Saint Marina was born in Pisidian Antioch (Asia Minor) of noble parents, but not faithful, but darkened by pagan impiety. Her father Edesias was an idol priest; he gave his daughter Marina, who had lost her mother while still in diapers, to a wet nurse who lived in a village fifteen miles from the city. When the girl, who was being raised, was already at an age, it turned out that she was beautiful in body and even more beautiful in soul, distinguished by prudence and good nature.

In those days, persecution of Christians was raised, and priests and clergy hid in deserts, mountain caves, or in villages between common people disguised as beggars. However, the teachers of the word of God, wherever they could, instructed, albeit secretly, the holy faith and converted many from pagan delusion to Christ.

It happened to Marina, a twelve-year-old girl, to hear from one person God's word about Christ Jesus, the true God, how He was incarnated from the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Most Pure Virgin and was born from Her, preserving Her virginity, how he did many miracles, he voluntarily suffered for the salvation of people , died, rose again, ascended to heaven and prepared endless life and glory and an eternal kingdom for those who believe in Him and love Him. Hearing this, the prudent little girl Marina believed in Christ, and her heart was inflamed with divine love, so that she did not speak or think about anything else but about Christ Jesus; or where she heard talk about the true God, all her attention was there. And when she believed in Him with her heart, she was not ashamed to confess Him with her lips, although she was not yet baptized for lack of a Christian priest who could baptize her.

And Marina desired to shed her blood for Christ and be baptized with it, as with the font of baptism, as she heard about many holy martyrs of both sexes who were baptized with their own blood, laying down their souls for the Lord. Edesius, having learned that his daughter Marina had believed in Christ, hated her and ceased to regard her as a daughter, but treated her like a stranger; but the maiden put all her hope in the Father in heaven. When she became an adult, about fifteen years old, she once went out into the field to look at her father's sheep that were grazing there. At this time, on the way, she met an eparch of the Eastern countries, named Olimvrius, a fierce torturer of Christians, who was traveling to Pisidian Antioch; seeing the girl, the eparch was amazed at her extraordinary beauty, immediately became carried away by her and planned to take her as his wife. He stopped and began to question the girl:

What kind you are, girl, whose daughter and what is your name, tell me the truth about yourself. I see that you are very good-looking; if you are free parents, then I will enter into a legal marriage with you, if you are someone's slave, then I will ransom you and take you to me.

But the maiden, differing in her chastity more than in her beauty, meekly answered whose daughter she was and what her name was; she did not hide the fact that she is Christ's servant, believes in the One God, Who created heaven and earth, is united to Him with heartfelt love and does not want another bridegroom. Hearing that she was a Christian, the eparch, who had been given permission to torture Christians, ordered his soldiers to take her and lead her to the city, however respectfully, since from her girlish prudent words he loved her even more and hoped soon by threats of torment to turn her away from Christ and persuade her to marry him. The maiden, being led by the soldiers, prayed publicly to God, saying:

Lord Jesus Christ, my God! Do not leave me and do not give my soul to destruction! May my enemies not prevail over me, may not my hearing be defiled by their crafty speeches, may my mind not yield to their nasty temptations, may my heart not be frightened by their terrible threats! Do not let my faith be thrown into filth and mud, so that the devil, who hates the good, does not rejoice in me, but send me help from the height of Your throne, give me wisdom, open my mouth, so that, backed up by Your strength and wise by Your grace, I would answer without fear to the questions of the tormentor! Hey, my Lord, look upon me with mercy at this hour; now I am like a sheep among wolves, like a bird among fishers and like a fish in nets; Come and deliver me from the intrigues of the enemy! "

Arriving in the city, the diocese first made sacrifices to his bad gods, and entrusted some noble women to take care of the maiden Marina. The next day, having arranged a solemn trial, he ordered Saint Marina to be brought in for interrogation. The girl was brought in, and he gazed with lust at her extraordinary beauty and was more and more inflamed with fleshly love. Then he began to tell her with cunning:

I ask you, Marina, obey me, almost invincible gods. They know well that if you obey my advice, then immediately in front of all citizens you will be awarded a great honor: I will take you as my wife, everyone will respect you as my beloved spouse, and I will give you honor and glory, and you will me bring joy and delight my life! If you do not listen to me and reject my love for you, then you should know that you will experience a lot of evil: you will make me, even though I don’t want to, torment you and destroy such your beauty, health and sweet life; you will undergo cruel, unbearable torments and die from fire and iron!

The saint answered:

Do not hope, diocese, to change my faith in Christ to your unbelief - neither by caresses nor threats: I am a faithful servant of my Vladyka, who suffered voluntarily for me. If He endured crucifixion and death for me, not sparing His most holy body, taken from the Most Pure Virgin Mary, then I must suffer and die for Him in every possible way, not sparing my sinful body and health in the least. Do not think to frighten me with your threats: I am ready for all sorts of torment and death. The One in Whom I hope will strengthen me! And what you say to me about marriage, honor, fame and wealth, all this is disgusting and disgusting to me. Will I leave the Immortal Bridegroom of my Christ, the King of Heaven, and marry a stinking dog with a dead soul? Never!

Hearing such bold words of Saint Marina, the eparch became vexed, offended, greatly angry and immediately, changing love for enmity and hatred, ordered to remove the clothes from the bride of Christ, ordered her to be put on the ground and beaten with rods without mercy. They beat the saint for a long time without mercy; her girlish body was torn with wounds, and blood flowed from the wounds in streams, staining the ground. Looking at this, the people were imbued with pity for her that such beautiful girl and many cried. The herald shouted:

Marina, make a sacrifice to the gods, do not waste your beauty and do not prematurely deprive yourself of this sweet life!

But the martyr, raising her spiritual eyes to God, prayed, asking for help from above and for strengthening in her suffering deed; she did not feel pain in torment, supported by the grace of Christ: as if the wounds were imposed not on her, but on someone else's body. Some of the people said to her:

Girl, why are you ruining your beauty? Why don't you submit? See how cruel the judge, he will destroy you, and the memory of you will disappear from the earth; we pity you!

And the saint answered them loudly with reproach:

Crafty advisors, evil helpers, you are trying to seduce me! As the ancient serpent gave Eve evil advice in paradise, so now you advise me to depart from my God; away from me, lawless ones: you cannot tempt me, for I am devoted to Christ with all my soul!

Then, when the executioners stopped beating her, the tormentor said to the sufferer:

This is the beginning of your torment, Marina, and if you persist in disobedience, you will experience even greater torment.

The saint answered:

Do whatever pleases you and your father the devil; I do not pay attention to torment, for Christ helps me, Who will soon put all your cunning to shame.

The bishop became even more angry and ordered to nail her to the board and to chop her body with iron tridents. She, raising her eyes to the sky, said:

My enemies have surrounded me, plotting evil against me, but Thou, my Lord, look upon me and have mercy on me, send me the help of Thy life-giving Spirit. May He make me wise to confess Your holy name to the last breath, may He give me strength to courageously resist the devil and his servants, so that I may overcome and put them to shame; honor me to be a model for those who love you and keep their virginity for the sake of you, in order to become me with them on the right side during your righteous judgment!

Thus prayed the saint, and the cruel servants of the cruel tormentor, like cannibals, more and more tormented the saint's body with tridents, and the body fell off in pieces with blood on the ground, so that bare bones were visible. The bishop could not look at such torment: he covered his face and turned away, and all those present were amazed at the saint's patience. Then the tormentor spoke to her again:

How long will you persist, Marina? Your body has already been torn to pieces; at least now agree to make a sacrifice to the gods, so that you do not perish at all.

The martyr answered:

Disgusting dog! Pig! You devour human flesh and pretend to be merciful, as if you pity me! I do not pity myself for the sake of Christ, who did not spare Himself, but gave himself up for me in great torment. If I listen to your insane advice and spare my body, then how will my soul be crowned in the Kingdom of Heaven?

After that, the diocese ordered to remove the martyr from the nails and lock her up in a special dungeon, deep and gloomy, full of all kinds of demonic horror stories, where prisoners condemned to death were imprisoned.

Sitting in this dungeon alone (there were no other condemned then), the holy martyr prayed to God in the warmth of her soul, crying out from the depths of her heart:

God the Most High, all heavenly powers stand before You with fear, and all principles and powers tremble before Your face, and every creation by Your omnipotent power is preserved, changed and renewed! Thou, Master, look down from the heavenly height, from the throne of Thy glory to me, humble, indecent and unworthy of Thy servant: I hope in You, I have resorted to You and suffer Your name for the sake of your name. Look, Beneficent One, and heal my body, wounded like a torn robe, renew my soul and preserve it for Your Kingdom. Let me overcome and trample my enemy, as the sand is trampled underfoot, so that I can erase its strength with Your invincible help and so that Your holy name will be glorified in me forever.

Night fell, and the saint did not stop praying to God. Then the devil dared to frighten the martyr with a dreamy monster, so God allowed him to glorify His saint more. Suddenly the dungeon shook, and a kind of gloomy light appeared, as if from fire in smoke; then the devil appeared in the form of a motley, huge, terrible serpent, and his body, as far as could be seen, was surrounded and girded by many smaller serpents and vipers. The serpent whistled terribly and, gaping with its huge and greedy mouth, gave off an intolerable stench; he walked around the martyr, instilling fear and horror on her; then he opened his vile mouth, attacked the saint and grabbed her head, trying to swallow it. However, she did not despair and did not doubt, but, putting her whole mind into God, she made the sign of the cross over herself and immediately saw that the womb of the serpent had parted, and she herself got rid of it and was safe and sound: and at the same time everything perished that demonic terrible ghost: the earth opened up, swallowed up the serpent and all the serpents with him and threw them into hell; the holy martyr was shone with heavenly light. Looking up, she saw that the roof of the dungeon had opened and that the rays of the sun were descending on it from above; She also saw a large cross, shining with unspeakable light, and above the cross, a dove, white as snow, which spoke to her in a human voice:

Rejoice, Marina, wise dove of Christ, who won evil enemy! Rejoice and rejoice, daughter of the heavenly Zion, that the day of your joy has come, when you go out with the wise virgins into the imperishable chamber of the immortal Bridegroom, the King of heaven!

