Martyrdom of Carpus, Papylus and Agathonice

Martyrdom of the holy Carpus, Papylus, and Agathonice.

While the proconsul was staying in Pergamum, the blessed Carpus and Papylus, martyrs of Christ, were brought before him.

The proconsul took his seat and said, “What is your name?”

The blessed man said, “My first and chosen name is Christian; but if you ask for my name in the world, it is Carpus.”

The proconsul said, “You are surely acquainted with the decrees of the Augusti, that you must worship the gods who govern all things. So I advise you to come forward and sacrifice.”

Carpus said, “I am a Christian. I worship Christ, the Son of God, who came in the last times for our salvation and delivered us from the deceit of the devil; and to idols such as these I do not sacrifice.

Do what you wish. For it is impossible for me to sacrifice to the counterfeit phantoms of demons; for those who sacrifice to them become like them.

For just as the true worshippers—according to the Lord's divine reminder, those who worship God in spirit and truth—are made like the glory of God and are immortal with him, having received eternal life through the Word, so also those who serve these are made like the vanity of the demons and perish with them in Gehenna.

For it is a just penalty that they share the lot of him who led humanity astray—humanity, the chosen creature of God—I mean the devil, who out of his own wickedness incited ⟨the demons⟩ to this. Know, then, proconsul, that I do not sacrifice to these.”

The proconsul, enraged, said, “Sacrifice to the gods and do not play the fool.”

Carpus smiled gently and said, “Let the gods who did not make heaven and earth perish.”

The proconsul said, “You must sacrifice; for so the emperor has commanded.”

Carpus said, “The living do not sacrifice to the dead.”

The proconsul said, “Do the gods seem to you to be dead?”

Carpus said, “Do you want to hear? These never even lived as human beings, that they might also die.

Do you want to learn that this is true? Take away from them the honor you think you offer them, and you will know that they are nothing: things of earthly matter, perishing with time.

For our God, who is timeless and made the ages, himself remains incorruptible and eternal, ever the same, admitting neither increase nor decrease; but these are both made by human beings and, as I said, destroyed by time.

Do not be surprised that they give oracles and deceive. For the devil, having fallen from the beginning from his glorious rank, by his own wickedness ⟨sets at nought⟩ God's love for humanity; and, hard pressed by the saints, he fights against them, prepares wars in advance, and, anticipating them, announces them to his own.

Likewise, from the things that happen to us day by day, being older than time, he makes trial and foretells what will happen—the very evils he himself means to do.

For by God's sentence he possesses injustice ⟨and⟩ knowledge, and by God's permission he tempts humanity, seeking to lead it away from godliness.

So be persuaded by me, consular, that you are in no small vanity.”

The proconsul said, “By letting you babble on at length I have brought ⟨you⟩ into blasphemy against the gods and the Augusti. So that it may go no further with you: will you sacrifice? Or what do you say?”

Carpus said, “It is impossible for me to sacrifice; for I have never sacrificed to idols.”

At once he ordered him to be hung up and scraped. And he kept crying out, “I am a Christian.” After being scraped for a long time he grew exhausted and could no longer speak.

Leaving Carpus, the proconsul turned to Papylus, saying to him, “Are you a councillor?”

He said, “I am a citizen.”

The proconsul said, “A citizen of where?”

Papylus said, “Of Thyatira.”

The proconsul said, “Do you have children?”

Papylus said, “Yes, many, through God.”

One of the crowd shouted, “He means he has children by the faith of the Christians.”

The proconsul said, “Why do you lie, saying that you have children?”

Papylus said, “Do you want to learn that I am not lying but telling the truth? In every province and city I have children according to God.”

The proconsul said, “Will you sacrifice? Or what do you say?”

Papylus said, “From my youth I have served God and have never sacrificed to idols; I am a Christian, and you can hear nothing more than this from me; for there is nothing greater or finer for me to say than this.”

He too was hung up and scraped; he wore out three teams of torturers and uttered no sound, but like a noble athlete he took the rage of the adversary.

When the proconsul saw their surpassing endurance, he ordered them to be burned alive. And both went down in haste to the amphitheater, so as to be quickly set free from the world.

Papylus was nailed to the stake first and raised upright; and when the fire was brought, he prayed quietly and gave up his soul.

After him Carpus was nailed, and he smiled. The bystanders, astonished, said to him, “What made you laugh?”

The blessed man said, “I saw the glory of the Lord and rejoiced; and at the same time I am rid of you and have no share in your evils.”

As the soldier was piling on the wood and setting it alight, the holy Carpus, hanging there, said, “We too were born of the same mother, Eve, and have the same flesh; but looking to the true judgment seat we endure everything.”

When he had said this and the fire was brought near, he prayed, saying, “Blessed are you, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, because you have counted me too, a sinner, worthy of this share in you.” And when he had said this he gave up his soul.

A certain Agathonice, standing by and seeing the glory of the Lord which Carpus said he had seen, and recognizing that the call was heavenly, at once raised her voice: “This meal has been prepared for me; I must therefore take my part and eat of the glorious meal.”

The crowd shouted, “Have pity on your son!”

The blessed Agathonice said, “He has God, who is able to have pity on him, since he is the provider of all. But I—why am I here?” And taking off her garments, rejoicing, she stretched herself out on the stake.

Those who saw it lamented, saying, “A terrible judgment, and unjust decrees!”

Raised upright, as the fire took hold of her, she cried out three times: “Lord, Lord, Lord, help me, for I have fled to you for refuge.”

And so she gave up her spirit and was perfected with the saints. Their remains the Christians took up secretly and guarded, to the glory of Christ and the praise of his martyrs; for to him belong the glory and the might, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.