The Holy Martyr Eupsychius of Caesarea in Cappadocia
Eupsychius was of noble birth and was well instructed in pious beliefs. During the reign of Julian the Apostate, and when St. Basil the Great governed the Church of God in Caesarea, Eupsychius entered into marriage with a prominent maiden. However, it was not given to him to live even one day in marriage. At the time of his wedding, it so happened that there was a pagan feast with sacrificial offerings to the idol Fortune. Eupsychius, with his companions, entered the temple, smashed all the idols and even demolished the temple itself.
Hearing of this, Julian became greatly enraged and ordered that the culprits be beheaded, that many Christians be inducted into the army, that an enormous tribute be imposed upon all Christians, that the temple of Fortune be rebuilt at the expense of the Christians, and that the city be deprived of its honorary name “Caesarea,” given it by Caesar Claudius, and be called by its former name, Maza.
Eupsychius was first tied to a tree and brutally tortured, and was later beheaded, in the year 362. Shortly after this, the wicked Emperor Julian visited this city on his way to Persia, against which he was waging war. St. Basil the Great went out to meet him, carrying three loaves of barley bread as a sign of respect and hospitality. The emperor ordered that a handful of hay be given to the saint as a reciprocal gift. St. Basil said to the emperor: “You make jest of us, O Emperor.
We offer you bread by which we feed ourselves, and you, in turn, give us food for livestock, which you, by your authority, cannot change into food for men.” To this the emperor replied: “Know that I will feed you this hay when I return from Persia.” However, the wicked apostate did not return from Persia, for he died a deserved and unnatural death.
