Venerable Maruthas, Bishop in Mesopotamia (+422)

The Venerable Bishop Maruthas took part in the Second Council of Constantinople (381) and in the local Council of Antioch directed against the Messalians (383).

In 403–404 the saint twice met the Emperor Arcadius, told him of the plight of the Persian Christians and asked for help; the Emperor Theodosius the Younger twice sent the venerable father to Shah Yazdegerd to negotiate a peace treaty between the empire and Persia.

In 414 Maruthas served as ambassador at Yazdegerd’s court; he disposed the king favourably towards the Christians and did much to further freedom to confess the true faith in Persia. He restored Christian churches destroyed during the persecution under Shapur, obtained the relics of the holy martyrs and translated them to Martyropolis (Tigrit); the saint died around 422. Later his remains were translated to Egypt and placed in the monastery of the Theotokos in Scetis.