Saint Elian was born in the city of Homs, into a pagan family, considered to be among the nobles of the city. The time of his birth was in the third century AD. It is not known exactly.
His upbringing:
Elian was raised on sound faith and good worship. He was a pious fasting man, giving alms and compassionate, merciful to the poor. He was beautiful in his appearance and dress. This upbringing in the faith of Saint Elian was a secret from his father, as he had learned it secretly from his mother. He used to distribute to the poor whatever gifts his father had given him and treated the sick for free. He healed them in the name of Jesus publicly. When Elian declared his Christianity, his fame spread in Homs and elsewhere, to the point that people came to him from far away places. Elian’s medicine was coupled with the heavenly blessing of the Lord Jesus, the Physician of souls and bodies. This is what made Elian, the human physician, a well-known physician not only of the body but also of spirits, especially since God bestowed upon him the grace of exorcising evil spirits.
His exposure as a Christian:
This uproar that Elian had made reached the ears of the doctors and aroused their wrath. Filled with envy, some of them went to his father and denounced him. They said to him, “Your son preaches the name of the God of the Christians and mocks the gods. You are an honorable man and have a voice that is heard by the king and the people of the city. The king has given you a command to help the governor of the city in persecuting the Christians. But we have established that your son is a magician and has led most of the people of the city astray.”
Elian's father was displeased to hear what was said about his son. He had to do something to prove his loyalty to the king and his zeal for the gods. His first reaction was to be furious with his son, and even with those who might have corrupted his mind. So his mind turned to the leader of the Christians in Emesa, its bishop, Silouan, who he had learned was preaching Christ openly in the city, along with two of his disciples, Luke the deacon and Mucius the reader (or Maximus). He sent his officers, who arrested them, tore their clothes, bound them, beat them, and dragged them through the city as a punishment for them to be an example to all who profess Christianity. They then handed them over to the governor to be put in prison. They remained in prison for forty days, then were taken out to be tortured again.
The three were tortured by stoning, beating and wounding while they were praising God and asking Him for strength and patience. It was mentioned that the Lord supported them with signs from Him that made those present cry with amazement and astonishment. When Elijah heard about them, he rushed to them, kissed their robes and was grieved for them. The governor's soldiers seized him and took him to his father and told him what had been done.
His father Khostares was in the presence of many guests, so he feared for his life and reputation, and ordered his son to be taken to the governor after he had provided the soldiers with a letter to him in which he said: I have sent to you my firstborn and only son, Elian, who has joined the crucified Christ and has refused the king’s command. I have prolonged my life for him to apostatize, but he has been stubborn and disbelieving, so judge him as he deserves. When the governor read the letter, Elian returned to his father saying: Your son is dear to me, so judge him as you wish. I have sent to you his companion, Bishop Silouan and his two disciples, so show them the limits of the law so that you may receive reward and peace from the gods.
Xerxes treated Silouan and his companions as magicians, and put his son in prison. After he had beaten them, he ordered them to be thrown to the lions, east of the city. There, before the criminals could complete their deed, the saints prayed to God. When the executioners opened the door to the lions, something unexpected happened. A cloud of fire covered the place, the wind howled, and hail fell, so the lions fled, and fear spread among the people. It is said that a large number of them immediately believed in Christ. As for Elian, he managed to get out of prison and joined the saints, hoping to obtain a share in martyrdom with them. When there was no small disturbance, the governor came with a large army and killed all those who openly declared their faith except Elian, who stood praying.
His martyrdom:
Khostasus was impatient to convert his son Elian to the worship of the pagan gods. After torturing him, imprisoning him, beating him, and inflicting the most severe tortures on him, he ordered nails to be made and intended to be driven into his head. And this is what he did when the blacksmith brought him the nails. He drove them into his head, then ordered the soldiers to release him so that he might die a slow death as a lesson to others. Elian made his way out with difficulty to a cave east of the city where pottery was made. There he prayed and gave up his spirit.
فلما كان الغد حضر الفاخوري، صاحب المكان، وكان مسيحياً في السر، فطالعه منظر إيليان ففرح لكنّه خشي أن يكون الوثنيّون قد نصبوا فخاً للمؤمنين بوضعهم الجسد هناك. فانتظر إلى اليوم التالي. فجاءه إيليان في الحلم ليلاً وطلب منهُ أن يحمله إلى كنيسة الأرشايا حيثُ يجتمع خراف المسيح بالسر. والأرشايا هي أول كنيسة تُعزى إلى الرسولين يوحنا وبطرس. والكنيسة أيضاً على اسم القديسة بربارة، وقد جُعلت في قصر امرأة آمنت بالمسيح بعد ما شُفي ابنها بيد الأسقف جراسيموس الذي أقامه الرسولان متلمِذاً لمدينة حمص وأعمالها أولاً. إلى هذه الكنيسة جاء الفاخوري حاملاً جسد القديس إيليان، فاستقبله المؤمنون بفرح، ولما أخذوا الجسد جعلوه “شرقي المذبح على سرير وصاروا يتبَّركون به”.
It was also reported that during the time of Theodosius the Great (379-395 AD), there was a bishop of Homs named Paul. He built a church for the saint. It was a large, beautiful, decorated sanctuary complete with marble, columns, and silver. Inside it was a small church containing the saint’s tomb. Under the altar was a beautiful sarcophagus with two entrances on the right and the left. When the building was completed, the saint’s body was transferred with readings, prayers, and miracles. God manifested powers and healings through his body that were performed by the aforementioned bishop, including the incident of healing the daughter of a Jewish man from cancer.
Time of his martyrdom:
It is not entirely clear when the saint's martyrdom took place. Some say in the third century, during the reign of Emperor Decius Caesar, and some say not even in the time of Maximinus Caesar in the fourth century.
The Church of St. Elian still stands today, as does his marble tomb. The church is very old and there are still visible wall icons, and the large church that contains the small church and the tomb has been painted with wall icons since the 1970s.
The Church celebrates his feast on February 6.
Troparion of the Martyr, Tone 4
O holy warrior and healing physician, intercede with the merciful God to grant forgiveness of our sins.