Vetranion of Tomis

Saint Vetranion of Tomis, also called Bretanion, lived in the fourth century and was bishop of Tomis (today Constanta, in Romania) in the province of Scythia Minor. Little is known about him: he came from Cappadocia and was elected to the see of Tomis about 360. He confessed the Orthodox faith and suffered much from Emperor Valens (364 to 378), an adherent of Arianism, under whom many Orthodox Christians were put to death.

According to the church historian Sozomen, when Valens campaigned against the Goths of Scythia he stopped at Tomis and ordered its citizens to become Arians and to reject the Nicene Creed. Filled with divine zeal, the bishop rebuked the emperor for distorting the faith and unjustly persecuting the saints, repeating the words of the Psalmist: "I spoke of thy testimonies before kings, and was not ashamed." For this he was sent into exile, but the emperor had to let him return to his flock because of public outcry.

In 373 or 374 Saint Basil the Great asked Junius Soranus, the governor of Scythia Minor, to send him relics of saints from that region. Junius sent the relics of Saint Sabbas the Goth (commemorated 15 April) together with a letter, the Epistle of the Church of God in Gothia to the Church of God in Cappadocia. The sending of the relics and the writing of the letter have been attributed to Bishop Vetranion. The letter, written in Greek, is the oldest known document written on what is now Romanian soil. Vetranion may have represented Tomis at the Third Ecumenical Council in 381, but it is possible that his name was confused with that of Bishop Gerontius (or Terentius) of Tomis. He is commemorated on 25 January (new style; 7 February on the old calendar).