At these words, the dove Marina was seized by untold joy and sweetness, her torn body began to heal, and she herself felt how her wounds were healed, ulcers were covered with skin, pain and weakness disappeared, and she again, as before, healthy and beautiful in her whole body. She joyfully thanked God:

I bless You, Lord, and I glorify You, my Lord my God; I praise Your name that You took pity on me, visited me, healed my body, strengthened my soul and did not deliver me into the hands of my enemies, but showing me their terrible appearance, threw them into the deepest abyss and drove away their horror from me; now, rejoicing and rejoicing in you, my God my Savior, I pray to you, good man-lover, vouch blessed forever!

In such visions and revelations and in such triumph and joy, Saint Marina spent all that night, until the day began and the time of her last feat came.

With the onset of morning, the diocese Olimvrius again sat down on his unrighteous and impious judgment; all the people gathered for the spectacle. They were ordered to bring the martyr out of the dungeon for interrogation. Seeing her with a bright face, completely healthy and unharmed, even without a trace of yesterday's wounds, the eparch was very surprised and was silent in amazement, wondering how this martyr, wounded yesterday, completely recovered overnight. The people were also surprised at this miraculous healing: some extolled the power of Christ, while others attributed it to magic. Then the diocese, with difficulty opening his mouth, began to say to the saint:

You see, Marina, how our gods take care of you! They took pity on your youth and beauty and healed you from your wounds. You also need to offer sacrifices to them in gratitude for the blessing you received from them; and even more, you need to be an imitator and successor of your father: he serves the gods in the dignity of a priest and you need to become a priestess and serve them all your life.

The saint answered:

It is not befitting for me to leave my True and Living God and serve your false and dead gods; on the contrary, you need to cognize the One Heavenly God and believe in Him, seeing His power on me: you tore me to pieces yesterday, and now He immediately made me healthy and unharmed! He is the Almighty physician of human souls and bodies!

The distraught diocese again ordered the saint to be tortured. Again they hung her on a tree, brought lighted candles and began to scorch her chest and sides; she, having gone deep inside herself, prayed in the depths of her heart to God and silently endured; it was burnt like coal and torn to pieces like meat for food. And when she, barely alive, was taken from the tree, she said loudly:

God! Thou hast vouchsafed me for Thy name to pass through fire, vouch for me to pass through the water of holy baptism, and, washed from sins, lead me into Thy rest.

And the tormentor, hearing that the martyr mentioned water, said:

The accursed one wants to drink; I must give her a drink!

And he ordered to bring a huge barrel of water and throw the bound martyr into it in order to immerse her there and drown her. When the servants took her to throw her into the water, she said loudly:

Lord Jesus Christ, bringing out of the fetters, resolving the bonds of death and hell and raising from the graves by the mania of Thy Divine power! Look upon your servant and break my bonds! And let this water be my desired holy baptism for birth into eternal life, so that, having put off the old man, I put on a new one and appear to You in a wedding garment in Your palace!

While the martyr was praying in this way, the servants threw her into a barrel of water, began to immerse her in water and drown her. But at that moment the earth shook, and the ropes with which the martyr was bound were untied, while the servants, seized with horror, fled from the barrel. Above the head of the martyr, rays of unspeakable light shone, and again a white dove appeared, descending from above, like the sun with a golden crown in its mouth. She hovered over the head of the martyr, touched her and again flew high. This vision was visible not only to the saint, but also to some of those present who were worthy of such a vision: many of the people were secret Christians and were honored to see it. The saint stood in the water, without submerging, singing, glorifying and blessing the great name of the Most Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then a pillar of fire appeared above the saint, reaching the sky, and on the pillar a cross, as it were, of crystal, emitting light rays; the dove flew up and sat at the top of the cross. And a voice was heard from above, and everyone heard it:

Peace be with you, bride of Christ, Marina! Now you will receive the unfading crown of virtue from the hand of the Lord and will rest in the Kingdom of Heaven with the saints.

Hearing this voice and seeing that the martyr came out of the water healthy, without a trace of burns, unharmed in body and beautiful, immediately a great multitude of men and women believed in Christ, openly recognized themselves as Christians and, it seemed, were ready to die for Christ. Hegemon was horrified when he saw that such a multitude of people had turned to Christ, and wondered what to do; then, enraged, he brought out an army armed with swords, which was with him, and ordered to chop down all who only glorified the name of Christ. Then all the unbelievers or the cowardly fled from the people, and those who truly believed themselves went under the sword. And the slain of both sexes fell, up to fifteen thousand people, who, having been baptized with their own blood and having been cleansed from all sins, entered into the joy of their Lord, crowned with a martyr's crown. Then the eparch ordered the martyr to be beheaded with the sword. When the saint was taken to the place of execution, she asked to wait a little for those who led her, and, turning to the people who followed her, exhorted everyone to know the One True God, the Creator of everything, and to avoid demonic deception and the destruction of idolatry. Then she began to pray and prayed for a long time for everyone; suddenly the earth shook, fear fell on everyone, and many fell from fear to the ground; fell and the executioner. It was our Lord Jesus Christ who appeared from heaven with holy angels to His bride, calling her into His rest and stretching out his hands to receive her soul. She, unspeakably delighted, prompted the executioner to do as soon as he was ordered. She put her honest head under the sword and was beheaded; and her soul was taken by the hands of the Lord and carried away into the heavenly villages. This is how the holy Great Martyr Marina ended her martyrdom on the seventeenth of July. Her suffering was described by an eyewitness servant of God Theotim, who saw all the torment and was honored to be a spectator of those visions that were revealed to the saint; he conveyed this to the faithful for the benefit, in honor and memory of the beloved bride of Christ Marina and in the glory of the Humanitarian Christ our Savior, who is with the Father and the Holy Spirit and from us may there be honor and glory now and forever. Amen.

The Great Martyr Marina is one of the most revered saints of the Church of Christ. She is glorified, Eastern and Western Christians pray to her. There are special reasons for this, for her glory and exploits surpass the glory of many great holy men and women of the Universal Church. It was pleasing to God that the young maiden who "By the might of his might"(Eph. 6, 10) amazed the world with the manifestation of the amazing power of faith, and to this day amazes everyone who gets to know him with her life.

Saint Marina's love for God, her faith and boldness are so great that after the most severe tortures, when the whole body of the sufferer was tormented by the tormentors, the fifteen-year-old girl begged God to subject her to an unheard-of test: she begged God to let her fight the devil and overcome him with the help of God.

And all this happened: the haughty and cunning prince of this world was trampled by a girl's foot and was forced to reveal the truth about how he destroys human souls: from the very spirit of darkness, people learned how he takes possession of a person. The voice of the young bride of Christ has brought us through many centuries a testimony of great, lasting significance. The testimony of the great martyr and her feat are especially important today for the confirmation of faith in the True God and the strengthening of Orthodox Christians in spiritual warfare.

We know about the exploits of the Great Martyr Marina from the authentic ancient acts of martyrdom that have come down to our days. In addition, Blessed Theotimus, an eyewitness to the events, described her suffering. Theotimus witnessed the glorious martyrdom of Saint Marina and her execution. He managed to buy from the cursive writers (tachigraphs) the protocols of the court - the verbatim records of the interrogations and the verdict of Saint Marina. Using these most valuable documents, as well as from his personal memoirs, Theotimus dictated to the scribe Euthymius everything that he saw and heard about the holy martyr, so that his testimony became the basis for subsequent lives.

When compiling the life of the great martyr Marina, the ancient Greek hagiographers in the 10th – 11th centuries excluded the details of the conversation between Saint Marina and the devil, and for a millennium they were forgotten. Today the life of the great martyr reveals to us her truly great and unique feat. (This complete life of St. Marina was published by the Tabernacle publishing house in Moscow: A. V. Bugaevsky, Abbot Vladimir (Zorin). The life and sufferings of the Holy Great Martyr Marina. Suffering and miracles of the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva. M., 1999. As the compilers of the life write, it was prepared on the basis of Greek and Latin manuscripts that have survived to our time, including unique monuments at the turn of the 4th-5th centuries.) The open battle and victory of the holy virgin Marina over Satan is the only such evidence that has come down to our time.

The Great Martyr Marina accomplished her feat during the time of persecution during the reign of the emperor Diocletian (284-305) and his co-ruler, the emperor Galerius (285-311). According to the testimony of ancient writers and many historians, this was the most severe and cruel persecution. But at the same time it became the last one in the Roman Empire. Modern readers do not always understand why Christianity and Christians were destroyed with such cruelty in ancient Rome. Therefore, we preface the life of Saint Marina with a brief outline of the history of the last persecution of Christians in pagan Rome.

CHAPTER I

Persecution of Christians during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305)

On November 20, 284, the Roman army proclaimed Valerius Diocletian, a former freedman who rose from a simple legionnaire to the commander of the imperial guard of protectors, as emperor. He ruled the empire for twenty-one years, after which he abdicated in favor of his own chosen heirs. Diocletian marked the end of his reign with a massacre of Christians. "It was a terrible funeral feast, celebrated by paganism in itself, because it was the eve of the triumph of Christian society over pagan." (A. P. Lebedev. The era of persecution of Christians. M., 1994).

These persecutions seem to contradict Diocletian's previous policies. During the nineteen years of his reign, he did not touch the Christians. Moreover, Christians held public office, they were among the highest provincial officials and in the army. Even within the imperial family itself, Christians had powerful patrons. Prisca, the wife of Diocletian, and his daughter Valeria, the wife of Caesar Galerius, were disposed towards Christianity in such a way that they avoided participating in the offering of pagan sacrifices, and only the state and social position kept them from adopting Christianity.

Church historian Eusebius exclaims: "The well-being of Christians over time under Diocletian was strengthened, every day came to strength and greatness, and no hatred constrained him, no evil demon was able to harm." The famous historian Burckhardt, who studied this era, remarked about Diocletian that "he would have remained for us one of the greatest Roman emperors, the savior of civilization and the state, the most thoughtful judge of the needs of his time, if he died in 302, that is, on the eve of persecution." (A. P. Lebedev. The era of persecution of Christians. M., 1994).

Indeed, the results of his reign are impressive. He restored the stability of the empire, reorganized the administrative system, doubled the size of the army, and settled the financial situation. The numerous before that riots and uprisings have practically ceased. Taking over the rule of the empire, Diocletian wanted to restore the strength and greatness of the state and for many years carried out state reforms. One of the main principles of his reforms was the restoration of the Roman religion in all its former greatness and splendor. He was well aware that extensive government reforms needed internal strength to support, otherwise they would be external and artificial.

