MartyrPre-Nicene

Martyr Marinus

Pre-Nicene period; time and place unrecorded

Also known as Marinus

A zealous Christian during a time of persecution who destroyed the offerings the pagans were making to their idols and was put to death for his faith.

March 17New Calendar

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March 30Old Calendar

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Commemorated as

The Holy Martyr Marinus

Life

Martyr Marinus was a zealous Christian who lived during a period of persecution of the Church. The Orthodox Synaxarion preserves an account of his confession and death, though none of the surviving sources record the time or place of his martyrdom.

When Marinus saw pagans offering sacrifices to their false gods, he destroyed their altar and trampled upon the idols, openly confessing that he was a Christian. For this he was arrested, tortured, and beheaded. He is commemorated on March 17.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide

KontakionTone 2

(Podoben: “You sought the heights...”) You appeared as a bright star announcing Christ with your radiance,
which is repulsive to this world, O Martyr Marinus;
extinguishing the allure of false gods,
you enlighten the faithful,
always interceding for us all.

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

TroparionTone 3

Your holy martyr Marinus, O Lord,
through his suffering has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.
For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through his intercessions, save our souls!

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

Timeline3 momentsReadHide

Pre-Nicene eraA time of persecutionMarinus lives as a zealous Christian during a period when the Church is being persecuted.
Date unrecordedConfession at the pagan altarSeeing pagans sacrificing to their idols, Marinus destroys the altar and tramples the idols, confessing that he is a Christian.
Date unrecordedTorture and martyrdomHe is whipped, suspended and raked, struck with stones, and dragged by his hair, then brought before the archon and finally beheaded with a sword.

Contributions & Legacy

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Confession and Martyrdom

According to the Synaxarion, Marinus witnessed pagans offering sacrifices to their false gods. Acting on his faith, he destroyed the altar and trampled upon the idols, confessing aloud that he was a Christian.

He was arrested and subjected to severe tortures: he was beaten with whips, suspended while his sides were raked, struck with stones that knocked out his teeth, and dragged along the ground by his hair. He was then bound and brought before the archon (the local magistrate), who, after inflicting still further tortures, ordered him to be beheaded with a sword.

Sources and Uncertainty

None of the surviving accounts specify the time or place of Marinus's martyrdom; the Orthodox Church Synaxarion explicitly notes that this information has not been preserved. His commemoration falls within the pre-Nicene era of persecution.

His account derives from the Byzantine Synaxaristes, the collection from which the Orthodox calendar entry is drawn.

Distinction from Marinus of Caesarea

This Marinus is a distinct saint from Marinus of Caesarea, the soldier-martyr commemorated on August 7 and December 16, who was a Roman soldier promoted to centurion, counseled by Bishop Theotecnus, and beheaded around 262. Although some references list the commemoration dates March 17, August 7, and December 16 together, the Orthodox Church distinguishes the idol-destroying Marinus of March 17 from Marinus of Caesarea, maintaining separate accounts for each.

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