Martiros () or alternatively Mardiros (c. 4th century - died c. 362–363) was the son of

Saint Sarkis the Warrior Saint Sargis the General or Sergius Stratelates (; died 362/3) was a Cappadocian Greek general who is revered as a martyr and military saint in the Armenian Apostolic Church and Assyrian Church of the East (January 5). The name Sargis (Sarkis) is ...

and a canonized saint just like his father; he is better known as Saint Mardiros () Saint Sarkis the Warrior (), also known as Saint Sarkis the Greek was a 4th-century

Centurion In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...

in the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

and a contemporary of the ruling

Constantinian dynasty The Constantinian dynasty is an informal name for the ruling family of the Roman Empire from Constantius Chlorus (died 306) to the death of Julian in 363. It is named after its most famous member, Constantine the Great, who became the sole rule ...

and the

Arsacid dynasty of Armenia The Arsacid dynasty, called the Arshakuni () in Armenian, ruled the Kingdom of Armenia (with some interruptions) from 12 to 428 AD. The dynasty was a branch of the Arsacid dynasty of Parthia. Arsacid kings reigned intermittently throughout the ...

. The Roman Empire rulers set about persecuting Christians throughout the Empire. Sarkis then left his military position and authority and, with his son Martiros, sought refuge in Armenia under the protection of King

Tiran of Armenia Tiran (died ) was an Arsacid king of Armenia in the second quarter of the fourth century. The chronology of his reign is problematic, and scholars have proposed different dates for its beginning and end. According to one version, he succeeded h ...

(Tigranes VII). As Roman Emperor Julian (known as Julian the Apostate) reached

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

, Tiran urged Sarkis and Mardiros to leave Armenia for the

Sassanid Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

. The Sassanid emperor

Shapur II Shapur II ( , 309–379), also known as Shapur the Great, was the tenth King of Kings (List of monarchs of the Sasanian Empire, Shahanshah) of Sasanian Iran. He took the title at birth and held it until his death at age 70, making him the List ...

, hearing of Sarkis' reputation as a skilled military commander, appointed him to command the Sassanid army. Sarkis credited God for his military victories, which included fending off Julian's troops entering into Shapur's kingdom. Sarkis urged troops serving with him to become Christians and believe in God the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Some of Sarkis’ soldiers were baptized by travelling priests of the Sassanid army, yet some who were dissatisfied with the ongoing Christianization went to Shapur II and told him about the religious beliefs of Sarkis. After realizing that Sarkis was a Christian, Shapur called up Sarkis, his son Martiros and his fourteen Christianized companions back to his palace. Shapur ordered Sarkis, Martiros and the baptized soldiers to participate and offer sacrifices in a

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...

ceremony in a pagan temple. Sarkis refused Shapur's orders and instead destroyed religious items in the pagan temple. This outraged Shapur, who ordered Mardiros be killed in the presence of his father Sarkis. He also had his fourteen Christian companions beheadedThe Armenian Church - The Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church of America: The Saints, Sarkis the Warrior
/ref> but spared Sarkis to reconsider by sending him back to prison. But hearing that Sarkis was further strengthened by his relationship with the Lord in prison and was not recanting, Shapur ordered Sarkis' execution in 363. Both Sarkis the Warrior and his son Martiros were canonized as Christian saints in the

Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church () is the Autocephaly, autocephalous national church of Armenia. Part of Oriental Orthodoxy, it is one of the most ancient Christianity, Christian churches. The Armenian Apostolic Church, like the Armenian Catholic ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martiros, Saint Armenian saints 4th-century Christian saints Christians in the Sasanian Empire People executed by the Sasanian Empire 360s deaths Year of birth unknown Armenian people from the Sasanian Empire