Having lived with devotion among the saints and walked the path of suffering, you quenched the sacrifices to idols and became a champion for your flock, O wise in God. Therefore, as we honour you, we cry out in silence: deliver us always from our afflictions by your prayers, Cyprian, our father.
(Kontakion, Tone 4)
In the third century, Carthage stood as a mighty fortress. Its churches and porticoes, aqueducts, theatres, and arenas — grand enough to rival even Rome’s Colosseum — proclaimed the bygone majesty of that African land, then subject to Roman rule. Perhaps from Rome itself, the first messengers of Christ reached Carthage’s shores. Under this influence, the Church of Carthage grew strong, developing its own sacred order: bishops and presbyters, deacons and readers, confessors, widows, and virgins. Even among the congregation, distinct places were held for laymen, catechumens, penitents, and hearers. From Carthage’s vibrant liturgical life comes the earliest known account of the agape feast.
Among the teachers and Christian writers of North Africa in that age, the figure of the holy martyr Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, stands out brightly. He burned with holy zeal for the unity of the Church and stood as a shield against outward assaults from false teachers and dangers within. He served as a passionate overseer and a discerning shepherd, whose true power and lasting importance sprang from his unyielding defence of God’s revealed truth. Here was a man who saw with crystal clarity where the Church's borders lay and who would make no terms with those who stood beyond its sacred pale. Saint Cyprian stands forever as a watchman over God's household and its holy order.
Carthage, ancient city-state
Carthage, an ancient city-state, once challenged Rome for mastery of the Mediterranean Sea. Though laid waste by Roman might, it rose again and, by the third century, became part of the Empire.
What we know of this holy man’s earthly journey comes to us through his own letters and his life story, likely authored by Pontius, his deacon. Cyprian was born around the year 210 into a prosperous pagan household. He received a superb education, later taught rhetoric with distinction, and pursued a career in law. In Carthage, theology itself drew from these practical wells of wisdom. At forty-five, in the fullness of his years, Cyprian’s path crossed that of Cecilian, a preacher of Christ. Through this providential encounter, he came to embrace the true faith.
In his tribute to Saint Cyprian of Carthage, Saint Gregory the Theologian thus describes the dawn of this spiritual journey:
“…This Cyprian — once a glorious name for Carthage and now for the whole universe — was noble in wealth, famous in power, renowned in birth (for holding a place and presiding in the Senate is the most convincing proof of nobility). He was the flower of youth, nature’s remarkable creation, foremost in philosophy and every branch of learning, excelling some in breadth, others in depth, many in both, and all in sheer brilliance. His scholarship shines through the host of exceptional works he wrote for our benefit, after, by the mercy of God — who shapes all things and transforms them for good — he changed the course of his life and brought his former folly under the rule of the Word.”
Around AD 245 or 246, at Eastertide, Cyprian stepped into the waters of Holy Baptism. This sacrament birthed him anew, as he would later write:
“When the renewing waters washed away the stains of my former life, and from above a clear and pure light poured into my redeemed heart; when, receiving the Spirit of Heaven, I became a new man by the second birth, then wondrously doubts were replaced by certainty, the hidden became manifest, darkness vanished; what once seemed difficult became achievable; what was considered impossible became possible to attain; so that I began to understand that all my former fleshly life, lived in sin, had been an earthly life, and that only now had the life of God, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, begun.”
Not long after, he took holy orders. Then, in AD 248 or 249, the people chose him to be their bishop in Carthage. His first concern was to set the Church in order, tackling the sin that had crept in amongst both clergy and flock. The sheer integrity of this chief shepherd’s life — his devotion, his mercy, his wisdom — ignited a similar fire in the hearts of the congregation. News of his work spread far beyond the city walls.
Ruins of Carthage in the suburbs of modern Tunis
Yet, Cyprian’s swift rise stirred envy in some. A presbyter named Novatus led the opposition against him. Yet Cyprian pressed on, passionately calling his diocese to live righteously. One of his most distinctive writings is addressed to the pagan Demetrian, who would often visit the bishop, more eager to argue than to learn. One topic of their debate was the accusation that Christians had brought down calamities — war, plague, famine, and drought — upon the world. Demetrian claimed these were the outbursts of angry pagan gods, furious at the Christians’ refusal to honour them. In his reply, “To Demetrian,” Cyprian cut through this assertion. He explained, with forceful clarity, that these calamities had two primary roots. Firstly, the world itself was groaning, ageing, no longer possessing its youthful strength and stability, naturally moving towards its decline. Secondly, he pointed the finger squarely back at the accusers: their own wrongdoing, their own deep-seated vices, especially their worship of false gods and their cruel hounding of God’s people, had provoked the one true God. The work ends in a clarion call: an appeal to turn away from the hollow idols of this world and embrace the one true, living God.
