began regularly by lot to give him a young man or a girl to be eaten. Once the lot fell on the daughter of the ruler. She was taken to the shore of the lake and tied, where she began to expect the appearance of a monster in horror. When the beast began to approach her, a bright young man suddenly appeared on a white horse, struck the snake with a spear and saved the girl. This young man was St. George, who by his appearance stopped the sacrifices and converted to Christ the inhabitants of that country, who had previously been pagans.

The miracles of St. George served as a reason to venerate him as the patron of cattle breeding and the protector from predatory animals. George the Victorious has also long been revered as the patron of the army. "George's miracle about the serpent" is a favorite plot in the iconography of the saint, who is depicted riding a white horse, striking a serpent with a spear. This image also symbolizes the victory over the devil - the "ancient serpent" (Rev. 12, 3; 20, 2).

In Georgia

in the Arab countries

In Rus'

In Rus', special veneration of the Great Martyr George spread from the first years after the adoption of Christianity. Blessed Prince Yaroslav the Wise, in holy baptism George, following the pious custom of Russian princes to found churches in honor of their guardian angels, laid the foundation for a temple and a male monastery in honor of the Great Martyr George. The temple was located in front of the gates of Hagia Sophia in Kyiv, Prince Yaroslav spent a lot of money on its construction, a large number of builders took part in the construction of the temple. On November 26, the temple was consecrated by St. Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kyiv, and an annual celebration was established in honor of this event. On "St. George's Day", as it began to be called, or on "autumn George" until the reign of Boris Godunov, peasants could freely move to another landowner.

The image of a horseman slaying a serpent, known on Russian coins from an early time, later became a symbol of Moscow and the Muscovite state.

In pre-revolutionary times, on the day of memory of St. George, the inhabitants of Russian villages for the first time after a cold winter drove their cattle to pasture, performing a prayer service to the holy great martyr with sprinkling houses and animals with holy water.

In England

Saint George has been the patron saint of England since the time of King Edmund III. The English flag is the George Cross. English literature has repeatedly turned to the image of St. George as the embodiment of "good old England", in particular in the famous ballad of Chesterton.

Prayers

Troparion, tone 4

Like a captive liberator / and a defender of the poor, / a weak doctor, / champion of kings, / victorious Great Martyr George, / pray to Christ God / / save our souls.

Ying troparion, the same voice

You fought a good feat, / passion-bearing of Christ, / by faith and tormentors you denounced wickedness, / but a sacrifice was acceptable to God. / give forgiveness of sins to everyone.

Kontakion, tone 4(Similar: Ascended:)

Cultivated by God, you appeared / the most honest worker of piety, / having gathered the handles of virtues: / having sowed in tears, reap with joy, / having suffered the blood, you received Christ / and with prayers, holy, yours / / give to all Eshi forgiveness of sins.

Kontakion from the Renovation Service of St. George's Church in Lydda, Tone 8(Similar to: Chosen One:)

To your chosen and speedy intercession / run, faithful, / we pray to be delivered, passion-bearing Christ, / from the temptations of enemies singing thee, / and all sorts of troubles and anger, let us call: // Rejoice, martyr George.

Troparion from the consecration service of the Church of the Great Martyr. George in Kyiv, tone 4

Today, the ends of the world bless you, / having performed divine miracles, / and the earth rejoices, having drunk your blood. Dear George, / chosen vessel of the Holy Spirit, pleasing to Christ. / Him pray with faith and supplication to those who come to your holy temple / give the cleansing of sins, / / ​​pacify the world and save our souls.

Kontakion from the consecration service of the Church of the Great Martyr. George in Kyiv, tone 2(Similar to: Solid:)

The divine and crowned Great Martyr of Christ George, / against the enemies of the victory of the overcoming, / descending by faith into the consecrated temple, let us praise, / God be pleased to create him in his name, / One in the saints resting th.

Used materials

• St. Dimitri Rostovsky, Lives of the Saints:

It happened in the vicinity of the Lebanese city of Lasia. The local king paid an annual tribute to the monstrous serpent that lived among the Lebanese mountains, in a deep lake: one person was given to him by lot to be eaten every year. One day, the lot fell to the daughter of the ruler himself, a chaste and beautiful girl, one of the few inhabitants of Lasia who believed in Christ. The princess was brought to the snake's lair, and she was already crying for a terrible death.

