Hieromartyr 4th century

Symeon of Persia

4th century (martyred c. 341-344 under Shapur II)

Also known as Symeon bar Sabba'e · Simeon of Seleucia-Ctesiphon · Symeon the Hieromartyr · Abdechalas · Ananias · Usthazanes · Pusicius · Azad the Eunuch · the Martyrs with him

Symeon, bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon and head of the Church in Persia, was put to death together with a great company of clergy and faithful during the persecution of the Persian emperor Shapur II for refusing to deny Christ and worship the sun. A named cluster commemorated as one feast.

Feast Day

April 17

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Commemorated as

The Holy Hieromartyr Symeon, Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Persia, and Those With Him

Life

Symeon (Shemon bar Sabbae) was bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the twin royal cities on the Tigris that served as the seat of the Church in the Sasanian Persian empire, where he functioned as the effective head of the Christian community. He was put to death together with a large company of clergy and faithful during the persecution waged by the Persian emperor Shapur (Sapor) II, and is commemorated as a hieromartyr, the rank given to clergy who die for the faith.

According to the synaxarion, Symeon and his companions refused to renounce Christ and to worship the sun, the central act of Zoroastrian devotion demanded of them. The tradition relates that he was put to death by beheading along with a great number of other Christians, and that he deliberately arranged to be executed last so as to strengthen the others in their confession to the end.

Timeline 3 moments Read Hide

329-341 Bishop in Persia Symeon held the see of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the de facto leadership of the Church of the East within the Sasanian empire. Tradition reports that he had earlier been named a coadjutor bishop before succeeding to the see.
c. 341-344 Persecution under Shapur II During the reign of Shapur II, Symeon was accused of disloyalty to the Persian crown and of sympathy with the Roman empire, and was commanded to worship the sun. He refused, confessing Christ, and was condemned to death together with his clergy and faithful.
c. 341-344 Martyrdom by beheading The synaxarion relates that Symeon was beheaded with a great company of Christians; by tradition he chose to be executed last in order to encourage the others. His named companions are remembered with him as fellow martyrs.

Contributions & Legacy

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The Church in Persia

Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the paired cities on the Tigris that formed the administrative heart of the Sasanian empire, was the seat of the senior bishop of the Christians within Persian territory. As bishop there, Symeon stood at the head of a Church that lived outside the Roman world and under a Zoroastrian monarchy.

The sources record that the persecution arose in part from political suspicion: as relations between Persia and the Christian Roman empire deteriorated, the loyalty of the Persian Christians fell under doubt, and the demand that they worship the sun became a test of allegiance as much as of religion.

Martyrdom and Companions

The synaxarion and the Prologue of Ohrid relate that Symeon was brought before the king and ordered to worship the sun, which he refused, and that he was condemned along with a large body of Christians. The accounts name among those who suffered with him the priests Abdechalas (also given as Abdella or Audel) and Ananias, the eunuch of the royal court Usthazanes (Ustazad), and the court official Pusicius (Fusik); some accounts add Pusicius's daughter and a eunuch named Azad.

By tradition Usthazanes, who had at first wavered, was strengthened to confess Christ and died for the faith. The tradition reports that a thousand or more Christians were led out to execution with Symeon, and that further companions suffered in the persecution that followed, some on Great Friday. The Church commemorates them together as one feast.

Notes

Commemorated together with his companion martyrs, including the priests Abdechalas (Abdella) and Ananias, the eunuch Azad, Usthazanes, and Pusicius, among many others martyred under Shapur II.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints; en.wikipedia.org (Shemon bar Sabbae)