Handwritten icon of the Great Martyr Artemios of Antioch. The golden background of the icon depicts the half-length figure of the Great Martyr Artemios of Antioch. The saint's gaze is fixed on the viewer. Artemy is dressed in military armor and a blue cloak. In his right hand, Saint Artemy holds a cross, as a symbol of martyrdom and a reminder of the Savior’s suffering on the cross. With his left hand he clutches a sword, symbolizing Artemy’s belonging to the military class.
Correct, harmonious facial features personify the spiritual beauty of a celestial being. A stern facial expression, without excessive sensuality and emotionality, shows detachment from the world, concentration in serving the Lord. The face is painted with delicate ocher melts. The pinkish tones of the blush and lips contrast with the olive color of the sankir, which gives the face additional volume and expressiveness, softness and warmth.
Straight and wide folds of clothing set a certain rhythm and movement of the icon, expressing the complete orderliness of spiritual forces. Their strict geometric structure reveals the elasticity of spiritual energy. All elements of the icon are painted with thin, transparent melts, which give depth, softness, and unearthly airiness to the appearance of St. Artemy.
The icon of Artemy of Antioch is made in the canonical style, in compliance with the centuries-old traditions of icon painting. When painting the icon, a pure and natural palette of colors was used: minerals, semi-precious stones, ocher, earths manually ground with a chime and mixed with yolk. The rich color palette of natural pigments made it possible to achieve moderate saturation and softness of colors characteristic of the Moscow school of writing.
Icon painter: Osipov Alexander. January. 2021 Sergiev Posad.
Artemy of Antioch, life
The Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch was from Egypt, where under Emperor Constantius he served as a military commander - commander-in-chief of the Egyptian troops. He was also a witness to the appearance of the cross to Saint Constantine the Great.
The Great Martyr Artemy suffered for our Lord Jesus Christ during the reign of the evil emperor Julian the Apostate in the city of Antioch. For boldly denouncing the emperor for the cruel torture of Christians and for refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods, the Holy Great Martyr Artemy was subjected to cruel torture and imprisoned.
There he saw the appearance of the Lord, who strengthened the holy martyr for further deeds and healed him from his wounds. After this, Saint Artemy was crushed by a huge stone, under which he lay for a whole day. Having been crushed between the stones, he miraculously remained alive and could move, walk and talk. After these torments, Saint Artemy was beheaded with a sword.
His death followed in 362. The relics of the saint, exuding miracles and healings, were transferred to Constantinople and buried there with honors.
Life of a Saint
Artemy was an associate of Emperor Constantine the Great, and then of his son Constantius. He came from a noble family and was a famous military leader. A hereditary patrician belonging to the elite of Roman society, Saint Artemius of Antioch was its best representative and in the battle between the emperor and Mauxentius he saw the sign of the Holy Cross in the sky.
Holy Great Martyr Artemios of Antioch
This impressed the saint so much that he became the most sincere Christian believer. Subsequently, his fate under Constantine the Great and his son Constantius developed, that is, until 361, as follows:
- The Great Martyr Artemius of Antioch became famous as a military leader in many subsequent battles, earning a reputation as a loyal servant of the emperor and a capable commander;
- it was he who transported the relics of the apostles Andrew and Luke to Constantinople;
- for his labors he was awarded many awards from the emperor and appointed governor of one of the most important provinces of the Egyptian empire.
Here he ruled with justice, eradicated paganism and preached Christ. Everyone knew that ruler Artemy was fair and impartial, so his authority among the local population was impeccable.
Important fact! After the death of Constantius in 361, Emperor Julian came to power, nicknamed the Apostate in history, and this is no coincidence, because it was he who became the only king in the history of the Roman (Byzantine) Empire who tried to return the world to paganism.
Of course, Julian the Apostate was an extraordinary person, but he went against the One who was the true God. His short reign (361 - 363) consisted of the following events:
- tried to revive paganism under the guise of Neoplatonism, giving the external organization of paganism the features of the Christian church;
- issued the “Edict of Tolerance,” which recognized the equal existence in the empire of both paganism and Christianity, and at the same time all the heresies that then existed (starting with the Arians);
- carried out a school reform that ousted Christian teachers from all schools and put in their place admirers of Neoplatonism.
Julian's trip to Antioch showed him that Christianity was already too deeply rooted in the minds of people to be defeated so easily, so he became embittered and began open persecution of the most significant representatives of Christianity, among whom was St. Artemy of Antioch.
There is no doubt that Julian saw in Artemy not only a Christian, but also a rival, since the pagan reforms of the king caused a mixed reaction in society and in the famous military leader of Emperor Constantine the Great they saw some opposition to the figure of the Apostate, in addition, Artemy was indeed very respected and loved in Egypt.
How does the icon of Artemy of Antioch help?
Through His saintly icons, the Lord sends us what we ask for, useful for our souls. The saints, just like us, who have walked the earthly path, know our needs. They experienced the same experiences, overcame similar earthly difficulties. When we ask a saint for intercession, we ask that he convey our prayer to God and that the saint’s prayers will be heard faster than our sincere appeal to them. The icon of Artemy of Antioch helps to establish a prayer connection with the patron saint. Having in front of us the visual image of Saint Artemy, our prayer does not dissipate into empty ideas and dreams. And according to the faith of the one who asks, the Lord, through His saints, gives us what we ask. Artemy of Antioch is revered in the Christian world as a saint and great martyr.
Before the icon of Artemy of Antioch they pray:
- About the army of the earth, about the soldiers and officers who protect our peaceful sleep. — About strengthening faith — About help in organizing earthly affairs — About healing of bodily and spiritual infirmities.
Veneration and holy relics
Of course, Christians even then, after the martyrdom of Artemy, perfectly understood the significance of his feat. He not only testified to the truth of the faith of Christ, but also affirmed the importance of Christianity as a true faith, capable of resisting not only paganism, but also all other non-Christian challenges.
The relics of Artemius of Antioch were some time later transported by deaconess Arista to Constantinople and buried in the church of St. John the Baptist. Many miracles were performed from his relics, and Artemy was quickly glorified as a saint.
On a note! Currently, the relics are in the city of Patras, where the martyr has always been revered.
It is interesting that Saint Artemy was very revered in Ancient Rus'; there were particles of his relics:
- in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where they ended up back in 1073 and were brought here by monastic pilgrims who visited the Orthodox East;
- The first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, had a pectoral cross with a particle of the relics of the martyr.
The first Russian Tsar of modern times apparently relied on the powerful prayerful intercession of this martyr.
More about the relics of saints:
- Relics of Saint Elijah of Muromets
- Relics of St. Sergius of Radonezh
- Relics of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called
Icon of Artemy of Antioch, meaning
The meaning of the icon of St. Artemy lies in the indestructible strength of spirit, represented in the image of the great martyr. She personifies the power of faith, martyrdom, and a firm determination to defend Christian ideals, even at the cost of her own life. The image of Artemy of Antioch, the story of his life’s journey, inspire us, encourage us to fervent prayer and pious deeds. Truly wonderful is God in His saints! Dear believers, brothers and sisters! Do not doubt the help of Saint Artemy! Open your heart to him in sincere prayer and he will hear us, heal spiritual and physical infirmities, and help in the successful arrangement of earthly affairs.
Do not forget that in order for a miracle to happen, we ourselves must take care: regularly, with attention, read the prayer, do deeds of faith and love. And don’t forget to give thanks: to thank all the people sent to us by the grace of God to solve our life’s troubles, who shared our joy and sorrow. To thank the Saint, whose prayerful support our heart yearned for, because how many people pray to him for help, but he heard and helped us too. And most importantly, thank the Lord for His boundless love for mankind. He gave the world His saints and every second helps us, people who hope for His great mercies.
Everything in the world happens according to the wise providence of God. Difficulties and sorrows, success and joys. Through earthly trials the Lord strengthens us. By helping each other, praying to the heavenly saints, we are more firmly united in the One Church of Christ. And we believe that the Great Martyr Artemy of Antioch will hear all our prayers and show us the boundless mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God for everything!
Patron saints of Artem
Many Saints with this name glorified him in Orthodoxy. Famous heavenly patrons of boys named Artem include Artemy of Listria, Artem of Solunsky, Artemy of Verkolsky.
Important! Artem's name day should not be confused with Angel's Day. Name day is the day of remembrance of the Saint in whose honor the boy was named. Angel Day is a day on which the boy’s Guardian Angel, given to him by God at birth, is revered.
Artemy Listriysky
Very little information has come down about the life of Saint Artemy. Apostle Artemy was numbered among the seventy Holy Apostles; he was a constant companion of the Apostle Paul and enjoyed his special trust. Saint's Day of Remembrance - January 17 and November 12.
Holy Apostle Artemios of Listria
Artemy of Antioch
Saint Artemy served in the army of Constantine the Great. During the service, he strengthened himself in the Christian faith, for which he endured many tortures and tortures, and was killed by the pagans. Saint's Day of Remembrance - November 2.
Artemy Solunsky
Saint Artemios of Thessaloniki is also called Selevisky, since he was born and lived in Seleucia. He became famous for his Christian wisdom and piety, so the Apostle Paul appointed the righteous man as the first bishop of Seleucia. He enjoyed great respect and authority among ordinary Christians; the bishop was considered a protector of the poor and disadvantaged. Saint's Day of Remembrance - April 6.
Saint Artemios, Bishop of Thessalonica
Artemy Kizichesky
Christianity began to spread in the city of Cyzicus during the time of the Apostle Paul. Most of the city's residents continued to profess paganism, but there were also people ready to devote their lives to Christ. Among them were 9 great martyrs, including Saint Artemy.
He was tortured and tortured for his adherence to Christianity, then the righteous man was executed. Experiencing inhuman torment, Artemy did not renounce his faith and did not betray Christ. The Saint's Memorial Day is May 12.
Buy an icon of St. Artemy
In the Radonezh icon painting workshop you can buy or order a handwritten icon of the Holy Great Martyr Artemy of Antioch. Call us and we will help you choose a plot, a compositional solution for the icon, its optimal size and design, or we will write an icon according to your sample.
Free delivery throughout Russia. If desired, the icon can be consecrated in the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra.
The image of the Holy Great Martyr Artemy of Antioch, made by the icon painters of the Radonezh workshop, like any handmade icon, carries within itself the living warmth of human hands and a loving heart. Each icon painted with love is unique and inimitable.
Peace and goodness to you, dear brothers and sisters, and may the holy saint of God, Artemy of Antioch, accompany you throughout your entire life’s journey.
Similar icons:
Vladimir 24000 ₽
Dionysius the Areopagite 12000 ₽
Vera Rimskaya 13000 ₽
Sergius of Radonezh – icon with three-dimensional engraving 36500 ₽
Holy Righteous Youth Artemy Verkolsky
Memorial Days:
- June 17 (movable) – Cathedral of Novgorod Saints
- June 3 – Cathedral of Karelian Saints
- July 6
- November 2
Artemy Verkolsky was born in the village of Verkole in what is now the Arkhangelsk region. His parents were simple but pious peasants, and they raised their son in piety, obedience and hard work.
Once 12-year-old Artemy helped his father in the field. Suddenly there was a clap of thunder, lightning flashed, and the boy fell lifeless to the ground. His fellow villagers considered such a death a sign of God’s wrath and did not bury him according to Orthodox custom, but left him in the forest, simply covering him lightly with earth and throwing branches at him.
32 years have passed. In 1577, Agathonik, a local deacon, noticed an unusual glow emanating from the forest. When he approached, he saw that the glow indicated the remains of a youth killed by lightning, which remained in their original form, untouched by decay. The deacon, amazed by this miracle, spoke about it in the village and ordered Artemy’s body to be transferred to the parish church. The incorrupt remains were placed in a coffin, placed near the outer porch and covered with birch bark.
After a short time, an epidemic of fever engulfed the surrounding lands, but many of the local residents who venerated the relics of the youth Artemy found healing, and soon the epidemic itself subsided. Then there were many more miraculous healings, after which the fame of the miracle worker Artemia spread far beyond the borders of the region. The first such miracle was described in 1584, and in 1610 the remains of the righteous youth were placed in a special reliquary in the temple itself.
In 1619, the veneration of the righteous youth Artemy was given a blessing from Macarius II, Metropolitan of Novgorod, and in 1648, by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, the St. Artemyev Verkolsky Monastery was established, where the relics of the saint were placed with honor. Soon the first icons “St. Artemy” appeared, some of them depicted episodes from the life of the holy youth and subsequent miraculous healings.
Holy Martyr Artemy
Memory October 20
About the holy martyr Artemia, ancient legends say that he was from a noble Roman family, had the rank of senator, and under Emperor Constantius was in charge of all the royal property.
Artemy began his service under Constantine the Great, in the troops of this pious emperor. When he, together with Constantine, saw the miraculous sign of the holy cross in the sky, he was confirmed in the Christian faith and became a faithful servant of Emperor Constantine and his house. After the death of Constantine, he remained with his son, Constantius,6808 all the time, as his best friend, and the king gave him the most honorable assignments. So, when Constantius learned from one bishop that the bodies of Christ’s apostles Andrew and Luke were buried in Achaia6809, he instructed Artemy to transfer these precious treasures to Constantinople. Artemy, fulfilling the royal command, with great honors transferred the relics of the holy apostles to the reigning city, and for this he received from the king an promotion, which he was fully worthy of: it was the king who made him dux and Augustal6810 of Egypt, and Artemy lived there, pleasing God. Spreading the honor and glory of the name of Jesus Christ, he overthrew and crushed many idols in Egypt.
When King Constantius, the son of Constantine the Great, died, power over the entire Roman Empire was assumed by the wicked apostate Julian, who had previously secretly, but now openly rejected our Lord Jesus Christ and openly began to worship idols. He sent a decree to all the countries of his kingdom, eastern and western, that those temples that had been taken from the pagans by Christians during the reign of Constantine the Great should now be given back to the pagans; at the same time, he ordered that idols be placed in these temples again and sacrifices made to the gods.
Thus, this wicked king restored everywhere the polytheism that had fallen under the holy king Constantine, and subjected Christians to severe oppression, torturing and killing them, plundering their property and spewing blasphemy against the holy name of Jesus Christ.
To humiliate Christianity, the wicked Julian, taking from the reliquary the bones of the holy prophet Elisha and the relics of St. John the Baptist - except for his venerable head and right hand, which lay in Sebaste - and mixing them with the bones of animals and wicked people, burned them, and scattered the ashes throughout air; Christians collected those ashes and bones remaining from the burning and kept them in a place of honor.
Then he learned that in the city of Paneada6812 there is a statue of Christ the Savior, made by a bleeding woman who was healed by touching the hem of Christ’s robe (Matthew 9:20). The king overthrew this statue and ordered it to be dragged around the square until it was all broken; Only the head of this statue was stolen and preserved by one Christian. In the place where this statue stood, the king ordered to erect his own statue, which, however, was broken by a lightning strike.
Having gathered a large army, the wicked Julian decided to go against the Persians, and during this campaign, arriving in Antioch, here, according to his custom, he initiated a persecution of the Church of Christ, killing the believers.
At that time, two Antioch presbyters, Eugene and Macarius, were brought to him - learned men. Julian argued with them for a long time about the gods, citing various words of pagan Greek writers to prove his wicked thoughts, but he could not force the god-speaking lips of the wise elders to silence; on the contrary, he himself was struck by them, put to shame and convicted of wickedness. Unable to bear his shame, Julian ordered to beat the saints mercilessly, having previously exposed them, and Eugene was given five hundred blows, and Macarius - without number.
When these saints were subjected to severe torture, the great Artemy happened to be at the place of execution. Hearing that Julian had reigned and that he was going on a campaign against the Persians - in view of which a decree was sent to him to arrive with all his troops in Antioch - Artemy came here with his troops, paid Julian the respect befitting a king, offering him with these gifts, and stood near the king at the time when the holy confessors, Eugene and Macarius, were subjected to torture. Hearing how the wicked Julian blasphemed the Lord Jesus Christ with his foul lips, Artemy was filled with jealousy and, approaching the king, said:
- Why do you, sir, so inhumanly torture innocent and dedicated men to God and force them to deviate from the Orthodox faith? Know that you too are a weak person; even if God made you king, you can still be tempted by the devil; I think that the first culprit of evil is the crafty devil. Just as he once asked God for permission to tempt Job and received it, so he raised you up against us and brought you against us, so that with your hands you could destroy Christ’s wheat and sow your tares. But his efforts are in vain and his strength is insignificant; for since the Lord came and the cross was erected on which Christ was lifted up, demonic pride has fallen and demonic power has been crushed. So, do not be deceived, O Tsar, and do not persecute, to please the demons, the Christian people preserved by God. Know that the strength and power of Christ are invincible and irresistible.
Hearing this, Julian was inflamed with anger and shouted in a loud voice:
– Who and where is this wicked man from, who so boldly addresses us and dares to insult us to our faces?
Those present to the king answered:
- Tsar! This is Dux and Augustalius of Alexandria.
- How? - said the king, - is this the vile Artemy, who participated in the killing of my brother Gall6813?
“Yes, sovereign king, this is him,” answered those present.
The king said:
“I must thank the immortal gods, and most of all Daphnian Apollo6814, for delivering this enemy, who himself came here, into my hands. So, let this worthless one be deprived of his dignity; Let them remove the belt6815 from him and punish him now, and tomorrow, if the gods please, I will pronounce judgment on him for the murder of my brother. I will avenge innocent blood on him and destroy him not with one execution, but with many executions, for he shed the blood not of an ordinary person, but of a king.
When the king said this, his squires immediately took Artemy and, having removed from him the military belt and other signs of dignity, they stood him naked. And the saint was given into the hands of the executioners, who, having tied his hands and feet, stretched him on four sides, and beat him on the back and belly with ox sinews for so long that from fatigue four pairs of executioners replaced him. But the saint showed truly superhuman patience, and seemed to everyone to be completely insensitive: he did not utter a single sound, did not groan, did not make a single movement and did not show any sign of suffering, as people suffering torment usually show. The earth was watered with his blood, but he remained unshakable, so that everyone was surprised at him, even the wicked Julian himself. Then the king ordered to stop beating him, and the saint was taken to prison with the holy martyrs Eugene and Macarius. The passion-bearers sang at this time: “You have tested us, O God, you have refined us, as silver is refined. You have brought us into a net, you have put fetters on our loins, you have placed a man on our head. We entered into fire and into water, and You brought us out to freedom” (Ps. 65:10-12)6817.
Having finished singing, Artemy said to himself:
- Artemy, here are the wounds of Christ marked on your body - all that remains for you is to give your very soul for Christ with the blood remaining in you; and he remembered the prophetic word: “I have given My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to those who strike” (Is. 50:6) 6818. But have I, unworthy, suffered more than my Master? He was covered with wounds all over his body: from his feet to his head there was no healthy place in Him, His head was pierced with thorns, His hands and feet were nailed to the cross for my sins, while He Himself did not know sin and did not even say a single unrighteous thing words. Oh, how great, in comparison with mine, are the sufferings of my Master and how far am I, a pitiful man, from His patience and kindness! I rejoice and am glad because I am adorned by the sufferings of my Master: this eases my torment. I thank You, Master, for crowning me with Your suffering! I pray to You, bring me to the end along the path of confession; do not let me turn out to be unworthy of this feat destined for me; for I have placed my trust in Your bounty, O most gracious Lord, Lover of mankind!
Thus, having prayed within himself, the saint reached the prison and remained there for the whole night together with Saints Eugene and Macarius, praising God.
When morning came, Julian the Apostate again ordered the martyrs to appear at the trial, and here, without interrogation, he separated them: he kept Artemia with him, but sent Eugene and Macarius into captivity in Oasim of Arabia6819. That country is extremely unhealthy: disastrous winds blow there and none of those who come there can survive for more than a year, for they will certainly fall into a severe illness that ends in death. So, Saints Eugene and Macarius, having been sent there, after some time reached a blessed death, 6820, and Saint Artemy endured much suffering. But first, Julian, like a wolf putting on sheep’s clothing, meekly, as if condoling Artemy and pitying him, began to say this:
“With your reckless audacity, you forced me, Artemy, to dishonor your old age and damage your health, which I regret.” Now I ask you, come and make a sacrifice to the gods, first of all to the Daphnian god, Apollo, who is especially revered by me. If you do this, then I will forgive you the crime against my brother and reward you with an even more glorious and honorable rank: I will make you the high priest6821 of the great gods and the chief over the priests of the entire universe; I will call you my father, and you will be second in command to me in my kingdom. You, Artemy, know yourself that my brother, Gall, innocently, out of envy, was killed by Constantius. Our family had more rights to the throne than the family of Constantine, for my father, Constantius, was born to my grandfather, Constantius, from the daughter of Maximian, while Constantine was born from Helen, a woman of simple rank. Moreover, my grandfather was not yet Caesar when his son was born to Helen, and my father was born to him when he had already ascended the throne. But Constantine boldly stole royal power. His son, Constantius, killed my father and his brothers, and recently killed my brother, Gallus. He wanted to kill me too, but the gods saved me from his hands. In hopes of them, I renounced Christianity and turned to the Hellenic religion; I know well that the Hellenic and Roman faith is the most ancient faith, but the Christian faith appeared recently, and Constantine accepted it, rejecting the ancient and good Roman rules of life, only out of his ignorance and unreason. And the gods hated him as wicked and unworthy of their trust. The gods hated and rejected him from themselves, and his wicked offspring were destroyed from among the living6823. Am I not telling the truth, Artemy? You are an old and sensible man - judge, am I telling the truth? So, admit the truth and be ours, for I want you to be my friend and assistant in managing the kingdom.
Hearing this and hesitating a little, Saint Artemy began to speak like this:
“First of all, regarding your brother, I will tell you, king, that I am innocent of his death, and in general I have never harmed him by deed or word; No matter how much you investigate, you will not be able to prove in any way that I was guilty of his death. I knew that he was a true Christian, pious and obedient to the law of Christ. May heaven and earth and the whole face of the holy angels and my Lord Jesus Christ, Whom I serve, know that I am innocent of the murder of your brother and did not contribute in any way to his murderers. I was not with King Constantius at the time when there was a discussion about your brother: all the time until this year I remained in Egypt. And to your proposal that I renounce Christ, my Savior, I will answer you with the words of the three youths who were with Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 3:18): let it be known to you, O king, that I do not serve your gods or a golden image I will never bow to you, dear Apollo. You humiliated blessed Constantine and his family, calling him an enemy of the gods and a madman. But he was converted to Christ from your gods, through a special calling from above. Listen to me about this, as a witness to this event. When we went to war against the fierce tormentor and bloodthirsty Maxentius6824, around noon a cross appeared in the sky, shining brighter than the sun, and on that cross the stars depicted Latin words that promised victory to Constantine. We all saw that cross that appeared in the sky and read what was written on it. And now there are still many old warriors in the army who remember well what they clearly saw with their own eyes. Find out if you want and you will see that I am telling the truth. But why am I talking about this? Christ was foretold by the prophets long before His coming, as you yourself know well. There is a lot of evidence that He really came to earth, and even your very gods often prophesied about the coming of Christ - the Sibylline books and Virgil spoke about the same thing.
And the saint further spoke about how demons often living in idols, being forced by the power of God, against their will, confessed Christ as the true God. Julian, unable to bear Artemy’s truthful speeches, ordered that the martyr be stripped and his sides pierced with red-hot awls, and sharp tridents pierced into his back. Artemy, as before, as if not feeling any pain, did not scream or let out any groan, being wonderfully patient in suffering. After these tortures, Julian again sent him to prison, ordering him to starve the saint with hunger and thirst, and he himself went to a place called Daphne to make sacrifices to his god Apollo and asked him about the outcome of his war against the Persians. He stayed there for quite a long time, every day sacrificing a large number of animals to the nasty Apollo, but still did not receive the desired answer. For the demon, which was in the idol of Apollo and gave answers to people, fell silent from the time when the relics of Saint Babyla (bishop and martyr of Antioch) with the remains of three infants who suffered with Babyla were transferred to that place. So Apollo did not answer Julian. When the king learned, after a long investigation, that Apollo was speechless because the relics of Babyla were placed not far from him, he immediately ordered the Christians to take the relics from there; but as soon as the holy relics were taken from their place, fire fell from heaven on the temple of Apollo and burned it along with the idol that was in it.
Artemy, while in prison, was visited by the Lord Himself and His holy angels. When Artemy was praying, Christ appeared to him and said:
- Take courage Artemy! I am with you and will deliver you from all the pain that your tormentors inflicted on you, and I am already preparing for you a crown of glory. For just as you confessed Me before people on earth, so I will confess you before My Father in Heaven. So be of good courage and rejoice: you will be with Me in My Kingdom.
Hearing this from the Lord, the martyr immediately began to glorify Him; not a single wound or ulcer remained on his holy body, his soul was filled with Divine consolation and he sang and blessed God. Meanwhile, since he was thrown into prison, he did not eat or drink anything, and this continued until his death. Artemy was nourished from above, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Returning in shame from his sacrifices, Julian blamed the burning of the Temple of Apollo on the Christians, saying that it was they who lit it at night, and, having taken away the holy churches from the Christians, turned them into idolatrous temples and began to inflict great oppression on the Christians. Having then ordered Artemy to be brought to him from prison, he told him:
“You, of course, heard what happened in Daphne - how wicked Christians set fire to the temple of the great god Apollo and destroyed his beautiful image. But let the wicked not rejoice in this, let them not laugh at us, for I will repay for this seventy times seven, as you say6828.
Saint Artemy answered:
“I heard that, by the permission of an angry God, fire came down from heaven and destroyed your god and burned his temple. But if your Apollo was a god, then how did he not rid himself of the fire?
The king said:
“And you, unfortunate one, laugh and rejoice at the burning of Apollo?”
“I laugh at your madness,” answered Artemy, “that you serve a god who could not save himself from the fire.” How can he deliver you from eternal fire? I am consoled by his fall and rejoice in everything that my Christ miraculously performs. And if you boast to repay seventy times seven to innocent Christians who have not done you any harm, then you will receive for this when you are cast into unquenchable fire and eternal torment, which will soon come for you. For your destruction is already close and soon your memory will perish with noise6829.
