Commander, Confessor & Great Martyr
Holy Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch
The imperial commander who brought apostolic relics to Constantinople and chose Christ over the favor of Julian.
Core account checked against Orthodox Church in America — Greatmartyr Artemius at Antioch, Orthodox Synaxarion — Saint Artemius the Great Martyr and liturgical texts. Additional ecclesiastical references appear below.
Life and Witness
A Commander in Imperial Service
The Orthodox Church remembers Saint Artemius as a distinguished Roman commander and official who served during the reigns of Constantine the Great and Constantius II. His courage and public service brought him honor and responsibility.
He was entrusted with authority in Egypt, where the received Life associates his office with the strengthening of Christianity. The man later honored as a martyr had first exercised substantial influence within the imperial administration.
The Relics of the Apostles
According to the Orthodox account, Constantius II sent Artemius to bring the relics of the Apostle Andrew from Patras and those of the Evangelist Luke from Thebes of Boeotia to Constantinople. They were placed in the Church of the Holy Apostles.
This mission connected his service with the Church’s reverence for the apostles. The Greek Synaxarion also remembers his charitable activity during his stay at Patras. His later suffering would give a new meaning to the honor with which he had accompanied the holy relics.
The Reign of Julian
After Constantius, Julian became emperor and promoted the restoration of pagan worship. Orthodox tradition remembers him as Julian the Apostate because of his rejection of Christianity and hostility toward the Church.
The decisive encounter in Artemius’s Life took place at Antioch. Hearing of the suffering of Christians, including bishops under persecution, he refused to remain silent. He publicly rebuked the emperor and confessed his allegiance to Christ.
From Imperial Favor to Imprisonment
Artemius’s former rank did not protect him. Julian ordered his punishment and imprisonment. The official who had exercised authority in the empire now stood exposed to the power of the ruler he had challenged.
The received Life describes severe torture followed by confinement. Artemius continued to pray. According to the longer Orthodox account, Christ appeared to him in prison and strengthened him to endure, assuring him of the heavenly reward prepared for his confession.
Refusal and Martyrdom
Julian renewed his demand that Artemius honor the pagan gods. The saint refused. Further suffering failed to change his resolve, and he was finally beheaded. The Church honors him as a Great Martyr.
The accounts associate his death with Julian’s reign in the early 360s. Rather than forcing the different chronologies into one precise date, the biography follows their shared substance: Artemius surrendered imperial favor and endured death rather than abandon Christ.
Julian’s End and the Martyr’s Relics
Julian died during his Persian campaign in 363. Orthodox hagiography relates his end to the warning Artemius had given concerning the limits of persecuting power. The saint’s witness directs attention to fidelity to Christ beyond the authority of any earthly ruler.
Christians honored Artemius’s remains after his martyrdom. The Orthodox accounts record their transfer from Antioch to Constantinople. The Greek Synaxarion names the deaconess Ariste in connection with their conveyance to the church of the Forerunner.
Healing, Veneration and the Feast
The liturgical tradition praises Artemius as a giver of healings through his intercession. He is particularly invoked by those suffering from hernias, as both the OCA notice and the Greek hymns record. These references belong to the Church’s prayerful remembrance of the martyr.
His feast is October 20. The biography concerns Artemius the Great Martyr of Antioch, distinct from other saints bearing the same name. His Life joins public responsibility, reverence for the apostles and courage before persecution. Holy Great Martyr Artemius, pray to God for us.
Biographical information on this page is based exclusively on the Orthodox ecclesiastical sources listed below.
Orthodox Church in America — Greatmartyr Artemius at AntiochOrthodox Synaxarion — Saint Artemius the Great Martyr and liturgical texts