2/15 October

Brought up in the Orthodox Faith, the brothers were not only worthy rulers and courageous military leaders, but were also pious Christians who bravely defended Georgia against Muslim attackers. Their forces were not evenly matched. The Arab commander Murvan-Abdullah Kasim captured the princes, cast them into prison, and with false promises sought to convince them to adopt Islam. However, they continued to stand firm in confessing Christ. Then, Murvan Kru (the word “kru” means “deaf”) enlisted the aid of sorcerers in an effort to make the princes renounce the Orthodox Faith. But with prayer, Princes David and Constantine overcame all of the pagans’ cunning but insubstantial arguments. Seeing the holy confessors’ resolve, the Muslims ordered that they be cruelly tortured and then drowned in the Rioni River (740 AD). The bodies of the holy Martyrs, illumined by three pillars of light, were carried away by the river. Christians pulled them from the river, and buried them in a cave in Mt. Tskhaltsiteli, in the city of Kutaisi.

In the 12th Century, the incorrupt relics of the holy brothers, resting in a cave and bathed in light, were revealed to King Bagrat the Great (1072-1117) during a hunt. The king erected a church dedicated to the Martyrs (Motsameti) in their honor, and established the Motsameti Monastery. The relics of the Holy Brothers were glorified through many miraculous healings.