The Martyrdom of Conon the Gardener

1Again — oh, what a godless judgment. After the holy martyrs of Christ, Papias, Diodorus, and Claudian, were completed, the governor came against the city of Magydus and took his seat in the suburb of Zeus, where he tried to summon the inhabitants there too through the herald.

When they heard the herald crying out, they only withdrew from the city still more eagerly, leaving everything behind, so that the city was left deserted with the polluted ruler and his retinue. He sent out the singularii and some others to search all around the city, everywhere and house by house, in case they might find anyone. The men he had sent came and reported back to him that they had found no one, either in the city or in the fields.

2Then a man named Naodorus — also called Apelles —, a father of a city, and another man, a temple warden who was himself raving mad with the impiety of the idols, asked the governor to give them help so they could search in the places they suspected. An assistant named Origen mounted up too with the Naodorus just mentioned, along with a peace-keeping detachment and some others, and they found blessed Conon at a place called Carmena, watering the imperial garden.

When they came up to the thrice-blessed martyr, they greeted him, saying, "Greetings, Conon." Conon, Christ's servant, a pure soul and harmless in mind, said to them, "Greetings to you too, children." Origen says to him, "Old man, the governor is calling for you." Holy Conon says, "What need does the governor have of me, a stranger and above all a Christian? If he wants people like himself, let him look for them, and not for a gardener who toils day by day."

Thrown by holy Conon's answer, lawless Naodorus ordered him to be tied to his own horse and dragged along like that. The holy martyr said nothing back to the men dragging him, but gently and meekly followed the lawless men.

3Naodorus said to Origen, "Our journey has not come to nothing. The man we were looking for has been found. He will have to make a defense on behalf of all the Christians."

When they brought him before the governor, Naodorus said, "By the favor of the gods, by the command of the emperor, and by your good fortune, our excellent ruler, the man we sought has been found, a dear friend to the gods, obedient to all the gods and to the laws and to the great king." But Holy Conon cried out in a loud voice, "It is not as you say. I obey Christ, the great King."

Origen says, "Most excellent of governors, after ranging far and wide through the country around the city, we could find no one except this old man in a garden."

4The governor says to the martyr, "Tell me, man, where are you from, what family do you belong to, and what is your name?" Conon said, "I am from the city of Nazareth in Galilee, and my kinship is toward Christ, whom I worship from my ancestors and whom I have known as above all gods."

5The tyrant said to him, "If you have come to know Christ, know our gods as well. Obey me, and, by all the gods, you will win for yourself no ordinary honor, but noble standing and glory in your generation. I am not telling you to sacrifice, nor to do anything of that kind. Only take a little incense and wine and a branch and say, Highest, save this multitude. Say this, and I will bring nothing else upon you. Hear me as I urge you, and flee this most shameful religion. Why do you go astray, calling a man God, and that a man dead by a violent death? I have learned exactly from the Jews what his lineage was, and what he displayed to their nation, and how he died when he was crucified. For they brought out his records and read them to me. So give up such folly and rejoice with us."

The blessed martyr groaned and looked up to heaven, and when he had prayed to the God of all, he said to the tyrant, "Most impious of all men, would that you too shared in such folly, and did not destroy souls that ought not to perish by attending to lifeless stones and works of human hands that neither see nor hear. How did you dare to blaspheme in this way the God over all, in whose hands your breath lies? For me, and for all who call upon his name, may it be ours to sing to him and glorify him always without denial, him who is Saviour and God of all."

The impious tyrant was enraged at what the holy martyr had said, and he said to him, "If you will not be persuaded by me, the tortures will persuade you to be afraid. Even if you despise the tortures, I will throw you to a most savage lion and so destroy you, or I will hand you over as prey to the beasts from the deep, or I will hang you on a cross and have you put to death, or I will throw you into the fiercest fire burning under a cauldron and melt your flesh, unless you sacrifice to the unconquered and eternal gods." The blessed martyr said to the impious tyrant, "You disgrace yourself, governor. You offer only words, and you think you frighten me and suppose you will persuade me? You will not persuade me, may it not happen. See that the judge does not hand you over to Tartarus with no delay, or to unquenchable fire forever, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Isaiah 66:24; Mark 9:48). For your tortures, which you threaten against me, cannot harm me, for I have God who strengthens me." The tyrant said to him, "Even if the tortures will have no power against you, we will devise still more bitter tortures against you."

6After conferring with his councillors, the governor ordered nails to be set under the joints. He had the martyr's feet nailed and made him run ahead before his own chariot. Driven on under two whips, Conon answered nothing, but sang, "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry (Psalms 40:1)."

When he came near the marketplace, blessed Conon fell to his knees, faint with exhaustion, and looked up to his own master and prayed, "Lord Jesus Christ, receive my soul and rescue me from the dogs that devour blood, and give me rest with all Your righteous ones who have done Your will. Yes, my God, King of the ages." When he had prayed these words and sealed himself, he immediately gave up his spirit.

The lawless governor, greatly amazed at the martyr's victory, rushed off on his own way. But blessed Conon was brought as an offering to God, the King of the ages, to whom be glory forever and ever, amen.