Martyr 4th century

33 Holy Martyrs of Melitene

d. c. 290

Also known as Hieron and those with him

A group of Christian soldiers led by Hieron who refused pagan military demands under Diocletian and were taken to Melitene and martyred.

Feast Day

November 7

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Commemorated as

The Holy, Glorious Thirty-Three Martyrs of Melitene

Come to them for

Military Service

Life

The Thirty-Three Holy Martyrs of Melitene were a group of Christians put to death during the persecutions of the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, traditionally dated to around the year 290. They are commemorated together with their leader, Hieron, a man from Tyana in Cappadocia noted in the sources for his great physical strength. The synaxarion preserves the names of all thirty-three, recording Hieron alongside thirty-two companions such as Hesychius, Nicander, Athanasius, Mamas, and Nikon.

Their account is set against a Roman campaign in Cappadocia that combined the suppression of Christianity with the forced conscription of able-bodied men into the imperial army. The martyrs' refusal both to sacrifice to the pagan gods and to serve on those terms brought them to the city of Melitene in Armenia, where they were tortured and beheaded. They are commemorated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on November 7.

Timeline 4 moments Read Hide

c. 290 Roman conscription in Cappadocia Under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, a large military detachment led by the official Lysias was sent into Cappadocia both to suppress Christianity and to draft strong men into the imperial army.
c. 290 Hieron's resistance and concealment Hieron of Tyana, distinguished by his physical strength, refused conscription rather than be compelled to renounce his faith and sacrifice to idols. According to the sources he drove off the soldiers with a wooden tool, then hid in a cave with eighteen other Christians.
c. 290 Transfer to Melitene After the intervention of his friend Cyriacus, Hieron and his fellow conscripts were taken to Melitene, where the authorities demanded that they offer pagan sacrifice.
c. 290 Martyrdom of the thirty-three Refusing to sacrifice, the thirty-three openly confessed Christ. Hieron's hand was severed and he was tortured, and the whole company was beheaded outside the city of Melitene in Armenia.

Contributions & Legacy

2 contributions Read Hide

Companions

The synaxarion preserves the names of all thirty-three martyrs. Besides Hieron, the lists record Hesychius, Nicander, Athanasius, Mamas, Barachius, Callinicus, Theogenes, Nikon, Longinus, Theodore, Valerius, Xanthius, Theodoulus, Callimachus, Eugene, Theodochus, Ostrychius, Epiphanius, Maximian, Ducitius, Claudian, Theophilus, Gigantius, Dorotheus, Theodotus, Castrichius, Anicletus, Themelius, Eutychius, Hilarion, Diodotus, and Amonitus.

Some accounts add that a kinsman of Hieron named Victor abandoned the confession and renounced Christianity, in contrast to the steadfastness of the others.

Relics & Shrines

By tradition a wealthy Christian named Chrysanthus recovered Hieron's head, buried it, and afterward built a church in his honor at the place of execution.

The synaxarion further relates that in the reign of the emperor Justinian, during the building of the church of Hagia Eirene (Holy Peace), the relics of the martyrs were uncovered and found to be incorrupt.

Notes

Named group kept as one row.

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