Martyr
Eunician of Crete
A martyr of Crete, put to death for his faith in Christ.
- Feast
- December 23old style January 5
- Era
- 3rd century
- Order
- Martyrs
Life
Holy Martyr Eunician of Crete is one of the ten holy martyrs of Crete: Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompius, Agathopus, Basilides and Evaristus. They suffered for Christ in the third century, in the time of the Emperor Decius (249 to 251).
The governor of Crete, who bore the same name as the emperor, Decius, harshly persecuted the Church on the island. One day ten Christians from different cities of Crete stood before him. They firmly confessed their faith in Christ before the court and condemned the worship of idols. For thirty days they were cruelly tortured, but with God's help they bore it all, glorifying the Lord. Before they died they prayed that the Lord would enlighten their persecutors with the light of the true faith. All of them were beheaded.
The ten martyrs are commemorated on 5 January (new style), that is 23 December by the old calendar. Their hymns describe Crete as flowering with the precious blossoms of their martyrdom. The story of their passion was written down by Saint Demetrius of Rostov.
Commemorated the same day December 23
Dagobert IIRight-Believing · King of AustrasiaDec 23- Nephon I of ConstantinopleSaint · Patriarch of ConstantinopleDec 23
Theoctistus of NovgorodSaint · Archbishop of NovgorodDec 23- Niphon of CyprusSaint · Bishop of Constantia in CyprusDec 23
- Paul of NeocaesareaConfessor · Bishop of NeocaesareaDec 23
- Antonina of TismanaVenerable · Nun of Tismana MonasteryDec 23
- David of DvinskMartyrDec 23
Saturninus of CreteMartyrDec 23- AgathopusMartyr · Martyr of GortynaDec 23
- Agathopus of CreteMartyrDec 23
- Anfadan of Ros IngiteSaintDec 23
- Basil SpasskyHieromartyrDec 23