Great Martyr & Companions
Great Martyr Arethas and the Martyrs of Najran
An elderly Christian leader whose steadfast confession strengthened the martyrs of Najran.
Core account checked against Orthodox Church in America — Martyr Arethas and 4,299 Martyrs with him, Orthodox Synaxarion — Great Martyr Arethas and his companions (Greek). Additional ecclesiastical references appear below.
Life and Witness
A Christian Leader in Najran
Saint Arethas was an elderly leader of the Christian community of Najran, called Negran in some ecclesiastical accounts, in Arabia. The Church commemorates him together with 4,299 fellow martyrs. Their witness belongs to the sixth century, during the reign of Emperor Justin I.
The Siege and the Broken Promise
The Orthodox Life recounts that King Dunaan, the Himyarite ruler, sought to suppress Christianity and advanced against Najran. When the city resisted, he promised that he would merely collect tribute and would not compel the inhabitants to abandon their faith. Arethas warned against trusting him, but the gates were opened.
Persecution of the Community
The promise was broken. According to the OCA account, clergy were killed by fire, while Arethas and other leading citizens were imprisoned. The ruler demanded that the Christians reject the divinity of Jesus Christ. Their confession centered on Christ as the incarnate Word of God, rather than merely a human teacher.
The Courage of an Elder
The Greek Synaxarion places the persecution in the conflict involving Dunaan and the Christian Ethiopian king Elesbaan. It particularly remembers Arethas encouraging the faithful despite his advanced age. His leadership continued in suffering: the man who had held responsibility in the city strengthened his companions as they faced death. The liturgical verses commemorate his death by beheading.
The Martyrs and Their Memory
The martyrs included men and women, children and elderly people from Najran and nearby communities. Their feast on October 24 honors their shared fidelity to Christ. The Church’s hymns remember Arethas as a guide and companion of the martyrs, and praise God for the strength given to them.
Holy Relics and Veneration
The Greek Synaxarion records portions of Saint Arethas’s relics at Dionysiou Monastery and the Skete of Koutloumousiou on Mount Athos, and at the monasteries of Agathonos, the Taxiarchs in Aigialeia, and Phaneromeni on Salamis. His veneration joins remembrance of the persecution with the Church’s continuing prayer and liturgical celebration.
Biographical information on this page is based exclusively on the Orthodox ecclesiastical sources listed below.
Orthodox Church in America — Martyr Arethas and 4,299 Martyrs with himOrthodox Synaxarion — Great Martyr Arethas and his companions (Greek)