Saint Demetrius

Description

Saint Demetrius (or Demetrios) of Thessalonica (Greek: Ἅγιος Δημήτριος τῆς Θεσσαλονίκης, Hágios Dēmḗtrios tēs Thessaloníkēs[a]), also known as the Holy Great-Martyr Demetrius the Myroblyte (meaning ‘the Myrrh-Gusher’ or ‘Myrrh-Streamer’;[b] 3rd century – 306), was a Greek Christian martyr of the early 4th century AD.

During the Middle Ages, he came to be revered as one of the most important Orthodox military saints, often paired with Saint George of Lydda. His feast day is 26 October for Eastern Orthodox Christians, which falls on 8 November [NS, “new style”] for those following the old calendar. In the Roman Catholic Church he is most commonly called “Demetrius of Sermium” and his memorial is 9 April in the 2004 Roman Martyrology and 8 October in the martyrology of the Extraordinary Form.

The earliest written accounts of his life were compiled in the 9th century, although there are earlier images of him, and the 7th-century Miracles of Saint Demetrius collection. According to these early accounts, Demetrius was born to pious Christian parents in Thessalonica, Macedonia in 270.

According to the hagiographies, Demetrius was a young man of senatorial family who became proconsul of the Thessalonica district. He was run through with spears in around 306 in Thessalonica, during the Christian persecutions under the emperor Galerius, which matches his depiction in the 7th-century mosaics.