At Vespers

On “Lord, I have cried…”, 6 stichera: 3 for the martyr Plato, in Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O all-glorious wonder…”—

Now & ever…: Theotokion, or this stavrotheotokion: Spec. Mel.: “On the third day…”—

Troparion, in Tone IV—

Full of valiant wisdom, with a most courageous resolve thou didst endure the severing of thy limbs and the dismemberment of thy body, unbearable fire, starvation and death, in expectation of the glory which ageth not with time, which lieth eternally before thee, and foreseeing everlasting blessedness.

Having transcended every sense and directed thy mind toward life on high, with divinely wise thought and great wisdom of soul thou didst spurn the baseness and lowliness of visible things. Wherefore, lacerated and burned with fire for Christ, O martyr, thou didst endure valiantly.

Every assault of the enemy and the onslaughts of the persecutors didst thou set at nought by grace; and thou wast crowned with the wreath of victory, O thou who art most rich, being vouchsafed incorruptible gladness and ineffable and divine radiance. And as thou art now in the midst thereof, ask remission of sins for those who praise thee well.

And 3 stichera of the martyr Romanus, in Tone IV: Spec. Mel.: “As one valiant among the martyrs…”—

Consumed by fasting, hardened by ascetic endeavor, and tormented with manifold tortures, thou becamest a two-edged sword, cutting down hordes of demons, O Romanus, thou adornment of athletes, divine boast, precious ornament of the Church of those who died shedding their own blood, O most lauded one.

Lacerated and rent asunder, imprisoned in a dungeon, thy tongue cut out, O glorious athlete, thy jaw broken, receiving a blessed end through violent suffocation, thou wast shown to be unshakable and steadfast through the activity of the divine Spirit, O Romanus; wherefore, we praise thee with faith.

A child speaketh eloquently and amazeth the mindless: he is adorned with honorable opposition and is illumined by his death; he is enriched by the goodly fame of the holy athletes, whose zeal he acquired. O right wise Romanus, pray thou with them, that remission of debts be sent down upon us all.

Glory…: Idiomelon, in Tone VI—

Awesome and all-glorious are the victories of Thy martyr, O Lord! For, emulating the boldness of the fishermen, by his words and deeds he rent asunder the mythology and historical blasphemy of Plato with the nets of theology; and when his skin was flayed and his head cut off, he choked the enemy with the outpouring of his blood. O most blessed wonder-worker Plato, thou adornment of the martyrs, who preached the great name of Christ with boldness, ask that great mercy be given our souls.

Seeing Thee crucified, O Christ, she who gave Thee birth cried aloud: “What is this strange mystery which I behold, O my Son? How is it that Thou diest, suspended in the flesh upon the Tree, O Bestower of life?”

In their sufferings, O Lord, Thy martyrs received imperishable crowns from Thee, our God; for, possessed of Thy might, they set at nought the tormenters and crushed the feeble audacity of the demons. Through their supplications, save Thou our souls.