Venerable-Martyr 4th century

Martyrs Patermuthius Coprius, and Alexander

died c. 361-363

Also known as Patermuthius · Coprius · Alexander the Soldier

Patermuthius, a robber-chief who repented and became a monk, his disciple Coprius, and the soldier Alexander converted by their witness, who together confessed Christ and were martyred under Julian the Apostate.

Feast Day

July 9

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Commemorated as

The Holy Martyrs Patermuthius and Coprius and Alexander the Soldier, of Egypt

Life

Patermuthius, Coprius, and Alexander were three martyrs of Egypt who suffered for Christ during the reign of the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). The Orthodox tradition commemorates them together on July 9, ranking Patermuthius and his disciple Coprius among the venerable-martyrs, monastics whose ascetic life was crowned by a martyr's death, and Alexander as a martyr converted at the moment of their confession.

According to the synaxarion, Patermuthius was at first a pagan and the head of a band of robbers. After his repentance he was baptized and withdrew into the desert, where he gave the remainder of his life to attending the sick and burying the dead. The tradition relates that for this devotion he received the gift of wonderworking. His disciple Coprius is remembered as the one who recorded Patermuthius's life and miracles.

When Julian summoned the Egyptian ascetics and pressed them to return to paganism, Coprius for a time wavered and denied Christ. Through the prayers, tears, and rebuke of the aged Patermuthius, who reminded him of the eternal torments awaiting the apostate, Coprius came to his senses and confessed the faith anew. A soldier named Alexander, seeing the sufferings endured by Coprius, himself believed in Christ. Patermuthius and Coprius were beheaded by the sword, while Alexander was sentenced to be burned alive.

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Patermuthius the Penitent

The account of Patermuthius preserves a pattern common in the desert tradition: a notorious sinner transformed into an ascetic of great holiness. Having led a band of robbers before his conversion, he was baptized and entered the Egyptian desert, where he turned the energy of his former life toward works of mercy, caring for the sick and giving burial to the dead.

By tradition he was about seventy-five years of age at the time of his martyrdom, while his disciple Coprius was about forty-five. The synaxarion presents the elder as the spiritual anchor of the group, whose rebuke recovered the faltering Coprius and whose steadfastness drew Alexander to Christ.

Coprius and the Trial by Fire

Coprius is remembered as a priest and the disciple who set down the life and miracles of his elder. The tradition also relates an episode in which Coprius challenged a heretic to walk through fire together, declaring that the Lord himself would decide whose was the true faith; Coprius is said to have passed through the flames unharmed while the heretic was burned.

Under the persecution of Julian, Coprius first gave way and denied Christ, but he repented after Patermuthius reminded him of the eternal consequences of apostasy, and he returned to confess the faith before the emperor.

Notes

Named group commemorated as one.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints