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The Righteous Martyr Theodosia of Constantinople
Protomartyr for the Holy Icons
Whom the Holy Church Commorates May 29.
The Righteous Martyr Theodosia was born and raised by pious parents from the
God‐protected Queen of cities during the time of Theodosius of Atramyttion. When her
father reposed she was about seven years old, and her mother took the child and had
her tonsured in one of the Convents of Byzantium.
Then her mother also reposed, bequeathing her entire fortune to Saint Theodosia.
After commissioning three holy icons of our Christ, our most holy Theotokos, and the
holy martyr Anastasia of Rome (commemorated Dec. 22) of gold and silver, she
distributed the remainder of her inheritance to the poor and the orphaned.
After a certain period of time the impious Leo III the Isaurian (717‐741) deposed the
most pious Theodosius and seized control of the empire. Immediately the wicked man
deposed Saint Germanus, great among patriarchs (commemorated May 12), from the
patriarchate with cudgels and swords because he refused to obey his ungodly decrees.
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Saint Theodosia of Constantinople
Leo personally hastened to remove and commit to the flames the holy and sovereign
icon of Christ our true God, the one fixed above the gates one of which was called the
Holy Χαλκῆ (Brazen) Gate because of this Icon.
While the Emperor’s orders were being carried out, and as the spatharius (sword
bearer, a member of the imperial guard) stood upon the ladder endeavoring to strike
down the holy Icon with an axe, Saint Theodosia, together with other honorable and
pious women, took hold of the ladder, cast the spatharius to the ground, and handed
him over to death. Proceeding to the patriarchate, they threw stones at the impious
Anastasius the chief conspirator. As a result, the other women, with the exception of
Saint Theodosia, were immediately decapitated.
The Saint, however, as the principal dissenter, was singled out for a particularly
violent death. She was seized by a public executioner, savage and inhuman, who tied
her to the end of a rope by which she was dragged through the streets to the Forum of
the Ox where she received the martyr’s crown when he slit her throat with the horn of a
ram, about the year 717.
Having thus fought the good fight (1 Tim. 6:12), they delivered their spirits into the
hands of God.
The Great Horologion © 1997 The Holy Transfiguration Monastery Brookline, Massachusetts 02445
Byzantine Defenders of Images © 1998 Ed. Alice‐Mary Talbot Dumbarton Oaks, pp. 1‐7.
Selected Hymns © 2009 The Holy Transfiguration Monastery Brookline, Massachusetts 02445
The Menaion © 2008 The Holy Transfiguration Monastery Brookline, Massachusetts 02445
Dismissal Hymn of Saint Theodosia of Constantinople. Third Tone
Thy confession
L ET US greatly praise Saint Theodosia * who contested well for Christ our Saviour, *
and attained in the Kingdom the Martyr’s crown; * for she did champion our holy
and saving Faith, * and went to death for the icon of Christ our God. * Wherefore
having found true grace and boldness at God’s great throne, * she asketh of the Lord
salvation for our souls.
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Saint Theodosia of Constantinople
Kontakion of Saint Theodosia of Constantinople. Second Tone
Thou soughtest the heights
T HROUGH labours hast thou * inherited life free from pain: * with the streams of
thy blood, * O all‐praised maiden, thou didst drown * the vile lion, who is the most
abhorrent enemy of Christ’s Church. * As thou now rejoicest with Christ, * unceasingly
pray thou in our souls’ behalf.
Megalynarion of Saint Theodosia of Constantinople.
R EARED in Christ’s true Faith and in piety, * thou wast pierced with sorrow * at the
impious king’s decree. * Hence, thou wast the first‐fruits * of martyrs for the icons,
* O blessed Theodosia, fair maid and bride of Christ.
SYNAXARION
? On This day we commemorate the holy righteous Martyr Theodosia of Constantinople.
