Polyeuctus
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Saint Polyeuctus (Polyeuctes, Polyeuktos) of Melitene (d. January 10, 259) is an ancient Roman saint. Christian tradition states that he was a wealthy Roman army officer who was martyred at Melitene, Armenia, under Valerian.
Symeon Metaphrastes writes that, moved by the zeal of his friend Saint Nearchus, Polyeuctus had openly converted to Christianity. "Enflamed with zeal, St Polyeuctus went to the city square, and tore up the edict of Decius which required everyone to worship idols. A few moments later, he met a procession carrying twelve idols through the streets of the city. He dashed the idols to the ground and trampled them underfoot."[1]
He was tortured by the authorities and ignored the tears and protestations of his wife Paulina, his children, and his father-in-law Felix. He was beheaded.
[edit] Veneration
He was buried at Melitene, and a church was dedicated to him there. Christian tradition states that the parents of Euthymius the Great prayed for a son at the church of St. Polyeuctus in Melitene.[2]
A church dedicated to him was also built at Constantinople, under Justinian.
His feast day is February 13 in the Catholic calendar. In the Eastern Orthodox liturgics, his feast falls on January 9. His feast day was January 7 in the ancient Armenian calendars.
He is the patron saint of vows and treaty agreements.[3]
[edit] Cultural references
Pierre Corneille, inspired by the account of Polyeuctus' martyrdom, used elements from the saint's story in his tragedy Polyeucte (1642). Paul Dukas wrote The Polyeucte Overture, which premiered in January 1892.