The torturer, angry, ordered the stonemasons to cut one large stone and then push it from above onto Artemy, who was tied up and placed on a stone slab under this stone. When this was done, the entire body of the martyr was covered by a stone that fell on him and crushed him so much that he broke all his bones; his insides fell out, the joints of his body were broken and his eyeballs came out of their places. And what a great miracle! Being flattened between the stones, the saint remained alive and called on God, his Helper, and spoke in the words of David:
- “He brought me up onto a rock, out of reach for me, for You are my refuge, You are a strong defense from the enemy” (Ps. 61:3-4) 6830. “You set my feet on a rock and established my steps” (Ps. 39:3 )6831. Accept now, O Only Begotten, my spirit, for You know my difficult situation, and do not leave me in the hands of the enemy.
Thus, being crushed by a stone, the saint spent the whole day. Then Julian ordered the stone to be removed, considering the saint already dead, but the saint, to everyone’s surprise, turned out to be alive and stood up and walked. And everyone was scared to look at him: before them was a naked man, crushed like a board, with crushed bones, with his entrails falling out; his face was crushed, his eyes were out of their sockets, but life still clung to him, his legs could move and his tongue was still able to speak clearly. The tormentor himself, seeing such a miracle, was horrified and said to his entourage:
– Is this a person or a ghost? Did this wizard avert our eyes? For before us is a terrible sight that goes beyond the limits of nature. Who expected him to still be alive? And now, when his insides have fallen out and all his joints are broken and weakened, he still moves, walks and talks. But, apparently, our gods kept him alive to admonish others, so that the one who did not want to recognize their power would remain a terrible monster for those who looked at him.
And Julian said to the martyr:
“Now you, unfortunate one, have already lost your eyes and all the members of your body are completely spoiled - how can you still have hope in the One on whom you have hitherto hoped in vain? But ask for mercy from the merciful gods, so that they have mercy on you and so that they do not give you over to hellish torment.
The martyr of Christ, hearing about the torment, grinned and said to the king:
“Will your gods hand me over to torture?” They themselves cannot escape the torment prepared for them, and with them you, being thrown into eternal fire, will suffer forever, for you denied the Son of God and trampled underfoot His holy blood, shed for us, and mocked the grace of the Holy Spirit, obeying destructive demons. For the minor pain you caused me, I hope from my Lord, for Whom I suffer, to have eternal peace in His heavenly chamber.
Julian, having heard this, pronounced the following sentence to the martyr:
- Artemy, who blasphemed the gods, trampled on Roman and our laws, recognized himself not as a Roman, but as a Christian and called himself, instead of dux and Augustal, a Galilean - we put him to death and command that his vile head be cut off with a sword.
After such a sentence, the saint was taken to the place of execution and walked there with unspeakable joy, wanting to “be resolved and be with Christ”6832. Arriving at the place where his execution was to be carried out, he asked for time for prayer and, turning to the east, knelt down three times and prayed for a long time. After this he heard a voice from heaven saying:
- Come in with the saints to receive the reward prepared for you.
And immediately the blessed one bowed his head and was beheaded by one soldier, on the twentieth day of the month of October; the day on which he committed martyrdom was Friday. One woman named Arista, a deaconess of the Antiochian Church, begged his honest and holy body from the torturer and, anointing it with precious aromas, put it in an ark and sent it to Constantinople, where it was buried with honors. From his relics many wondrous miracles were performed and various healings were given to the sick, which Saint Artemy still gives to all who come to him with faith.
After the death of Artemy, the prophecy that he expressed to Julian directly in the eyes regarding his death soon came true: “you will soon perish and it will not be long before the memory of you perishes with noise.” For Julian, having killed Saint Artemius, set off with his troops from Antioch and went against the Persians. When he reached the city of Ctesiphon6833, he met a Persian, an old, respected and very sensible man. He promised Julian to betray the Persian kingdom and volunteered to be a guide to Persia for the lawless king and his entire army. But this did not serve the evil bloodsucker’s benefit, for that Persian deceived him and, pretending that he was leading him along the straight, real road, led the villain into the Karmanitsky desert,6834, into impassable places, where abysses were constantly encountered, where there was no water at all and no food, so that all the soldiers were exhausted from hunger and thirst, and the horses and camels all fell. After this, the guide admitted that he had deliberately led the Romans into such empty and terrible places in order to weaken their strength. “I did this for this,” he said, “so as not to see my fatherland captured by enemies, and it is better for me here alone than for my entire fatherland to perish at your hands.” And immediately after this confession the Persian was cut into pieces by the soldiers. Wandering through the desert, the Greeks and Romans, against their will, encountered the Persian army and, during the battle that took place here, many Julian warriors fell. Divine retribution here befell Julian himself, for he was pierced in the side by an invisible hand from above and an invisible weapon that passed down his stomach. He groaned heavily and, grabbing a handful of blood with his hand, threw it into the air and exclaimed:
– You have won, Christ! Feast your fill, Galilean!
And then he, dying in agony, cast out his villainous and nasty soul and died noisily, according to the prophecy of Saint Artemy6835. The Roman army, after the death of Julian, installed Jovian as king, who was a Christian, and who, having made peace with the Persians, returned back. So Julian suffers in hell with Judas6836, while Artemy rejoices in heaven with the saints6837, standing before the One God in the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to Him be glory forever. Amen.
Kontakion, voice 2:
The pious and crowned martyr, who overcame the enemies of victory with dignity, let us praise Artemy with songs, the greatest among martyrs, and the rich giver of miracles: he prays to the Lord for all of us.
Retribution
Soon after this, the Roman governor was also struck. The prophecies of Saint Artemy came true exactly one year later. Julian and his army, leaving Antioch, went to fight the Persians. Approaching the city of Ctesiphon, they met an old Persian who asked to be Julian’s guide, promising to betray his fellow citizens for a small reward. But as it turned out later, he deceived them and led the soldiers into the wild, impassable Karmanite desert, where there was neither water nor food. The Greco-Roman troops, hungry and exhausted from the heat, entered into a forced battle with the Persian forces, which were well prepared for the meeting. In a battle with the Persians, a cavalry spear cut his arm, pierced his ribs and lodged in his liver. As a result, Julian, struck down by an invisible hand, groaned heavily and uttered the words before his death: “You have won, Galilean!”
Icons and prayers
On icons, the Great Martyr Artemy is traditionally depicted with long hair and a forked short beard, wearing military armor and a himation. But there are other interpretations.
The prayer to the Great Martyr Artemy begins with the words: “Holy servant of God, Artemy the Righteous!” The second is “Holy Martyr Artemis!”
For the first time, the life of the holy great martyr and warrior Artemius was described by John of Rhodes at the end of the 10th century, then it was processed and supplemented by Simeon Metaphrastus. The ancient Byzantine historians Ammianus Marcellinus and Philostorgius also reported on Saint Artemia of Antioch.
In 1073, a particle of his relics was found by the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery. It is also known that holy relics were found in the reliquary cross of the Russian Emperor Mikhail Fedorovich, which became the blessing of Patriarch Philaret.
Condemned by men and rehabilitated by God
Twelve centuries later, a boy was born into an ordinary peasant family, who was named in honor of the Great Martyr Artemy. He lived in the village of Verkola (Arkhangelsk region), was peace-loving, quiet, obedient, and pious. He avoided noisy children's games. From an early age, the boy began to help his father with housework. One hot June day, thirteen-year-old Artemy was harrowing a field with his parents. Trouble came from unexpected places: a strong wind rose sharply, the sky was rapidly covered with dark clouds and a terrible thunderstorm began. Lightning flashed over the field and struck Artemy. The boy fell dead.
When the village learned about the tragedy, unkind rumors began to spread: what if this quiet Artemy was actually a sinner? In still waters, as they say, there are devils. And his death, it would seem, clearly showed: he had angered God with something. In the end, the superstitious fellow villagers decided that it was not worthwhile to bury the boy in a Christian manner and laid the body in the forest, throwing branches over it - an act unheard of at that time. After all, a suicide or an unbaptized person could be left without a Christian burial (the latter is generally difficult to imagine).
For 28 years, Artemy’s forgotten body lay in the silence of the forest. But one day, a cleric of the local church Agafonik, walking nearby, saw an unusually bright radiance in the thicket of the forest. Having made his way to him, he found the boy’s body, which over all these years had remained completely incorruptible and from which this amazing light emanated. Agafonik immediately called the peasants, whom he ordered to take the found youth to the church. Miracles began. For example, when a fever epidemic broke out in the surrounding area, many believers, venerating the relics of Artemy, received healing. Soon the youth, once cursed by his fellow villagers, became revered as a saint throughout Russia.
It would seem that what can we, modern people, take away from this story? First of all, it shows that in no case should canonization be confused with the fact of holiness as such. Only God alone knows the names of all saints. He reveals to us only those whose fate and deeds can help on our spiritual path. And the image of the righteous youth Artemy Verkolsky once again reminds us of one of the most important warnings of Christ: Do not judge , lest you be judged (Matthew 7 :1).