Suddenly, she saw a warrior on horseback, who, signing himself with the sign of the cross, struck a serpent with a spear, deprived of demonic power by the power of God.

Together with Alexandra, George appeared in the city, saved by him from a terrible tribute. The pagans took the victorious warrior for an unknown god and began to praise him, but George explained to them that he served the true God - Jesus Christ. Many townspeople led by the ruler, listening to the confession of the new faith, were baptized. On the main square a temple was built in honor of the Mother of God and George the Victorious. The saved princess took off her royal clothes and remained at the temple as a simple novice.
From this miracle originates the image of George the Victorious - the winner of evil, embodied in a snake - a monster. The combination of Christian holiness and military prowess made George a model of a medieval warrior-knight - defender and liberator.

T akim saw George the Victorious Middle Ages. And against its background, the historical George the Victorious, a warrior who gave his life for his faith and conquered death, somehow got lost and faded.

San Giorgio Schiavoni. St. George fights the dragon.
Excellent

In the rank of martyrs, the Church glorifies those who endured suffering for Christ and accepted a painful death with His name on their lips, without renouncing the faith. This is the largest rank of saints, numbering thousands of men and women, old people and children who suffered from pagans, godless authorities of various times, militant Gentiles. But among these saints there are especially revered - great martyrs. The sufferings that befell them were so great that the human mind cannot contain the power of patience and faith of such saints and only explains them with the help of God, as everything superhuman and incomprehensible.

Such a great martyr was George, a fine young man and a courageous warrior.

George was born in Cappadocia, an area in the very center of Asia Minor, which was part of the Roman Empire. This area from early Christian times was known for its cave monasteries and Christian ascetics, leading in this harsh land, where they had to endure the heat of the day and the night cold, droughts and winter frosts, ascetic and prayerful life.

George was born in the 3rd century (no later than 276) in a rich and noble family: his father, named Gerontius, a Persian, was a high-ranking nobleman - a senator with dignitystratilate 1 ; mother Polychronia - a native of the Palestinian city of Lydda (modern city of Lod near Tel Aviv) - owned vast estates in her homeland. As often happened at that time, the couple adhered to different beliefs: Gerontius was a pagan, and Polychronia professed Christianity. Polychronia was engaged in raising his son, so George absorbed Christian traditions from childhood and grew up as a pious young man.

George from his youth was distinguished by physical strength, beauty and courage. He received an excellent education and could live in idleness and pleasure, spending his parental inheritance (his parents died before he came of age). However, the young man chose a different path for himself and entered the military service. In the Roman Empire, people were accepted into the army from the age of 17-18, and the usual term of service was 16 years.

The camp life of the future great martyr began under the emperor Diocletian, who became his sovereign, commander, benefactor and tormentor, who ordered his execution.

Diocletian (245-313) came from a poor family and began his military service as a simple soldier. He immediately distinguished himself in battles, since there were plenty of such opportunities in those days: the Roman state, torn apart by internal contradictions, also endured the raids of numerous barbarian tribes. Diocletian quickly went from soldier to commander, while gaining popularity among the troops thanks to his mind, physical strength, determination and courage. In 284, the soldiers proclaimed their commander emperor, expressing their love and trust to him, and at the same time, putting him before the most difficult task of managing the empire in one of the most difficult periods of its history.

Diocletian made Maximian, an old friend and comrade-in-arms, his co-ruler, and then they shared power with the young Caesars Galerius and Constantius, adopted as usual. This was necessary to cope with rebellions, wars and the difficulties of devastation in different parts of the state. Diocletian dealt with the affairs of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine, Egypt, and made the city of Nicomedia (now Ismid, in Turkey) his residence.
While Maximian suppressed uprisings within the empire and resisted the raids of the Germanic tribes, Diocletian moved with his army to the east - to the borders of Persia. Most likely, during these years the young man George entered the service in one of the legions of Diocletian, passing through his native land. Then the Roman army fought with the Sarmatian tribes on the Danube. The young warrior was distinguished by courage and strength, and Diocletian noticed and promoted such.

