Saint Eustathios

The Steadfast Faith of a Great-Martyr

The Story of Plakidas, His Family, His Trials, and His Confession of Christ

A Roman general. A vision of Christ in the antlers of a stag. Fifteen years of hidden suffering. A family scattered by sea and river, and miraculously restored — only to be asked, at the height of their joy, to give up everything for Christ.

Saint Eustathios tells the traditional Life of the Holy Great-Martyr Eustathios (formerly Plakidas), his wife Saint Theopisti, and their sons Saints Agapios and Theopistos — one of the most beloved and enduring stories in Orthodox Christian tradition. Written with reverence and theological care, this 99-page digital book follows Eustathios from his conversion through unimaginable loss, God's hidden providence, a joyful reunion, and a martyr's confession before the Emperor Hadrian.

Each chapter weaves the saint's story together with Scripture, the teaching of the Church, and honest reflection on suffering, faith, and steadfastness — never sensationalized, never oversimplified. Along the way, the book draws connections to Job, Joseph, Cornelius, and the martyrs of the early Church, showing how one family's trial speaks to the trials of every generation, including our own.

Inside this edition:

• The full traditional account, told in ten chapters
• Reflection questions and Scripture for further prayer
• A timeline of the traditional account
• A glossary of Orthodox terms
• A guide for group and family study
• About Saint Eustathios — key facts and the icon explained

Designed in a Byzantine crimson-and-gold visual style inspired by icons and illuminated manuscripts, and featuring the traditional icon of Saint Eustathios on the cover.

Holy Great-Martyr Eustathios, Saint Theopisti, Saint Agapios, and Saint Theopistos, pray to God for us.