Antipas of Pergamum

Description

The Holy Hieromartyr Antipas lived during the time of Emperor Diomitian (81 – 96 AD). He was a contemporary of the Holy Apostles, who ordained him Bishop of the Church of Pergamum, when John the Theologian and Evangelist was exiled to Patmos. In the Apocalypse, Saint Antipas is called by the Apostle John a faithful priest and martyr. As high priest of the Church of Pergamum, he shepherded his rational flock with all piety and virtue. Being the Bishop of Pergamos, and being very old, he was seized by the pagans, when the demons appeared to them and told them that they could not dwell in that place because of Antipas. Therefore he was brought before the ruler and forced by force to deny Christ and sacrifice to idols. He (the ruler) made every effort to persuade the Saint to deny Christ, telling him that the older ones are more valuable, while those that appear recently have no value.In other words, he told him that the religion of the heathens, idolatry, is old, has grown through the centuries and has many followers, which is why it is much more important than the faith of the Christians, which appeared recently and has very few believers. To this argument of the ruler, the Saint responded with the story of Cain. That is, he said to him, that the fratricide of Cain, although he is much older, caused and causes the abhorrence of infinite multitudes of people, and no pious man envies it. The ruler was greatly enraged by Antipas’ reply, and then ordered him to be thrown into a burning bronze ox, where he ended his life, in the year 92 AD. His holy relic was buried in the Church of Pergamum and it constantly exudes myrrh and healings, and his Synaxis was held in the pansept Apostoleio of the Holy and All-Blessed Apostle John the Theologian, near the Great Church. Church of Agios Antipas existed during the 9th century AD. in Constantinople and another, also, text between the villages of Agios Stefanos and Rigi.
Saint Antipas Celebrates on April 11.