Dorymedon of Synnada

Holy Martyr Dorymedon of Synnada, a senator, suffered for Christ in the time of the Emperor Probus (276-282), together with the Holy Martyrs Trophimus and Sabbatius. He was a Christian in secret and became a martyr through compassion for the one who was suffering.

One day a pagan festival was being held in Antioch, with sacrifices, poured wine and disorder. The Christians Trophimus and Sabbatius, coming into the city, looked with grief at that noisy and indecent celebration and prayed the Lord to lead the erring to salvation. They were seized and brought to the governor. At the interrogation they firmly confessed their faith and refused to deny Christ.

In the cruel tortures Sabbatius died, and Trophimus was sent to still harsher torments at Synnada, to Dionysius, the governor of Phrygia, a known torturer. Wearing iron boots with sharp nails, Trophimus went on foot for three days, driven on by mounted guards. The tormentor tried every kind of torture to break the brave Christian, and Trophimus only repeated the words of Scripture: Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

The martyr was thrown into prison, where he was visited by the senator Dorymedon, a secret Christian, who looked after him, washing and binding his wounds. When the torturers learned of it, they tried to force Dorymedon to renounce Christianity, and then threw him with Trophimus to wild beasts. The martyrs remained untouched, and then they were beheaded.

The Synaxarion commemorates Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedon on 2 October (new style).