Leontine martyrs
Encyclopedia
The Leontine Martyrs were a group of people who were killed after a long period of captivity in Persia. They were executed by the order of King Yazdegerd II
in 455, five years after the insurrection led by Vartan Mamikonian.
They included:
and several others.
s. Their feast day is July 31. In the Armenian Orthodox Church, their office is celebrated on the Tuesday after the western Sexagesima
, and they are regarded as the patron saint
s of the Armenian clergy.
Yazdegerd II
Yazdegerd II was the fifteenth Sassanid King of Persia. He was the son of Bahram V and reigned from 438 to 457....
in 455, five years after the insurrection led by Vartan Mamikonian.
They included:
- Leontius of Vanand, a priest,
- Joseph of Armenia, a patriarch of Armenia
- Abraham of Arazd, a deacon of Armenia
and several others.
Veneration
The group is commemorated as saintSaint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s. Their feast day is July 31. In the Armenian Orthodox Church, their office is celebrated on the Tuesday after the western Sexagesima
Sexagesima
Sexagesima , or, in full, Sexagesima Sunday, is the name for the second Sunday before Ash Wednesday in the Gregorian Rite liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church, and also in that of some Protestant denominations, particularly those with Anglican and Lutheran origins.The name "Sexagesima"...
, and they are regarded as the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
s of the Armenian clergy.