Diocletian himself was convinced that the pagan gods were calling him to strengthen the shaken kingdom. Contemporaries say that long before his proclamation, he learned from one soothsayer about his appointment to be emperor. Therefore, Diocletian put all his reforms in relation to the cult of the gods. This tyrant served the paganism of religion with the same devotion with which later Julian the Apostate. Diocletian looked at himself as the high priest of the ancient Roman religion, in this he saw the guarantee of the prosperity and prosperity of the state.

Diocletian began his persecution of Christians with the knowledge that a new religion, capable of trampling on the pagan gods, also threatened the inviolability of the empire. Therefore, Christians could not expect mercy from him.

Christian society, taking advantage of the prolonged tranquility after the persecution of the emperor Valerian (253–259), multiplied in number, grew and strengthened, but at the same time began to lose its strength. Here is how Eusebius writes about it: “From the fullness of freedom, the course of our Christian affairs turned into a slow and sluggish one. We began to envy each other, quarrel with each other and, on occasion, hit each other with arrows of words, almost as much as with weapons. The primates began to attack the primates, the masses of Christians rebel against the masses, shameful hypocrisy and pretense reached the highest degree of evil. " (Eusebius. Church history. VIII. 2).

All this could not but be seen by the pagans. And yet the Christians themselves did not give any reason for the authorities to persecute. On the contrary, they obeyed the voices of their shepherds and obeyed the pagan authorities, rendering "Caesar's things to Caesar." During the reign of Diocletian, Christians served in the army, clearly aware that this was the duty of true patriots of their earthly homeland. Moreover, Bishop Theona, in a letter to Lucilian, writes that the emperor himself entrusted the protection of his person to Christian soldiers. In the army of Diocletian there was a whole legion (6,000 soldiers), the so-called Thebaid, consisting of Christians. So the fight against Christianity became the final link in the reform program of the Roman state.

Diocletian first tried to arrange the inner life of the empire, and then he attacked the Christians. This decision becomes even more understandable when we learn about his personal negative experience of the influence of the Christian religion on the pagan cult. In one of the surviving documents, Emperor Constantine the Great recalled how the priests, returning from the oracle of Apollo in the Branchids temple, reported that the oracle was silent, as "was under the influence of what was happening on earth." When Diocletian asked what this phrase meant, he was answered: "Christians, of course." There is evidence that even when the secret Christians accompanying the emperor mentally performed the sign of the cross, the oracle was either silent or did not give the necessary answers.

In February 303, the first decree was announced against Christians, ordering to destroy churches to the ground, and to destroy the sacred books with fire; Christians were deprived of civil offices and the right to complain in courts, that is, they were left without the protection of laws and the right to vote in public affairs. Soon a second decree was issued with new requirements for Christians. According to him, the primates of the churches "were bound in chains" and, as Eusebius writes, "the dungeons, originally intended for murderers and villains, were filled everywhere with bishops, presbyters, deacons, readers, so that there was no place for those convicted of atrocities in them." (Eusebius. Church history. VIII. 2. 6). Christians began to be accused of indignation against the government, and the heads of the churches were considered secret leaders and instigators of these uprisings.

Following this, a fire broke out twice in the imperial palace. The pagans accused Christians of arson. The emperor's suspicions of Christians intensified, and he authorized the use of torture on all Christians suspected of treason. In the same year 303, a third decree followed, according to which all clergy, imprisoned in accordance with the requirements of the second decree, were to offer pagan sacrifices under the threat of torture if refused. However, at the end of 303, an amnesty was declared, the reason for which was the twenty years of the reign of Diocletian: according to it, all prisoners were released from prisons. Determined to destroy Christianity, Diocletian, although he allowed them to be brought under amnesty, soon renewed the persecution with even greater force as soon as the holiday dedicated to his twenty-year reign ended.

In the next year 304, the last, fourth decree against Christians appeared. A contemporary describes its content as follows: "The royal letters were sent, which contained the command to all (Christians) without exception to make sacrifices and make libations to the gods." (Eusebius. On the Palestinian Martyrs. Ch. 3). This decree declared widespread persecution of Christians. Because of this last decree, most of the blood of Christians was shed, although it consisted of only two lines. The decree was in effect for eight years, until 311. That was the demand for submission to the state in matters of faith. But this was absolutely unacceptable to Christians. They were demanded to renounce their faith, demanded to offer sacrifices and libations in front of statues of pagan gods and the emperor. In case of refusal, torture and execution followed. The persecution was started on the personal initiative of the emperor, and therefore Diocletian went down in history as one of the greatest enemies of the Christian faith and the Church of Christ.

After the departure of Diocletian, his son-in-law Galerius became emperor. He did not issue new formidable decrees against Christians, the persecution continued on the basis of the previous decrees of Diocletian. But under the new government, persecution lost all purpose and became a senseless fanaticism. Christians were persecuted, tortured, executed mainly because they were deprived of the protection of laws.

Eusebius writes that in subsequent years in the east of the empire, all Christians were attracted to sacrifice; Christians were ordered to be listed and summoned by name to perform the rite of pagan sacrifice. The goods sold in the markets were sprinkled with sacrificial libations. Even such a means was invented: some acts of Pilate were invented, in which Christ was described in very obscene terms. Lists from these sheets were nailed on poles, but this seemed not enough: school teachers were ordered to dictate these acts, and pupils to memorize them. Thus, they wanted to instill in the younger generation hatred of Christianity. (How all this is similar to what was done in our Fatherland at the time of the fight against God. The devil at all times uses the same tried and tested methods: lies, violence, murder).

Diocletian's contemporary, the Christian historian Lactantius, uses the words of the great Roman poet Virgil to describe this persecution: "If I had a hundred mouths and an iron tongue, then I could not count all kinds of evils, I could not even name all the punishments." The persecutions of Diocletian and Galerius were the most severe and massive, but these were the last persecutions, which were undertaken with the conscious intention of completely exterminating Christians in the Roman Empire. However, their result was the strengthening of the Church, because the renunciates began to demand that they be re-accepted into the communities after the trials were left behind, and many pagans, struck by the courage of Christians, gained the true faith. By this time, among the population of the empire there was no longer such enmity towards Christians as before.

When the persecution reached its climax, horror gripped many, it seemed that the Christian world was about to shake, but these persecutions became the agony of paganism, which ended with the triumph of Christianity. During the reign of Galerius, Rome made a concession to the Christians, recognizing the Christian religion. The persecutor Galerius himself, taught by cruel experience, issued a decree of 311, ending the persecution. By signing such a decree, the emperor, and with it the pagan world, declared his complete powerlessness in the fight against Christianity. The decree ending the persecution read: “We wanted before that Christians would return to the ancient laws and social institutions of the Romans. Christians were seized with such pretentiousness, enslaved by such madness that they did not want to follow the ancient rules. We allow Christians to practice their religion and build houses for their services. ” Christianity is "allowed" - "religia licita" - this is the formula for the decree of Galerius. Now the pagan emperor expects prayers from Christians. The last words of the decree sound like this: "For such our condescension, Christians should pray to their God for our health and social welfare."

Christian historians claim that the reason for this decree was the terrible, painful illness of Galerius, which brought him to the grave and in which the emperor saw the finger of God punishing him for persecuting Christians.

These persecutions clearly showed that all measures against Christians, even torture and murder, were powerless, and therefore it was more prudent to stop the bloodshed that destroyed the citizens of the empire. Christians remained faithful to their religion, in spite of any threats, torture, hardships. Eusebius recalls that after the decree the gates of the dungeons were opened and the Christians imprisoned in them returned to their homes. With singing and glee they walked through the cities and villages, joy shone in their eyes. Christians were also exempted from forced labor... "Even the former murderers," writes Eusebius of the pagans, "seeing this unexpected miracle, rejoiced over what had happened." And two years later, the famous Edict of Milan by Constantine the Great appeared. The light of the moon gave way to the light of the sun.

CHAPTER 2

CITY OF SAINT MARINA - ANTIOCHY OF PISIDIAN

Saint Marina was born in Pisidian or Galatian Antioch. It was the border town between Phrygia and Pisidia. By the time of St. Apostle Paul the city was assigned to the Roman province of Galatia. It was located in the very heart of Asia Minor, in a low-water mountainous area northeast of the Taurus Mountains. Its former splendor is still evidenced by the majestic ruins of Roman temples, squares, the triumphal arch of Augustus, and the Roman aqueduct.

Founded by the Syrian ruler Seleucus I Nicator (312–280 BC) and named after his father, Antiochus in 189 BC, Antiochia became a free city (with an elected administration). In 24 BC, the city became the capital of the Roman province. Inhabitants with a special status of citizens of Rome occupied a dominant position; local natives enjoyed fewer rights. The language of communication was Greek - the international language in the eastern part of the empire. In 11 BC, the city became a Roman colony - a settlement for veteran soldiers.

As a lively trade center with a well-developed leather industry, conveniently located on the trade route from Ephesus to the Cilician Gate, Antioch attracted numerous Jewish merchants who built a synagogue here. In addition, the city was home to many civil and military institutions.

Antioch was the center of veneration for the fertility god Men, who was portrayed as a warrior with a bull's head and wearing a Phrygian cap. Messianic expectations, revived in the era of the emperor Octavian (the first bearer of the title Augustus; 31 BC - 14 AD) and allowing the identification of the god Men with the emperor, were replaced after the death of Augustus by deep disappointment.

The apostles Paul and Barnabas first visited Antioch during their first missionary journey (circa A.D. 48) and founded a Christian community there, which, as usual, established itself at the Jewish synagogue, exerted a strong influence over the entire area. This church consisted mainly of pagans who converted to Christianity. In any case, the Apostle Paul had serious opponents among the Jews who settled in Antioch (Acts 14:19; 2 Tim 3:11). In its capital, Antioch, after the Sabbath sermon in the local synagogue, almost all the townspeople became interested in Paul's words. However, the synagogue leaders and the city authorities expelled Paul and Barnabas from their borders (Acts 13: 14-52). Although the Jews rejected the Gospel, the Pisidian people accepted it (Acts 13:49). The disciples who were newly converted by Paul and Barnabas were "filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." From Antioch, the Word of God spread “throughout the country” - Pisidia.

On the way back, the Apostle Paul again visited Antioch (Acts 14:21); he may have visited the city again at the start of his second voyage (AD 51-52). It was in Antioch of Pisidia that the first temple was built in honor of the holy apostle.

