Martyr
Holy Great Martyr Artemius
October 20 Old CalendarNovember 2 New Calendar
Life
This glorious saint was an Egyptian by birth and the chief commander of Emperor Constantine the Great. When the victorious Cross, surrounded by stars, appeared to Emperor Constantine, and Artemius also saw that Cross, he believed in Christ the Lord and was baptized. Later, in the time of Emperor Constantius, this emperor sent him to Greece to transfer the relics of Saint Andrew from Patras and Saint Luke from Thebes to Constantinople, which Commander Artemius joyfully carried out. After that, Artemius was appointed Augustalis and imperial governor of Egypt, in which office he served both during the time of Constantius, son of Constantine, and for a certain time under Emperor Julian the Apostate. When this God-opposing emperor set out to war against the Persians, he stopped in Antioch and ordered that Artemius also come to Antioch with his army. Artemius came. At that time the emperor subjected two Christian priests, Eugenius and Macarius, to torture. Seeing this, Saint Artemius was stirred in his whole heart, stepped before the emperor and said to him: "Why, O Emperor, dost thou so inhumanly torture innocent and God-consecrated men, and why dost thou compel them to renounce the Orthodox Faith?" And Artemius further prophesied to the emperor: "Thy destruction is near." The enraged emperor sent those two honorable priests into exile in Arabia, where they soon died, and he stripped Commander Artemius of his military rank and ordered him to be flogged and torn. All wounded and bloodied, Artemius was thrown into prison, where the Lord Christ Himself appeared to him, healed him and comforted him. Then the emperor ordered that he be stretched out upon a stone and that another heavy stone be pressed upon him, so that the body of Saint Artemius was entirely crushed and flattened like a board. Finally his head was cut off, in the year 362. And Emperor Julian went against the Persians and perished shamefully, as Saint Artemius had prophesied to him.
All wounded and bloodied, Artemius was thrown into prison, where the Lord Christ Himself appeared to him, healed him and comforted him.
From the Hymn of Praise
The holy commander ArtemiusDid not hide his faith before the emperor,But courageously declared his faith,And glorified Christ God before the emperor.
From the Prologue from Ochrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovich, October 20. Translated by Marcian Sakarya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Also commemorated on October 20
The full reading for October 20 includes the hymn of praise, a reflection, a contemplation and a homily.
Open October 20 in the reader