George especially distinguished himself in the war with the Persians in 296-297, when the Romans, in a dispute for the Armenian throne, defeated the Persian army and drove it beyond the Tigris, adding several more provinces to the empire. George, who servedcohort of Invictors("invincible"), where they got for special military merits, was appointed a military tribune - the second commander in the legion after the legate, and later appointed committee - this was the name of the senior commander who accompanied the emperor on his travels. Since the committees constituted the retinue of the emperor and at the same time were his advisers, this position was considered very honorable.

Diocletian, an inveterate pagan, was quite tolerant of Christians for the first fifteen years of his reign. Most of his closest assistants, of course, were his like-minded adherents of traditional Roman cults. But Christians - soldiers and officials - could quite safely move up the career ladder and occupy the highest government posts.

The Romans generally showed great tolerance for the religions of other tribes and peoples. Various foreign cults were practiced freely throughout the empire, not only in the provinces, but also in Rome itself, where foreigners were required only to respect the Roman state cult and to practice their rites privately, without imposing them on others.

However, almost simultaneously with the advent of Christian preaching, the Roman religion was replenished with a new cult, which became the source of many troubles for Christians. It was cult of the Caesars.

With the advent of imperial power in Rome, the idea of ​​​​a new deity appeared: the genius of the emperor. But very soon the veneration of the genius of the emperors grew into a personal deification of the crowned bearers. At first, only the dead Caesars were deified. But gradually, under the influence of Eastern ideas, in Rome they got used to consider the living Caesar as a god, he was given the title "our god and ruler" and fell on his knees before him. Those who, out of negligence or disrespect, did not want to honor the emperor, were treated as if they were the greatest criminal. Therefore, even the Jews, who otherwise held fast to their religion, tried to get along with the emperors in this matter. When Caligula (12-41) reported to the Jews that they did not sufficiently express reverence for the sacred person of the emperor, they sent a deputation to him to say:“We offer sacrifices for you, and not simple sacrifices, but hecatombs (hundreds). We have done this three times already - on the occasion of your accession to the throne, on the occasion of your illness, for your recovery and for your victory.

This was not the language that Christians spoke to emperors. Instead of the kingdom of Caesar, they proclaimed the Kingdom of God. They had one Lord - Jesus, so it was impossible to worship both the Lord and Caesar at the same time. In the time of Nero, Christians were forbidden to use coins with the image of Caesar on them; all the more, there could be no compromises with the emperors, who demanded that the imperial person be titled "Lord and God." The refusal of Christians to make sacrifices to pagan gods and to deify Roman emperors was seen as a threat to established bonds between the people and the gods.

The pagan philosopher Celsus admonished Christians:“Is there anything bad in acquiring the favor of the ruler of people; after all, it is not without divine favor that power over the world is obtained? If you are required to swear an oath in the name of the emperor, there is nothing wrong; for everything you have in life you receive from the emperor.”

But Christians thought differently. Tertullian taught his brothers in faith:“Give your money to Caesar, and yourself to God. But if you give everything to Caesar, what will be left for God? I want to call the emperor lord, but only in the ordinary sense, if I am not forced to put him lord in the place of God.(Apology, ch.45).

Diocletian eventually also demanded divine honors for himself. And, of course, he immediately ran into the disobedience of the Christian population of the empire. Unfortunately, this meek and peaceful resistance of the followers of Christ coincided with growing difficulties within the country, which aroused open talk against the emperor, and was regarded as a rebellion.

In the winter of 302, the co-ruler Galerius pointed out to Diocletian the "source of discontent" - the Christians and offered to start persecuting the Gentiles.

The emperor turned for a prediction regarding his future to the temple of Delphic Apollo. The Pythia told him that she could not do the divination because she was hindered by those who destroy her power. The priests of the temple interpreted these words in such a way that Christians are to blame for everything, from whom all the troubles in the state occur. So the emperor's inner circle, secular and priestly, pushed him to make the main mistake in his life - to start persecuting those who believe in Christ,known in history as the Great Persecution.

