Diocletianic Martyrs

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List of Martyrs under the Diocletianic Persecution (303-313)

The persecution of Diocletian (r. 284-305) and his immediate successors was the longest and most destructive persecution the Pagan Roman state waged against the Orthodox Church. It is also the most well documented period of anti-Christian persecution in the pagan Roman Empire. The persecution began on February 23, 303 with the demolition of a large and prominent church in Diocletian's capital Nicomedia. The following day, Diocletian and his co-emperors issued the first of four edicts against the Christian Church.

Below is a list of martyrs either confirmed to have died or alleged to have suffered martyrdom under Diocletian and Tetrarchy.


Martyrs named by Eusebius of Caesarea in his Historia ecclesiastica book VIII-IX and/or his Martyrs of Palestine

• 24 Feb 303 John (or Euetius) of Nicomedia

• Early 303 Dorotheus, Gorgonius and Peter of Nicomedia

• 24 Apr 303 The Presbyters Eusebius and Charalampus and Two-Hundred Sixty-Eight Christians of Nicomedia

• 28 Apr 303 Anthimus of Nicomedia

• 7 Jun 303 Procopius of Gaza

• 17 Nov 303 Zacchaeus of Gadara, Alphaeus of Eleutheropolis, Romanus the Deacon of Caesarea

• Spr 304 Timothy of Gaza

• 24 Mar 305 Dionysius of Palestine, Timothy of Pontus, Dionysius of Tripolis, Romanus of Diospolis, Paesis the Egyptian, Alexander the Egyptian, Agapius and Dionysius

• 31 Mar 306 Apphianus of Lycia

• 2 Apr 306 Ulpianus of Tyre

• 8 Apr 306 Aedesius of Lycia

• 20 Nov 306 Agapius and Thecla of Gaza

• 2 Apr 307 Theodosia of Tyre

• 5 Nov 307 Domninius of Palestine

• c. 307 Phileas of Alexandria

• c. 307(?) Philoromus of Alexandria

• 25 Jul 308 Ennatha of Gaza, Valentina of Gaza, Paul the Confessor

• 13 Nov 309 Antoninus of Palestine, Zebinas of Eleutheropolis, Germanus of Palestine, Ennatha of Scythopolis

• 14 Dec 309 Ares the Egyptian, Primus the Egyptian, Elias the Egyptian (I)

• 10 Jan 310 Peter Apselamus of Anea and Asclepius the Marcionite Bishop

• 16 Feb 310 Pamphilus of Caesarea, Porphyrius of Caesarea, Paul of Jamnia, Seleucus of Cappadocia, Julianus of Cappadocia, Vales of Jerusalem, Theodulus of Caesarea, Elias the Egyptian (II), Jeremiah the Egyptian, Isaiah the Egyptian, Samuel the Egyptian, Daniel the Egyptian

• 5 Mar 310 Hadrianus of Manganaea

• 7 Mar 310 Eubulus of Manganaea

• 19 Sep 310 Paul (or Peleus) the Egyptian Bishop and Nilus the Egyptian

• 16 Feb 310 Patermuthius the Egyptian and Elias the Egyptian (III)

• 4 May 311 Silvanus of Gaza, John of Egypt, and theThirty-Nine Confessors of Zoar (or Phaeno)

• 26 Nov 311 Peter of Alexandria

• c. 311-Oct 312 Wife of the Ubran Prefect of Rome Julius Flavianus

• 7 Jan 312 Lucian of Antioch

• 312 Silvanus of Emesa and his two Companions

Martyrs in Eusebius of Uncertain Dates

• Mother and Virgins of Antioch

• Aduactus the Rationalis of Phrygia(?)

• Tyrannion of Tyre

• Zenobius of Sidon

• Faustus the Deacon

• Dius the Egyptian

• Ammonius the Egyptian

• Hesychius the Egyptian

• Pachymius the Egyptian

• Theodorus the Egyptian

Historical martyrs named to in authentic Acta, semi-historical Acts, or later credible sources

• 3 May 303 Helpidius and Hermogenes of Melitene

• 15 Jul 303 Felix, bishop of Thibiuca

• Nov 303 Dasius of Durostorum

• 22 Jan 304 Vincent of Caesaraugusta

• 12 Feb 304 Forty-Nine Martyrs of Abitiane

• 24 Mar 304 Irenaeus of Sirmium

• 1 Apr 304 Agape, Chione, and Eriene of Thessalonica

• 7 Apr 304 Calliopus of Pompeiopolis and Claudius, Asterius, Neon, Theonilla, and Dominina in Lycia

• 11 Apr 304 Domnio of Salona

• 29 Apr 304 Euplius of Catania

• 30 Jul 304 A Christian Woman of Saltus Cephalitanus

• Sum 303 Thirty-Four Martyrs of Haidra

• 22 Oct 304 Bishop of Heraclea and Hermes the Deacon of Heraclea

• 5 Dec 304 Crispina of Tebessa

• 10 Dec 304 Eulalia of Merida

• 22 Dec 304 Crispina of Thagora

George the Trophy-bearer

Martyrs of Questionable Historicity (It should be noted that there are many martyrs whose exsitance is likely because their cult is attested to early on even though their Acta are historical unreliable)

Catherine of Alexandria

• Tarachus of Anazarbus and his companions Probus and Andronicus 11 Oct 303 or 304

Primary Sources

Eusebius of Caesarea

Historia ecclesiastica

Martyrs of Palestine (Long and Short Recessions)

Lactantius

De morbitus persecutorum

Acts of Martyrs

Acts of Crispina

Acts of Dasius of Durostorum

Acts of Euplius of Catania

Acts of Felix of Thibiuca

Acts of Irenaeus of Sirmium

Acts of Vincent of Caesareaugusta

Martyrdom of Agape, Chione, and Eriene of Thessalonica

Secondary Sources

Barnes, Timothy D. Constantine and Eusebius. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1981.

Barnes, Timothy D. Early Christian Hagiography and Roman History. Mohr Siebeck. 2010

Frend, William H.C. Martyrdom and Persecution in the Early Church: A Study of Conflict from Maccabees to Donatus. James Clarke & Co. 2008 Corrected Edition