Hermias of Comana (; ) is an early martyr commemorated in the

Orthodox Church Orthodox Church may refer to: * Eastern Orthodox Church, the second-largest Christian church in the world * Oriental Orthodox Churches, a branch of Eastern Christianity * Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a confessional Presbyterian denomination loc ...

and the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. He lived in the 2nd century and was a soldier in the Roman army until he confessed

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

and was tortured. His feast day is 31 May.

Life

The Saint and Martyr Hermias was a soldier who had spent long years in the Roman army, in Comana in

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

.As opposed to Comana in Cappadocia Completing his service under the reign of

Antoninus Pius Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius (; ; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from AD 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. Born into a senatorial family, Antoninus held var ...

(138–161), he refused any pay and confessed his faith to Christ. He was arrested and brought before Sebastian, Proconsul in Comana, who summoned him to renounce his confession to show his loyalty towards the Roman emperor. As Hermias refused vigorously, he was sent to be tortured. His tormentors broke his jaws, and then tore off the skin of his face. He was then thrown in a burning furnace, from which he left unscathed after three days. Sebastian then decided to resort to a sorcerer Marus, who concocted a strong poison with the intention of killing the Saint. Hermias blessed the poison with the sign of the cross and drank it with no harm. Having seen Saint Hermias drink with no effect a second stronger poison that he had prepared for him, Marus himself confessed the divine power of Christ and was immediately beheaded. Saint Marus was baptized in his own blood, and was made a martyr. Hermias was then subjected to new torments: he was plunged in boiling oil, his eyes were gouged out, and he was then suspended upside down for three days, but he kept giving thanks to Christ. Finally, the crazed Sebastian beheaded him with his own sword. Christians secretly buried the body of the martyr Hermias, whose

relics In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

bestowed numerous healings.

References

Dimitry of Rostov Demetrius of Rostov (, , secular name Daniil Savvich Tuptalo, , or Tuptalenko, , according to some sources; 11 December 1651 28 October 1709) was a leading opponent of the Caesaropapist reform of the Russian Orthodox church promoted by Theophan ...

, The Lives of the Saints, Article: May 31 *

Nikolai Velimirovic Nikolai or Nikolay is an East Slavic variant of the masculine name Nicholas. It may refer to: People Royalty * Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), or Nikolay I, Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855 * Nicholas II of Russia (1868–1918), or Niko ...

, The Prologue from Ohrid
Article: May 31

External links

Life of Saint Hermias
with an Icon.

with a short life in French.

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermias 2nd-century people from Byzantium 2nd-century Christian martyrs 170 deaths Year of birth unknown