Page 3 - History of St.Arethas_Neat

According to tradition, Alllaiilh but Ka’h (in Gin'k An'lhas) was lxnn around 12/AI), in
Najian II is believed lhal ho |il.iy<xl .1 prominent pad in N.i|i.ms jxililir al hie, pel haps as a
goveinoi 01 • ay'/id until hi", mailyidenial a npo old age
I lisloiians h'li<*v<‘ lhal alloi a < oup in Iho kingdom of I limyai, lhe new king irbelled against
In", oveiloids. Iho nileis ol Axnm He undeil<x>k a systematic |x*is<'eutinn ol inns!
Christians in South Arabia who were identified with llw opposing power Chinches weie
bumrxl, .Hid those1 who did not alxindon lheii Chiislian laith wem executed
After his generals sulfeuxl minor dekxils al Najian, the king himself came to lake lhe city
wilh his army. Available literature indicates lhal ho h soi led io a ruse, offering a promise of
safely in exchange foi the peaceful surrender ol its inhabitants I lowever, this pledge was
not upheld once the city was caphned Chinches, wilh lhe Ixxlres ol dead Chiistian leaders
weie binned, and lhe Chiistian inhabilanls weie olleied lhe choice ol apislasy 01 death
I lagiogiaphic liteialuie relates lhe Ixild witness ol many Chnslians in Iho lace of death,
especially women.
lhe accounts vary in lhe different gruesome forms of execution to which the martyrs are
said to have been subjected. What is certain is lhal clergy, nuns and laypersons, from
different social classes and of all ages were pul Io death One tradition, even alluded to in
lhe Quran, claims that many were burned in a trench. A largo number were beheaded,
including lhe leadei St. Arelas, who is said Io have lx?en between 80 to 95 years old.
Children as young as 3 or 5 are said to have either chosen death or been forcibly separated
from their parents Io be raised as non Christians, fhe number of those who were martyred
is disputed, with estimates ranging from 300 persons to over -1000 persons
The news of lhe massacre was published by lhe king of Himyar himself, who urged the
neighbouring rulers to copy his own actions. Upon heanng of the account of this tragedy
during a diplomatic conference wilh the Lakhmid king Mundhir III, lhe Syriac bishop Simon
Beth Arsham wrote accounts of the massacre lhal wore circulated as far as Alexandria and
Constantinople The martyrdom was gurckly commemorated in lhe liturgies ol many
churches and monasteries
Though biller theological disputes on lhe nature of Christ were dividing Christians in lhe
Byzantine empire and beyond, veneration of lhe martyrs quickly became common across
lhe known Chiistian wodd. irrespective of ones Chrislological belief 01 confession. loday,
lhe martyrs ol Najian are commemorated in the Orthodox and l aslorn Catholic Chinches,
who follow lhe Greek-Slavic, I Ihiopian and Syriac traditions. I hey arc also venerated in lhe
western Latin Chinch’ on lhe ?-llh of Oclolxx, lhe Roman Mailyrology records lhe ’lhe
passion in Najian in Aialna of SI. Arelhas, lhe leader of Um city, and 310 companions under
Dhu Nuwas, lhe King of I limyai, in lhe lime of Lmp'roi Justin’.
I lagiogiaphic liteialuie reports an impassioned exhortation, said Io have Ixjen made by St.
Arelhas before his death, in which he proclaimed Ural "lo die for Christ is Io find life.’ I le is
lhen said lo have prophesied lhal *as a vine pruned al lhe coned limo gives a good yield of
fruit, God will multiply the Christian population fin (his cilyl. lhe chinch which has been
burned down will be raised up.’, loday there exists a local pnish in lhe Apostolic Vicariate
of Northern Arabia, which covers tlx? very city of lhe martyrdom of SI. Aiethas and his
companions II was fittingly consecrated under their protection and erected in their Ixmioui
in 2011 by the late Bisliop Camillo Ballin