Saint John, Soldier Martyr, Holy Martyr | In wooden frame with glass | Lithography icon | Size: 6" x 5"

Lithography icon in wooden frame covered with glass.

St.John,Soldier Martyr is a saint who according to the legend lived in the 1V century.Records on him are contained in the synaxarium of the church in Constantinople.St.Simeon Metaphrastes wrote a hagiography of the saint which became part of the hagiology.In this hagiography it is said that St.John,Soldier Martyr served in the army of the Emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) during the persecution of the Christians.He was commander-in-chief of the troops sent to deal with the Christians.However, since he was a Christian himself, he helped the persecuted to escape death by warning them of the imminent danger, arranged escapes,visited the prisoners in dungeons, consoled the sufferers.When the Emperor learned about it, St.John,Soldier Martyr was taken in custody and sent to Constantinople.During a few months he endured terrible tortures.After the death of the Emperor Julian he was released.He left the Imperial military service and devoted his life to serving God and people.All his fortune he spent on helping the poor and sick, rendered help to everybody in need.Having lived till old age he asked to be buried together with the wanderers.After a while the saint appeared to a pious woman in a dream and indicated the place of his burial.The relics of the saint martyr St.John were put in the Constantinople cathedral in honour of the disciple St.John the Theologian famous for miracles and healing.

The image of St.John,Soldier Martyr in the Byzantine art has not been preserved.In the old Russian art they are not numerous either.The most ancient one of the known depictions was kept in the Saviour Transfiguration church on Nereditsa not far from Novgorod the paintings of which date back to 1199.