Nearchus or Nearch (also written Neärchus or Neärch) was a third-century AD
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external ...
and
saint. He was a
Roman army
The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...
officer and friend of
Polyeuctus
Saint Polyeuctus (also Polyeuctes, Polyeuktos, Late Greek, Greek: Πολύευκτος) of Melitene (died 10 January 259) was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman saint. Christianity, Christian tradition states that he was a wealthy Roman army offic ...
, whom he had converted to the
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
faith. Nearchus was later burned alive. His feast day is on April 22.
Saints Nearchus and Polyeuctus
Saints Nearchus and
Polyeuctus
Saint Polyeuctus (also Polyeuctes, Polyeuktos, Late Greek, Greek: Πολύευκτος) of Melitene (died 10 January 259) was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman saint. Christianity, Christian tradition states that he was a wealthy Roman army offic ...
were third-century
Roman army
The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...
officers in
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...
. Their
saints’ story is told in ''
Menalogion of
Metaphrastes
Symeon or Simeon (died ), distinguished as Symeon Metaphrastes (Latin) or Symeon the Metaphrast (, ''Symeṓn ho Metaphrastḗs''), was a Byzantine writer and official regarded as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. His feast day is celebrated ...
''. Nearchus was
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
, but
Polyeuctus
Saint Polyeuctus (also Polyeuctes, Polyeuktos, Late Greek, Greek: Πολύευκτος) of Melitene (died 10 January 259) was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman saint. Christianity, Christian tradition states that he was a wealthy Roman army offic ...
was not. The men had a strong desire to spend eternity together, so
Polyeuctus
Saint Polyeuctus (also Polyeuctes, Polyeuktos, Late Greek, Greek: Πολύευκτος) of Melitene (died 10 January 259) was an ancient Rome, ancient Roman saint. Christianity, Christian tradition states that he was a wealthy Roman army offic ...
converted from
paganism
Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
. With a convert’s zeal he attacked a
pagan procession. He was
beheaded
Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...
for his crime. Shortly before he was executed, he spoke his
last words
Last words are the final utterances before death. The meaning is sometimes expanded to somewhat earlier utterances.
Last words of famous or infamous people are sometimes recorded (although not always accurately) which became a historical and lite ...
to Nearchus: “Remember our secret vow.” Nearchus was later burned alive.
References
3rd-century Christian martyrs
Military saints
Year of birth unknown
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