“On the Good of Patience” is a concise yet potent work by Saint Cyprian. There, he examines patience not simply as the paramount Christian virtue springing from God Himself, but as a likeness of Christ, who in His earthly life set before us the ultimate example of endurance, bearing all afflictions without complaint, even unto “death on the cross.” It is patience, wedded to love, that upholds peace within the Church and prevents division.
“On Zeal and Envy” is another significant work by the Carthaginian luminary, set out as a homily*. Here, the good bishop dissects these two corrosive passions, showing them as the devil’s cunning snares into which any one of us might stumble and perish. Envy and jealousy caused the devil's own dreadful fall, and whoever allows these vices to nest in their heart follows in the devil’s steps. They are the root of all evils, the wellspring of disaster, the breeding ground of transgression, the cause of crimes. They are a gnawing worm in the soul, a poison to the mind, a rust upon the heart. The only remedy for jealousy and envy is all-encompassing love — a love that extends not only to our friends but also to our enemies.
Saint Cyprian of Carthage
The peaceful ministry of Saint Cyprian was disrupted in the year 250 when Emperor Decius unleashed a persecution of Christians. Upon taking the imperial throne, Decius commanded all subjects of the empire, whatever their belief, to offer sacrifice to idols for his well-being. Christians who refused to partake in these pagan rites were cast into prison. Only those who renounced their faith walked free. In this storm, Saint Cyprian, with a heavy heart, withdrew from Carthage for a time, but continued shepherding his flock through clergy who visited him regularly. During this harrowing period, the saint wrote thirteen letters, addressed to the clergy, the confessors, and the faithful laity. With impassioned words, he implored them all to remain in unity with the Church, to heed their bishop's rightful guidance, and to hold fast, awaiting his return. His words kept many Carthaginian Christians loyal to the Church. A year later, he returned to Carthage, and soon after, he produced two more treatises: “On the Fallen” and “On the Unity of the Church.”
Modern editions of the works of Hieromartyr Cyprian of Carthage in Russian
In 252, a plague descended upon Carthage. During this time, the saint refused to flee his city. Instead, he called for aid to be given to the sick and dying — Christian and pagan alike, without distinction. Such selfless bravery won him the respect and goodwill of all the people, who held their shepherd in high esteem.
In 257, Emperor Valerian issued a new decree against Christians, specifically forbidding them from gathering in cemeteries and commanding all clergy to participate in pagan rituals.
Within the year, a second edict was issued, ordering the execution of bishops and clergy who persisted in their faith.
Amidst the storms of persecution, Bishop Fortunatus of Thugga, who had attended the Carthaginian Council of 256, sought guidance from Saint Cyprian. In response, Cyprian wrote what many believe was his final work: “To Fortunatus: On Encouragement to Martyrdom.” He composed it to fortify the hearts of believers in the face of oncoming trials. The work is divided into twelve parts: false gods and the living God; idolatry and its divine punishment (Sections 1–5); how Christ’s redeeming blood demands we prize nothing above Him and not drift into worldly pursuits (6–7); why we must stand firm in faith and virtue, right to the very end (8); how trials and persecution test Christians’ resolve (9); why Christians do not dread these trials, since the Lord shields His own (10); how Christ Himself forewarned of persecution (11); and what glorious rewards await the righteous and those who lay down their lives for Him (12).
By August of 258, Saint Cyprian was already under house arrest. In one of his last letters, he wrote:
“Emperor Valerian appended to his decree a specific order regarding us. We wait each day for this command, steeling ourselves with steadfast faith for whatever suffering may come, and hoping, through the Lord’s help and His mercy, to receive the crown of everlasting life…”
Martyrdom of Saint Cyprian of Carthage. Byzantine miniature
Almost every Christian in Carthage gathered to bid their bishop farewell and receive his final blessing. When brought to trial, Saint Cyprian quietly yet resolutely refused to offer sacrifice to idols. The sentence was passed: death by beheading. On hearing these words, he exclaimed: “Thanks be to God!” And in that very moment, the whole assembly cried out as one: “We too wish to die with him!”