Verses
When the horn of a ram slew thee, O Theodosia,
It became a new horn of Amalthea. 1
ODE NINE
When Christ, the chief corner-stone
A S thou standest in the presence of the Almighty God, loose by thine entreaties the
bonds of offences of them that piously hymn thee, O all‐famed and all‐venerable
Martyr, godly‐minded Theodosia.
T HOU hast fittingly received that which our first mother Eve desired, deified in
thine aspiration towards God, and become God by divine participation. Therefore,
we call thee blessed, O all‐blessed Theodosia.
T HY Bridegroom is all sweetness, O prizewinner; Christ is all spiritual gladness of
heart, O Martyr Theodosia. Since thou now hast enjoyment thereof, remember us in
thine intercessions.
1 Amalthea: an inverted cornucopia or horn (possible connection: HOMB’s Virtual Parish).
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Saint Theodosia of Constantinople
Theotokion
T HE Word, Who set all things in order, willed to come in the flesh and dwelt in thee,
having found thee alone to be holier than all; and He showed thee to be the
Theotokos in truth, O Virgin Mother.
Heirmos
W HEN Christ, the chief corner‐stone not cut by the hand of man was cut from
thee, the unhewn mountain, 2 O Virgin, He joined together the separated natures.
Wherefore we magnify thee with rejoicing, O Theotokos.
2 “Thou sawest until a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it smote the image upon its
feet of iron and earthenware, and utterly reduced them to powder. Then once for all the earthenware, the
iron, the brass, the silver, the gold, were ground to powder, and became as chaff from the summer
threshing floor; and the violence of the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and
the stone which had smitten the image became a great mountain, and filled all the earth” (Daniel 2:34‐35
LXX.) “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be
destroyed: and His kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall beat to pieces and grind to
powder all other kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Whereas thou sawest that the stone was cut out of
a mountain without hands, and beat to pieces the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, gold; the
great God hath made known to the king what must happen hereafter: and the dream is true, and the
interpretation thereof sure” (Daniel 2:44‐45 LXX).
As the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem declared, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts
15:28) so the Holy Fathers interpret the above texts from the Prophet Daniel in the same way:
The uncut mountain is our Most Holy Virgin and the stone “cut out of a mountain without hands” is
Christ born of our Panagia without a father. The stone is also the Kingdom of God which “became a great
mountain” which “shall never be destroyed” neither “be left to another people” but “it shall beat to
pieces and grind to powder all other kingdoms, and it shall stand forever”. See also the phrase in the
Nicene Creed: “Whose kingdom shall have no end.”
As Saint John the Virgin and Beloved Disciple of the Lord pointed out to St. Justin the Martyr and
Philosopher to whom he appeared in a lonely place by the sea, the holy Prophets “did not use
demonstration in their treatises, seeing that they were witnesses to the truth above all demonstration, and
worthy of belief; and those events which have happened, and those which are happening, compel you to
assent to the utterances made by them” (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, Ch. 7 The Knowledge of the Truth
to be sought from the Prophets alone.)
Of these may we be deemed worthy through the grace of Christ,
here as an earnest, but there in the substance of truth
in the Kingdom of the Heavens together with those who love Him.
St. Isaac the Syrian Ascetical Homilies, p.263.
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Saint Theodosia of Constantinople
Panagia Quick to Hear
Who celebrates October 1st
Glory.
To God’s Birthgiver let us run now most earnestly, we sinners all
and wretched ones, and fall prostrate in repentance, call in from
the depths of our souls: Lady come unto our aid, have compassion
upon us; hasten thou, for we are lost in a throng of
transgressions; turn not thy servants away with empty hands, for
thee alone do we have as our only hope.
Both now.
O Theotokos, we shall not cease from speaking
of all thy mighty acts, all we the unworthy ones;
for if thou hadst not stood to intercede for us,
who would have delivered us from such numerous dangers?
Who would have preserved us all until now in true freedom?
O Lady, we shall not turn away from thee;
for thou dost always save thy servants from all manner of grief.
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