Dometius of Persia

Saint Dometius the Persian

Martyrdom of St. Dometius and his two disciples. From the Menologion of Basil II.
Martyr
Died 363 AD
Nisibis, Mesopotamia
Feast August 7
Patronage invoked against sciatica[1]

Saint Dometius (Domitius) the Persian (d. 363 AD) is venerated as a Christian martyr and saint. According to tradition, he was martyred by lapidation during the reign of Julian the Apostate with two companions.[2] He was killed at Nisibis in Mesopotamia.[2]

The name Domitius appears three times in the Roman Martyrology on different feast days (August 7, March 23, July 5); “it is uncertain that they were indeed the same person.”[2]

Dometius of Persia was depicted in an 8th century fresco in the church of Santa Maria Antiqua, in Rome.[3] This may indicate that there were Greek-speaking monks at Santa Maria Antiqua,[3] as evidenced by these frescoes, which not only depicted Dometius but also Saints Barachisius, Euthymius, and Sabas of Palestine.[3]

References

  1. ^ Sean Kelly, Rosemary Rogers, Saints preserve us!: Everything you need to know about every saint you'll ever need (Random House, Inc., 1993), 78.
  2. ^ a b c "St. Patrick Catholic Church Saint of the Day: August 7". St. Patrick Catholic Church. 2010. http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0807.shtml. Retrieved January 29, 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c Éamonn Ó Carragáin, Carol L. Neuman de Vegvar, Roma felix: formation and reflections of medieval Rome: Church, faith and culture in the medieval West (Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2007), 148 and 148n.