The Holy Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer Painting

Holy Great-Martyr George, the Victory-Bearer, was a native of Cappadocia (a district in Asia Minor), and he grew up in a deeply believing Christian family. His father accepted a martyr's death for Christ, when George was still a child. His mother, owning lands in Palestine, resettled there with her son and raised him in strict piety. Having grown up, Saint George joined the Roman army. He was handsome, brave and valiant in battle, and he came to the notice of the emperor Diocletian (284-305) and was admitted into the imperial guards with a high military officer rank-title. Of many miracles, worked by the holy Great-Martyr George, the most famous are depicted in iconography. There were many idol-worshippers in the native land of the saint - at the city of Beirut. Outside the city, near Mount Lebanon, there was a large lake, in which lived an enormous dragon-like serpent. Coming out of the lake, it devoured people, and there was nothing people could do as it infected air with one of its nostrils. On the advice of the demons inhabiting the idols, the ruler there made a decision: each day people would draw lots to give over their own children as food, and when his turn would come, he promised to hand over his only daughter. That time did come, so the ruler dressed his daughter in her finest attire and sent her off to the lake. The girl wailed bitterly, awaiting the moment of death. Unexpectedly the Great-Martyr George rode up on his horse with a spear in his hand. The girl implored him not to leave her, lest she would perish. But the saint, having caught sight of the serpent, made the Sign of the Cross and with the words "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," he rushed off after it. The Great-Martyr George pierced the throat of the serpent with his spear and trampled it with his horse. Then he bid the girl to bind the serpent with her sash, and like a dog, lead it into the city. The people fled in terror, but the Saint halted them with the words: "Be not afraid, but rather trust on the Lord Jesus Christ and believe in Him, since it be He Who hath sent me to you, to save you." Then the Saint killed the serpent with a sword, and the people burned it outside the city. Twenty-five thousand men, not counting women and children, were then baptized, and there was later built a church in the name of the Most Holy Mother of God and the Great-Martyr George. Saint George became a talented military officer and continued to amaze the world by with his military exploits. He died, when he was not even 30 years old. Hastening to unite with the Heavenly army, he entered into the history of the Church as the Victory-Bearer ["Pobedonosets"]. With this title he was glorified in early Christianity and Holy Rus'.