On February 23, 303, Diocletian issued the first edict against Christians, which prescribed"destroy churches to the ground, burn sacred books and deprive Christians of honorary positions". Shortly thereafter, the imperial palace in Nicomedia was twice engulfed by fire. This coincidence was the reason for the unsubstantiated accusation of arson against Christians. Following this, two more decrees appeared - on the persecution of priests and on the obligatory sacrifice for all to pagan gods. Those who refused to sacrifice were subjected to imprisonment, torture and the death penalty. Thus began the persecution that took the lives of several thousand citizens of the Roman Empire - Romans, Greeks, people from barbarian peoples. The entire Christian population of the country, quite numerous, was divided into two parts: for the sake of deliverance from torment, some agreed to bring pagan sacrifices, while others confessed Christ to death, because they considered such sacrifices a denial of Christ, remembering His words:“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be zealous for one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon"(Luke 16:13).

Saint George did not allow the thought of worshiping pagan idols, therefore he prepared for torment for the faith: he distributed gold, silver and all the rest of his wealth to the poor, gave freedom to his slaves and servants. Then he appeared in Nicomedia for advice to Diocletian, where all his military leaders and close associates gathered, and openly declared himself a Christian.

The assembly was amazed and looked at the emperor, who sat in silence, as if struck by thunder. Diocletian did not expect such an act from his devoted commander, a long-time comrade-in-arms. According to the Life of the saint, the following dialogue took place between him and the emperor:

“George,” said Diocletian, “I have always marveled at your nobility and courage, you received a high position from me for military merit. Out of love for you, as a father, I give you advice - do not doom your life to torment, make a sacrifice to the gods, and you will not lose your dignity and my favor.
“The kingdom that you are now enjoying,” answered George, “is impermanent, vain and transient, and its pleasures will perish along with it. No benefit is gained by those who are seduced by them. Believe in the true God, and He will give you the best kingdom - immortal. For his sake, no torment will frighten my soul.

The emperor became angry and ordered the guards to arrest George and throw him in jail. There he was spread out on the prison floor, they put stocks on his feet, and a heavy stone was placed on his chest, so that it was difficult to breathe and it was impossible to move.

The next day, Diocletian ordered that George be brought in for questioning:
Have you repented or will you show disobedience again?
“Do you really think that I will be exhausted from such a small torment? the saint answered. “You are more likely to get tired of tormenting me than I am to endure torment.

The enraged emperor gave the order to resort to torture in order to force George to renounce Christ. Once, during the years of the Roman Republic, torture was applied only to slaves in order to knock out testimony from them during a judicial investigation. But during the time of the Empire, the pagan society became so corrupt and hardened that torture was often applied to free citizens. The tortures of St. George were distinguished by special savagery and cruelty. The naked martyr was tied to a wheel, under which the tormentors laid boards with long nails. Rotating on a wheel, George's body was torn apart by these nails, but his mind and mouth prayed to God, loudly at first, then quieter and quieter...

Mikael van Coxey. Martyrdom of Saint George.

“He died, why didn’t the Christian God deliver him from death?” - said Diocletian, when the martyr was completely quiet, and with these words he left the place of execution.

This, apparently, exhausts the historical layer in the Life of St. George. Further, the hagiographer tells about the miraculous resurrection of the martyr and the ability he acquired from God to emerge unharmed from the most terrible torments and executions.

Apparently, the courage shown by George during the execution had a strong influence on the locals and even on the emperor's inner circle. The Life reports that in these days many people accepted Christianity, including the priest of the temple of Apollo named Athanasius, as well as the wife of Diocletian Alexander.

According to the Christian understanding of the martyrdom of George, it was a battle with the enemy of the human race, from which the holy passion-bearer, who courageously endured the most severe tortures that human flesh has ever been subjected to, emerged victorious, for which he was named Victorious.

George won his last victory - over death - on April 23, 303, on the day of Good Friday.

The great persecution ended the era of paganism. The tormentor of St. George, Diocletian, only two years after these events, was forced to resign as emperor under pressure from his own court environment, and spent the rest of his days on a distant estate growing cabbages. The persecution of Christians after his resignation began to subside and soon ceased altogether. Ten years after the death of George, Emperor Constantine issued a decree by which Christians were given back all their rights. On the blood of the martyrs, a new empire was created - the Christian one.

Excellent

I make a living from writing, of which this magazine is a part.
Readers who feel that all work must be paid for may express their satisfaction with what they have read through

Sberbank
5336 6900 4128 7345
or
Yandex money
41001947922532