The ruins of Antioch of Pisidia, called Caesarea of ​​Antioch by the Romans, once located on several hills up to 1200 meters high, are now located near the modern Turkish city of Yalvaç. By the way, there is a separate hall in the Yalvach Archaeological Museum, the historical information and exhibits of which are dedicated to the Apostle Paul.

In 713, Antioch of Pisidia, as a result of another attack by the Arabs, was destroyed and completely lost its military, political and commercial significance. Today, only the ruins remind of the former glory of the city, where once carefully built stone roads, streets with columns and public buildings, water supply, baths.

Many saints became famous on the Pisidian land: the Martyr Porfiry of Antioch (Pisidia); the holy martyrs Vianor and Silouan; Saint Kindey, Bishop of Pisidia; St. George the Confessor, who denounced the iconoclastic heresy, Bishop of Antioch of Pisidia and others. Among the glorified miraculous icons of the Mother of God are the icons of Antioch and Pisidia.

CHAPTER 3

THE LIFE OF THE HOLY MARTYR MARINA

Saint Marina came from a noble family, her father Edesias was a pagan priest. Marina's mother died when the girl was twelve years old. After that, the father gave his only daughter to be raised by a wet nurse, who lived on his wife's estate in fifteen families (semeya is the Greek name for the Roman mile, equal to 1478.17 meters) from the city.

Marina heard about Christ for the first time from her wet nurse. The young maiden was beautiful in body and even more beautiful in soul. She wholeheartedly accepted what the nurse had sown, and looked for any opportunity to hear new testimonies about Christ. During the persecution that began then, many Christians hid in caves and small villages, but the preaching of Christianity did not stop. Marina managed to meet with one of these Christian preachers. From him she learned about the saving teaching of Christ and eternal life. Since then, Marina thought only about learning more about Christ and learning to live according to His commandments. She grieved that she could not immediately be baptized, since neither in the city nor in its vicinity, due to persecution, there was not a single priest who could perform the Sacrament.

By the age of fifteen, love for Christ was so flaming in her heart that she only wanted one thing - to partake of martyrdom and shed her blood in the name of this love. Marina openly confessed her faith in front of people and ridiculed the cult of idols, although she knew that she could share the fate of persecuted and tormented Christians. She was ready to accept torment and wanted to shed her blood for Christ in order to be baptized with it, as a font of baptism.

Soon, Adesius was horrified to learn that his daughter had believed in Christ, and denied her. It was a difficult test for Marina, but she remained firm in her confession of faith and placed all her hopes on the Lord, asking for strength and blessings to serve Him.

For three years, the young virgin was strengthened in faith and love for God. She heard about many holy martyrs who laid down their souls for the Lord, and she wanted to imitate them. In his prayers, which were preserved by the descriptor of her feat, there are the following words: “Master of Humanity, You know my weakness and weakness of human nature. Strengthen me against the foe, so that I trample on him and glorify You forever. Amen". And the Lord heard this prayer, choosing a young virgin to glorify His name.

Once Marina went out of the city with her friends to look at the sheep grazing in the field. At that time, on the road from Asia to the city of Antioch, the eparch (ruler) of the province of Olimvrius was traveling. According to the decrees of the emperor Diocletian, the eparch traveled around the Pisidian region to search for and execute Christians. Seeing Marina, he was fascinated by the beauty of the girl and decided to take her as his wife, if she is the daughter of a free citizen, and if she is a slave, then ransom her from the owner and make her his concubine. Olimvrius ordered the soldiers to bring the maiden to him.

Marina realized that the time had come for her suffering for her faith and began to pray:
“Lord Jesus Christ, my God! do not leave me and do not let my soul perish! May my enemies not prevail over me, may my hearing not be defiled by their crafty speeches, may my mind not yield to their nasty temptations, may my heart not be afraid of their terrible threats. Do not let my faith be thrown into mud and mud, so that the devil, who hates good, does not rejoice, but send me help from the height of Your Throne, give me wisdom, so that I can be strengthened by Your strength and answer the questions of the tormentor without fear. Hey, my Lord, look upon me with mercy at this hour; now I am like a sheep among wolves, like a bird among catchers, like a fish in nets; come and deliver me from the intrigues of the enemy! "

The soldiers returned to the governor and reported that the girl was praying to Christ. Olimvrius ordered the girl to be brought to him and asked:
- What is your name, beauty, where is your homeland and what kind of faith are you?

Marina told the diocese about herself and her origins. Casting aside fear, she boldly announced that she believed in Christ, the One God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, that she was united to Him with heartfelt love and did not want another bridegroom.

Then Olimvrius ordered his servants to lead the girl into the city, hoping to turn her away from Christ and persuade her to marry. Arriving in Antioch, Olimri, according to pagan custom, made sacrifices to the gods and solemnly gave praise to the emperors who held the scepter of the Roman state.

The next day, the ruler ordered the inhabitants of the city to gather in the main square. He himself arrived, accompanied by a detachment of spearmen and sat in the judicial seat (tribunal). By his order, Marina was the first to be brought in for questioning. Olimvrius looked at the girl with voluptuousness, becoming more and more inflamed with carnal feelings for her. He invited her to sacrifice to the gods, promising to make her the richest and noblest woman in the city.

When Marina refused, the diocese began to threaten:
- If you obey my advice, then immediately in front of all citizens you will be awarded a great honor: I will take you as a wife, everyone will respect you as my beloved spouse, and I will give you honor and glory, and you will bring me joy and delight my life! If you do not listen to me and reject my love for you, then know that you will experience a lot of evil: you will make me, although I do not want to, torment you and destroy your rare beauty, health and sweet life, you will be subjected to cruel, intolerable torment and you will perish by fire and iron!

The saint answered:
- Do not hope, diocese, to change my faith in Christ to your unbelief - neither by caresses nor threats: I am a faithful servant of my Vladyka, who suffered voluntarily for me. If He endured crucifixion and death for me, not sparing His most holy body, which was received from the Most Pure Virgin Mary, then I must suffer and die for Him, not in the least sparing my sinful body and health. Do not think to frighten me with your threats: I am ready for all sorts of torment and death. The One in Whom I hope will strengthen me. And what you say to me about marriage, honor, fame and wealth, all this is disgusting and disgusting to me. Will I leave the Immortal Bridegroom of my Christ, the King of Heaven, and marry you? .. Never!

Hearing such words, the diocese was offended, angry and immediately ordered the soldiers to tear off the girl's clothes, stretch her on a bench and beat her with sticks. The executioners tied Marina and beat her for a long time, so that her body was torn from wounds, and blood flowed to the ground. The herald repeated during torture:
- Marina, sacrifice to the gods ...

But the saint, strengthened by Divine grace, asked the Lord: “Do not leave me, Lord, Jesus Christ, send healing dew and heal my wounds. Help me, for for your sake I endure this suffering. "

Many townspeople were filled with pity, watching how such a beautiful girl was cruelly tortured, and said to Marina:
- Obey the command of the diocese, and he will deliver you from deadly torture. We see that you are an innocent child. Your God will forgive you, for you have already suffered a lot for Him.

Marina answered them reproachfully:
- Sly advisers and evil assistants, you are trying to seduce me. As the ancient serpent gave Eve evil advice in paradise, so you now advise me to depart from my God. Let my body perish, but my soul will rest with the holy virgins, who are angry with Christ. Many people come to know the True God and Savior through me. But your gods, deaf and dumb, I do not believe and I will not bring sacrifices to them!

Addressing Olimrius, Saint Marina said:
- Do the deeds of your father Satan, shameless dog. I will fulfill the commandments of my Master the Bridegroom Christ. Seeing my feminine infirmity, you hope in vain to break me by force. I am ready for any torment, for Christ helps me.

Marina's words hurt the pride of the rejected eparch even more, and he ordered the body of the martyr to be nailed to the pillar with blades and beaten with iron hooks. The executioners surrounded the lamb of Christ and began to tear her body with iron. The sufferer raised her eyes to heaven and turned to God: “My enemies have surrounded me, plotting evil against me, but You, my Lord, look upon me and have mercy on me, send me the help of Your Life-giving Spirit. May He make me wise to confess Your holy name to the last breath, may He give me strength to courageously resist the devil and his servants, so that I may overcome and put them to shame; honor me to be a model for those who love you and keep their virginity for the sake of you, in order to become me with them on the right side during your righteous judgment! "

Meanwhile, the tormentors continued to torment the body of the saint. Even the eparch could not look at these bloody tortures: he covered his face with a cloak and turned away. All those present were amazed at Marina's patience. Tired of their bloody work, the executioners retired at seven o'clock, since according to Roman law it was forbidden to interrogate and torture prisoners after six in the evening.

The bishop again turned to Marina:
- How long will you persist, Marina? Your body has already been torn to pieces; at least now agree to make a sacrifice to the gods, or tomorrow I will order you to be executed.

- Vile killer, - answered Marina, - you devour human flesh and pretend to pity me! I do not pity myself for the sake of Christ, who did not spare Himself, but gave himself up for me in great torment. If I listen to your insane advice and spare my body, then how will my soul be crowned in the Kingdom of Heaven?

After these words, the eparch ordered Marina to be taken to the dungeon for those condemned to death. There were no other prisoners there. But that night she was visited by Theotim, the future writer of the saint's feat. (In the Latin text of the life of Codex Casinensis, it is indicated that together with Theotimus, Marina was also visited by her nurse). He handed Marina through the window bread and water. This was providential, because Theotimus witnessed the duel between Saint Marina and the devil and was able to tell people about him.

In the dungeon, Marina turned to God with a prayer:
“God the Most High, all Heavenly Forces stand before You with fear, and all the Principles and Powers tremble before Your face, and every creation by Your omnipotent Power is preserved, changed and renewed. You are the Hope of the unreliable, the Father of the orphans and the Righteous Judge. Thou, Lord, look down from heavenly heights, from the throne of Thy glory to me, humble, indecent and unworthy of Thy servant: I hope in You, I have resorted to You and suffer Your name for the sake of your name. Look, Beneficent One, and heal my body, wounded like a torn robe, renew my soul and preserve it for Your Kingdom. Let me see the enemy of the human race fighting against me. Let him stand face to face before me. You are the Judge and Ruler of the living and the dead - so judge between me and the devil. Deliver me from destruction. Help me overcome him with Your invincible Power and send Satan to the underworld. You are the God who keeps those who hope in you, blessed forever. Amen".

