Galaction and Episteme
{{short description |Syrian saint of the 3rd century}}
{{More citations needed|date= March 2015}}
{{Infobox saint
|honorific_prefix = Saints
|name = Galaction and Episteme
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date = 251 AD
|death_place = Emesa
|feast_day = {{plainlist|
- November 5 (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox)}}
|venerated_in = {{plainlist|
|image = Galacteon and his wife Episteme at Emesa (Menologion of Basil II).jpg
|imagesize = 250px
|caption = Martyrdom of Saint Galaction and his wife Saint Episteme at Emesa, from the Menologion of Basil II
|titles = Martyrs
|canonized_date = Pre-Congregation
|patronage =
}}
Saint {{proper name| Galaction}} (also Galaktion, sometimes Galation) was a 3rd-century Syrian Christian, martyred with his wife, Episteme (Epistima), whom he had converted to the Christian faith ({{langx|el|Γαλακτίων και Επιστήμη}}[https://www.saint.gr/2888/saint.aspx Άγιοι Γαλακτίων και Επιστήμη]).
Life
He was the son of Kletophon and Leukippe, who were a rich and distinguished, but initially childless, pagan couple.{{Cite web|url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2019/11/05/103176-martyrs-galaction-and-his-wife-epistemis-at-emesa|title=Martyrs Galaction and his wife, Epistemis, at Emesa|website=www.oca.org|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-05}} When the couple was converted after being evangelized by a travelling monk/priest/beggar on the promise that the one, true God would hear their prayers and grant them a child, {{proper name|Galaction}} was conceived and born.
{{proper name|Galaction}} hoped from the beginning to live the monastic life, but he submitted in obedience to his parents and was betrothed to the beautiful pagan woman Episteme. During the course of their engagement, over subsequent visits {{proper name|Galaction}} converted first his fiancée and then her servant, Eutolmius. The couple went away to the mountain of Publion: {{proper name|Galaction}} to a men's monastery, and Episteme to an abbey.[https://archpitt.org/events/ss-galaction-episteme-2021-11-05/ "Galaction & Episteme Martyrs", The Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh] They did not leave their monasteries, and neither saw the other until their deaths.
A fierce persecution arose, and both were brought to trial. When {{proper name|Galaction}} was martyred under Emperor Decius at Emesa (now Homs, Syria) in 251 AD, Episteme went to his side and was killed with him. His feast day is November 5.[https://books.google.com/books?id=l-pwoTFp31kC&dq=Saint+Galation&pg=PA348 Bunson, Matthew and Bunson, Stephen. "Galatian", Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints, Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2003] {{ISBN|9781931709750}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Subject bar |portal1= Saints |portal2= Biography |portal3= Catholicism}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Galaction and Episteme}}
Category:3rd-century Christian martyrs