St. Phanourios the Great Martyr & Newly Appeared (Revealed) of Rhodes

(Commemorated August 27)
St. Phanourios (or Fanourios), lived during Roman times and bravely went against the idolatric world.
  Nothing certain is known concerning the lineage and the life of Saint Phanourios because all the information about his life was lost during turbulent times.
The only information we have concerning the Saint is the discovery of his icon, around 1500 A.D. according to the Synaxarion, or according to other sources around 1355-1369 A.D. Some maintain that the icon of the Saint was found in Rhodes, (but others say in Cyprus). 
The Hagarenes (i.e. Muslims) ruled Rhodes and had decided to rebuild the wall of the city, which they so barbarically demolished and had levelled a few years previously. 
They started to send workers to rebuild the new and strong walls of the city. Among the ruins they discovered a most beautiful church which was partially destroyed on one side. Inside they discovered a multitude of icons, which over the course of time the faces of the Saints as well as the inscriptions on them were indistinguishable. 
Only one magnificent icon stood apart from the rest, one that time did not affect, which depicted a youth dressed as a soldier. The Metropolitan of Rhodes, Nilus, went immediately to the site and clearly read the name of Saint Phanourios. The Metropolitan, moved by the appearance of the Saint, saw that he was dressed as a Roman Soldier, holding a cross in his left hand and a lit candle in his right. Around the icon the iconographer had also painted the twelve depictions of the martyrdom that the Saint had suffered, clearly telling his life.
The portrayal of each illustration is as follows:
 
1) The Saint is present in front of the Roman magistrate, standing and looking like he is boldly testifying and defending his Christian faith. 
2) Soldiers beat the Saint on the head and mouth with rocks to force him to deny his faith and the Lord.

3) The Saint remains patient which enrages the soldiers, throwing him to the ground and beating him mercilessly with sticks and clubs in a further attempt to force him to deny his faith.
 
4) Phanourios is in jail and is being tortured in a most abominable way. He is illustrated completely naked with the soldiers ripping his flesh apart with sharp metal instruments. The Saint is silently enduring his frightful martyrdom. 


5) Phanourios is back in jail praying to God to strengthen him to the end of his tortures. 
6) The Saint is again brought before the Roman magistrate to give a defense for his position. By the peaceful and calm expression on his face it appears that neither the tortures he suffered nor the future threats of the tyrant can shake his faith, and thus being undeterred he is waiting for further tortures. 
7) The torturers of Phanourios with rage and cruelty are burning his naked body with lit torches, thus showing his sacrifice for the Lord. The Saint continues showing his strong will and fortitude for the Lord. 
8) Here his savage torturers are making use of mechanical means to achieve the worse of his tortures. They have tied the Saint on a press which crushes his bones when rotated. Though his body is truly suffering intensely for God, the look on his face is peaceful and patient.

9) His executioners watch as the Saint is thrown into a pit with wild beasts. The wild beasts however, through the grace of God, circle around him as if they are lambs and share companionship with him.

10) The Saint is removed from the pit to be crushed under the weight of a huge boulder, convinced that they will finish him off. However, even this time they do not succeed.
11) The scene presents the Saint in front of an altar, where the torturers are urging him to sacrifice, placing burning coal in his hands. Phanourios also passes this test victoriously and a devil in the form of a dragon is shown flying in the air and crying over its failure.  
12) The last scene is the end of his martyrdom, with Phanourios being cast into a large furnace standing on a stool and surrounded by flames and smoke. The Saint is praying intently to God, without complaining or grumbling, and thus unwavering and without giving in, he gave his soul up and flew to heaven, full of contentment for all the tortures he had suffered for the sake of the Lord. 
 
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