Martinian of Zographou

The Venerable Martyr Martinian of Zographou was one of the twenty-⁠six monks of the Zographou monastery on Athos, burned by the Latins on 10 October, between 1274 and 1284, because they would not accept union with Rome.

In 1274 the emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos concluded the union with Rome, but nearly all the Athonite monasteries firmly refused to sell Orthodoxy and rebuked those who had fallen. For this reason the Holy Mountain was struck by invasions of Latin troops and mercenaries, who tormented many monks. The Zographou monastery, inhabited by Bulgarians, was more vulnerable, since the emperor did not wish to turn the Greeks against himself and took out his anger on the monasteries of another people.

Learning wonderfully that soldiers were approaching the monastery, the abbot Thomas told the brethren that whoever wished to be saved should flee, and whoever wished martyrdom should stay. Twenty-⁠six remained: the abbot Thomas, the monks Barsanuphius, Cyril, Michael, Simon, Hilarion, James, another James, Job, Cyprian, Savva, Martinian, Cosmas, Sergius, Mina, Joasaph, Joannicius, Paul, Anthony, Euthymius, Domitian, Parthenius and four lay workers whose names are not known. They shut themselves in the monastery tower. Arriving, the Latin soldiers set fire to the tower. While it burned, the martyrs of Christ sang psalms and the akathist to the Most Holy Mother of God, and so gave their souls to God on 10 October.

He is commemorated on the movable day around 4 July, in the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of Athos, in the new style.