About Fasoula

Historical Monuments

REGINOS & ORESTIS

Agios Reginos and Orestis were born in the city of Halkidonia, on the coast of Asia Minor, at Propontida (known today as Kantikioi).

These young men’s character and behavior demonstrated their noble birth and privileged upbringing but their appearance and youthful vigor testified to their courageous belief. They distinguished themselves among the battalion of recruits in army of the king.

We have no information about the parents of the Saints. Perhaps they had Christian parents, because from their early age they worshipped Christ and gave also their lives for their belief in Him.

They lived during the difficult years of persecutions of our Christian faith. The Roman Emperors tried to eliminate Christians from the earth. Let’s see the course of the brave athlete Reginos, followed by his friend Orestis.

His Roman name was Vonomilix, meaning means Reginos. When the brave Reginos went into the army, in order to have no personal obligations, he sold his property and gave alms to the poor. Free, henceforth, of material encumbrance, he endeavored to live a life of prudence, applying in practice the virtues that help a person to lead an intellectual, conscious life. He rightly applied the virtue of fasting, eating dry bread once a day, in order to control the flesh and to subjugate it to the will of God. He continuously practiced his devotion. Even though he was in the army, he dedicated himself above all to God and not sinful pursuits of the flesh. Reginos’ idolatrous colleagues observed his behavior him and betrayed him to the sovereign, Prezentinos the Stratilati, who ordered the athlete to be brought before him. The idolatrous sovereign asked the guards, “Who is this man? What is his name?” They replied, “He is called “Vonomilix” that means “Reginos”.

The sovereign asked Reginos if what his colleagues said was true. The brave Christian athlete courageously answered the tyrant: "If they have something to say against me, let them say it.” Of course, Prezentinos was already informed about everything and he did not need to hear Reginos’ answer. He told him: « Sacrifice to the Gods, Reginos, in order to save your life and to avoid the pain of torture». Reginos bravely replied, « I will not sacrifice to your false gods, only to my God, because he is one true God, who created the sky and the earth, the sea and all things that exists in it. I sacrifice to my God, who in the beginning created everything, and only to this God will I sacrifice, your gods are deaf idols, without breath or life ».

With Reginos’ courageous answer the Prezentinos, full of anger and rage, ordered nine soldiers to lay him down on the ground and punish him. Reginos laid down with patience, full of passion for Christ, and endured the harsh punishment from the soldiers until his flesh was ragged and the ground become red from his blood.

The executioners were tired, but the fighter glorified God, that demanded him to be tortured in His name. Reginos’ torturers were not finished yet; more painful methods were employed by the tyrant. They brought a copper table under which they lit a fire and laid Reginos on it. However, the God that knows how to save his servants from the malice of the devil heard the pray of his fighter and neutralized the fire, changing it into freshness. Reginos remained unaffected, without the least mark on his body.

This marvel astonished those watching the scene and especially the sovereign. Prezentinos said to the Saint, « Reginos, sacrifice to the gods in order to honor them and I will give you bigger honors in advance. If you don't obey it, I will have you thrown into the sea to become food for the fish". Reginos replied to the tyrant with these words. "The honors that you promise to me, keep them and take them with you to the fires of hell. Throw me into the sea; I don't care, because God, that rescued the prophet Jonas from the belly of the whale, also will rescue me from the sea. To your gods, I say again, that all your gods are demons, and only Christ is the real God».

Then the sovereign became very angry and ordered his soldiers to bring him a big bag. They put Reginos in it and secured it. “Take him far out to the sea and throw him into it to be food for the fish!” The soldiers took the bag with Reginos 40 miles out to sea. They threw him in and returned to the sovereign.

As soon as the soldiers threw him into the sea, the bag was torn away and Reginos was free again. Two dolphins that were in the vicinity brought him back to the coast. When the Saint appeared to come from far away carried on the backs of dolphins, the news spread very quickly and many people ran to see what was happening. Orestis also went to the beach. When they saw what was happening the people shouted, "Great is the God of Christians ». The idolatrous sovereign, seeing the Saint coming out from the sea alive, believed that Reginos was saved by magic. Orestis, the friend of Reginos, professed the divinity of Christ and many of the idolaters were converted. The disrespectful Prezentinos ordered the arrest of Reginos, Orestis and many of those that became Christians. They were put in prison until the next day, to give Prezentinos time to it decide the best way to execute them.

In the prison Reginos taught the new Christians the truths of the Gospel and instilled in them faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. In this cheerful and intellectual meeting in prison he was inspired with courage and faith in the true God. The prayers of the prisoners intensified, calling for help from God, which came very soon. At dawn, as the prayers reached their climax, an angel from God came and opened the doors of prison and they were all free. Each one followed the way led by God.

