Trophimus, Sabbatius, and Dorymedon
Encyclopedia
Saints Trophimus Sabbatius (Sabbatios, Sabbaticus), and Dorymedon are venerated as Christian
martyr
s. The story of their martyrdom is enshrouded in myth, and though they share the same feast day, the saints were not martyred together or at the same time.
According to their Passion, Emperor Probus decreed that all Christians should sacrifice to the Roman gods. The Emperor sent two officials, Trophimus and Sabbatius, to Antioch, Pisidia
. However, after Trophimus and Sabbatius arrived at the city, they were so shocked by the tortures inflicted upon the Christians there that the two men converted to Christianity. Trophimus and Sabbatius were arrested and tortured; Sabbatius died as a result of being tortured.
Trophimus was sent to Synnada
in Asia Minor
. Imprisoned at Synnada was a Christian senator named Dorymedon, and Trophimus visited the senator in prison. Officials in Synnada attempted to force Dorymedon and Trophimus to sacrifice to the gods Castor and Pollux
. Dorymedon and Trophimus refused and were tortured and sentenced to be thrown to wild beasts in the arena. According to their Passion, the beasts refused to harm the two saints. The saints were then decapitated.
Their legend is of questionable historicity. As Christopher Walter points out, Probus did not persecute Christians to the same extent that Emperors Diocletian
or Decius
did.
A reliquary
in the form of a sarcophagus
containing some of the bones of Trophimus was discovered at Schifout Kassaba (Synnada) in 1907, and transported to the museum at Bursa; this monument may date back to the third century.
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:...
s. The story of their martyrdom is enshrouded in myth, and though they share the same feast day, the saints were not martyred together or at the same time.
According to their Passion, Emperor Probus decreed that all Christians should sacrifice to the Roman gods. The Emperor sent two officials, Trophimus and Sabbatius, to Antioch, Pisidia
Antioch, Pisidia
Antioch in Pisidia – alternatively Antiochia in Pisidia or Pisidian Antioch and in Roman Empire, Latin: Antiochia Caesareia or Antiochia Caesaria – is a city in the Turkish Lakes Region, which is at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Central Anatolian regions, and formerly...
. However, after Trophimus and Sabbatius arrived at the city, they were so shocked by the tortures inflicted upon the Christians there that the two men converted to Christianity. Trophimus and Sabbatius were arrested and tortured; Sabbatius died as a result of being tortured.
Trophimus was sent to Synnada
Synnada
Synnada was an ancient town of Phrygia Salutaris in Asia Minor. Its site is now occupied by the modern Turkish town of Şuhut, in Afyonkarahisar Province...
in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. Imprisoned at Synnada was a Christian senator named Dorymedon, and Trophimus visited the senator in prison. Officials in Synnada attempted to force Dorymedon and Trophimus to sacrifice to the gods Castor and Pollux
Castor and Pollux
In Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux or Polydeuces were twin brothers, together known as the Dioscuri . Their mother was Leda, but Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus, who visited Leda in the guise of a swan...
. Dorymedon and Trophimus refused and were tortured and sentenced to be thrown to wild beasts in the arena. According to their Passion, the beasts refused to harm the two saints. The saints were then decapitated.
Their legend is of questionable historicity. As Christopher Walter points out, Probus did not persecute Christians to the same extent that Emperors Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
or 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:...
did.
A reliquary
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
in the form of a sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
containing some of the bones of Trophimus was discovered at Schifout Kassaba (Synnada) in 1907, and transported to the museum at Bursa; this monument may date back to the third century.