St. Neophytos of Nicaea

The Holy Martyr Neophytos was born in Nicaea of Bythinia to Christian parents who were named Theodore and Florentia.[1] During the persecution of Diocletian he went to Nicaea and boldly denounced the pagan faith.[2] He was killed by Roman soldiers in A.D. 303, 10 years before the Edict of Milan permanently established religious toleration for Christianity within the Roman Empire.[3] His feast day is commemorated on January 21.[4]

In 2014 the underwater Byzantine Basilica of Saint Neophytos dedicated in his honour was discovered in Lake Iznik, modern-day Turkey. The basilica had been built in the place where he was killed on the shore of the lake and subsequently became submerged after an earthquake.[5]

References

  1. ↑ MYSTAGOGY: Saint Neophytos the Martyr of Nicaea
  2. ↑ Martyr Neophytus of Nicea - Orthodox Church in America
  3. ↑ Basilica in Lake Iznik to become underwater museum Hürriyet Daily News 2015-04-07
  4. ↑ Martyr Neophytus of Nicea - Orthodox Church in America
  5. ↑ Basilica in Lake Iznik to become underwater museum Hürriyet Daily News 2015-04-07
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.