Saint Thyrsus
Encyclopedia
Saint Thyrsus or Thyrsos ( Tirso; Thyrse) (died 251) is venerated as a Christian
martyr
. He was killed for his faith in Sozopolis (Apollonia)
, Phrygia
during the persecution of Decius
. Leucius (Leukios) and Callinicus (Kallinikos) were martyred with him. Tradition states that Thrysus endured many tortures and was sentenced to be saw
n in half. However, the saw did not cut him as it became so heavy that the executioners could not use it.http://listserv.goarch.org/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0412&L=dailyreadings&P=1404 Saint Leucius, after reproaching the governor, Cumbricius, was hanged, harrowed
on his sides, and then beheaded
. Callinicus, a pagan priest, was converted after seeing the martyrdom of Thyrsus, and was also beheaded.
Thyrsus' relics were brought to Constantinople
. His cult became popular in the Iberian Peninsula
, where he is known as San Tirso
or Santo Tirso during the Middle Ages
.http://www.aug.edu/augusta/iconography/tirso.html Thyrsus had a full office in the Mozarabic liturgy
. Some of his relics were brought to France
: Thyrsus is thus the titular saint of the cathedral of Sisteron
in the Basses Alpeshttp://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0128.htm#thyr, the Cathédrale Notre Dame et Saint Thyrse. Thyrsus is thus the patron saint
of Sisteron.http://home.scarlet.be/amdg/sankt/jan28.html A 12th century church was also dedicated to him at Châteauponsac
.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. He was killed for his faith in Sozopolis (Apollonia)
Sozopolis, Pisidia
Sozopolis in Pisidia, called Apollonia during Seleucid times, was an ancient town in the region of Pisidia, now in the Asian part of Turkey. It is not to be confused with the Thracian Sozopolis in present-day Bulgaria....
, Phrygia
Phrygia
In antiquity, Phrygia was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Phrygians initially lived in the southern Balkans; according to Herodotus, under the name of Bryges , changing it to Phruges after their final migration to Anatolia, via the...
during the persecution of Decius
Decius
Trajan Decius , was Roman Emperor from 249 to 251. In the last year of his reign, he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etruscus until they were both killed in the Battle of Abrittus.-Early life and rise to power:...
. Leucius (Leukios) and Callinicus (Kallinikos) were martyred with him. Tradition states that Thrysus endured many tortures and was sentenced to be saw
Saw
A saw is a tool that uses a hard blade or wire with an abrasive edge to cut through softer materials. The cutting edge of a saw is either a serrated blade or an abrasive...
n in half. However, the saw did not cut him as it became so heavy that the executioners could not use it.http://listserv.goarch.org/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0412&L=dailyreadings&P=1404 Saint Leucius, after reproaching the governor, Cumbricius, was hanged, harrowed
Harrow (tool)
In agriculture, a harrow is an implement for breaking up and smoothing out the surface of the soil. In this way it is distinct in its effect from the plough, which is used for deeper tillage. Harrowing is often carried out on fields to follow the rough finish left by ploughing operations...
on his sides, and then beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
. Callinicus, a pagan priest, was converted after seeing the martyrdom of Thyrsus, and was also beheaded.
Veneration
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. His cult became popular in the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, where he is known as San Tirso
Tirso
Tirso is Spanish and Portuguese for Thyrsus, and usually refers to the saint of that name . It can also refer to:People*Tirso de Molina , Spanish playwright, poet and friar...
or Santo Tirso during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.http://www.aug.edu/augusta/iconography/tirso.html Thyrsus had a full office in the Mozarabic liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
. Some of his relics were brought to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
: Thyrsus is thus the titular saint of the cathedral of Sisteron
Sisteron
Sisteron is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Sisteron is situated on the banks of the River Durance just after the confluence of the rivers Buëch and Sasse...
in the Basses Alpeshttp://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0128.htm#thyr, the Cathédrale Notre Dame et Saint Thyrse. Thyrsus is thus the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Sisteron.http://home.scarlet.be/amdg/sankt/jan28.html A 12th century church was also dedicated to him at Châteauponsac
Châteauponsac
Châteauponsac , also known locally as Château Lorraine, is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Limousin region in western France.-Geography:...
.