MARTYRS MENAS, HERMOGENES, AND EUGRAPHUS OF ALEXANDRIA

In the days when the night passes and the day approaches (cf. Rom. 13:12), the Church honors the memory of the holy martyrs Menas, Hermogenes and Eugraphus, of Alexandria. The saints suffered for Christ during the reign of Emperor Maximinus Galerius (293–311). His persecution was so severe that it seemed that the end times had come.

The saints were highly revered in the local Church of Constantinople from the very moment of its foundation by Constantine the Great. He founded this city, New Rome, on the Bosporus in 330. Constantinople did not have apostolic origin, that is, it was not founded by the Apostles. Therefore, the discovery of the relics of the martyrs and their transfer to the New Capital some centuries later was extremely important for giving authority to this then new church diocese.

Saint Menas should be distinguished from the Great Martyr Menas (November 11 (24),), who also suffered for Christ at the beginning of the 4th century and was highly revered in Alexandria for centuries.

According to tradition, martyrs who suffered together are named after the first of them. Thus, the Ancient Church pointed out that in the feat of the pioneer, the first martyr in mortal suffering for the faith, Christ’s words from the Gospel of John were fulfilled: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Such a First Martyr, “Faithful and True” (Rev. 3:14), was the Lord Jesus Himself. He gave Himself for the life of the world (cf. John 3:16), and became the prototype, the example, of true fidelity to God.

Periods of persecution in the first three centuries of Christian history were followed by long periods of their cessation. Therefore, the feat of the first martyr was especially precious. It meant a prayer for those who are still alive, for constancy in goodness, for strengthening the Gift of Faith. It also meant a request for those who did not believe, who persecuted and destroyed, so that they would believe.

According to life, Menas was an important official. He was sent by the Emperor from Asia Minor to Alexandria to persecute the Christians there. However, he himself already professed Christianity in secret. Therefore, contrary to the order, he did not persecute, but preached by deed, using his authority to help all those in need in the name of Jesus Christ.

Antiquity was not a time of rapid communication. Information came slowly. Thus, when the teacher of the Carthaginian Church Augustine (354-430) had already departed to the Lord, a message came to his name from Emperor Theodosius II the Younger (401-450), who invited this great Father of the Church to the Third Ecumenical Council, which was soon to take place in Ephesus (431).

This means that Menas in Alexandria had enough time to help his neighbors, and, most importantly, to help those far away, that is, the pagans in the name of Christ. Many turned to faith. Galerius himself eventually found out about this. Not wanting, apparently, to follow rumors, fearing misinformation, because the accusation that someone was a Christian then amounted to dishonor, that is, a kind of “civil death”, Galerius sent a man named Hermogenes to Egypt.

According to life, Hermogenes was a philosopher. He was called upon to test the essence of the matter, and, if anything happened, in the forum, subject Menas, and Christians, to ridicule for their faith. To do this, according to Alexandrian custom, he could involve the pagan crowd, who equally loved both philosophical debate and bloody entertainment.

As a result, Menas and ‘his Christians’ were ridiculed, and many were mutilated. Two days passed, and on the third, as if repeating the truth about Christ’s Resurrection, God Himself began to act. The God of the Bible works when all human hope is dead. Through the prayer of Menas, God revealed a confession of faith in Hermogenes. So, the philosopher confessed Christ before everyone. Menas testified to his faith. For both, this meant a death sentence. Which is what the government representative said.

Then the ruler’s secretary, Eugraphus, spoke out in defense of both.

This name translated means: ‘one who writes well’. It is possible that his real name has not been preserved for us, and those around him used the word “Eugraphus” to designate his profession. Paradoxically, the verdict on ‘his friends’, whom he did not know, caused him to confess his faith. According to the biblical word, he, who writes well, was written in the Book of Life (cf. Rev. 20:12), therefore he believed in Christ at the sight of the innocent suffering of His disciples.

All three, Mina, Hermogenes and Eugraphus, were eventually killed. The remains of the saints were brought to the Emperor at Chalcedon, near the future Constantinople, as proof that they had really been put to death.

The suffering of new martyrs for Christ led many to faith. For it was death for ‘his friends’ (John 15:3), for the faithful and the unfaithful, so that the latter would come to faith. ‘He predestined them, and called them,’ according to the words of Paul (Rom. 8:30). For Faith is a Gift. Gift of the Great Sufferer Jesus Christ.

The suffering of Menas and his fellow-martyrs is rich in semantics. It also is very edifying. For us, Christians of recent times, the Method of Grace is important. It is the opposite of the method of human logic.

According to the life, at first Galerius resorted to force. For he sent Menas, with powers to drive and pursue. Then he ‘connected’ Hermogenes the Philosopher, that is, science par excellence, for persuasion. Finally, he decided to wash his hands (cf. Matthew 27:24), through a death sentence, with the hands of the bureaucrat Eugraphus. Violence, persuasion, bureaucracy - this was the method of imperial power.

Roman paganism proclaimed the Emperor as Lord. And it demanded that Christians repeat this confession. ‘There is only one Judge, able to save and destroy, but who are you?’, was the answer of Jesus’ disciples (James 4:12). ‘Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord,’ says the Apocalypse (cf. Rev. 19:16).

What, in contrast to this imperious human logic, is the Method of Grace? First God sends Angels. For the Angels are His bureaucrats. Their presence is intended to protect and preserve people, to enlighten them with their presence and different circumstances. Then man is enlightened by nature and knowledge. Science is God’s messenger, or, better, because it is too changeable, it is one of His ‘messages’. And finally, when there is no admonition, executions come into force (cf. Rev. 9:12).

Through the prayers of Mina and his brothers in martyrdom, may the Lord protect the Church and the World from inattention to God’s Signs.