Saint of the Day – 22 December – Saint Zeno of Nicomedia (Died 303) Martyr

Saint of the Day – 22 December – Saint Zeno of Nicomedia (Died 303) Martyr, Roman Commander. In the persecutions of Diocletian, Zeno died, after many tortures, by beheading in Nicomedia, Bithynia (modern Izmit, Turkey). Also known as – Zenon, Zinon. Additional Memorial – 28 December as one of the 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia.

The Roman Martyrology reads today: “At Nicomedia, St Zeno, soldier, who derided Diocletian for sacrificing to Ceres, wherefore, he had his jawbone fractured, his teeth plucked out and his head struck off.”

Zeno was a Roman soldier who lived in Nicomedia in Bithynia in Asia Minor (today Izmit in Turkey). In this City the Roman Emperors had one of their favourite residences. The Emperor, at that time, was Diocletian (284-305), who goes down in history as the most bloodthirsty of the Christian persecutors. The last great persecution which Diocletian launched in February 303, was particularly virulent in this part of the Empire.

The renowned Bishop and Church historian, St Eusebius of Caesarea (c260-340) tells in his Church History (Historia Ecclesiastica), how the persecutions began. Emperor Diocletian issued an Edict on 24 February 303 ordering the destruction of all Churches and holy books. Shortly after the promulgation of the Edict, a fire broke out in the Imperial Palace in Nicomedia, for which the local Christians were blamed. The cause of the fire was undoubtedly a poorly extinguished light or a spark from the kitchen. But it was an eargerly awaited pretext to accuse the Christians leading the Emperor to order a fierce persecution. {Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica VIII 6, 13}

St Eusebius writes that a zealous Christian tore down the Imperial Edict, and from then on the Christian Priests were ordered to offer incense to the pagan gods, whenever they appeared in public. In 303, the City’s holy Bishop, Anthimos refused to sacrifice and was beheaded. A great many Christians were executed on the Emperor’s orders when the persecutions were extended tothe laity. Many who dcould not escape were burned alive, while some were thrown into the sea, some were beheaded and some were buried alive. 20,000 Christians were burned alive inside a Church on Christmas Day 303.

Zeno was the Commander of a Regiment and bravely condemned the conduct of the Emperor Diocletian in full public view and, he laughed, in the Name of God, when the Emperor sacrificed to the Roman god Ceres. He was oimmediately arrested on the Emperor’s order and had his teeth knocked out and his jaw crushed with stones, before he was beheaded.