Artemon Bishop of Seleucia

First Bishop of Seleucia

The accounts of Artemon's life are brief and belong to the apostolic period. By tradition the Apostle Paul, preaching in the region of Pisidia, came to Seleucia and there established Artemon as bishop, shepherd, and teacher of the city. The sources connect this choice to Artemon's reputation for faith and virtue rather than to any prior office, presenting him as the most worthy candidate among the local faithful.

As bishop Artemon is remembered for pastoral diligence and for works of mercy. The synaxarion tradition describes him as a comforter of the poor and oppressed and as a refuge for those in need, with particular care for widows and orphans, and characterizes his ministry to both the spiritual and bodily needs of his people. He is said to have shepherded his flock well throughout his tenure and to have departed in great old age.

Identity in Later Records

Later sources note that Artemon of Seleucia was at times confused with other figures bearing similar names, including a Menignus, with such conflations appearing in records of the eighteenth century. The Orthodox synaxarion tradition nonetheless preserves his commemoration as the first bishop of Seleucia in Pisidia on March 24.