Hieromartyr Anthimus of Nicomedia

died c. 303

Also known as Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia

Bishop of Nicomedia, beheaded in the great persecution of Diocletian (302) while shepherding his flock through their sufferings

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Commemorated as

The Holy Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia

Life

Anthimus was bishop of Nicomedia in Bithynia, the city that served as the Emperor Diocletian's principal imperial residence, during the early fourth-century persecution of Christians. He is venerated as a hieromartyr, a bishop who died for the faith, and is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on September 3.

His episcopate coincided with the most violent phase of the Diocletianic persecution, which fell with particular severity on Nicomedia's large Christian population. Anthimus continued to lead and encourage his community while in hiding before he was discovered, arrested, and beheaded.

Troparion & Kontakion4 hymnsReadHide

TroparionTone 1

You protected your flock with your blood,
not fearing your adversaries.
Now you rejoice in heaven standing before the throne.
Glory to Christ who has strengthened you;
glory to your courage;
glory to your endurance, O holy Hieromartyr Anthimus!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 4

Your holy martyrs O Lord,
through their sufferings have received incorruptible crowns from You, our God.
For having Your strength, they laid low their adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through their intercessions, save our souls!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

KontakionTone 4

Illustrious priest and steadfast martyr,
Anthimus, worthy of praise:
You assailed the worship of idols,
and championed your flock which fervently cries to you:
By your prayers deliver us from dangers!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

KontakionTone 4

Living honorably as a priest,
you completed the course of martyrdom;
you extinguished the worship of idols
and became a champion of your flock, divinely-wise one.
Therefore, we honor you,
mystically crying out:
“Through your prayers deliver us from calamity, ever-memorable Anthimus.”

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline3 momentsReadHide

23 February 303Destruction of the church of NicomediaThe principal Christian church of Nicomedia was destroyed, and the first imperial edict of persecution was published the following day, opening the campaign that would consume Anthimus's community.
Persecution under Diocletian and MaximianWithdrawal to OmanaAt the urging of his congregation, Anthimus withdrew to the village of Omana, from where he aided survivors of the persecution and sent letters encouraging the faithful to remain steadfast.
c. 303Arrest and martyrdomAfter his whereabouts were discovered, soldiers came for him; he revealed his identity rather than let them deceive the emperor, and was tortured and beheaded by the sword.

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributionsReadHide

The Persecution at Nicomedia

Nicomedia, in the region of Bithynia in Asia Minor, was Diocletian's chief residence and home to a large Christian population. After a fire broke out at the imperial court, pagans accused Christians of having set it, and the persecution intensified with great ferocity across the communities of Bithynia. Pagan altars were reportedly set up in the marketplaces, requiring sacrifice before any commerce could be conducted.

The Orthodox tradition records that as many as twenty thousand Christians perished when they were burned inside a church in Nicomedia. Among the many martyrs of this period associated with the city were Dorotheus, Mardonius, Migdonius, Peter, Indes, and Gorgonius, who died by various means; the virgin-martyr Domna, a former pagan priestess, and Euthymius, who died while seeking to bury the bodies of the martyrs; and the soldier Zeno, stoned and beheaded after openly denouncing the emperor.

Arrest and Death

While Anthimus was in hiding at Omana, a letter of encouragement he had sent was, according to one account, intercepted; the deacon Theophilus who carried it died under torture without disclosing the bishop's location. The authorities nevertheless discovered Anthimus's whereabouts. When the soldiers sent to arrest him found him, he made himself known and insisted they carry out their orders rather than return to the emperor having been deceived. By tradition he received the soldiers hospitably, and is said to have converted and baptized them on the journey. He was tortured and put to death by beheading.

Dating

The traditional date of Anthimus's martyrdom is 303, under Diocletian. Some scholars, however, note that a fragmentary letter attributed to the priest Lucian of Antioch, who was imprisoned in 311-312 under Maximinus Daia, refers to Anthimus's martyrdom as recent, which has been taken to suggest the death may instead belong to the persecution under Maximinus. The matter remains unresolved, and may reflect a conflation of distinct phases of persecution.

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Martyrs of Nicomedia with Hieromartyr Anthimus

Commemorated together · Sep 3

Companions4 figuresShowHide

The company of his court and clergy martyred with St. Anthimus at Nicomedia under Diocletian (commemorated September 3); the deacon Theophilus carried his letter and died under torture without betraying him.

Martyrsof Nicomedia: Theophilus the Deacon & Companions

Martyr of Nicomedia, commemorated on the same day.

Martyr Basilissaof Nicomedia

Martyrs of Nicomedia, commemorated with him on the same day.

Martyrs ZenoChariton & Archontius

The faithful of his city, whom he gathered and communed before the burning of the church.

20000 Martyrs of Nicomedia