I was born a Christian, I was brought up as a Christian, I have never denied Christ for Islam, and I never will deny Him, but will die a Christian.
Nicholas the New Martyr of Chios was born in the village of Karyes on the island of Chios to parents named Petros and Stamato. After his parents died when he was twenty years old, he traveled to Magnesia in Asia Minor to work as a stonemason. An accident or illness there caused him to lose his mental faculties and ability to speak properly. Ottoman authorities attempted to exploit his vulnerable condition by bringing him before a judge to convert him to Islam, but because Nicholas could not coherently respond, they released him to return to his sister’s care in Chios.
A false rumor circulated in Magnesia claiming Nicholas had converted to Islam. His sister inadvertently spread this news, which reached Ottoman officials in Chios. According to the traditional account, Nicholas experienced a vision in which he was told his health would be restored. A monk named Cyril subsequently cared for him and instructed him in the faith. Nicholas then devoted himself intensely to prayer, fasting, and ascetic practices. When Ottoman authorities questioned him about the conversion rumor, Nicholas stated he was born Christian, raised Christian, had never denied Christ, and would die Christian. He endured approximately thirty days of severe torture. Even fellow Christians, including a local priest fearing for their own safety, urged him to recant, but Nicholas refused and rebuked them for such counsel.
Nicholas was executed by beheading on October 31, 1754. The Orthodox Church commemorates him annually on this date as one of the New Martyrs who died under Ottoman rule. Traditional accounts report miraculous phenomena accompanying his death. His case represents the broader historical pattern of martyrdom among Greek Orthodox Christians who refused forced conversion during the Ottoman period.
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