Leontius of Constantinople

Holy Martyr Leontius of Constantinople was one of the martyrs Julian, Marcian, John, James, Alexis, Demetrius, Photius, Peter, Leontius, the patrician Maria, the protospatharios Gregory and others, who suffered for the holy icons in the year 730, in the time of the iconoclast emperor Leo the Isaurian (717-741). The Azbyka page honours them all together.

The emperor deposed the holy patriarch Germanus (715-730) from the patriarchal throne and sent him into exile, and unlawfully set on the patriarchal throne the iconoclast Anastasius (730-753). By imperial decree all icons were to be taken out of churches and houses and destroyed. In Constantinople, above the so-⁠called Brazen Gate, since the time of the holy right-⁠believing emperor Constantine the Great (324-337) a miracle-⁠working icon of the Saviour, made of copper, was fixed. The emperor and Patriarch Anastasius ordered it taken down. A soldier set up a ladder and climbed up to take it. The gathered people were outraged at this sacrilege. In the crowd was the patrician Maria, a woman of noble family; she, and after her many others, ran to the ladder and pulled it from the wall, so as not to let the soldier touch the icon. The ladder collapsed, the soldier on it fell and was killed. This happened on 19 January 730. In the defence of the icon the protospatharios (commander of soldiers) Gregory and the venerable martyr Theodosia the virgin (commemorated on 29 May) also took part. Learning of it, the emperor at once put to death a multitude of the Orthodox, whose names and number only the Lord knows. The protospatharios Gregory also received a martyr's death. But certain Orthodox of the nobility, Julian, Marcian, John, James, Alexis, Demetrius, Leontius, Photius and Peter, were shut in prison and held there about eight months, receiving every day five hundred blows; by the power of Christ they remained alive in these torments and bore the sufferings manfully. By the emperor's command their faces were burned with red-⁠hot iron and their heads cut off. Saint Maria the patrician, who had not been imprisoned, learning of the coming death, willingly accepted a martyr's death. The bodies of the martyrs were buried in the place called Pelagius, beside the church of the holy martyr Theodore, and were found incorrupt after one hundred and thirty-⁠nine years.

Saint Leontius is commemorated on 22 August, in the new style. Their passion is also found in the Lives of the Saints by Saint Dimitry of Rostov.