New Martyr Unknown

New Martyr Dioscorus

Also known as Dioscorus

A new martyr commemorated on this day; no details of his life are preserved in the source.

Feast Day
May 11
Draft
Draft — pending review. Not yet verified for publication.
Commemorated as

The Holy New Martyr Dioscorus

Life

Dioscorus, surnamed Dioscorides, is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as a New Martyr and is commemorated on May 11. He belongs to the post-schism class of martyrs, those who suffered for the Christian faith in the centuries after the Great Schism, and the surviving record of his life is exceedingly thin.

The Orthodox Church in America preserves no biographical account for him, noting only his commemoration and his status as a martyr; the calendars that do mention him agree that he was put to death by beheading but disagree on the particulars of where and when. His feast is observed with proper liturgical hymns even though the historical details of his martyrdom have not been securely preserved.

Contributions & Legacy

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Sources and Uncertainties

The available sources differ on the basic circumstances of Dioscorus's martyrdom. The English Wikipedia list of May 11 commemorations identifies him as "Dioscorus (Dioscorides) the New, of Smyrna" and records that he died by beheading, without assigning a year. The OrthodoxWiki calendar instead places him at Thessalonica and pairs him with a companion martyr, Argyrus, giving an approximate date of 1806 or 1808.

The point on which the sources converge is that Dioscorus was a New Martyr of the Ottoman period who was put to death for refusing to abandon his Christian confession. His liturgical hymns dwell on this steadfastness, describing him as having received "an incorruptible crown" through his sufferings and as having resisted the pressures of the world and of false religion. The conflicting place and date should be treated with caution pending review against a primary synaxarion. This figure is distinct from the early Martyr Dioscorus commemorated on October 13, who suffered under Diocletian.

Notes

Honest stub; OCA gives no detail. Flagged for review.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints