Holy Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius (+c. 355)

The holy Martyrs Marcian and Martyrius served in the cathedral church of Constantinople. Marcian was a reader, and Martyrius a subdeacon; in addition, both carried out the obedience of notaries to the holy Patriarch Paul the Confessor (commemorated 6 November): by their hands the blessed hierarch’s letters were written to his flock, which had been thrown into confusion by the Arians.

After the heretics had driven Saint Paul out of the royal city and secretly killed him, his see was handed over to Macedonius of Adrianople. The heretics first tried to win Marcian and Martyrius over with bribes and promises of honour, and then threatened to torture them to death, but no attempt bore the fruit they wished: the Lord’s chosen ones went on confessing the Orthodox faith unshakeably and called on the people too to keep firmly the purity of the teaching handed down by the Fathers of the Church. The saints were sentenced to death. Before their end the martyrs fervently besought the Lord: “O Lord God, who fashionest our hearts and considerest all our works, receive in peace the souls of Thy servants, for for Thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter (Ps. 32:15; 43:23). We rejoice that by such a death we depart this world for Thy name. Make us worthy to share with Thee the life eternal, O Fountain of life.” After their prayer the martyrs joyfully stretched out their necks to the swords of the lawless (+c. 355). The Orthodox committed their holy bodies to the earth with honour. Later, in the time of the holy hierarch John Chrysostom, the incorrupt relics of the Lord’s saints were translated to a church built in their name, where many wonderful healings took place through the saints’ prayers.