Dear to the Christians of the Orthodox Church is Saint Charalampos – the Hieromartyr and miracle worker – as they turned to his grace in difficult and threatening times to protect themselves from infectious diseases and especially from the plagueboth in the years he lived (90-203 BC), and later.
This is also the reason why Agios Charalambos is depicted either stepping on the plague with his two feet – he is depicted as a monstrous woman breathing fire from her mouth – or holding her small cherry-shaped, black body with his left hand – he refers in the form of Satan – and with his right hand the Cross.
Agios Charalambos he does not only bear the nickname of the miracle worker for all the reasons we mentioned above but also bears that of the Hieromartyr as he was a priest and suffered a series of martyrdoms to renounce his faith.
According to Professor Lambros K. Skontzos, Agios Charalambos was born in 90 AD. in Magnesia, probably in Thessaly, according to others in Magnesia in Asia Minor. His life is particularly long and spans three centuries as he dies in 203 AD. at the age of 113 years. His upbringing is Christian. In 130 AD he becomes a priest and serves the Church of Magnesia undertaking a great work in spreading Christianity.
He lives in the second century and experiences the cruel and inhumane persecutions against Christians.
When Severus began a persecution against the Christians, the priest Charalambos was arrested by the prefect Luciano and subjected to horrible torture. Lucian tried to kill with his sword, but his hand was cut off and left hanging on the body of Charalambos. The Saint prayed that the prefect’s hand would return to its place, as it did.
Which Saints celebrate with him and why?
Together with him, on February 10, Saints Porphyfios and Baptos are celebrated. It is about the two of his cruel tormentors, who, seeing the heroism and injustice, threw down the knives and shouted: “We are Christians too.” The result was that they testified at the same time. They were beheaded before Agios Charalambos.
The life of Saint Charalambos
Lucian himself subjected him to horrible tortures to deny his faith. When Charalambos defiantly proclaimed his faith, Lucian tried with his sword to wound his body. But, miraculously, the hand holding the sword was cut off and left hanging on Charalambo’s body.
Then, the Saint prayed and Lucian’s hand was welded to his body. Seeing this miracle, many of those present believed in the true God, among them the executioners Baptos and Porphyrios, who are celebrated together with Saint Charalambos on February 10. Humiliated, Lucian ordered the beheading of Charalambos, after first sending him through the city.
Two miracles are attributed to the Saint: The rescue of Zakynthos from the plague in 1728 and the prevention of the burning of Philiatra by the German occupation troops on July 19, 1944, when the Saint appeared in the sleep of their commander and changed his mind.
Parts of the relics of Agios Charalambis are kept in the monastery of Agios Stefanos in Meteora and in the homonymous temple of the Thespians in Boeotia. Two miracles are attributed to the Saint: The rescue of Zakynthos from the plague in 1728 and the prevention of the burning of Philiatra by the German occupation troops on July 19, 1944, when the Saint appeared in the sleep of their commander and changed his mind. Agios Charalambos is the patron saint of Preveza, Pyrgos Ilia, Filiatra and Kea, as well as patron of those suffering from infectious diseases and marble workers.
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