At the place appointed for his death, the saint blessed everyone once more. He then directed that twenty-five gold coins be presented to the executioner. With his own hands, he covered his eyes, offered his hands to a presbyter and subdeacon beside him for binding, and bowed his head in readiness. Christians, tears streaming, spread cloths and veils to collect his holy blood. That night, they carried his body to the private cemetery belonging to Macrobius Candidianus, the procurator. Centuries later, during the reign of the great King Charlemagne (771–814), his revered relics found a new home in France.
And so, having triumphed with Christ and completed the shared battle alongside the martyrs, the holy bishop Cyprian heard those words every Christian heart longs for: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). There lies the realm of all who rejoice, and their voices ring out in celebration. There, in the words of another great light, Saint Gregory the Theologian, shines the clearest, fullest and purest radiance of the Godhead. This privilege, granted to Cyprian, fills him with gladness beyond all earthly distinctions. Indeed, even while he walked this earth, his whole life was a lesson in love for true wisdom.
“Look kindly upon me from on high, guide both my words and my life, tend your holy flock… Lead them, as far as possible, towards what is good. Chase from it the prowling wolves and all who delight in empty words and arguments. Grant us that most complete and radiant light of the Holy Trinity, before Whom you, Cyprian, now stand, whom we too revere and magnify, before Whom we serve — worshipping the Father in the Son, and the Son in the Holy Spirit. When at last we come before the Trinity’s presence, may our hearts be clean and our feet steady. Made whole, may we share fully in Her life through Christ our Lord Himself, to Whom belongs all glory, honour and power, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.”
Saint Gregory the Theologian. In Praise of Saint Hieromartyr Cyprian
Reliquary Containing a fragment of the sacred Remains of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, Church of the Saviour Not Made by Hands (Saviour on the Waters), Murmansk
Saint Cyprian of Carthage left a rich inheritance to the Church: his powerful writings and some eighty letters. The Church embraced his works as shining examples of Orthodox belief, and they were read aloud at the great Ecumenical Councils: the Third Council of Ephesus and the Fourth Council of Chalcedon. These texts set out the Orthodox teaching on the Church — a Church brought into being by our Lord Jesus Christ, and given its shape and order by His apostles. Its inner unity comes from a shared faith and mutual love; its outward cohesion is seen in the Church hierarchy and sacraments. Life in its fullness, salvation itself, exists within Christ's Church. Anyone who cuts themselves off from this unity of the Church carries no true life within them. Christian love is the binding force of the Church. “Love is the root of all virtue; it will remain with us forever in the Kingdom of Heaven,” wrote the saint.
Hieromartyr Cyprian, bishop, defender of the faith, and teacher of the Church, whose works were said to shine brighter than the sun, wrote widely on how to keep faith and live a godly life in a world consumed by earthly pleasures and distractions. May his holy prayers give us strength too, for his counsel speaks directly to our twenty-first-century struggles.
Prepared by the team of obitel-minsk.ru
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*A homily is one of the most ancient forms of preaching. It involves the reading of a passage from Holy Scripture, followed by commentary on what has just been proclaimed. A homily speaks simply and naturally, with clarity, and above all, with heartfelt sincerity, straight from the preacher’s heart. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself often taught in this way; later, the Apostle Paul and other early Christian preachers followed His example.
Sources:
1. The Works of the Holy Hieromartyr Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage. — Kiev: [Parts 1–2: 361–368 pp.] (bound together, each with its own title page) — 1879. — 831 pp. — (Library of the Works of the Holy Fathers and Western Church Teachers, published by the Kiev Theological Academy). / Part 2. The Book on the Blessing of Patience. 279–297 pp.
2. CYPRIAN (pravenc.ru).
3. The Works of Our Holy Father Gregory the Theologian, Archbishop of Constantinople: Vols. 1–2. — St Petersburg: P. P. Soykin, [1912]. / Vol. 1. — III, 680, 1 portrait leaf. / Discourses (1–45). 17–680 pp.
