Procopius of Scythopolis

Procopius of Scythopolis (died 7 July AD 303) is venerated as a martyr and saint. He was a famous ascetic and erudite theologian and philosopher.[1][2] Eusebius of Caesarea wrote of his martyrdom, which occurred during the persecution of Roman Emperor Diocletian, and stated that "he was born at Jerusalem, but had gone to live in Scythopolis, where he held three ecclesiastical offices. He was reader and interpreter in the Syriac language, and cured those possessed of evil spirits."[3] Eusebius wrote that Procopius was sent with his companions from Scythopolis to Caesarea Maritima, where he was decapitated.

Saint Procopius
Icon of Saint Procopius, 1816
Niš, Serbia
Great Martyr
BornJerusalem
Died7 July AD 303
Caesarea Maritima
Venerated inRoman Catholicism
Eastern Orthodoxy
Oriental Orthodoxy
Lutheranism
Anglicanism
Feast8 July
22 November (only Orthodoxy)[1][2]

Legends

Eusebius's account of Procopius's martyrdom also exists in medieval Syriac, Georgian, and Latin translations.[4] Later legends claimed that he was either a soldier saint, ascetic, Persian, or prince of Alexandria, Egypt.[3] One story claimed that he slew circa 6,000 barbarian invaders simply by showing them the cross. One legend, similar to that told of St. Paul of Tarsus, claimed that he was a persecutor of Christians named Neanias whom Roman Emperor Diocletian appointed as duke of Alexandria, Egypt: on the way from Antioch, Neanias experienced a vision and declared himself to be a Christian.[3]

Veneration

In Western Europe, Procopius was first enumerated in the calendar of saints by St. Bede, whose Martyrology listed the saint under 8 July. His name and date were added to the Roman Martyrology.[5]

In Scythopolis a chapel was dedicated in honor of him. In Caesarea Maritima Roman Emperor Zeno erected a church dedicated in honor of him in AD 484. His relics were translated to the Church of Saint Michael in Antioch, Syria. In Constantinople 4 churches were dedicated in his honor.[5] He is the patron saint of Niš, Serbia.[6]

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, he is remembered in the marriage dismissal.[7]

See also

Notes
  1. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Προκόπιος ὁ Παλαιστίνιος. 22 Νοεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  2. Martyr Procopius the Reader at Caesarea, in Palestine. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
  3. Saints of July 8
  4. Kazhdan, Alexander; Ševčenko, Nancy Patterson (1991). "Prokopios, saint". In Kazhdan, Alexander (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1731. ISBN 0-19-504652-8.
  5. San Procopio di Cesarea di Palestina
  6. "ST. PROCOPIUS". Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2014-04-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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