Story
Lives of the Saints and Martyrs in the Coptic Orthodox Church
Saint Epima
His Upbringing
The name (Epima) perhaps comes from the Greek (Epimachos), meaning (the Victor).
Epima was a farmer from the people of Pankelaus, belonging to Oxyrhynchus (al-Bahnasa) in the Middle Upper Egypt region, which lies 125 miles south of Egypt (Cairo). In the Roman era al-Bahnasa was known as Oxyrhynchus; Saint Jerome described it as containing about ten thousand monks within it and around it, and that the voices of praise never ceased to rise from it.
Epima was raised in a pious, spiritual atmosphere, imbibing the devout life from his parents Elijah and Sophia. So he grew up loving to memorize the Holy Bible and to practice ceaseless worship and generous giving, until, when the people of his clan saw his piety, they regarded him as a father to them, or a leader to whom they would turn seeking his counsel.
His Longing for Martyrdom
When Diocletian had issued his decree to torture and kill the Christians if they would not offer incense to the idols, the land turned into public tribunals that brought every kind of pressure to bear upon the faithful... And God would reveal to some of His chosen beloved ones that they should set out of their own accord to martyrdom, so as to be a cause of consolation to others. Among these chosen ones was this devout Epima, who saw in the night as it were a luminous person exchanging looks of love with him, who said to him: "Do you love Me?
Then why are you sleeping while the struggle is at hand and the crowns are prepared?" And when he knew that it was the Lord Christ, he rose very early in the morning, bearing a surpassing spiritual strength, to bid farewell to his men after a long and deep prayer that he raised to God, pretending that he was going out to attend to some errand; as for his wife, he had already agreed with her beforehand that they would live in chastity for about seven years.
Before Lucius, Governor of al-Bahnasa
He set out to the governor, where he found some Christians being tried, among them Abahor of Abtuga in the district of Bani Mazar, the priest Maximus of Shanaru in the district of al-Fashn, the deacon Tiknash of al-Bahnasa, and the deacon Bijush of Tarfa in the district of Samalut.
One of the governor's men, named Apianus, saw him and informed the governor that Epima, the Christian elder of the village of Pankelaus, was outside; so he ordered him to be brought in. The governor asked him whether he had brought the church vessels with him, and he answered that they were poor people, that the vessels of their church were of glass, and that they had no priest of their own, but rather every week they would request someone from the neighboring towns to celebrate the Divine Liturgy for them.
Then the governor asked him to offer incense to the gods, so Epima entered into a dialogue with him, proclaiming his faith in the Lord Christ; and as he persisted in this, he was subjected to flogging, then cast onto an iron chair with fire kindled beneath it, and a red-hot helmet was placed upon his head... And he endured courageously, for the Lord was sustaining and protecting him, until the crowds were astonished and cried out, proclaiming their faith in the God of Epima. The governor, fearing that the town would rise in revolt against him, ordered him to be transferred to Alexandria.
Before Armanius the Governor
Lucius sent him to Armanius, governor of Alexandria, along with a letter declaring his accusation against him: that he had refused to submit to the emperor's orders and that he practiced sorcery. On the way, the Lord Christ appeared to him in a dream and reassured him that he would bear witness before many, and that because of him many would believe.
Epima was cast into prison to be summoned the following day, for Armanius was absorbed in celebrating his feast. There he cast an evil spirit out of a prisoner, so that the jailer was moved and asked him to pray for his only daughter, who was struggling in the pangs of childbirth; so he prayed, and the daughter gave birth to a child, Epima.
He was summoned the next day, and the governor entered into a dialogue with him; and when he saw his steadfastness, he bound him in a wine-press, but it split apart and his bonds were loosed. And when the governor prepared a furnace, God sent heavy rains that ruined his scheme.
The prisoner was returned, where Saint Julius of Aqfahs, the writer of the lives of the martyrs, visited him; and Julius has recounted to us what he himself witnessed. On the way, a blind man met him begging for alms; Epima was bound and guarded by the soldiers and possessed nothing, so he stopped, and behold, he prayed and laid his hands upon the man's eyes, asking the Lord Christ to heal him, and his eyes were opened. As Julius relates, the man could not contain himself, but ran to him and knelt before him, asking for prayer for himself and for his sister Eucharistia, who had been tormented by an unclean spirit for about fourteen years; and indeed she was healed and came to meet him in the prison, glorifying God.
Armanius summoned him and began to torture him; and as he was blaspheming against the name of the Lord Christ, a film came over his eyes so that he could not see, and his tongue clove to his mouth... Thereupon Julius of Aqfahs intervened, and Epima prayed to God, and the governor was healed; so he ordered that Epima be taken away from before him.
On the way he met some people wailing because their brother Yusab had fallen from an upper story and died; so he prayed to God and raised him in the name of the Lord, until those present were astonished and many believed and came forward for martyrdom.
On the following day the governor handed him over to a man named Symmachus to put an end to Epima's life... So he placed the saint, together with another Christian man, in a boat that held four ravenous beasts, that they might devour them out in the midst of the sea; and behold, an angel of the Lord appeared and healed him of his wounds, loosed his bonds, and shut the mouths of the beasts.
The ship returned to the shore, and the crowds received him with rejoicing; so Armanius was compelled to remove him from Alexandria, and sent him to Bahnamun, belonging to Bani Suef, where his head was cut off, after he had prayed and knelt to offer his neck to the executioner while communing with his Lord Jesus Christ