Holy Martyrs Urban, Theodore, Medimnus and the Seventy-seven Fathers of the Clergy with Them, Martyred at Nicomedia (+370)

The holy Martyrs Urban, Theodore, Medimnus and seventy-seven fathers of the clergy suffered in Nicomedia in the time of the Arian Emperor Valens (364–378). In the reign of Valens the Arians drove the Orthodox bishop Evagrius from the Church of Constantinople, and began a cruel persecution of the Christians who would not side with their heretical teaching. The faithful decided to ask the emperor for help, and sent to him an embassy of about eighty chosen clergy, led by Urban, Theodore and Medimnus. When he heard their just complaint, the godless autocrat was enraged, but managed to restrain his wrath. He secretly summoned the eparch Modestus and ordered him to slaughter the whole embassy. Modestus spread the rumour that those sent to the king were being sent into exile; then he put them on a ship and gave orders to the sailors to set fire to the ship on the open sea (+370).