Saint Reginos and Orestis and certain others, led by the grace of God, came to Cyprus, where idolatry was still controlling people. It was in the fourth century, when all of this occurred. When the team of these faithful people reached Cyprus, they spread out in various places and lived a hermit’s life far away from the world. The brave Reginos and his friend Orestis followed the missionary way. They reached Neapolis of Limassol and preached Christianity. They finally reached the village Fasoula, 8 kilometers from Limassol. The village was a center of idolatry, as can be seen from the ancient ruins discovered there. The residents of the region arrested them, tortured and then decapitated them. Some Christians secretly watched what happened and took the Saints bodies and buried them.

Many years passed and Christianity took the place of idolatry. It is reported in old Christian books that the Saints appeared to a priest in a dream and indicated to him the place where their graves could be found. The priest searched the place shown to him by the Saints and found the holy site including their tomb. According to the old Christian books, the names of the Saints were written above the tomb of their relics. In order to honor the two Saints, the priest built a great church in their name and also painted a picture, which he placed there. Today this great church is ruined, but judging from the foundations of the original church, its walls were built with stones 2 meters high. At this place, every year on the 20th of August, the community of Fasoula celebrates the memory of the saints and many people come and visit it to honor them and to thank them for the miracles they have performed, always with the grace of God.

Under the floor of the original church there is a vaulted cavern, where the tomb of the relics of the Saints can still be seen.

The Agios Reginos and Orestis are greatly honored in the community of Fasoula and all around the island of Cyprus. Besides Fasoula, the Saints are particularly honored in the village Apliki in the Nicosia district and in the village Tremithousa in Paphos district where there are churches dedicated to them. Our Church honors the memory of Agios Reginos and Orestis on the 20 th of August.

CASTLE

South-west of the village, about eight hundred metres from its centre, there is an area of high archaeological value, known as “Kastros”. The first settlement of Fasoula was developed in this area.

On one of the area’s hillocks there is a temple dedicated to Zeus the Lavranios. This area, that is, the hillock’s crest where the temple is built is known as “Zeus’s Moutti (nose)” or “Zeus’s Crest”.

Ten inscriptions “carved at the basis of statues” have been found at this place. All the inscriptions were part of dedications to Zeus the Lavranios. The inscriptions date back to the 2nd century A.C. known as the Roman Times.

What is noteworthy is that at the time Christianity was already prevailing in the island. This leads to the conclusion that Fasoula was one of the “last pillars of strength of idolatry”.

During ancient times, most probably, the area was under the rule of the Amathounta kingdom. This claim is based on the geographical position of Fasoula. In other words, it is based on the vicinity of the village with the Amathounta Kingdom.

“Kastros” area as mentioned above was the oldest settlement in Fasoula. This is proven by a series of findings, brought to light by archaeological discoveries. Earlier researchers of the area consider “Zeus’s Moutti” (nose) as the citadel of the ancient settlement.

The abovementioned researchers’ claim is grounded on the geographical position of the area. Moutti, in specific, is geographically entrenched which is why earlier archaeologists have identified the Moutti area with the settlement’s citadel. One of the researchers who support this claim is G. Jeffrey, who relies on the description given by the 1883“Journal American Oriental Society”. Despite the aforementioned, this claim is challenged by contemporary researchers who assert that “there is no evidence pointing to the existence of a citadel, where citadel carries the meaning of an ancient citadel”.

What cannot be argued is the fact that Zeus’s temple, whether Moutti was a citadel or nor, assigns great importance to the area. Without dispute, the temple was “impressive enough and was built in a prominent location”.

Excursionist Gunnis, one of the supporters of the existence of a citadel at the Moutti area, adds that there was a Roman fortress in the area. This claim also explains the name given to the area “Kastro” which means castle in Greek, even though it contradicts the view that the ruins found in the area do not belong to the Roman fortress but to Lavranio Zeus’s temple.

Moreover, as Gunnis mentions, during his tour he “saw quite a few large headless statues” and some of the statues’ heads he saw in a villager’s house”.

In conclusion, the existence of a castle or a tower in the area should not be considered an improbable possibility at least in a later period since the name “Kastros” (castle) is used. More specifically, it is believed that there was a tower in the area, which was the home of an atheling during the middle Ages.

Source:
Grand Cypriot Encyclopaedia vol. 13

PANAGIA CHRYSELEOYSIS

The church of Panayia Chryseleousis (Virgin Mary Chryseleousis) located at the community’s ceremony was built before the church dedicated to the Nativity of Theotokos. This church was deserted in the 20th century. The only reminders of its existence are the four half-dejected external walls of the church.

ny equipment that belonged to the church was carried to the church dedicated to the Nativity of Theotokos. The church is now an ancient monument and it is under the auspices of the Department of Antiquities. The community’s future plans include the reconstruction of the church.

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