Saint Artemios the Great Martyr
Celebration date: 20/10/2021
Saint Artemios was a distinguished politician of Byzantium and a devout Christian. Constantine the Great, appreciating his moral and political gifts, gave him the title of patrician and appointed him Duke and Augustus of Alexandria.
In 357 AD he goes to Patras, by order of the Emperor Constantius, son of Constantine the Great, to receive the septate relics of Saint Andrew and bring them back to the newly built Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople (March 3, 357 AD).
During his stay in Patras and with his supervision he built an aqueduct. Camped in the area of the Gerokomeio Monastery, he had mercy and helped a lot of the needy, especially the elderly, which justifies the place name Gerokomeio.
When, in 363 AD, Artemios heard that Julian the Pervert was persecuting the Christians in Antioch, the words of the psalmist David to God came to his lips: “Lord, support me with your sovereign spirit” (Psalm 9 (50 ), v. 14). Lord, support me with firm thoughts and a strong will, which dominates me and directs me to defend the good with courage.
Indeed, Artemius, with the power given to him by God, immediately went to Antioch and defiantly checked Julian directly for his illegalities against the Christians. Julian, who did not expect such an attitude from an official, arrested him and whipped him mercilessly. Then he broke his bones with stones, and finally decapitated him. The holy relic of Artemios was received by a deaconess, Aristis, who took it to Constantinople, to the temple of the prophet Prodromos.
