St. Aphrodite icon
SKU: 23352432631

St. Aphrodite icon

Sale price$37.80 Regular price$42.00
Save 10%

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 8 - Jul 13

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

St. Aphrodite iconOrthodox icon of Saint Aphrodite, one of the The Forty Virgin Martyrs and Their teacher Deacon Ammoun. Commemorated September 1st. One of the prophesies about the life of virginity, very prevalent in the New Testament, can be found in the 44th Psalm of David. There, Prophet David sees his distant, precious daughter, the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, and prophesies: "Virgins shall be brought to the king after her. With joy and gladness they

Orthodox icon of Saint Aphrodite, one of the The Forty Virgin Martyrs and Their teacher Deacon Ammoun.

Commemorated September 1st.

One of the prophesies about the life of virginity, very prevalent in the New Testament, can be found in the 44th Psalm of David. There, Prophet David sees his distant, precious daughter, the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and prophesies: "Virgins shall be brought to the king after her. With joy and gladness they will be led to the temple of the king." The life of the Theotokos, the Mother of God, as a model and fortress of the virgins, propelled many souls to devote themselves to Christ totally.  

The Holy Spirit in the epistles of St. Paul, especially in the beginning of 1 Corinthians, exalts the state of virginity: "Now concerning the things which you wrote to me, it is good for a man not to touch a woman." In verse eight, St. Paul continues, "But I say to the unmarried and to the widows, it is good for them if they remain even as I am," meaning celibate. A few verses down (v. 32) St. Paul says, "But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares for the things of the world how he may please his wife, or husband."So according to these verses of St. Paul, it is very clear that virginity and celibacy is more conducive to a higher spirituality.

This is not to say that holiness cannot be reached within marriage that is also very, very possible. However, the great life of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Ever-Virgin, and the grace given to us in the New Testament and these great verses of St. Paul, spark a great love in Christians for a life of virginity and total devotion to the Lord.Many young women lived in the homes of their parents. Just like the daughters of the deacon Philip, they lived a life of virginity, prayer, and devotion to the early Church. Although we did not have organized monasticism before the fourth century, all the elements of the ascetically or monastic lifestyle flourished in the life of the Church, and added to the Mother Church millions of martyrs.

On the first day of September, which marks the opening of our ecclesiastical year, the Church opens its golden pages of martyrdom by celebrating the resolve of the forty women virgin ascetic martyrs who put to shame the torture mechanisms of Licinius. The forty women virgin martyrs lived in Adrianoupolis of Thrace, in northeast Greece, and they were disciples of Deacon Ammoun. During that time, around 305 AD, the emperor of the eastern region of the Roman Empire was Licinius, a dreadful persecutor of Christianity. Licinius had instituted a decree for the annihilation of all Christians who refused to sacrifice to idols. The decree of this bloodthirsty tyrant soon reached all cities, towns, and villages.

Christians were slaughtered like lambs, refusing to submit to his soul-destroying promises and choosing rather to die for the love of their heavenly bridegroom.During these horrible years, the forty virgin martyrs were apprehended and put to the test along with their deacon Ammoun. The names of these glorious Christian women are as follows:Adamantine, Athena, Akrive, Antigone, Arivea, Aspasia, Aphrodite, Dione, Dodone, Elpinike, Erasmia, Erato, Ermeneia, Evterpe, Thaleia, Theanoe, Theano, Theonymphe, Theophane, Kalliroe, Kalliste, Kleio, Kleonike, Kleopatra, Koralia, Lambro, Margarita, Marianthe, Melpomene, Moscho, Ourania, Pandora, Penelope, Polymnia, Polynike, Sapfo, Terpsichore, Troada, Haido, and Harikleia.

By their daily ascetic struggles, by their prayers, vigils, and fasting, the seed of faith rooted, sprouted, and blossomed in the fertile ground of the virgins' souls. Steadfast faith, precise keeping of Christ's commandments, and obedience to their pious spiritual father Ammoun, made them as pure as lilies. This purity invites and hosts the two theological virtues of humility and love, which further house the Trinity in the Christian heart.The intimidations, threats, and tortures did not sway the virgins. The idolater archon Varos of Adrianoupolis did not sway the unshakable faith of this holy team of virgin martyrs. They united their godly prayers, and immediately and miraculously the priest of the idols was airborne.

