السيرة
Saint Acladius the Prince.
**The Early Life of Acladius**
He was one of the princes of the Romans, the son of Abtelmaus (Ptolemy). He was beloved by all the people of Antioch for his noble character, his courage, and the splendor of his countenance, so that they called him "Acladius the Knight" and hung his image upon the gate of the city.
**His Longing for Martyrdom**
When Diocletian stirred up the persecution against the Christians, this saint agreed with his cousin Baktor (Victor) the son of Romanos that they would offer up their lives for the Lord Christ.
On the road to the king, the enemy of good appeared to them in the form of an old man and began to counsel them, saying: "My sons, you are in the prime of youth and are children of the nobility, and I fear for you from this unbelieving king. So if he says to you, 'Worship the idols,' agree with him, and at home you can secretly worship Christ." The two perceived his scheme and said to him: "O you who are full of all deceit, depart from us." At once his form was changed, and he said: "Behold, I will go before you to the king and incite him to shed your blood."
**His Being Sent to Upper Egypt**
Acladius met the king, who began to flatter him, promising to grant him his father's office if he would offer incense to the idols. When he paid no heed, the vizier Romanos advised the king to send him to Egypt, far from Antioch, lest his martyrdom should stir up the people. So the king sent him with six of his soldiers, asking Arianus the governor of Ansina to first deal gently with him and then to chastise him.
Acladius the Prince set out under the guard of the soldiers to Egypt, and before his departure from the city a great multitude of the people gathered to weep for him, for all loved him. At the gate of the city there was a blind man who asked him to pray for him; and indeed he signed him with the sign of the Cross and besought the Lord Christ, and his eyes were opened. Then he blessed the crowd and bade them farewell, asking them to take care for the salvation of their souls, and declaring his joy at setting out to his Master Jesus Christ. He also entrusted his wealth to his sister's husband, "Sadrikhos," to distribute it among the poor.
Acladius arrived at Ansina, and the soldiers learned that Arianus had gone off to the borders of the regions of Qusqam, al-Ashmunein, and Asyut, seeking out the Christians to torment them. So they set off toward Asyut, and when they reached the village of Mesara they sat down to rest.
In Mesara, Acladius met two young men, "Abamun" and "Sarna," who were seeking the governor that they might confess the name of the Lord Christ and be martyred for His name. They supposed that Acladius was the governor; but when they recognized who he was, they rejoiced greatly in him, and the three of them began to speak of the great works of God.
In the city of Asyut, when the governor read the king's letter, he rose and kissed the hands of the Prince Acladius, praising him for his dignity and his high rank, and asking him to offer incense to the idols. When he refused, he ordered him imprisoned together with the two young men, Abamun and Sarna.
In the morning the governor began to put Abamun on trial, and as he was bearing witness to the Lord Christ, he ordered him cast upon a bed of iron with fire kindled beneath it. But what astonished the governor was that the six soldiers who had come with Acladius the Prince came forward, declaring their faith in the Lord Christ, saying: "Our lord Acladius has delivered us to the true King, Jesus Christ." This was an offering of love that Acladius presented to the Lord Christ by his testimony for Him before the soldiers. The governor was enraged and ordered their heads cut off; but Acladius kept encouraging and comforting them, while they said to him: "It is because of you that we have attained this honor." He answered them: "Go in peace, and be an offering and firstfruits to the Lord." Then they delivered up their lives into the hands of the Lord on the 20th of Bashans.
**Praise in the Prison**
The governor went off toward the prison to hear for himself Acladius and Abamun, together with all the imprisoned Christians, praising God with a beautiful melody as two choirs, each one answering the other.
**The Martyrdom of 142 Youths**
As there was a school near the place of Abamun's torment, the teacher urged his pupils to go off to where the governor was, to bear witness to the Lord Christ and to take the kingdom by force. And indeed, when the governor saw them, he was astonished and asked them: "Where are your fathers?" They answered: "Our Father is in heaven, and our mother is the Church."
Acladius witnessed this scene, and his heart rejoiced greatly, and he began to encourage the boys; while their teacher was chanting the psalm: "Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary" (Psalm 150:1), and the boys answered him back with a beautiful spiritual melody.
This spectacle stirred the multitudes, and all went off to proclaim throughout the city what had happened. Then 28 women, the mothers of these boys, came and began to say to their children: "What has befallen you? Do you wish to go to Christ and to leave us alone in this world?" The governor was enraged at the sight and cast them all into the furnace of fire on the 22nd of Bashans.
**The Martyrdom of Saint Thecla**
While Saint Abamun was upon the bed heated with fire, and the six soldiers and the one hundred and forty-two youths had been martyred along with 28 of their mothers, Thecla, the daughter of Karas the accountant of the city of Asyut, set out in honorable garments to where the arena of torment was, and began to speak with the Prince Acladius and Abamun as her two brothers. The governor was enraged and ordered her head cut off at break of day, and this was accomplished to the east of Asyut.
After her head was cut off, the chief of the palace came forward to the soldiers who accompanied him in the carrying out of this task and asked them to forgive him if he had wronged them in anything, for he was going to deliver himself up to martyrdom. So some of the soldiers accompanied him, and they were martyred on the 23rd of Bashans.
**The Martyrdom of Acladius**
One of the governor's companions advised him to hasten his departure from Asyut, because Acladius was leading astray the minds of many. And indeed he set out, and with him were Acladius, Abamun, Sarna, and many others.
The governor lifted Acladius up upon a wooden frame and then struck him with a spear, and he died; and the governor grieved greatly over his death!