Saint Eustathios lived during the empire of Trajan and Hadrian, his name was Plakidas and was a pagan.
He was an officer in the Roman army. One day while he was hunting he saw a deer with a Cross between its antlers and heard a voice calling him to the true faith, to the faith of Christ. The Saint believed and was baptized with the name Eustathios and was followed by his wife Tatiana, who took the Christian name Theopisti, and their two sons, Agapios and Theopistos.
As soon as the emperor was informed that his officer had become a Christian, he expelled him from the army and banished him and his family. On the way to exile Eustathios was separated from his wife and children, going so far as to beg so that he could live. After some years, Trajan needed Eustathios’ valuable contribution and recalled him to his army.
Eustathios’ military and fighting skills gave the emperor great victories. In fact, in one of his campaigns, Eustatius found his family again, which had endured many hardships over the years. After some time Hadrian, Trajan’s successor, asked Eustatius to attend a sacrifice to pagan gods, which he refused.
Then the emperor ordered a bronze torture chamber to be made, to be well fired, and to shut Eustace and his family in it. But as they were preparing to put them in, they asked to pray.
Then they heard the Lord say that after they had gone through great temptations with great patience and bravery they would enjoy eternal joy in the heavenly home. Then the Saint and his family surrendered to the soldiers with great willingness, closed themselves inside the bronze chamber and surrendered their souls to the Lord in 126 AD.
After some days, Hadrian ordered the bronze structure to be opened. When they opened it, they saw that not a single hair on their heads had been burned. At first they thought they were still alive and he ordered them out to be taken out.
The people, when they saw their bodies unharmed, began to shout in one voice, “Great is the God of the Christians. He alone is the true God and no other.”
Hadrian got scared and fled. Then some Christians took the dead bodies of the Saints secretly and buried them with special reverence.
Agios Eustathius is considered the patron saint of hunters and the commemoration of Saint and Great Martyr Eustatius is on September 20 each year.
