Saint Artemios the Great Martyr of Antioch commemorated October 20

Saint Artemios the Great Martyr of Antioch was a fourth-century Roman military commander, patrician, and Imperial Prefect of Egypt. He served under Emperor Constantine the Great and converted to Christianity after witnessing the vision of the Holy Cross in the sky. Under Constantine's successor Constantius, Artemios transferred the holy relics of the Apostles Andrew and Luke to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.

When Emperor Julian the Apostate began restoring paganism, Artemios traveled to Antioch and witnessed Julian torturing two Christian priests, Eugenios and Makarios, for refusing to renounce the Orthodox faith. Artemios publicly denounced the emperor for his impiety and prophesied Julian's imminent downfall and death. Enraged, Julian stripped Artemios of rank and threw him into a dungeon.

The saint endured flogging, tearing, and piercing with red-hot skewers. Jesus Christ appeared to Artemios in his cell surrounded by angels, healing his wounds and promising an incorruptible crown of glory. Julian then ordered a massive stone quarry block split in two, placing Artemios on one half and crushing him with the other.

Despite shattered bones and spilled entrails, Artemios survived, stood up, and continued praising Christ while mocking the pagan idols. Recognizing the saint's unbreakable faith, Julian ordered his beheading in 362 AD. After his martyrdom, a Christian deaconess reverently transferred his holy relics to the Church of Saint John the Baptist in Constantinople.