“All things work together for good to them that love God.” (Romans 8:28)
The Parthian Empire, Rome’s powerful eastern rival, had begun to cause serious trouble. At that time, Emperor Trajan was preparing to go to war against the Parthians.
“Without General Placidus, I can do nothing,” he declared.
He therefore ordered his soldiers and officers to search throughout the empire for his former general.
Hundreds of soldiers and officers were sent across the Roman territories to find him.
Two of Placidus’s former companions, Antiochus and Akakios, eventually arrived in Beirut, where Eustathius was living in poverty and working as a vinedresser.
One evening, while searching outside the city, they saw a light in the distance—a sign that someone was living there.
They approached the light and discovered that it came from a small, humble hut near the vineyards. They knocked on the door, hoping to receive some information or guidance.
It never crossed their minds that this thin, ragged man with long hair and a long beard—who opened the door wearing poor clothing—was the famous General Placidus. Eustathius, however, recognized them immediately but chose not to reveal his identity.
They asked him:
“Have you heard anything about General Placidus?”
Eustathius did not answer at once, although his visitors sensed that he knew something.
“Please, tell us,” they insisted.
“He is very near you,” he replied.
“The Emperor is searching for him. We must find him as soon as possible.”
“It is late. You should not continue your search in the darkness.”
“We cannot afford to lose precious time.”
“You look exhausted. Stay here tonight and continue your journey in the morning.”
Unable to obtain any clearer information, they accepted his hospitality, hoping that the morning would bring an answer.
At dawn, Eustathius prepared food for his guests, quietly wiping the tears from his eyes. Then he stepped into the courtyard, where his emotions finally overcame him.
His visitors began to suspect the truth.
“Could this be Placidus?” they whispered to one another. “He had a scar on his neck.”
Looking more closely, they recognized the mark. Suddenly, they realized who stood before them.
“You are Placidus, our beloved friend!”
They embraced him with tears of joy.
The poor vinedresser was clothed once more in the uniform of a Roman commander and escorted with honor to Rome. There, his loyal companions proudly presented him to Emperor Trajan.
A great celebration took place in the imperial palace. Trajan welcomed his former general with joy and immediately asked him to take command of the army in the coming war.
The Emperor then ordered troops to be raised throughout the empire.
Among the young men recruited for the campaign were Eustathius’s two sons.
They had been very young when they were separated from their father and could not have imagined that this renowned general was the man they had lost so many years before. Eustathius, for his part, believed that one son had been carried away by a lion and the other by a wolf. He had no idea that they were still alive and now serving in his own army.
Amid the cheers of the people, General Eustathius departed from Rome and set out once again to face the enemy—unaware that the sons he had mourned for so long were marching with him.
Next in this series: Saint Eustathius and His Family: God’s Unexpected Providence
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