He remained suspended and hung in midair, thus punished for many, many hours, and finally he landed on the ground and breathed his last. Deacon Ammoun was hanged, and had his ribcage opened with knives. After this, a red-hot iron helmet was placed on his head. The above tortures caused no apparent harm to this athlete of Christ, so he was transported to Heraklea of Thrace, to the tyrant Licinius, along with the holy virgins. Licinius ordered to have ten of the virgin martyrs burned by fire, and another eight beheaded, along with deacon Ammoun. Another ten were put to death by the sword, being struck in the mouth or in the heart, thus giving up their spirit. Of those remaining, six were martyred by being forced to swallow sizzling hot iron marbles, and the last six were cut to pieces by knives.The forty martyred women and the martyr Ammoun exercised their faith, hope, and love toward Christ in an amazing way. They proved to the world that the Christian Gospel is not some ideology, but the source of life and power.

They proved indefatigably that the Church of Christ is a divine creation. The fools for Christ defeated the wise.The weak defeated the mighty.. The words of St. John the Chrysostom find their full justification through the centuries: "The Church, under persecution, scores victories. When insulted, it becomes even more radiant. It receives injuries, but it does not succumb to the wounds. It sails through rough seas, but it does not sink. It fights, but it is never defeated. O man, there is nothing more powerful than the Church." With the unshakable and steadfast faith in the Resurrected Savior, the forty virgin martyrs did not simply show patience and perseverance through these various tortures.

They didn't simply display boldness and heroism, but a characteristic element of Christian martyrdom the presence of joy, a joy quite inexplicable to the idolaters, and the cause of many conversions. Curious bystanders were often the eyewitnesses of a great marvel and profound mysteryPeople heavily injured dismembered, severely beaten, hanging on a cross (or about to be hung), engulfed by flames were full of joy. Instead of mourning,weeping and chest-beating, they were glorifying God. The day of martyrdom was a day of joy. They were rejoicing because they were deemed worthy to confess Christ, the cause of all joy.

They irrigated the tree of the Church with their blood. There is no greater sermon, there is no better way to show to the unbelievers and idolaters that Christ is the true God. The blood of one martyr would bring in dozens of new believers to the Church often thousands. Eusebius, the early church historian, informs us, "They didn't seem to worry when faced with persecution and all kinds of tortures, but they displayed fearless boldness through their faith in the God of all, and they welcomed their final decision of death with joy and laughter and great rejoicing. Therefore they chanted hymns and offered thanksgiving to the God of all, up until their last breath" (Ecclesiastical History, Volume 8, 9:5).

