Saint Demetrios the Myrrh-streaming, Great Martyr of Thessaloniki
Great Martyr, patron of Thessaloniki
- Feast day
- October 26
- Lived
- d. c. 306
- Patronage
- Thessaloniki, soldiers, those under siege
Saint Demetrios is the protector of Thessaloniki, whose great basilica has stood over his tomb since the fifth century and whose relics stream fragrant myrrh, giving him the title Myrovlitis.
Life and martyrdom
A young Roman officer of noble family in Thessaloniki, Demetrios used his position to teach the Christian faith openly. Arrested on the orders of the Emperor Maximian, he was held in the vaults of the public baths.
There he blessed a young Christian named Nestor, who then defeated the emperor's champion gladiator Lyaios in the arena. Enraged, Maximian had Nestor beheaded and Demetrios run through with spears in his cell — the manner of death shown in every icon of the saint.
Protector of the city
Thessaloniki attributes repeated deliverances from siege — Avars, Slavs, and later invaders — to his intercession, and the mosaics of the basilica record the gratitude of the citizens. His feast on October 26 is a public celebration in the city, and he is commemorated alongside the great earthquake of 1978, from which the city was preserved.