NICOMEDIA, Martyrs of. - On February 24, 303, the first edict of the persecution inaugurated by Diocletian was published at N., by which the destruction of the churches and the burning of the Holy Scriptures were ordered. It also marked the beginning of a terrible slaughter, in which many Christians of the city perished, commemorated in the Syriac Martyrology and in the Hieronymian Martyrology on March 12.

The first victim was an unknown man, who had the holy audacity to tear down the edict posted in the public square. There followed the court chamberlains Dorotheus, Gorgonius, Peter and many others, who nevertheless enjoyed the esteem and trust of the Emperor. Dorotheus and Gorgonius were employed; Peter was first discharged and then burned on a gridiron. The bishop of the city, Anthimus, was beheaded and with him very many of the faithful. A few days after the publication of the edict a fire broke out in the imperial palace; the blame was laid on the Christians, many of whom were beheaded, others thrown to the flames, others drowned in the open sea. The ferocity of the persecutors did not even spare the bodies of the martyrs, which after being buried were exhumed and thrown into the sea.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: Eusebius, Hist. eccl., VIII, 5 ff.; Martyr. Hieronymianum, pp. 137-39, 212 ff.; Martyr. Romanum, pp. 94 ff., 158, 387.

Agostino Amore

@incollection{ec8_nicomedia_martiri_di, author = {Amore, Agostino}, title = {Nicomedia, martiri di}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {1864}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/nicomedia-martiri-di} }

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Nicomedia, Martyrs of

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