Saint Eleutherios – Antiqued Lithograph – Mount Athos

Description

Antiqued Lithograph with Saint Eleutherios

Saint Eleutherios (December 12) was born in the 2nd century AD in Greece (or according to some, in Rome) to wealthy parents. Orphaned of his father, he was raised according to the teachings of the Gospel by his devout and philanthropic mother, Anthia, who became a Christian after hearing the preaching of the Apostle Paul’s disciples.

When Anthia visited Rome, the bishop of Rome, Anicetus, recognizing Eleutherios’ great intellect, fervent faith, and pure character, took him under his protection. At the age of 15, Eleutherios was ordained a deacon and three years later, a priest. From this position, he zealously worked to teach his flock and engage in charitable works. Later, at the age of twenty, by the unanimous vote of the clergy and people, he became the bishop of Illyricum (modern-day Albania), with his seat in Avlona.

The ordination of Saint Eleutherios took place “according to God’s providence” due to his great virtues and wisdom, which attracted idolaters to Christ. His gentle words, confirmed by the many miracles he performed, led those in error to embrace the Christian truth.

The fame of Saint Eleutherios’ virtues spread as far as Britain. The king of Britain, Lucius, wrote a letter to Eleutherios, declaring that he and his people wished to become Christians. Eleutherios immediately responded, sending two well-educated men in the faith, who catechized and baptized King Lucius and his people.

When Emperor Septimius Severus learned of Eleutherios’ Christian activities, he ordered his arrest. After many tortures, Eleutherios was led by the idolaters to the arena in Rome. However, the wild animals did not harm him, so he was beheaded along with his mother.

Saint Eleutherios is considered a helper for pregnant women, granting them “a good delivery.” For this reason, many women call upon his help and place his icon on themselves.

Antiqued Lithograph: Characteristics

This particular image has been created using the technique of lithography, which is taught in the iconography workshops of Mount Athos and is also used by several monks to create exceptional works of art. In this case, the monk used a lithographed copy of Byzantine art and crafted this work following the traditional method of artificial aging. The technique of lithography in iconography essentially constitutes a printing technique.

Origin: Mount Athos