By
His
Eminence
Metropolitan
Panteleimon of Antinoes
In the year 296 A.D., during the reign of
Diocletian, a man named George was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Roman
army in Asia Μinor. This man was later to suffer martyrdom and to become known
as St. George the Great Martyr.
In the same year that St. George d his
command, Diacletian began his persecution against the Christians. He launched a
two-pronged attack against them. Those who agreed to foreswear their faith in
Christ were promised high positions in the Empire, whereas those who refused to
betray their Lord and Saviour were to be put to death.
At the time the decree suppressing
Christianity was promulgated, St. George was travelling alone in Lydia (Asia
Minor). Now in that part of the world there was a city, the citizens of which
worshipped a large snake, which lived near the lake close by. Every year they
would offer a young girl as a sacrifice to the snake, which was known as
Dragon, the god of the lake. The annual sacrifice was about to take place and
the young victim was already bound and left waiting at the entrance to the cave
where Dragon lived. At that moment St. George happened to pass by. He
immediately stopped and asked what had be fallen her. She replied that she was
a οffering to the god of the lake. St. George reforted that that was iniquitous
and that there was One True God, the Creafor of heaven and earth, and that He
did not require human sacrifice. Bidding her to be brave and to hold fast, he
promised to save her from the monster.
It was not long before Dragon appeared
at the mouth of the cave and began attacking his prey. The moment he did this,
St. George charged at him, and making the sign of the Holy Cross, ran him
through with his lance and kilied him.