The Lord fulfilled the prayer of Saint Marina and showed her the enemy of all people - the devil. For the first time, the devil appeared to Marina in prison, on the night after the first day of torture, when she was praying, as the Coptic version of the Life clarifies, with her hands folded crosswise. After a strong earthquake, the building of the dungeon swayed. Suddenly, a monster of motley color, like a dragon, appeared in front of Marina. Flames and thick smoke came out of his nostrils. The monster's teeth gleamed, and the tongue was bloody. To the very neck of the dragon, many snakes were entwined.

The monster began to circle around Marina, hissed, whistled, filling the dungeon with an intolerable stench. The girl trembled with horror, but soon came to her senses, knelt down and turned to God:
“Invisible God, from Your gaze the sea dries up and an abyss opens up. You have humbled the power of a serpent that hates good; You set the limits of hell and set the prisoners in it free. Do not allow, Lord, now to overcome me by an evil demon, a mad, fetid monster. Help me defeat this fiend. May the sweetness and mercy of Your Holy Spirit descend upon me. "

Marina's words infuriated the monster. The dragon tried to swallow Marina, but the saint overshadowed herself with the sign of the cross: the monster rushed and fell with a great noise, and its belly split open. The dragon lay dead on the floor of the dungeon, and Saint Marina remained safe and sound.

At that moment Marina saw Satan himself - Beelzebub, who was sitting in the left corner of the dungeon and was black as night. The saint turned to God again:
“I sing and praise You, the Lord Almighty and Almighty Creator. “I will rejoice and be glad in Thy mercy” (Psalm 30: 8). O King of kings, rulers, powers and incalculable powers, You have exalted my cross. I thank You, Lord, for what You gave me, Your servant Marina, to see with my own eyes the enemy of the human race, fighting against me, and to put the unclean one to shame. By the power of Thy Holy Spirit, You strengthened my faith, trampled down the impudent and arrogant demon, who appeared in the form of a dragon.
Now you have revealed to me Satan himself. In order to cast the world ruler into the underworld, I call on You - Holy, Immortal, Wise and Meek Christ. You are the Keystone, refuge and stronghold of Your slaves; You are my indestructible Fortress and Hope for eternal life. You are my Rod and the Ladder that leads me to the Father. You are the Gracious and Human-loving God, may Your name be glorified forever. Amen".

When the saint uttered "Amen," the devil exclaimed:
- Shut up, Marina! It was I who sent my relative Rufus (Rufus (Latin for "redhead") is a local pagan deity.) In the form of a dragon to kill you, but you cast him down with your prayers, and now you want to destroy me too. Stop fighting with us. Have mercy and do not harm me, because I have shown great deeds.

Having admitted that in the form of a dragon Marina had defeated Rufus, her kinsman, the "prince of demons" embarked on a second onslaught - a physical one. But Saint Marina strengthened herself with the sign of the cross and entered into a struggle with the devil. The peculiarity that distinguishes the Great Martyr Marina from other holy virgins and even husbands is here that Marina, unlike people, has active physical resistance. She not only prays, but also attacks the devil with all available means, and victory is on her side. Continuing to pray, Marina suddenly noticed a copper hammer lying in the corner of the dungeon. Grabbing him, she began to hit Satan on the head with it, holding him by the hair (or horns).

The devil fell to the ground and exclaimed:
- Woe to me, woe!

Marina put right leg on his neck and, continuing to strike with a hammer, said:
- Depart from me, lawless father of Gehenna, for I am the lamb of the Crucified and Risen Christ, who created everything in His Wisdom.

Suddenly the roof over the dungeon opened, and an extraordinary bright heavenly light shone in the middle of the night, and in the middle of the dungeon a Cross appeared, reaching the sky. Above the Cross, the saint saw a snow-white dove, which said:
- Rejoice, Marina, who preserved her body and soul intact for the Immortal Bridegroom and gloriously adorned virginity with martyrdom. Rejoice, blessed one, who, by the power of the Life-giving Cross, has cast down the vile demon. Rejoice, virtuous one, you will bind to the end of the century another hated enemy - Satan. Rejoice, Marina, for an imperishable crown is prepared for you and the doors of paradise are open.

Marina felt unspeakable joy after these words. Her tortured body was healed. The ulcers were covered with skin, the pain disappeared: she felt completely healthy and began to thank the Lord:
“I thank you, Lord, for visiting your servant in prison. Glory to Thee, who strengthened me with His power. Lord, who founded the earth on waters, let us bathe in them, for Holy Baptism is the bath of immortality. Receive me, baptized in blood, into Thy bridal chamber with the wise virgins. "

The conversation that Beelzebub has with the girl represents Satan's third onslaught. Here, under the guise of the frankness of the story of his atrocities, he again tries to lead her into those sins that the young girl confronts.

When the dove ascended to the sky, the saint turned to the demon:
- Tell me, unclean spirit, what is your name, where you come from, and reveal your thoughts to me. (The appearance of Beelzebub in a visible image with his own eyes in front of St. Marina, her confrontation with him and the forced "confession" of Satan is the most important part of the life of the great martyr and, in general, the only such text preserved in ancient lives. Bound by St. Marina, Beelzebub was forced to reveal the secrets of the struggle that is demons against the human race.Thanks to the great martyr Marina, Orthodox people can see the terrible danger posed by demons, realize the need to resist the temptations and appeals of the spirits of malice, and gain faith that with God's help, every Christian can overcome the devil through the podvig of life.)

- My name is Beelzebub, - he answered. - Please, Marina, take your leg off my neck, and I will open myself to you.

The saint took her foot off the demon, and he began to speak:
- Initially, God created me as a bright Angel and put me at the head of the Angelic ranks. But because of my evil will, the Almighty deprived me of this good lot. I was cast into darkness along with a host of apostate angels and became Satan. I am one of the rulers of dark evil spirits opposing God. I am the prince of darkness, Beelzebub, the leader of demons. We, demons, are incorporeal, therefore we do not walk on the earth like people, but are instantly transported in any environment.

I twist the ways of the Lord, - the demon continued, - with all my zeal I slander people, and people - against God, and therefore I am nicknamed the devil. ("Devil" in translation from Greek means "slanderer"). With the help of hostile air spirits, we kindle anger in people, deprive them of their reason and incite them to lawlessness. We incline the people to slander, deceit, theft, murder, all kinds of atrocities and shameful vices. Demons seek to confuse and disturb every person, to oppose everyone always and in everything, to defeat people and rule over them.

We fight wherever we hear about righteous deeds. I make even saints doubt, I change their minds, confuse my heart, and at night, during sleep, I put desires in them. When they pray all night, I put my head in their heads and seduce the mind. I inspire the righteous with impure thoughts: accepting these thoughts, they become defiled and fall into sins. After the Fall, I instill shyness and despondency in their hearts. I, Beelzebub, have robbed a lot: I have taken away the fruits of labor from many saints, I have seduced many righteous. The people defeated by me consign wisdom to oblivion and receive bitterness instead of sweetness, and instead of a fragrance - the smell of rot. I put a burning fire of passion in their hearts, and sin becomes a sharp sword that wounds souls.

I mock every person who strives for debauchery, darkening his mind, making him proud and arrogant. I try to catch all people in my nets, but especially those like you - innocent and pure virgins. Against them, called by the Creator to honor and glory, we use envy and malice. I attack the virgins and invent a way to lead them into the abyss of apostasy and destruction by the passion of fornication.

I have tested many saints. But no one could ever defeat my kindred Rufus - you alone defeated him. And no one has ever put their foot on my neck, and now you have thrown me down. You were nothing to me - like dust and ashes, but after the prison was illuminated by the light-bearing cross, the Holy Spirit entered into you, and I see another likeness in you.

Great men obeyed me, and now I am trampled and put to shame by the youth of Christ, a weak by nature fifteen-year-old girl. If I had been overcome by a powerful husband, I would not have experienced such a shame. This defeat is especially great, for your father and all your ancestors obeyed me, following my will in everything. You, Marina, resisted your kind, resisted their faith and surpassed your weak nature, having withstood the greatest trials. I am amazed at your wisdom. You proved your superiority to me and won a great victory over me. I conjure you, Marina, by the mighty and glorious Throne, do not bind my will prematurely ...

Having revealed his true nature by compulsion to Marina, the father of lies Beelzebub decided, as he always does, to deceive the saint. The wise Marina immediately felt that the spirit of anger, having been forced to talk about his treachery and atrocities, began to mix in fiction and nonsense with the truth. (For example, let us cite an excerpt from the ancient text of Beelzebub's "confession", in which he tried to deceive the saint: "Sataniel took the daughter of Zeus as his wife, and so she became a perfect demon. Sataniel mingled with her, like an androgyne, and produced an egg and evil demons came out of these eggs ... From the time of Solomon we were kept in vessels sealed with the seal of Satan. But when the Babylonians came, we made a flame from the jars. When they saw the flame, they decided that there was gold in the copper vessels, and opened them, in order to take possession of the treasure. So we freed ourselves and fled into the skies ").

But here, too, Marina defeated the devil.
- Shut up, - said the saint to the demon, - I will not let you lie and say too much. It was useful to learn about the secrets that you unwittingly revealed to me in your "confession." But out of your devilish arrogance, you began to boast and replace the truth you hated with fiction. You are a liar and a deceiver.

Marina made the sign of the cross over the demon, - at this time the earth opened and the holy virgin uttered the following words:
- Go into the hellish abyss before the Last Judgment, until you give an answer for the souls that you destroyed.

The abyss swallowed up Beelzebub, and Marina, kneeling down, stood in prayer, at the end of which the earth shook and closed.

After such visions and revelations, Marina spent the rest of the night in triumph and joy. A new day has come, which has become the last in her earthly life.

In the morning, the diocese Olimvrius gave orders to bring the martyr out of the dungeon for interrogation. Almost half of the city gathered to see how the life of a young Christian woman who did not submit to her tormentors would end. Seeing Marina with a bright face, completely healthy and unharmed, even without traces of yesterday's torture, the diocese was amazed and wondered how this could have happened. The pagans who gathered for the spectacle were also surprised: some extolled the Power of Christ, while others considered it the result of witchcraft.

