St. Anthimus of Nicomedia icon

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Orthodox icon of Saint Anthimus, Anthimos, Άνθιμος Bishop of Nicomedia.

Commemorated September 3.

This Orthodox icon is an image of the Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia/ He and those with him suffered during the persecution against Christians under the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). The persecution became particularly intense after a fire at the imperial court at Nicomedia. The pagans accused the Christians of setting the fire and reacted against them with terrible ferocity. In Nicomedia alone, on the day of the Nativity of Christ, as many as twenty thousand Christians were burned inside a church.

However, this monstrous inhumanity did not frighten the Christians, who firmly confessed their faith and endured martyrdom for Christ. Bishop Anthimus, who headed the Church of Nicomedia, hid himself in a village not far from Nicomedia at the request of his flock. From there he sent letters to the Christians, urging them to cleave firmly to the holy Faith and not to fear tortures. One of his letters was intercepted and given to the emperor Maximian who managed to learn where St. Anthimus was, and sent a detachment of soldiers after him.

The bishop met them along the way, but the soldiers did not recognize the saint. He invited them to join him and provided a meal, after which he revealed that he was the one they sought. The soldiers did not know what to do. They wanted to leave him and tell the emperor that they had not found him. Bishop Anthimus was not one to tolerate a lie, and so he would not consent to this. The soldiers came to believe in Christ and received holy Baptism. The saint ordered them to carry out the emperor's instructions.

When Bishop Anthimus was brought before the emperor, the emperor ordered that the instruments of execution be brought out and placed before him. Do you think, emperor, to frighten me with these tools of execution? asked the saint. No indeed, you cannot frighten one who wishes to die for Christ! Execution is frightening only for the cowardly, for whom the present life is most precious. The emperor then directed that the saint be fiercely tortured and beheaded by the sword. Bishop Anthimus joyfully glorified God with his last breath, and received the crown of martyrdom.

Reference: O.C.A

We find this name of our God in two Biblical Books. The first is in the Book of Daniel and it was a vision that Daniel's had: "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire."A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened”.

The second is in the book of Revelation 1/A 12-18: "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands and among the lamp stands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

In the art of the orthodox iconography, sometimes Christ portrayed as an Elderly, as the “Ancient of the Days”, to symbolically show His existence in eternity and some times like a young “person” to demonstrate His incarnation. This tendency of hagiography appeared in the 6th century AD, especially in the Eastern Byzantine Empire.

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