St. Demetrios of Thessalonica

A young officer of Thessalonica, martyred around 306 under Maximian, and the patron the city has claimed ever since. By the account the Church reads, he was imprisoned for teaching Christ, and blessed the young Nestor, who went into the arena and killed the emperor’s champion gladiator; the soldiers were sent to the prison and ran Demetrios through with spears. A great basilica rose over his grave in the fifth century and still stands. The Miracles of St Demetrios, written in the seventh century, credit him with defending the city in the sieges by the Slavs and Avars. A fragrant oil that gathered at his tomb gave him the name Myrrh-streaming. His feast is a holiday in the city. Feast: October 26.