Saint Achillius of Larissa, also known as Achilles, Ailus, Achillas, or Achilius ( el, Άγιος Αχίλλειος, ''Ágios Achílleios'') (died 330 AD), was a 4th century bishop of Larissa and one of the 318 persons present at the

First Council of Nicaea The First Council of Nicaea (; grc, Νίκαια ) was a council of Christian bishops convened in the Bithynian city of Nicaea (now İznik, Turkey) by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. This ecumenical council was the first effort ...

. His feast day is on 15 May.Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀχίλλιος Ἐπίσκοπος Λαρίσης
ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

Life

Achillius was metropolitan of Larissa in

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, The ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. Achillius is mainly remembered for his vehement defense of orthodoxy during the Council of Nicea and a

miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

he performed in testimony against Arianism.

Taking up a stone, Achillius called to the Arians: 'If
Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
is a creature of God, as you say, tell
oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
to flow from this stone.' The
heretics Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
kept silent, amazed at this demand by St. Achillius. Then the saint continued: 'And if the Son of God is equal to the
Father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...
, as we believe, then let oil flow from this stone.' And oil flowed out, to the amazement of all.

Upon returning from the Council, Achillius is reputed to have "cast down many pagan temples, built many churches, nd cast out many demons". The 1910

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

makes issue to reference Achillius in its article about the bishopric of Larissa.

We must mention especially, St. Achilius, in the fourth century, whose feast is on 15 May, and who is celebrated for his miracles.

Veneration

Achillius died in Larissa in the year 330. When Samuel, Emperor of Bulgaria, conquered Thessaly, he translated the relics of Achillius to

Prespa Prespa ( mk, Преспа, sq, Prespa, el, Πρέσπα) is a region shared between North Macedonia, Albania and Greece. It shares the same name with the two Prespa lakes which are situated in the middle of the region. The largest town is Rese ...

, to an island in a lake that was subsequently named after the saint.Se
Macedonia Historical Maps
which cites "St Achillius" as a "small island with Byzantine churches" in

. A district of Larissa is called ''Saint Achellios'' after this saint.

Notes

External links

Achillius the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Larissa
from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America: Kontakion and reading for 15 May
Icon of Achillios
at OramaWorld.com

from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Achillios
article on the islet which houses the ruins of the basilica

{{DEFAULTSORT:Achillius Of Larissa 330 deaths 4th-century bishops in the Roman Empire 4th-century Christian saints Ancient Larissaeans Saints of Roman Macedonia Year of birth unknown Greek exorcists Bishops of Larissa

Life

Veneration

See also

Notes

External links