Council of Saints, Council of Saints: Samon, Guriy, Aviv

Martyrs Guriah, Samon and Aviv are always depicted together. The saints came from Edessa. In the times of the persecution of Christians during Emperor Diocletian’s reign in early 4th century, two friends Gurias and Samon were beheaded with a sword because they refused to offer sacrifice to pagan deities. A dozen or so years later, when persecution was resumed during the reign of Emperor Licinius, a young deacon from Edessa called Aviv revealed himself to be a Christian voluntarily, so that witnesses would not suffer because of him. He was burnt and later buried in with Guriah and Samon. At the tomb of the martyrs, miracles began to take place. According to the legend, one of the more famous ones involved the rescue of Euphemia, wife of a Gothic warrior who turned out to be an impostor. Despite his vow, he made the girl married by him a slave to his first wife whose existence he had not previously disclosed. Suffering insults and the loss of a poisoned child, Euphemia asked martyrs Gurias, Samon and Aviv for the intercession. The saints took her away from her bigamist husband and miraculously brought her back to Edessa. The martyrs were considered to be patrons of marriage and family. Icons depicting Gurias, Samon and Aviv were found in almost every Orthodox Christian home. It was believed that the presence of that holy image would help to strengthen the mutual love and respect of the spouses, prevent misunderstandings between them and protect the family from violence. In the icons, Guriah is shown as an old man, Samon as a mature man, and Aviv as a young man.

Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967