Saint The 3,628 Martyrs
of Nicomedia.
Also known as 3628 Martyrs of Nicomedia, 3,628 Martyrs who suffered at Nicomedia, Martyrs of Nicomedia, 3628 Martyrs in Nicomedia
A group of Christians from Alexandria who came to Nicomedia in Bithynia during the persecution under Diocletian and Maximian, and were put to death there; commemorated September 2.
- Fell asleep
- c. 303–305 (persecution under Diocletian and Maximian)
- Feast day
- September 2 (New) · September 15 (Old)
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Troparion of St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia
Tone 4
The troparion for this commemoration is published in the Orthodox Church in America's English texts for the saint. Its wording is available at the link below and is not reproduced here.
The life of St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia Faithful Witnesses
at Nicomedia
The 3,628 Martyrs were Christians who traveled from Alexandria to Nicomedia with their wives and children, openly confessing Christ in the reign of Diocletian. They are honored on September 2 as a company of martyrs whose names and numbers are kept in the Orthodox calendar.
Early years
The sources consulted do not record the individual family backgrounds or early lives of these martyrs. They are described as Christians who came from Alexandria, and their households traveled with them, including wives and children.
In the Church
The martyrs' faith was formed by their conversion after the martyrdom of Saint Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria. Their witness was therefore tied to the wider suffering of the Alexandrian Church in the early fourth century. No ordination or ecclesiastical office is recorded for them in the sources consulted.
Later years
The martyrs presented themselves for death at Nicomedia, refusing the emperor's demand to renounce Christ. Diocletian ordered them beheaded and their bodies cast into a fiery pit. Their relics were later discovered through various manifestations of grace, according to the Orthodox accounts.
Legacy and veneration
The 3,628 Martyrs are commemorated on September 2 in Orthodox liturgical calendars, including the calendar listings on OrthodoxWiki and the Orthodox Church in America. Their feast falls among a number of martyrs and saints commemorated that day, and they stand as a witness to steadfast confession under persecution.
Veneration of St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia How the saint's
memory is kept.
- Patronage
- Patron of Persecuted Christians, Martyrs of Nicomedia.
- Iconography
- No authentic description of the iconographic depiction of the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia was confirmed in the sources consulted, so none is given here.
Frequently asked Questions about
St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia.
- When is the feast day of the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia?
- The Orthodox Church commemorates the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia on September 2.
- Who were the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia?
- They were Christians who came from Alexandria to Nicomedia in Bithynia, after coming to faith following the martyrdom of Saint Peter, Archbishop of Alexandria. They traveled with their wives and children and openly confessed Christ during the reigns of Diocletian and Maximian.
- How did the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia die?
- According to the Orthodox accounts, Diocletian ordered them all beheaded after they refused to renounce Christ, and their bodies were thrown into a fiery pit.
- Are the 3,628 Martyrs the same as the 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia?
- No. The 20,000 Martyrs of Nicomedia, said to have been burned in a church, are commemorated on December 28, while the 3,628 Martyrs have a separate feast on September 2.
- Where are the relics of the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia kept today?
- The sources consulted report that their relics were discovered many years later through various manifestations of grace, but they did not confirm where the relics are kept today.
- Are the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia canonized saints?
- They are venerated as holy martyrs in the Eastern Orthodox calendar. Early martyrs of the church were recognized through local veneration rather than a later formal canonization process, so they are not a modern glorification case.
- What is St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia the patron saint of?
- St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia is the patron saint of Persecuted Christians and Martyrs of Nicomedia.
Kontakion of St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia
No kontakion for this commemoration could be confirmed from the sources consulted, so none is included here.
Prayer to St. The 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia
No traditional prayer specific to the 3,628 Martyrs of Nicomedia was confirmed in the sources consulted, so none is included here.
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References and further reading
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/September_2
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Martyrs_of_Nicomedia
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/0578/09/02/102465-3628-martyrs-who-suffered-at-nicomedia
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/troparia/2026/09/02/102465-3628-martyrs-who-suffered-at-nicomedia
- holytrinityorthodox.comhttps://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/iconoftheday/los/September/02-03.htm
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrs_of_Nicomedia
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthimus_of_Nicomedia
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_2_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics)
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/1999/12/28/103664-20000-martyrs-of-nicomedia
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/02/07/100459-1003-martyrs-of-nicomedia
- johnsanidopoulos.comhttps://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2017/03/holy-ten-thousand-martyrs-of-nicomedia.html
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_3_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics)
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_and_Natalia_of_Nicomedia
- johnsanidopoulos.comhttps://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2015/12/synaxarion-of-20000-martyrs-of-nicomedia.html
- vema.com.auhttps://vema.com.au/20000-martyrs-of-nicomedia-28-december/
- ancientfaith.comhttps://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/saintoftheday/45558/
- johnsanidopoulos.comhttps://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/12/20000-holy-martyrs-of-nicomedia.html
- dbpedia.orghttp://dbpedia.org/resource/20,000_Martyrs_of_Nicomedia
- pemptousia.comhttps://pemptousia.com/2021/12/twenty-thousand-martyrs/
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_thousand_martyrs
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