Description
Size: 23×13 mm / 0.91×0.51 in Weight: ~3,8 g / 0.13 oz Icon pendant "Martyr St. Larissa of the Crimea" This miniature scapular is a great gift for someone who wishes to have a portable icon of their patron saint. Due to its small size, the icon pendant "Martyr St. Larissa of the Crimea" is inconspicuous ...and convenient to wear. It can easily be concealed under one's clothes or be worn on a casual basis without attracting undue attention. The symbolism of the icon pendant "Martyr St. Larissa of the Crimea" This small round scapular with a movable top part contains a chest-length relief image of the Holy Martyr Larissa. In her right hand, she is holding an eight-pointed cross, while the left is pressed to her chest. A few stray strands of hair are falling from underneath her headscarf as a sign of her virgin's dignity. St. Larissa (Beride) was a beautiful young woman who lived in the fourth century. Her parents belonged to a tribe of Goths who lived along the banks of the river Danube and were pious Christians. At first, the Goths quickly and successfully adopted Christian customs and morals and built new churches and monasteries. However, the situation changed when the reign of the cruel ruler Atanaric started in 370 A.D. Having ascended to power, the king began the mass extermination of Christians. Some sources maintain that the actual persecution was carried out by Jungeric, an official appointed by Athanaric. The account of St. Larissa's martyrdom was written by the historian Sozomenos. According to him, the king ordered his servants to put a statue of the pagan idol Wotan onto a chariot. The chariot was then driven along the huge camp of this tribe, some of whom were still nomadic. When it passed the tents of the Christians, the latter was ordered to bow and offer sacrifices to the idol. Those who refused were burned alive in their dwellings without trial. On 26 March, despite the impending danger, St. Larissa came to the church. Over 500 other Christians were already gathered there. The only free space left was by the door, but Larissa did not complain. Instead, she went down on her knees and began to pray to the One True God with great fervency. She asked the Lord to grant peace and hope to all the righteous Christians suffering from the pagans' atrocities in the lands of the Goths. Suddenly, the doors of the church were flung open and a soldier burst in. He interrupted the prayer and ordered everyone to bow before the idol Wotan. An agonizing death awaited those who dared to disobey. Having noticed the attractive young woman at the door, the soldier told her: "Come with us, otherwise we will burn the church and you will perish". But St. Larissa did not succumb to the temptation and, turning once again to face the icons, delved even deeper into prayer. None of the other Christians left the church. Enraged by the Christians' intransigence, the soldiers closed the doors and set fire to the tent. All of the Christians inside were burned to death along with their wives and children. None uttered so much as a single cry for help. The Church refers to those who perished in the fiery inferno as the Martyrs of the Crimea. Only 26 names are known, among them the young maiden Larissa. The memory of the Holy Martyr Larissa is celebrated on 26 March (8 April). St. Larissa protects against disappointment, prevents rash, thoughtless actions, and serves as an imperishable guide who illuminates the right path in life and grants the ability to pass it with dignity. The reverse of the scapular contains an eight-pointed blossoming cross inside a central circle. Nearby one can see the traditional inscription translated as "Jesus Christ is the Victor". The circle is surrounded by the words of prayer to St. Larissa in the Church Slavonic language. Technical details of the icon pendant "Martyr St. Larissa of the Crimea" The icon pendant is round, with a relief image decorated with blackening. It is fashioned from grade 925 sterling silver and covered in 25k gold at the top and around the rim. The top part of the icon has a movable hoop for a chain. The pendant is quite small (only 23x13 mm) and weighs less than 4 g. This makes it comfortable to wear either on or under one's clothes.
