Saint Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader
of Cyprus.
Also known as Aristocles the Presbyter, Aristokles the Presbyter, Aristocleus of Tamassos, Dimitrianus the Deacon, Demetrianus of Cyprus, Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus, Martyrs of Salamis
Cypriot clergymen Aristocles the presbyter, Demetrian the deacon and Athanasius the reader were martyred at Salamis around 306 under Maximian Galerius. The Church commemorates them together on June 20.
- Born
- Tamassos (Tamasa), Cyprus
- Fell asleep
- c. 306 (some sources propose 302)
- Feast day
- June 20 (New) · July 3 (Old)
Get a reminder on the feast in Orthodox Daily Companion →
Troparion of St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus
Tone 4
The OCA service texts assign a Tone 4 troparion to these martyrs for June 20. It praises them for receiving incorruptible crowns through their sufferings and asks for their intercession to save our souls. The full wording is available at the OCA page listed in the sources.
The life of St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus Three Witnesses
at Salamis
A priest of Tamassos, a deacon and a reader, these three men confessed Christ together in the city of Salamis on Cyprus. Aristocles had first fled the persecution before a divine light called him back to suffer. The Church remembers them together on June 20.
Early years
Aristocles was a native of the Cypriot city of Tamassos and served in its cathedral church during the persecution under Maximian Galerius. Little is recorded of the family background or childhood of Aristocles, Demetrian, or Athanasius.
In the Church
Aristocles held the rank of presbyter at the cathedral of Tamassos. Demetrian served as a deacon, and Athanasius as a reader, which places the three in the ordained and minor-order ministry of the Cypriot local church.
Later years
After his vision in a mountain cave, Aristocles travelled to Salamis and met his companions on the way. The governor ordered that Aristocles be beheaded and that the others be burned. The OCA account states that the martyrs were unharmed by the fire and were then beheaded with the sword in 306.
Legacy and veneration
The three martyrs are commemorated together on June 20 and, in Greek usage, on June 23. The Prologue of Ohrid includes their life among its entries for June 20. The nineteenth-century Athonite elder Aristocleus took his monastic name in honour of the martyr Aristocles of Salamis.
Veneration of St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus How the saint's
memory is kept.
- Patronage
- Patron of Martyrs of Cyprus, Martyrs of Salamis.
- Iconography
- No authoritative description of a standard iconographic type for these three martyrs was confirmed in the sources consulted for this page. Images of them are catalogued on Wikimedia Commons under a category titled for the three martyrs. Because no source was consulted for a canonical depiction, the icon details (vestments, attributes, and poses) are not described here.
Frequently asked Questions about
St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus.
- When is the feast day of Aristocles, Demetrian, and Athanasius?
- The three martyrs are commemorated together on June 20 in the Eastern Orthodox calendar. In Greek usage the same saints are commemorated on June 23.
- How did the Martyrs of Salamis die?
- According to the OCA account, the governor ordered the priest Aristocles beheaded and the deacon Demetrian and reader Athanasius burned. The two were unharmed by the flames and were then beheaded with the sword.
- When did Aristocles, Demetrian, and Athanasius die?
- Most sources give the year 306 for their martyrdom at Salamis in Cyprus. Some sources propose 302.
- Why did Aristocles leave Tamassos before his martyrdom?
- Aristocles became fearful of the persecutions under Maximian Galerius and hid in a mountain cave. While praying there he received a vision and a command to return to Cyprus and suffer for Christ.
- Are Aristocles, Demetrian, and Athanasius canonized saints?
- Yes. They are venerated in the Eastern Orthodox calendar as holy martyrs and have a troparion appointed for their June 20 commemoration.
- Where are the relics of the Martyrs of Salamis kept?
- The sources consulted for this page did not confirm the location of their relics, so none is stated here.
- What is St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus the patron saint of?
- St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus is the patron saint of Martyrs of Cyprus and Martyrs of Salamis.
Kontakion of St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus
The OCA page for June 20 also lists a kontakion for this commemoration. Its text is not reproduced here; see the OCA page listed in the sources for the full wording.
Prayer to St. Holy Martyrs Aristocles the Presbyter, Demetrian the Deacon, and Athanasius the Reader of Cyprus
No prayer specific to Aristocles, Demetrian, and Athanasius was confirmed in the sources consulted for this page, so none is included here. The troparion above is the principal hymn appointed to their commemoration.
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References and further reading
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Athanasius_the_Reader
- ochrid.orghttps://www.ochrid.org/june/20th
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2012/06/20/101765-martyrs-aristocles-the-presbyter-demetrian-the-deacon-and-athana
- oca.orghttps://www.oca.org/saints/troparia/2022/06/20/101765-martyrs-aristocles-the-presbyter-demetrian-the-deacon-and-athana
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/calendar/20240620.html
- orthodox.nethttps://orthodox.net/menaion-june/02-the-holy-martyrs-aristocies-dimitrianusathanasius.html
- holytrinityorthodox.comhttps://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/los/June/20-02.htm
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_23_(Eastern_Orthodox_liturgics)
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristocleus_of_Athos
- orthodoxwiki.orghttps://orthodoxwiki.org/Timeline_of_Saints
- johnsanidopoulos.comhttps://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2016/06/?m=1
- commons.wikimedia.orghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Salamis_(Cyprus)
- diakonia-world.orghttps://diakonia-world.org/june-calendar-of-deacon-saints/
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/calendar/20260620.html
- orthochristian.comhttps://orthochristian.com/calendar/20250620.html
- hvmla.orghttps://hvmla.org/181-athanasiusreader/
- catholicsaints.infohttps://catholicsaints.info/20-june/
- holy-trinity.orghttps://holy-trinity.org/bulgakov/0212.pdf
- stlukeorthodox.comhttps://www.stlukeorthodox.com/html/saints/june/20th.cfm
- basilica.rohttps://basilica.ro/en/martyr-agrippina-of-rome-martyr-aristocleus-the-presbyter
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