Acacius | |
|---|---|
 The Martyrdom of Saint Agathius. 16th century work by an anonymous artist fromToledo. | |
| Holy Helper,Martyr | |
| Born | late-3rd century Cappadocia |
| Died | ~303 Byzantium |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church[1] |
| Majorshrine | Cathedral ofSquillace,Italy[2] |
| Feast | 7 May (formerly 8 May); 16 January (translation of relics) |
| Attributes | palm of martyrdom, centurion with a bunch of thorns, in armour with standard and shield, depicted withTheodore of Amasea |
| Patronage | soldiers,Squillace,Guardavalle, invoked against headache |
Saint Acacius (Greek: Ἅγιος Ἀκάκιος; died 303), also known asAgathius of Byzantium,Achatius, orAgathonas to Christian tradition, was aCappadocian Greek centurion of the imperial army, martyred around 304. A church existed inConstantinople associated with Acacius and possibly named after him: theChurch of St Acacius.[3]
Agathius was arrested on charges for being a Christian by Tribune Firmus inPerinthus,Thrace, tortured and then brought toByzantium where he wasscourged andbeheaded, being made a martyr because he would not renounce his Christian faith.
The date of his martyrdom is traditionally 8 May, when his feast was observed. It was later moved to 7 May.[4]
His relics were relocatedca. 630 to a spring atSquillace, close by the Vivarium, the monastery founded in the previous century byCassiodorus in the heel ofItaly.[5] He was known inSquillace asSan Agario. A relic of his arm was brought toGuardavalle in 1584 by thebishop of Squillace, Marcello Sirleto, hence Agathius' patronage of this city. Relics from Squillace were also brought toCuenca andÁvila inSpain, where he is known asSan Acato.[6]
St. Agathius is also venerated inSlovenia, where numerous churches and chapels are dedicated to him; this popular veneration goes back to the 16th century, when he was considered the patron saint of the fighters against theOttoman Turks.[7] For the same reason he became popular among theManiots, inhabitants of theMani Peninsula inGreece, who took up his confrontation of the Pagan Roman authorities as a symbol of their own long lasting resistance of theOttoman Empire's rule.
St. Achatius is one of theFourteen Holy Helpers or Auxiliary Saints in Roman Catholic tradition.
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