Reference: http://www.saintnicodemos.org

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 23352432631

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.3 ★★★★★
Based on 201 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
G
Verified Purchase
Germanito .
Lake Worth, US
★★★★★ 5
The Best "Stock Up and Save" Find on the Internet! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Size: 7.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 6), Scent: Fresh, Size: 7.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 6), Scent: Fresh
If you are tired of overpaying for fancy hand soaps that run out in a week, this Amazon Basics 6-pack of Liquid Hand Soap is the ultimate household hack. It’s simple, effective, and honestly, a total steal. Why this 6-pack is a total winner: The "Original Fresh" Scent: It’s exactly what you want in a hand soap—clean, light, and crisp. It’s not overpowering or flowery; it just smells like a freshly cleaned house. Gentle on Hands: I wash my hands a lot throughout the day, and this formula doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry or cracked. It lathers up perfectly and rinses off clean without that weird "filmy" feeling some cheap soaps have. The Perfect Size: The 7.5 fl oz bottles are the ideal "goldilocks" size. They fit on every sink—from the tiny powder room to the cluttered kitchen counter—without taking up too much space. Bulk Convenience: Buying the 6-pack means I’m not constantly adding soap to my grocery list. I keep one at every sink and have backups ready in the pantry. No more "emergency runs" to the store when a bottle runs dry! The Bottom Line: You don’t need to spend $5 a bottle for clean hands. This Amazon Basics soap does the job perfectly, smells great, and saves you a ton of money over time. It’s a boring purchase that makes life so much easier. Final Verdict: 10/10. Great lather, great scent, and even better price. I’m officially a convert!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2026
B
Verified Purchase
Bubba Fipps
Dallas, US
★★★★★ 5
Good price
Size: 50 Fl Oz (Pack of 1), Scent: Gentle & Mild
Most Amazon basics items are of decent quality and this is no exception. Nothing fancy just a decent hand soap with typical viscosity that will work in just about any dispenser including automatic dispensers. Most importantly it does a good job cleaning the hands without leaving your hands all sticky and gooey after washing. Yeah. That really is a thing. I've used hand soaps that after rinsing and drying your left with "gheco hands" like you can pick up a penny with your knuckle. No chemical or overpowering odor. One odd thing. The original order came in a box that looked like the Amazon loader threw it into the back of the van from about 50 feet away .... The bottles cap was destroyed and the soap had leaked into the box. Amazon quickly replaced the item with a new bottle no charge and didn't expect me to return the damaged bottle of course. Thing is the second box came in the same condition. Looked like the punter for the Ravens drop kicked it from the 30 into the back of the truck. Luckily the bottle was undamaged this time.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2026
T
Verified Purchase
tmoneysupaflyty
Los Angeles, US
★★★★★ 5
A Reliable, Budget-Friendly Alternative to Name Brands
Size: 7.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 6), Scent: Fresh
If you are looking for a straightforward, effective hand soap without the "name brand" markup, the Amazon Basics Original Fresh Liquid Hand Soap is an excellent choice. It offers a classic cleaning experience that rivals more expensive competitors, making it a staple for busy households. Performance and Value Effective Cleansing: This soap creates a rich, creamy lather that easily washes away dirt and grime, leaving hands feeling thoroughly clean. Moisturizing Formula: Despite its deep-cleaning power, it contains moisturizers to help keep your skin from drying out, even with frequent daily washing. Bulk Convenience: The Pack of 6 (7.5 Fl Oz each) ensures you have a steady supply for every sink in your home, from the kitchen to the guest bathroom. Key Features Dermatologist Tested: The formula is tested for safety and is designed to be gentle on the skin. Clean Ingredients: It is formulated without phthalates, parabens, or triclosan, giving you peace of mind about what you're using on your body. Light Fragrance: The "Original Fresh" scent is subtle and clean, providing a pleasant washing experience without being overbearingly perfumed. Final Verdict The Amazon Basics Hand Soap is a "no-frills" winner. It does exactly what it's supposed to do—clean hands effectively while maintaining moisture—all while saving you money. It is the perfect decent alternative for anyone who wants quality results on a budget.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Audrine G.
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Great value for your money & smells fresh & cleans well & nice lather
Size: 50 Fl Oz (Pack of 1), Scent: Gentle & Mild
I love tits effectiveness to clean & you can also add a pump functionality on it or you can just refill smaller bottles that have a pump which you can also buy here on Amazon or refill your old liquid handsoaps with pump, because this cleans well, nice lather , moisturizing feel & great for sensitive skin, smells fresh. I buy this a lot for my personal use & office use. Great value for your money.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
Jon King
Chelsea, US
★★★★★ 4
Cleans well and smells fresh, but bottle is hard to pour
Size: 50 Fl Oz (Pack of 1), Scent: Gentle & Mild
I’ve been using this hand soap refill for a few weeks now, and overall I’m very happy with it. The soap has a pleasant scent that smells clean without being too strong, and it leaves my hands feeling refreshed instead of dry. I also like that the refill size lasts a long time and saves money compared to buying smaller bottles repeatedly. It lathers nicely and works well for everyday use in the kitchen and bathroom. However, the large refill container can be a little awkward to pour without spilling if you’re not careful. Still, the quality of the soap itself is great, and I would definitely purchase it again.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2026

recommand products