The Bishop turned to Marina with the following words:
- You see, Marina, how our gods take care of you! They took pity on your youth and beauty and healed you from your wounds. You also need to offer sacrifices to them in gratitude for the blessing you received; and even more, you need to be an imitator and successor of your father: he served the gods in the dignity of a priest and you need to become a priestess and serve them all your life.

- It is not befitting for me to leave my True and Living God and serve your false and dead gods; on the contrary, you need to cognize the One Heavenly God and believe in Him, seeing His power on me: you tore me to pieces yesterday, and now He immediately made me healthy and unharmed! He is the Almighty Physician of human souls and bodies!

But the diocese became even more bitter and ordered that the martyr be hung on a gate and burned with burning candles. Marina endured everything and prayed to God. When she, barely alive, was removed from the gate, she said loudly:
"God! You have vouchsafed me for your name to go through fire, vouch for me to go through the water of holy baptism, and, washed from sins, bring me into Thy rest ”.

The tormentor, hearing that Marina mentioned water, said:
- She wants to drink, cursed, she needs to be drunk, - after which he ordered to bring a huge vat of water and throw the saint upside down at him to drown her. While the executioners were filling the vessel with water, the saint cried out to God with a prayer:
“Lord, Jesus Christ, bringing out of the fetters, resolving the bonds of death and hell and raising from the graves by the mania of Thy Divine Power! Look upon your servant and break my bonds! And let this water be my desired holy baptism for birth into eternal life, so that, taking off the old man, I put on a new one and appear to You in a wedding garment in Your palace! "

The soldiers threw Marina into a vat of water, but suddenly the earth shook and the ropes with which they tied the martyr were untied. A pillar of light shone over the head of Marina, at the top of which was the Cross, and a white dove, which she had seen before, appeared, which sat on the top of the Cross. And again there was a voice heard by many in the audience:
- Peace be with you, bride of Christ Marina, now you will receive the unfading crown of virtue from the hand of the Lord and will rest in the Kingdom of Heaven with the saints.

The assembled people began to praise Christ, for many believed in Him after all they had seen. Olimbrius was frightened and ordered to behead those people who publicly declared themselves Christians. On that day, the soldiers executed 85 people outside the city. (Some lists of the life of St. Marina mention the number of executed from five to fifteen thousand people, except for women and children. This figure is unlikely, since it is close to the total number of a large city at that time. Most likely, we are talking about the number of those who believed in Christ, and not about those executed for confessing faith).
The bishop was afraid that, with new tortures, Saint Marina would perform miracles that would convert all the inhabitants of the city to Christ. He finally realized that he could not turn Marina away from her faith in Christ, neither by caresses, nor threats, nor torment, and therefore ordered her head to be cut off. A speculator (a speculator - a warrior who carried out the sentence) named Malchus, accompanied by soldiers, led Marina to execution outside the city. The crowd of townspeople followed the martyr. When everyone approached the place of execution, Malchus drew his sword from its scabbard and turned to Marina:
- I see Christ surrounded by many Angels who have prepared to accompany you. Stretch out your neck and after being struck by the sword you will go to the Kingdom of Heaven. Remember me there, for I also touched your holy maforium.

“If you see God,” said the martyr, “then you yourself are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven. Please, brother, let me pray and say goodbye to the people.

“Pray to God and talk to people as you wish,” Malchus replied.

“My brothers and friends,” said Saint Marina, “pray for me to God, so that I might worthily complete my earthly journey. In my last hour, I ask all of you, old and young, to be steadfast in confessing Christ. Then God will lead you to the knowledge of the truth, he will enlighten you with the light of His face, so that at the end of your life's journey you will not be ashamed, but rejoice before Him.

Then Marina raised her hands to the sky and turned to the Lord:
“God Almighty, grant my request. Be merciful to all who, having heard of my martyrdom, will honor the memory of Your servant Marina and turn to me in prayers. Forgive their sins, for you know that we are flesh and blood. Help, Lord, them, if they fall into temptation or find themselves in a difficult situation, or are judged and ask you in my name. Grant them, Lord, victory over the enemies who unrighteously attack them. Deliver from evil demons all Christians who have called on my name on their deathbed, and may the demons not approach them. Let Your will be in everything, both in Heaven and on earth forever and ever. Amen".

When Saint Marina finished her words of prayer, the earth shook again. The people fell on their faces to the ground. The speculator Malchus, who had already drawn his sword for the execution of the martyr, dropped it out of fear. A bright cloud overshadowed the saint, and the Lord appeared before her with the Angels. Seeing the Savior, Marina trembled and fell at His feet.

“Here, Marina,” the Lord turned to His chosen one, “you are the head of My army, for you have brought a multitude of people to Me. Angels will take your soul to paradise, and your holy relics will remain on earth: many mercies and miracles will be accomplished from them. In every church, Angels will serve those who will call on Me in your name.

Then Christ stretched out His hands over the saint and said:
- Blessed are you, Marina, for in your hour of death you intercede for sinners. I will give them the courage to defeat the devil and, for the sake of your martyrdom and memory of him, I will fulfill everything that you have asked Me to do now. An evil spirit will not come close to the places where your relics will rest. May there be healing from all diseases, forgiveness of sins, peace and love of the Father of Truth.

Marina ordered Malchus to be executed and put her head under the sword. But he did not dare to carry out the eparch's sentence. Then the saint sternly said to him:
- Do this, otherwise you will not have a part with me in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The speculator raised his sword and with one blow cut off the head of the saint, saying:
- Lord, do not condemn me for the blood of the holy virgin.

After the execution of Saint Marina, Malchus threw himself on his sword and fell near her body, becoming a tombstone sacrifice to the great martyr.

Thus ended the martyrdom of Saint Marina. Her faithful admirer Theotim anointed the body of the great martyr with aromas and incense and transferred them to the city of Antioch, to the house of a pious senator. At the relics of St. Marina, immediately after this, healings of the sick and possessed by evil spirits began.

CHAPTER 4

WORSHIP OF THE HOLY MARTYR MARINA IN THE CHRISTIAN WORLD

The tradition of venerating Marina was established by the witness of her imprisonment of execution (304), and then by the hagiographer of the saint - Theotimus. Subsequently, her relics were placed in a stone tomb in a specially built prayer house - the martyria, where every year, on the day of the saint's memory, the Divine Liturgy was served and then a meal was held in honor of the great martyr. The basis for the recognition of Marina as a saint, as throughout the entire era of early Christianity, was not the formal procedure of canonization, but the numerous miracles performed from her relics.

Throughout the entire time since the appearance of the life, the holy Great Martyr Marina has been venerated in the Orthodox churches of the East (the day of remembrance is July 17 according to the Julian calendar), as well as in the Coptic Church. In Rome, the life of St. Marina was recognized as apocryphal in 494 by Pope Gelasius I. For its part, the Eastern Christian lives do not mention the actions of Gelasius; they call the saint herself, as the inscriptions on ancient icons say, with only one name - Marina. With a great similarity between the Greek and Latin texts of the lives of the saint, from a certain moment they begin to revere in different parts Europe under different names: closer to the South and East under the original name Marina, and in the West and North as Margarita. In the Middle Ages in Western Europe, her veneration was resumed under the name of Margaret of Antioch.

In the 8th century, the Greek Empress Maria transferred part of the relics of St. Marina to Constantinople. They were kept in the monastery of Pantepont (All-Seeing Christ) until the city was taken by the crusaders in 1204. Another part of the saint's relics was transferred in 908 from Antioch to Tuscany (Italy) and laid in the city of Montefiascone (now they are in the Cathedral of St. Margaret, built in the XIV century).

It is also known that in 1213 a certain John de Borea took a silver casket with the palm of a saint in one of the monasteries of Constantinople. These relics saved John from the storm on the sea route to Venice. The saint's relic was placed in the Venetian church of St. Liberal, after which the church itself was renamed in honor of St. Marina. Even in the 17th century, the relics remained there. Those who saw them recalls that there was a Greek inscription on the casket: "The relics of the holy great martyr Marina." In the 19th century, this shrine was transferred to Venice in the Church of St. Thomas.

In the Catholic Church, before the adoption of the new calendar in 1969, Saint Marina (Margaret) was one of the so-called "Fourteen Holy Helpers" - ancient saints whose veneration dates back to the time of the plague in the middle of the 14th century. In the West, she is revered as one of the three holy virgins, along with Saints Barbara and Catherine. In altar paintings she is depicted next to the Virgin Mary. According to legend, St. Marina was especially revered in their campaigns by the crusaders, and she was one of the saints who appeared to Joan of Arc.

Particles of the relics of St. Marina were scattered throughout the Christian world. Orthodox Greeks have a special love for Saint Marina. In Greece, many churches have been erected in honor of the great martyr; the honest head of the saint is kept here. But, perhaps, nowhere is Saint Marina honored like on the Holy Mount Athos. Parts of her relics are among the shrines of most of the Athos monasteries. A part of the saint's hand is in the monastery of Xenophon, left hand with a brush - in the Iversky monastery, the right hand - in the Dokhiar monastery, in the Philotheus monastery - a leg, in the Russian Panteleimon monastery - one of the ribs; large parts of her relics are in Khilandar and Esfigmen.

The life of the great martyr became the basis for the reverent veneration of her by the holy mountains, because the saint challenged the devil himself and by the Power of God defeated the prince of darkness. The doers of the Jesus Prayer, the holy mountain monks, are incessant spiritual warfare with the spirits of darkness. For one and a half millennia, here on the Holy Mountain, by the grace of God, monks resist the devil and destroy his plans with unceasing prayer. They interfere with the devil and his servants to rule in the world, which is why the demons of the Apostles and in general all who have chosen the monastic path hate so fiercely. Therefore, it is no coincidence that it is among the shrines of Athos that the foot of the great martyr Marina is located: the very foot that trampled the devil himself.

A part of the saint's hand is kept in Zugdidi (Georgia). Particles of the relics of the great martyr are reverently kept in Russia: in the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, in the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of Christ (Sokolniki) in a casket brought from the Holy Mountain in 1863 by the elder hieromonk Arseny.

In Russia, one of the most common and beloved by the people of female names is the name of the great martyr Marina, it has long been perceived as a traditional Russian name. In the "Register of Ladies and Beautiful Maidens" from Russian folk pictures of the 18th century there are the following words: "Say, Marina will feed." And in poetry, her name rhymes beautifully with such primordially Russian words as mountain ash, plain.

