A Response To Martyrdom

Ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ ἀνθύπατος τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν αὐτῶν ὑπομονὴν κελεύει αὐτοὺς ζῶντας καῆναι· καὶ κατερχόμενοι ἔσπευδον οἱ ἀμφότεροι ἐπὶ τὸ ἀμφιθέατρον, ὅπως ταχέως ἀπαλλαγῶσιν τοῦ κόσμου. καὶ πρῶτος ὁ Παπύλος προσηλωθεὶς εἰς τὸ ξύλον ἀνωρθώθη, καὶ προσενεχθέντος τοῦ πυρὸς ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ προσευξάμενος παρέδωκεν τὴν ψυχήν. καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον προσηλωθεὶς ὁ Κάρπος προσεμειδίασεν. οἱ δὲ παρεστῶτες ἐκπλησσόμενοι ἔλεγον αὐτῷ· Τί ἐστιν ὅτι ἐγέλασας; ὁ δὲ μακάριος εἶπεν· Εἶδον τὴν δόξαν κυρίου καὶ ἐχάρην ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὑμῶν ἀπηλλάγην καὶ οὐκ εἰμὶ μέτοχος τῶν ὑμετέρων κακῶν. ὡς δὲ ὁ στρατιώτης τὰ ξύλα ἐπιτιθεὶς ὑφῆπτεν, ὁ ἅγιος Κάρπος κρεμώμενος εἶπεν· Καὶ ἡμεῖς τῆς αὐτῆς μητρὸς ἐγεννήθημεν Εὔας καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν σάρκα ἔχομεν, ἀλλ´ ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον τὸ ἀληθινὸν πάντα ὑπομένωμεν. ταῦτα εἰπὼν καὶ προσφερομένου τοῦ πυρὸς προσηύξατο λέγων· Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, κύριε Ἰησοῦ Χριστέ, υἱὲ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι κατηξίωσας καὶ ἐμὲ τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ταύτης σου τῆς μερίδος. καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἀπέδωκεν τὴν ψυχήν. Ἀγαθονίκη δέ τις ἑστῶσα καὶ ἰδοῦσα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ κυρίου ἣν ἔφη ὁ Κάρπος ἑωρακέναι καὶ γνοῦσα τὴν κλῆσιν εἶναι οὐράνιον εὐθέως ἐπῆρεν τὴν φωνήν· Τὸ ἄριστον τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ἡτοίμασται, δεῖ οὖν με μεταλαβοῦσαν φαγεῖν τοῦ ἐνδόξου ἀρίστου. ὁ δὲ δῆμος ἐβόα λέγων· Ἐλέησόν σου τὸν υἱόν. εἶπεν δὲ ἡ μακαρία Ἀγαθονίκη· Θεὸν ἔχει τὸν δυνάμενον αὐτὸν ἐλεῆσαι, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ πάντων προνοητής. ἐγὼ δὲ ἐφ´ ὃ πάρειμι. καὶ ἀποδυσαμένη τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῆς, ἀγαλλιωμένη ἐφήπλωσεν ἑαυτὴν ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον. οἱ δὲ ἰδόντες ἐθρήνησαν λέγοντες· Δεινὴ κρίσις καὶ ἄδικα προστάγματα. ἀνορθωθεῖσα δὲ καὶ τοῦ πυρὸς ἁψαμένη ἕως τρὶς ἐβόησεν εἰποῦσα· Κύριε, κύριε, κύριε, βοήθει μοι· πρός σε γὰρ κατέφυγα. καὶ οὕτως ἀπέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἐτελειώθη σὺν τοῖς ἁγίοις· ὧν τὰ λείψανα λαθραίως οἱ Χριστιανοὶ ἀνειλάμενοι διεφύλαξαν εἰς δόξαν Χριστοῦ καὶ ἔπαινον τῶν μαρτύρων αὐτοῦ, ὅτι αὐτῷ πρέπει ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Μαρτύριον τῶν Ἁγίων Κάρπου, Παπύλου, καὶ Ἀγαθονίκης

But the Proconsul seeing them unmoved by suffering commanded them to be burnt alive. And both went out gladly into the amphitheatre of Pergamon, that they might swiftly be delivered from the world. First Papylos was placed upon the heap of wood and rising up the fire consumed him in silence and so he gave up his soul. After him Karpos was brought forward and he was smiling. Those near said to him, ' Why are you glad?' The blessed one said, ' I see the glory of the Lord and I am happy to be taken from you and not to be a party to your evil.' Then the soldier placed him on the heaped wood and the holy Karpos being bound said, ' And we are from the same mother Eve and we have the same flesh but the court is barren of every truth for which we suffer.' Having said these things the flames reached him and he said, ' Blessed are you, Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, for you have judged me, a sinner, worthy of this part.' So saying he gave up his soul. And a certain Agathonike was standing near and witnessing the glory of the Lord, which Karpos had spoken of seeing, she became aware of the call of heaven, and immediately she rose up her voice, saying, ' This is the best thing made ready for me; I must take my share of the greatest glory.' And the crowd cried out, saying, ' Have care for your son.' And the holy Agathonike said, ' God is able to have mercy on him, for He is the provider for all. I am ready.' She stripped off her outer garment and rejoicing she placed herself on the wood. Beholding this the spectators said, ' A wretched judgement and an unjust decree.' And the fire being kindled, it came upon her and she cried out three times, ' Lord, Lord, Lord, help me; to you I flee.' Thus she gave up her spirit and and found fulfillment with the saints. The rest of the Christians there, who remained unknown, offered up glory to Christ and praise to His martyrs, that to Him be glory and power, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the end of the ages. The Martyrdom of Saints Karpos, Papylos and Agathonike