Martyr
Pontius
Martyr of Gortyna
One of the Ten Martyrs of Crete, beheaded at Gortyna under the emperor Decius.
- Feast
- December 23old style January 5
- Era
- 3rd century
- Order
- Martyrs
Life
Holy Martyr Pontius is one of the Ten Martyrs of Crete, named Pompeius in some lists. The Ten Martyrs of Crete, among them Pontius, were beheaded at Gortyna, the capital of Roman Crete, during the persecution of the emperor Decius, around the year 250. The place of their suffering still bears the name Agioi Deka, meaning "the Holy Ten", and a church from the twelfth century stands nearby. The saint is commemorated together with the other nine martyrs on 23 December in the Menaion calendar; in the Churches that keep the old style, the same day falls on 5 January.
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