Already from the 4th century, Saint Marina was revered as a deliverer from misfortunes and troubles, from an unjust judgment and an unlawful sentence. But a special area where her intercession has extraordinary power is protection from the spirits of malice, from the attacks of the enemy, from slander and slander. In the Athos Proskinitaria (description of holy places) of 1701, it is said that the demoniac and the mentally ill are healed from the relics of the Great Martyr Marina. Defending against "slander, slander and attacks of the enemy," Saint Marina, who defeated the devil during his lifetime, helps people most of all, overwhelmed by the spirits of malice, she also has mercy on those lying on their deathbed, driving away demons from them. Saint Marina gives healing in various diseases, consoles the bereaved, helps in overcoming sinful habits and habits, saves from hunger, saving crops from the rampant of the elements: hail, hurricanes, drought, from attacks of locusts, caterpillars and other insects.

CONCLUSION

The name of the Holy Great Martyr Marina, translated from Latin, means "sea". In ancient Latin lives and acts of martyrdom, she is also called Margaret, under this name she is revered by Western Christians. There is an assumption that Margarita is the nickname of Saint Marina, given to her for her beauty and nobility (from the Greek and Latin words "margarita", that is, "pearl, pearl").

The last prayer of the Great Martyr Marina was for those Christians who will turn to her in their difficult hour:

“God Almighty, grant my request. Be merciful to all who, having heard about my martyrdom, will honor the memory of your servant Marina and turn to me in prayers. Forgive their sins, for you know that we are flesh and blood. Help, Lord, them, if they fall into temptation or find themselves in a difficult situation, or are judged and ask you in my name. Grant them, Lord, victory over the enemies who unrighteously attack them. Deliver from evil demons all Christians who have called on my name on their deathbed, and may the demons not approach them. Let Your will be in everything, both in Heaven and on earth forever and ever. Amen".

And now let us put into our hearts the words of the Savior, Who gave His chosen one great boldness and the grace of helping all who turn to her:

“Blessed are you, Marina, for in your hour of death you intercede for sinners. I will give them the courage to defeat the devil and, for the sake of your martyrdom and memory of him, I will fulfill everything that you have asked Me to do now. An evil spirit will not come close to the places where your relics will rest. May there be healing from all diseases, forgiveness of sins, peace and love of the Father of Truth ”.

That is why the blessed power of the relics of the great martyr is so great - after all, according to the promise of the Lord Himself, the spirits of evil cannot approach them; prayer to her drives away demons from those who are on their deathbed. Her powerful intercession helps the sick, grieving, suffering to find joy, love, peace, and the fulfillment of what they ask for. These words of the Lord fill all Christians with joy that we have a wondrous intercessor before God, the holy virgin-martyr Marina, who until the end of the century will remain a quick helper and intercessor of all those who honor her and turn to her with prayer. She defeated the devil during his lifetime, she helps to overcome him and all the faithful, all who love God and who honor His chosen one, the holy great martyr Marina.

The feat of Saint Marina is especially important for our days, as an example of standing in the faith until death. Her prayer protects and protects the souls of the faithful, and first of all - Orthodox wives and virgins - from the devil's actions. The devil and his servants know very well that Russian women bear the main burden of resisting sin and destruction - the madness that grips the world. Therefore, demons and earthly servants of the devil beat in the very heart in order to destroy the conciliar unity of the people, which is held together female love, keeping the family and clan, connecting with previous generations. An appeal to St. Great Martyr Marina can help many Russian women to withstand what is said in the stichera of the 6th canon of the Most Holy Theotokos: “sorrow will take me back, I cannot stand the demonic shooting…”. Saint Marina will help protect our women from the "demonic shooting" - from the attacks of the spirits of evil in high places. Orthodox Christians need to constantly pray to Saint Marina, it is good to have with you or wear on a chain an icon or amulet with her image. And, of course, read constantly Marina's suicide prayer and, if possible, the akathist dedicated to her.

The celebration in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Marina takes place once a year on July 17/30.

On July 30, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Great Martyr Marina. The origin of the name, why on icons the saint is often depicted together with a little demon, and why in the West Marina turned into Margarita, is told in a new article under the heading "The Meaning of Names"

The origin of the name Marina

Like many paired Greek and Roman names, Marina is a feminine name. male name... Most likely, Marin was once a cognomen, that is, a generic nickname in ancient Rome and passed from generation to generation. Marin - "marinus" - translated from Latin means "sea", respectively Marina - sea. In Roman mythology, for example, the epithet Venus Marina was often applied to the goddess Venus. This was due to the fact that the Roman Venus was identified with the Greek goddess Aphrodite, born from the foam of the sea. And as Aphrodite was called Aphrodite Anadiomene (coming out of the foam) or Aphrodite Pelagios (sea), so Venus was called Venus Marina. In this sense, Pelageya and Marina, despite the difference in sound, are synonymous names.

The name Marina came to Russia from Greece. From the VIII century in Greece began a wide veneration of the great martyr Marina of Antioch, whose memorial day the Orthodox Church celebrates once a year, on July 30 (July 17 according to the old style).

However, in Russia the name has never been widespread. Experts note that this name was rather urban, in rural areas it was rarely used. The peak of the popularity of the name Marina in Russia came in 1962, when every twentieth newborn girl in the country received the name Marina. However, by the end of the 20th century, interest in this name sharply decreased: from the twelfth place in the popularity rating, Marina moved to the twenty-fourth.

Great Martyr Marina of Antioch

In Antioch, which was in Asia Minor, a daughter was born to the family of the pagan priest Edessa. She was named Marina. The girl's mother soon died, and the father gave the baby to be raised by a wet nurse who lived 15–20 kilometers from the city. Here, in the countryside, Marina was brought up and grew up. The girl was humble and pious. She was twelve years old when the fierce persecution of Christians by the emperor Diocletian began. Then (303-305) the emperor ordered the destruction of churches, the burning of Christian books, deprived Christians of all civil rights: positions, the right to vote in public meetings, and even the right to apply for a fair trial. Soon Christians began to be arrested, imprisoned, and required to worship idols. The refusal to obey the will of the ruler was followed by the torture and execution of Christians. Those were cruel times. Many Christians were hiding from persecution: some in the forests, some in distant villages, but even there people continued their preaching. Marina first heard about Jesus Christ from one of these Christians. She not only believed, but also wanted to be baptized. And since there was no priest who could perform the sacrament over her, she hoped in the future to become like Christians who were baptized with their own blood and shed it for Christ. Marina's desire to become a martyr angered her father. Upon learning that his daughter confessed Christ, he became angry and denied her, saying that he no longer considered his daughter. And Marina, like a simple shepherdess, began to guard his sheep. Once in the field, the girl was seen by Olimvrius, the governor of the eastern regions of the Roman Empire. He was heading for Antioch, the capital of Galatia, from the city of Asia. Olimvrius traveled around the territories subject to him to search for Christians. Fifteen-year-old Marina was so young and beautiful that the diocese lingered to get to know her.

She reasonably and meekly answered his questions and he really liked that the bishop even decided to marry her. He was not embarrassed by the fact that the girl declared herself a Christian. Olimvrius was a persecutor of Christians and believed that he already knew how to cope with this obstacle. He arrested the girl and brought her under escort to Antioch, where she handed her over to the court. At the trial, the diocese persuaded Marina to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods and not only promised a generous reward, but also publicly invited her to become his wife. But the girl only prayed in response and asked God to give her strength and courage to shame her enemies. And Olimvriya said that she believed in Christ and did not want another bridegroom. Then her prolonged torment began. Marina, by order of the diocese, was flogged for a long time, nailed to a board and tore at her body with tridents. At night, the girl was thrown into a dungeon. Marina not only endured the torment patiently, but also did not stop praying. Under cover of night in dungeon, the devil appeared to her in the form of a serpent. He swallowed her up, like Jonah's whale had. In the womb of the snake, the girl made the sign of the cross, than tore it apart. Coming out of the body of the serpent, as the life says, she received healing from her wounds. When they brought her to Olimvri in the morning, she was completely healthy without any signs of torture. Someone, seeing that there were no wounds on the girl's body, believed in Christ, someone considered it witchcraft. The bishop again urged the girl to offer sacrifices to idols. It was they, in his opinion, who healed her. But Marina laughed at the tormentor in response and continued to praise God. They burned her with fire, and she offered up prayers to God: “Lord! Thou hast vouchsafed me for Thy name to pass through fire, vouch for me to pass through the water of holy baptism, and, washed from sins, lead me into Thy rest. " Hearing the girl's words, the eparch ordered to drown her in a barrel. When the executioners began to do this, the earth shook, the ropes that bound her hands fell asleep, and the girl not only did not drown, but came out healed now without traces of burns. An even greater number of those who saw this believed in Christ and immediately began to praise Him. Confused by what had happened, enraged by his own impotence, Olimvrius ordered to whip with swords all who only mention Christ. Then fifteen thousand people died. The executioner also cut off the head of Saint Marina, who herself put her under a sharp sword. This happened on July 30th. A certain Theotim was a witness to everything. He was present at the torment of the holy virgin and wrote down her life.

Marina or Margarita?

The relics of the Great Martyr Marina were placed by Theotimus in a stone tomb. Soon, healings and other miracles began to take place. Especially often the possessed and the mentally ill were healed here. At the same time, Saint Marina began to be widely revered by Christians, although formal canonization had not yet taken place. But if among Eastern Christians and Copts the tradition of venerating Marina was never interrupted, then in Europe, in 494, Pope Gelasius I declared the life of the great martyr Marina apocryphal.

In the 8th century, the Byzantine Empress Maria transferred the relics of the saint to Constantinople. Until 1204, when the crusaders entered the Pantheponte monastery, the relics were kept there. At about the same time, in the early Middle Ages, the veneration of St. Marina was restored in Western Europe, with the only difference that now she was called Margaret of Antioch.

The change of name from Marina to Margarita should not be embarrassing, because Margarita was just a nickname for Saint Marina. Her hagiographer Theotim, describing the beauty and becoming of Marina in her life, calls the girl "Margarita", that is, "pearl". The naming of a saint differently in the East and West took root in the era of the division of the churches. Moreover, in Western Europe, Saint Marina (Margaret) began to be venerated on a par with Saints Barbara and Catherine and was portrayed as trampling on a dragon. It is believed that it was Saint Marina (Margaret) who appeared in visions of Joan and urged her to go to save France.

