Saint Artemios of Antiochالقديس أرتيميوس الأنطاكي
The twentieth of October in the Holy Orthodox Church is the feast-day of Saint Artemios, an elderly Roman nobleman and military officer who was martyred under the persecutions of Julian the Apostate in the fourth century. Although Saint Artemios lived much of his life in Alexandria, in Ægypt, he is most commonly associated with the city of Antioch where he was killed. However, his veneration is universal throughout the Christian world.
Few details are known for certain about the early life of Saint Artemios [Gk. Αρτέμιος, L. Artemius, Ar. ’Artîmiyyûs أرتيميوس], but the Holy Tradition holds that he was an officer in the army of Emperor Saint Constantine the Great, who ruled from 306 to 337. He had a long and distinguished service in the army both under Constantine and under his son Constantius II, who ruled from 337 to 361. Artemios was rewarded for his military service by being appointed military præfect of Ægypt with his headquarters in Alexandria. While he was in Alexandria he did much to strengthen the Church there.
He was tasked by Emperor Constantine with bringing the relics of Saint Luke the Evangelist from Thēba, and the relics of Saint Andrew the Apostle from Patmos, to Constantinople for veneration at the Church of the Holy Apostles. During the Arian controversies, there was some question as to which party Artemios supported, and impious tongues have suggested that the holy martyr was of the Arian party. But his actions during both emperors’ reigns showed him to have supported the true, Orthodox faith, and of course his martyrdom laid any such doubts and partizan murmurings to rest.
For the successor to the second Constantius in New Rome was the thrice-accursed infidel and warmongering apostate Julian, who ruthlessly oppressed the Church and ushered in a new wave of persecutions. Hundreds of believers in Christ perished under Julian’s reign. He also fomented division within Christendom. Part of his strategy of persecution involved supporting the Arians and reinstating their hierarchs; it would have made little sense for an Arian to take the side of the Orthodox.
And yet this is just what Artemios did. Julian had embarked on his needless bloodthirsty war with Persia, and was using Antioch as a base for his invasion. After Julian had sentenced to death two bishops who had confessed Trinitarian Christianity – possibly referring to the hieromartyrs Saint Basileios of Ankyra and Saint Donatus of Arezzo – Artemios embarked on a journey to Antioch to confront the wicked emperor. When he arrived in Antioch he went straight to the Emperor’s residence and began loudly declaiming his impiety and unfitness, invoking his service with Julian’s infinitely worthier forebears.
Julian’s pride would not permit him to refrain from response. He had Artemios seized, and thrown into prison, and then subjected to the most excruciating tortures. As he was languishing in prison, he was visited by Christ, who told His martyr that He would preserve him from every hurt, and that He had already prepared for Artemios the crown of everlasting glory. Because Artemios had confessed Christ before men on earth, so Christ would acknowledge Artemios before the Father in heaven. Artemios offered up praises and thanksgiving to God.
The day afterward, the Emperor had Artemios dragged out of prison. Julian commanded Artemios to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods, but Artemios still refused, confessing Christ. Julian had Artemios subjected to still more gruesome tortures, until his blood soaked the ground below him, but Artemios would not break. He foretold that Julian himself would be repaid in kind for the gross indignities he had inflicted upon the Christians, and at this the Emperor became truly enraged and ordered the martyr of Christ to be beheaded. And in this way, the glorious Saint Artemios was given the laurel he was promised, the elderly athlete of Christ having earned the victory and the heavenly glories of the æternal kingdom. After his death, the Christians of Antioch took his relics and buried them with great and solemn honour and reverence.
The prophecy that Artemios had uttered amidst his tortures concerning Julian’s fate proved true, for Julian was killed in battle against the defending Persian šâh Šâpur II. His armies were ruined and his reign ended in ignominy. After the death of the apostate emperor, the relics of Saint Artemios were moved from Antioch to Constantinople, where they were enshrined at the Lips Monastery, in the chapel dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner. Many wonders were attributed to Saint Artemios, who took special care of men suffering from hernias, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility and other maladies of the genitals. He was at one time invoked by Saint Febrōnia of Nisibis for aid in healing a woman suffering from an illness in her womb. Holy greatmartyr Artemios, fearless confessor of Christ before the apostate, pray unto Christ our God that our souls may be saved!
Apolytikion for Saint Artemios of Antioch, Tone 4:
Your holy martyr Artemios, O Lord,
Through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.
For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,
And shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through his intercessions, save our souls!
Lips Monastery, Constantinople
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