Miracles 1 - 4 of Saints Cyrus and John as Recorded by Saint Sophronios of Jerusalem

Sophronios states that he is opening his account of the miracles with a record of those miracles effected for people of Alexandria, where the Saints' martyrdom occurred at Menouthis, where their shrine is placed, and where many people can attest to their power.

The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John

Miracle 1

Healing of Ammonios of Alexandria From Scrofula and a Stomach Disease

By St. Sophronios of Jerusalem (summarized)

There was a certain Ammonios in Alexandria, who held the office of octavarius and was one of the first citizens of the city. He had a fortune and took pride in his father, Julian, who had held for quite a long time an important office in the administration of the Church of Alexandria under Bishop Eulogios [581-608].

This Ammonios was still young and handsome, but had his neck deformed by scrofula which made him resemble a hog. His father took him to various physicians offering them in advance a great sum of money to cure his son. The doctors, who held Julian in high esteem, promised to cure Ammonios. They mobilised all the means of their art and did whatever they could, but without any effect.

Thus the father took his son and presented him to the true physicians, that is to the martyrs Cyrus and John. Sprinkling with tears their honorable bodies he begged the Saints to deliver his son from the disease. The Martyrs listened to Julian and healed the young man.

But the healing did not concern only his body. Having seen that Ammonios was haughty and prone to be too proud because of his richness, the Saints also healed his soul. They told him to sweep the area around their tomb so that he did not form too flattering an opinion of himself and, bent forward towards the earth, learnt where he had come from. Thus, when the Saints had mortified the swelling in the young man's soul, they applied a remedy to his physical neck. It was a plaster of the all-powerful salve mixed with some bread that they ordered to be applied around his neck.

In effect, after the application of this remedy, [the scrofula] fled as quickly as if someone flogged and chased them. All of a sudden they burst on the skin of his neck which enveloped them and fell down in front of the Saints' tomb. They were sixty seven in number, as said those who counted them. Those who were serving in the shrine at that time hung them for many days by the Saints' tomb, demonstrating the Martyrs' power and encouraging everybody to a praise pleasing to God. Ammonios, having obtained a double cure for a double disease, was rendered healthy.

Shortly afterwards, however, Ammonios forgot the lesson and became haughty again. So a bodily illness corrected him once more: he was punished by the Martyrs with a dangerous disease of the stomach. The physicians who were taking care of him did not treat him in the right way. Thus everything he consumed, he immediately regurgitated through his mouth. Even though the medics tried hard, in order to get their payment, they were helpless.

So Ammonios went to revisit Cyrus and John, confessing that after God they were his only physicians. He was healed and received a remuneration for his faith from the Saints. This time, the remedy for his stomach was composed of the oil and the salve (kerote, from the lamps) that were illuminating the Martyrs' tomb. The saints made the vainglory of Ammonios' soul go away with the proper remedy.

One night they came to find Ammonios and bade him cast off his soft clothing and take on a rougher garment, called sakkos, such as is worn by the poorest. Then they ordered him to bring water to his ill brothers, with jars on both of his shoulders, and not only one. They said they would not heal him until he complied with the order.

Ammonios executed the order. He went in rough clothing to carry water, and afterwards he regained health. So he praised Cyrus and John and then departed from their shrine.

The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John

Miracle 2

Healing of Theodoros of Alexandria From Leucoma

By St. Sophronios of Jerusalem (summarized)

There was a certain Theodoros of Alexandria, who had a modest fortune, and so lived a tranquil life. He suffered from leucoma (leukoma) which affected both his eyes. Since the doctors could not cure him, he went to the sanctuary of the Martyrs approaching them with a sincere faith as being his only hope. The Saints commanded him to wash his eyes. He thus washed them and wiped them with a napkin and with the humidity of the water he cleared the leucoma from his eyes. He rushed to show all who were in the sanctuary the leucomas deposited in the napkin that had been expelled from his eyes by the divine will, and presented himself as a model of faith, and proclaimed the greatness of the healing caused by his faith.

The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John

Miracle 3

Healing of the Broken Leg of Kalos of Alexandria

By St. Sophronios of Jerusalem (summarized)

There was a certain man in Alexandria, whose name was Kalos and it was the right name for him, since it very well matched his character [in Greek "kalos" means beautiful, or good]. Once, when he was descending from a ladder, by the pursuit of that which hates the good and the terrible aversion towards the good which always threatens the good, he fell down from a height, and terribly broke his shin bone into a thousand pieces.

Having seen that the physicians could not help him, and that his bone had almost disappeared because of its losses, while the flesh on the leg was swollen up and consumed by pus, he reproached himself for preferring physicians to saints and decided to resort to the help of Saints Cyrus and John.

Praying to them, he asked for both their forgiveness and his health. Thanks to his authentic faith, he received healing. Under the Saints' command, he anointed his leg with the oil of the lamp [in the sanctuary] and with it filled the losses of the bone; this way he regained his health.

The Miracles of Saints Cyrus and John

Miracle 4

Healing of Isidoros of Maioumas From a Pulmonary Disease

By St. Sophronios of Jerusalem (summarized)

There was a certain Isidoros who came from Maioumas, not the Maioumas of Gaza, but that of Alexandria. The Alexandrian Maioumas is located on the ancient island of Pharos which is now considered a quarter of Alexandria; in spite of the fact that it has been united to the city, it still keeps its previous name of Maioumas.

This Isidoros was in a very bad state. His lung tormented him so badly that he already expected that death would be the remedy for his ordeal, since this organ had rotted, and he expectorated blood and phlegm. He was conscious that there was no more hope for his recovery among people. He had, however, a faith in Saints Cyrus and John that could cast mountains into the sea and make the dead arise from their tombs (because the Saviour had made the faith so potent), so he left the city and went to the Martyrs' sanctuary.

The Martyrs, in admiration for his faith, appeared to him not in a dream, but in a waking vision. They gave him a piece of lemon and commanded him to eat it immediately. However, he took the Martyrs for members of the public in the sanctuary. Having taken the lemon with pleasure, he started to eat it willingly, but with the last bite of it he began to vomit. This way, he got rid of the worm that was devouring his lung and regained his health.