Saint Demetrios

 

Christian Saints:
Research and write a mini-bio on a saint from either the Orthodox or Catholic faith. (Include image, MLA format, approx. 250 words)

SAINT DEMETRIOS

Saint Demetrios was born in Greece in 270 AD. He was raised by a great family, and because he was athletic in physical appearance and brave as a man, he became an officer in the Roman Army when he was a small boy. (Because of his success, he is shown in the Byzantine icons in the military dress). He considered himself being a soldier of Christ first and a military soldier second. He is mostly a missionary, preaching the Gospel at meetings and making pagans believe in Christian faith.

Even if Saint Demetrios was apprehended, he never stoped preaching to people who came to see him often. During his time in jail, he was very often visited by his follower, Nestoras. Nestoras was a man who came to ask for Saint Demetrios’s honor to fight in the future gladiator games. The emperor had decided to use the games as an affair of honor between Christianity and Paganism by confronting any other Christian to a fight against the agile giant, Leo. Because of Saint Demetrios, Nestoras succeeded to kill the giant Leo. Aggravated by the loss of his admired gladiator, the emperor claimed that Nestoras should be decapitated on the spot. Because people knew that Saint Demetrios was helping Nestoras, the emperor proclaimed that Saint Demetrios should be assassinated by a weapon. In 306 AD Christians buried Saint Demetrios’s body at the place of his execution.