Herakles of Asia Minor

Herakles of Asia Minor was a young new martyr of Aydin in Asia Minor, martyred on 18 June 1919. He was a son of the Antoniou family and belonged to the scouts of the city.

In May 1919 the Greek army took over the administration of Aydin. In June it was attacked by Turkish irregular bands and withdrew, leaving the city undefended for three days; part of the population and of the city's scouts were killed, with more than three thousand Greek Christians slain. The leaders and scouts stayed in the city to help their fellow citizens. The Turkish bands seized the thirty-⁠one scouts with their chief, Nikolaos Avgeridis, and imprisoned them. The next day, 18 June 1919, they led them to an olive grove on the river bank and demanded that they embrace Islam. Because they refused, they were put to death with torments; Herakles Antoniou was among them.

The Greek article states that the Church of Greece canonized in 1992 persons martyred in the Asia Minor Catastrophe and that Herakles is honoured on 18 June, the day of his martyrdom, together with those who suffered with him. The date is that of the Greek church calendar, the Menaion day.