Icon of Saint Nestor 20X14 Gold (Wooden)

Icon of Saint Nestor 20X14 Gold (Wooden)

The Saint Nestora he is also one of the holy victims of the great persecution of Diocletian in 296. He was not twenty years old, a handsome young man with faith and sacred enthusiasm.

He was also known and his friend Agios Dimitrios, who was now in prison. So Nestor heard the barbaric wrestler Lyas boasting on the stage, insulting and provoking everyone and he could not stand it.

He then ran to the prison and asked for the wish and support of Agios Dimitrios, to come out and humiliate the insulting and blasphemous Lyas.

Saint Demetrius sealed Nestor with the sign of the Cross and said to him: "And you will defeat Lyas and you will testify for Christ".

But this reason was not only for Nestor, but also for Saint Demetrius himself, because they both later testified for Christ.

Nestor, realizing in himself the power of God, ran to the stadium and rushed to fight with Lyas.

Shouting loudly: "God Demetrius, help me", he struck with his sword directly into the heart and lay down dead the hitherto undefeated barbarian and blasphemous wrestler Lyas.

Thus, with this heroic act of Nestor, he taught all of us that, in every human provocation, we must exclaim: "Κύριος ἐμοὶ βοηθός, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσομαι · τί ποιήσει μοι ἄνθρωπος?".

⁇ Κύριος είναι βοηθός μου καὶ δε θα φοβηθώ. What will any man do to me?

But Nestor did not just kill Lyas. He also "injured" Maximianos, who was Diocletian's co-ruler in the East and was now watching the match at the Thessaloniki stadium.

He was Lyas's protector and brought him with him, to fight in the stadium, to kill innocent people and to entertain the people. It was a time when people were happy when they had "bread and spectacles".

Many Christians were then devoured in the stages by the beasts, and the enraged mobs had fun chanting. People's lives were so cheap.

Maximian, after the victory of Nestor and the just punishment of Lyas, ordered Demetrios and Nestoras to be killed.

Then Demetrios was crushed by the military spears inside the prison where he was, and Nestoras was beheaded, and so, with their martyrdom, they both received the crown of victory together.

Icon of Saint Nestor, Saint Nestor