Celebration date: 10/12/2021
Minas was an Athenian and from a pagan family. But when he was trained and educated enough, he found that polytheism was rather a lie and a delusion. In the study of the philosophers, too, he could find nothing true. Then he proceeded to study Christian writings. After the Gospel, where he found what filled him mentally, that is, light and truth. Thus, Minas became a Christian.
Later, the king Maximinos (311 – 313 AD) (according to others Maximianos [286 – 305 AD]), not knowing that he is a Christian, made him prefect of Alexandria. But when this king ordered persecutions in this city, Minas not only did not carry out the order, but also caused the Christian classes to multiply.
Then Maximinus sent a new prefect, the Athenian scholar Hermogenes. He, following the letter of the law, severely tortured Mina and locked him in prison, to die there from his wounds. After some time, when Hermogenes sent to ascertain whether and when Menas had died, they found that not only had he not died, but that his wounds had been healed.
Then she publicly asked him how this happened. Minas replied that he was healed when he fell to the ground and sang: “If I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, Lord” (Psalm 4). That is, if I face death, I will not fear that I will suffer harm, because you are with me, Lord. The result of the answer was that Hermogenes and Eugraphos, who was the grammarian of Minas, became Christians. Later, all of them were beheaded.
