The Martyrdom of Saints Cotylas (Kobtlas) and Aksu, his Sister, and Tatos, his Friend .

On this day, Saints Cotylas (Kobtlas) and his sister Aksu, the children of Sapor, King ofPersia, and Cotylas' friend, Tatas, were martyred . Sapor worshipped fire and the sun . He inflictedmany tortures on the believers, and no man throughout the country dared to mention the Name ofChrist . His son, Cotylas, had a friend named Tatas who was a ruler over the country ofMaydasayeen .Certain people laid an accusation against Tatas before the king that he was a Christian . The kingsent to him a governor named Tumakher to verify the validity of what was said and if it was true,to torture him . When Cotylas, the son of the king, heard that, he also went to that country, to hisfriend Tatas . When the governor arrived and found that he was Christian, he ordered his men tocast him in a furnace . St . Tatas made the sign of the Cross over the fire and the fire died out .Cotylas marvelled and asked him, "How did you learn this magic, 0 my brother?" He replied,"This is not magic but it is through faith in the Lord Christ ." Cotylas asked, "If I believed, would Ibe able to do the same?" Tatas answered that with faith you can do more than this . Cotylas, theson of the king, believed in Christ, then he drew near the fire and made the sign of the Cross overit, the fire backed a distance of 12 cubits .The governor sent to the king to inform him what had happened, and the king had them broughtto him . He ordered to cut off the head of Tatas who thus received the crown of martyrdom .However, he tortured his son, Cotylas, with different kinds of tortures . He cast him in prison and31sent for his sister Aksu, so she might persuade him to return to his father's belief . St . Cotylaspreached her and turned her heart to the belief in the Lord Christ . He sent her to a priest whobaptized her secretly .She returned to her father saying, "I wish that you had what my brother and I have, for there is noGod but Jesus Christ ." The king became angry and commanded to torture her, until she yielded upher soul in the hand of the Lord Christ .They tied Cotylas to the tails of horses and dragged him over the mountains until he yielded up hisspirit . Then they cut his body into pieces and they cast it out for the birds to consume it . When thesoldiers departed, the Lord commanded saintly priests and deacons who went secretly at night andtook the holy body which was shining as snow . They hid it in a place until the end of the days ofpersecution .Their intercession be for us all . Amen .