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Saint Mercurius
Mosaic of Saint Mercurius inside the Hosios Loukas Monastery, Greece.
Great martyr
Born
224/225 Eskentos, Cappadocia (Roman province) or Rome (modern-day Turkey or Italy)
Died
December 4, 250 (aged 25–26)
Venerated in
Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox Churches
Mercurius (Greek: Ἅγιος Μερκούριος, Coptic: Ⲫⲓⲗⲟⲡⲁⲧⲏⲣ Ⲙⲉⲣⲕⲟⲩⲣⲓⲟⲥ; Syriac: ܡܳܪܩܘ̇ܪܝܘ̇ܣ; 224/225 – 250 AD) was a Roman soldier of Scythian descent who became a Christian saint and martyr.[2][3] He was born in the city of Eskentos in Cappadocia, in Eastern Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). According to Christian tradition, he was the soldier who killed Julian the apostate during his campaign in Persia.[4] Saint Mercurius was also widely known by his Arabic-language name Abu-Sayfain, Abu-Sifin or Abu-Sefein in Egyptian Arabic (Arabic: أبو سيفين, romanized: Abū Seyfaīn; Coptic: ⲁⲃⲩⲥⲉⲫⲁⲓⲛ, romanized: Abû-Sefaīn) which means "father of two swords", referring to the second sword given to him by the Archangel Michael.
St. Mercurius was born around 225 A.D. in Cappadocia (Eastern Asia Minor) into a family of Scythian descent.[5] His parents were converts to Christianity and they called him "Philopateer" or "Philopatyr" (a Greek name which means 'Lover of the Father'). They raised him in a Christian manner. When he grew to adulthood (at the age of 17), he enlisted in the Roman army in the reign of Emperor Decius. He gained a great reputation among his superiors as a swordsman and a tactician in many battles. During this period, it is said that the Emperor grew very close to him.[citation needed]
^"الشهيد فيلوباتير مرقوريوس | أبو سيفين".
^Ruskin, John; Bryan, Taylor (1894). St. Mark's Rest, Lectures on art, Elements of perspective. p. 170.
^Riches, Sam; Salih, Sarah (2005). Gender and Holiness: Men, Women and Saints in Late Medieval Europe. Routledge. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-134-51489-2.
^"CHURCH FATHERS: Ecclesiastical History (Sozomen)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
^"Great Martyr Mercurius of Caesarea, in Cappadocia". oca.org. Orthodox Church in America.
Orthodox Church Network "SaintMercurius", Archangel Michael & SaintMercurius Coptic Orthodox Church "Greatmartyr Mercurius of Caesarea, in Cappadocia"...
believed that St. George, along with his fellow soldier-saints Demetrius, Maurice, Theodore and Mercurius had fought alongside them at Antioch and Jerusalem...
dedicated to SaintMercurius, and is the largest in the district of ancient Babylon. The church is named after St. Philopater Mercurius who is known as...
Ἑρμῆς ὁ Τρισμέγιστος, "Hermes the Thrice-Greatest"; Classical Latin: Mercurius ter Maximus) is a legendary Hellenistic period figure that originated...
Georgia Saint Lazar of Serbia Saint Marina Saint Menas SaintMercuriusSaint Michael-Gobron of Georgia Saint Pantaleon Saint Paraskeva Saint Kyriaki Saint Phanourios...
is a description of two saints Ahrakas and Augani with a dog's head from the legend about the life of the Coptic saintMercurius Abu-Sayfain, whom they...
Church (also known as the Church of the Virgin) and the Church of SaintMercurius (located a short distance north of the enclave), served as the seats...
hosting many historically important churches: Saint Mary Church (Haret Elroum) SaintMercurius Church Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church (Abu Serga) The Hanging...
Christian saints have polytheistic theophoric names (such as Saint Dionysius, SaintMercurius, Saint Saturninus, Saint Hermes, Saint Martin of Tours, Saint Demetrius...
and communion in an adjacent church, dedicated to St. SaintMercurius. Tamav founded St. Mercurius' Church and subsequently founded a second church inside...
in a hollow in the south wall. Iconostasis Coptic Mona Lisa Icon of SaintMercurius by Yuhanna al-Armani Street facade and entrance door Interior of church...
Church of the Redeemer Saint Marie Mount Sinai Golgotha House of the Cross House of the Virgins Saint Gabriel Abba Matta SaintMercurius Immanuel Church of...
for the immersion of a grown man, was built for him in the Church of SaintMercurius. This font still exists today at the site where Al-Muizz was converted...
Monastery of SaintMercurius (or Dayr Abu Sayfayn), an important and historic Coptic religious complex consisting of the Church of SaintMercurius, the Church...
possibly the former royal chapel. Biete Qeddus Mercoreus (House of SaintMercurius/House of Mark the Evangelist), which may be a former prison Biete Abba...
where his remains are kept. The two other churches are named after SaintMercurius and Archangel Michael. The monastery is surrounded by high walls, built...
The work was influential on later Christian hagiographies of SaintMercurius and Saint Christopher, as well as several medieval Islamic traditions. Lewis...
depictions. She is often depicted with a neighboring image of a mounted Saint George and the Dragon, who is regarded as especially linked to Mary in Ethiopian...
1204–1453, p. 110 Grotowski, Piotr L. (2010). Arms and armour of the warrior saints: tradition and innovation in Byzantine iconography (843–1261). Leiden, the...
icon of SaintMercurius by Yuhanna al-Armani Modern Coptic icon of Jesus Christ Modern Coptic icon of Saint Anthony the Great Coptic icon of Saint Maurice...
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