10/24/2026 – Життя Святих / Lives of the Saints
Св. мч. Арети і тих, що з ним
Martyr Arethas and 4,299 Martyrs with him
The Synaxarion (Lives of the Saints):
The Holy Martyr Arethas and the 4,299 Martyrs suffered for Christ in the sixth century. Saint Arethas was the prefect, or governor, of Negran, a Christian city in Arabia. At that time, the Arabian king Dunaan, who was Jewish, decided to eliminate Christianity from his kingdom. He issued an order that all Christians were to be put to death.
The people of Negran remained faithful to Christ. Because of this, Dunaan came with a large army and surrounded the city. His messengers announced that those who renounced Christ would be spared. They even called the Cross of Christ a “sign of malediction.”
Dunaan was unable to conquer the city by force, so he used deception. He swore that he would not force the Christians to abandon their faith or convert to Judaism, but that he only wanted to collect a tribute from the city. Trusting his promise, the people opened the gates of Negran, despite the warning of Saint Arethas.
The next day, Dunaan revealed his true intentions. He ordered a great fire to be prepared and commanded that the clergy of the city be thrown into it. Four hundred twenty-seven Christians were burned alive. Saint Arethas and other leaders of the city were arrested and placed in prison.
Dunaan then sent his messengers throughout the city, trying to persuade the Christians to renounce their faith. He personally questioned those who had been imprisoned. He claimed that he did not require them to deny the God of heaven and earth or worship idols. He only demanded that they stop believing in Jesus Christ, whom he claimed was merely a man and not God.
The holy martyrs answered with courage. They confessed that Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, who became man for the salvation of the human race through the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.
They refused to deny Christ, saying in faith that He is their Life and that to die for Him is to find true Life.
Saint Arethas remained firm in his confession of Christ. Together with him, thousands of Christians refused to abandon their faith. Men and women, the elderly and children, from Negran and the surrounding villages, accepted martyrdom rather than deny the Lord.
More than four thousand Christians gave their lives for Christ. Their witness reminds us that faith is not simply something we say with our lips. It is a commitment to Christ that remains faithful even in the face of suffering and death.
The martyrs of Negran teach us that Christ is worth more than safety, comfort, or even life itself. They believed the words of the Lord: “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
May the Holy Martyr Arethas and the thousands who suffered with him pray for us, that we may remain faithful to Christ in both easy and difficult times, and that we may never allow fear to separate us from the love of God.