Saint Marina is also revered in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Thus hundreds of people were erected in Greece Orthodox churches in honor of the great martyr Marina, and on Athos in four monasteries at once, particles of her relics are kept.

Troparion to the great martyr Marina

Your Lamb, Jesus, Marina / calls with a great voice: / For you, my bridegroom, I love, / and, they seek, I suffer, / and I am crucified, and I am buried in Thy baptism, / and for Thy sufferings, / as I reign in You, / and I die for You, and I live with You, / but as an immaculate sacrifice accept me, with love I will sacrifice to You. / Your prayers, / as if Merciful, save our souls.

Kontakion to the Great Martyr Marina

Virginity is endowed with goodness, virgin, / imperishable crowns you were married, Marino, / you were stained with blood of martyrdom, / miracles of enlightened healings, / piously, martyr, you accepted the honor of the victory of your suffering.

Memory Holy Great Martyr Marina of Antioch takes place in the Orthodox Church on July 30 in a new style.

Biography of the Great Martyr Marina
The Holy Great Martyr Marina of Antioch is an early Christian saint who was martyred during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the second half of the 3rd century. The first life of the saint was written by a certain Christian, Theotimus, who witnessed the torture and execution of Marina. According to her life, her father was a pagan priest from the city of Antioch in Pisidia. Marina's mother died very early, and therefore her nurse, who was a secret Christian, was involved in raising the girl. From her, the future saint heard about Christ, and fervent faith and love for God arose in the girl's heart: she made the decision to devote her whole life to Him and not get married. No information has been preserved about how the pagan father reacted to the choice of his daughter, since the Lives provide contradictory data. When Marina was fifteen years old, the ruler of that region accidentally saw her when the girl was herding sheep outside the city. Struck by her beauty, the ruler wished her to become his wife. However, Marina boldly confessed her Christian faith and said that she had vowed never to get married. The ruler, enraged by the refusal, demanded that the young Christian make a sacrifice to the pagan gods, and after she refused, ordered to subject her to torture and torture, which lasted three days. According to the life, during these days Marina saw Satan, who took the form of a dragon and appeared to thrill the martyr, but the saint drove him away from herself with the sign of the cross and the power of prayer. Finally, on the third day of torture, Marina was executed, and with her about fifteen thousand people received the martyr's crown. Some lives narrate that a certain warrior Malchus, who was supposed to cut off Marina's head, seeing her suffering for Christ and her unshakable faith, believed himself, for which he also accepted a martyr's death.

Veneration of the great martyr Marina
The relics of the great martyr Marina were preserved by the witness of her death, the Christian Theotimos, who also became the first biographer of the holy virgin. At first, the relics were in the house of a pious woman, and then they were transferred to the martyrium chapel, where miracles began to be performed from them. After the end of the persecution of Christians, the remains of the saint were transferred to Constantinople, where they were until the capture of the city by the crusaders in the 13th century. The veneration of the holy Great Martyr Marina was also preserved in the West, but in Catholic countries the saint was known under the name Margarita, which in Latin means “pearl”. In European countries, there are many churches dedicated to this saint, however, Saint Marina enjoys the greatest veneration in Greece and Bulgaria. They turn to the Great Martyr Marina with a request to save her from troubles, slander and misfortunes. In addition, Saint Marina can be prayed for for the healing of the sick, especially the possessed and the mentally ill, since the life of the saint tells of her victory over Satan. But, like any holy saint of God, you can turn to the Holy Great Martyr Marina with various requests: both for help in everyday needs, and with petitions for healing from a serious illness, remembering that the intercession of the saints should serve, first of all, the main goal of a Christian's life is the salvation of his soul.
Iconographic images of St. Marina On Orthodox icons, St. Marina is depicted with a cross in a red robe, which in its color symbolizes the blood shed for Christ. On Greek icons, one can see a dragon or devil in the form of a black horned man, whom the saint strikes with a weapon.

Troparion, voice 4:
Your Lamb, Jesus, Marina / calls with a great voice: / For You, my Marriage, I love, / and, they seek, I suffer, / and I am crucified, and I am buried in Your baptism, / and for Your sake, / as I reign in You, / and I die for You, and I live with You, / but as an immaculate sacrifice, accept me, with love I will sacrifice to You. / With those prayers, / as if Merciful, save our souls.

Kontakion, voice 3:
Virginity is endowed with goodness, virgin, / imperishable crowns you were married, Marino, / you were stained with blood of martyrdom, / miracles of enlightened healings, / piously, martyr, you accepted the honor of the victory of your suffering.

Magnification:
We magnify thee, / the passion-bearer of Christ, Marino, / and we honor your honest suffering, / for Christ's sake / you endured.

Prayer:
O holy virgin and great martyr Marino, the true Bridegroom of your Christ, the bride, who suffered in the city of Antioch for the faith of Christ, who passed through fire and water and settled in the Kingdom of Heaven! From your youth, with all your soul and with all your heart, you have loved Christ, our God, whoever desires to serve Him alone. You shone forth with the power of your piety, with chastity and righteousness, having lived holy and fragile among the unbelievers. You, miraculously healed from wounds by the grace of God, amazed your tormentors and led many unbelievers to the knowledge of the True God. You, by the power of God, trampled on the devil, who appeared before your eyes, and you received grace in the battle of the enemy of the human race to overcome. Thou art a bright lamp for all the Church of Christ, a prayer book warm to God and a quick intercessor to all who come running to you with faith. O Saint Marino, guide us to the Heavenly Fatherland, give us zeal for salvation, direct our feet to making the commandments of Christ, to the path of spiritual achievement and the correction of life. Remember us with your prayer, help us all to live chastely, righteously and piously. Hear us, Passion-bearer of Christ, and pray to the Human-lover God, may He grant us peace and good fortune to our Fatherland, may all Orthodox Christians be affirmed in faith, piety and purity, may he strengthen brotherly love in us, may he cleanse us, sinners, of defilement and vices May he save us from the action of the enemy, and have mercy on His grace, and heirs will make the Kingdom of Heaven, where we will glorify the wondrous God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in our saints, always, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

She lived during the reign of Emperor Claudius (c. 270). She was born in Pisidian Antioch (in Asia Minor) and was the daughter of the pagan priest Edesias (Edesim). Her mother died when the girl was 12 years old, and her father entrusted the care of her daughter to a village nurse. The fellowship with local Christians and Marina's natural inclinations favored the growth of the seed of true faith in her heart. When she was 15 years old, her love for Christ was so strong in her that Marina wanted only one thing and thought of only one thing - to partake of martyrdom and shed her blood in the name of love for Christ. Without hiding her desire, Marina was not afraid to declare publicly that she was a Christian, and ridiculed the cult of idols. By this, she aroused the hatred of her father, who deprived her of her inheritance.

One day the prefect of Asia Olybrius, on his way to Antioch, saw the saint when she was tending the flocks with other women of the village. Fascinated by the beauty of Marina, he wished to marry her and ordered his men to bring the girl. Arriving at the palace, she appeared before the magistrate, who asked her to give her name. The Virgin answered in a confident voice: "My name is Marina, I am the daughter of free parents from Pisidia, but I am a servant of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who created heaven and earth." Then she was imprisoned in anticipation of a great pagan holiday, which was to take place the next day.

When she was again brought to trial and ordered to offer sacrifices to the gods along with everyone else, Marina replied: "I will offer a sacrifice of praise to my God, but never to your wordless idols, deprived of life!" Olibrius begged her to preserve her youth and beauty. But she objected that all bodily beauty fades, while the torments endured for the name of Christ adorn the soul and prepare it for eternal bliss. The magistrate, angry at such insolence, ordered the maiden to be stretched on the ground, beaten with rods with thorns, and tore her flesh with iron hooks. The saint's blood poured in an abundant stream and stained the ground, but Marina did not utter a single cry of pain and remained unperturbed, as if someone else was suffering in her place.

After several hours of torture, she was thrown into prison, where she prayed to the Lord not to leave her in the trial and confession of faith. Suddenly an earthquake occurred in the dungeon, releasing a huge serpent from the bowels of the earth. His eyes exuded fire and smoke, his nostrils - flame and plentiful smoke, his tongue was blood-red, and the monster whistled in a frightening way, approaching the saint. Gripped with great fear, Marina turned with a prayer to the Lord, our Savior, who deprived Satan of his strength and freed the dead from hell with His cross. Then the serpent turned into a disgusting black dog, but the saint, strengthened from now on by the grace of God, grabbed him by the fur, pressed his neck with her foot and, taking a copper hammer, killed him with blows to the head and spine.

A bright light shone in the dungeon, proceeding from a huge cross on which a white dove was sitting. The dove sank down near Marina and said: “Rejoice, Marina, the spiritual dove of the Lord, for you won a victory over the evil one and covered him with shame. Rejoice, faithful servant of the Lord, Whom you love with all your heart and for whose sake you have abandoned all fleeting earthly pleasures. Rejoice and rejoice, for the day has come when you will receive the victorious crown and, clothed with it, together with the wise virgins, you will worthily enter the marriage rest of the Bridegroom and your King! "

In the morning, Marina was again brought to the ruler's trial. Since she was as firm as ever in her decision, Olybrius ordered to undress her and burn her with torches. After this torture, they threw her head downward into a vat of water. And again the dove appeared, carrying a branch in its beak - and the cross shone over the vat, from where the saint rose, having got rid of the fetters. The dove could be heard say: "Marina, go to the Bridegroom of all the righteous!" Seeing such a miracle, the multitude of the pagans who were present there converted to the true faith and asked the saint to instruct them in the doctrine that would grant salvation. In the greatest rage, the governor gave orders to behead them all together with Saint Marina.

Arriving at the place of execution, the martyr asked the executioners to give her time for prayer and, turning to the east, turned to the Lord with a plea to recognize the holiness of the soul and body of those who stood up for her. After completing the prayer, she called the executioner to do his job, but, seized by pious fear, he converted to the faith of Christ and refused to raise his hand against the saint. Then Marina said: "You will not help me if you delay in doing what you were ordered to." With a trembling hand, he chopped off her head.

A certain Christian named Theotim, who secretly brought holy food to prison, came for her body and buried it with dignity. During the era of the Crusades (1204), the relics of St. Marina were venerated in Constantinople in the Church of Christ the All-Seeing (Pantepopt).

From a book published by the Sretensky Monastery publishing house.

Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius of Simonopetrsky,
adapted Russian translation - Sretensky Monastery Publishing House