Died 287
A Christian of Egypt, an administrator of the city of Hermopolis, who was betrayed while in hiding during the persecution under Diocletian and, after torture, was drowned in the Nile for refusing to deny Christ.
The Holy Martyr Sabinus of Egypt
Sabinus was a Christian of Egypt who served as administrator of the city of Hermopolis during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian (284–305). He is also recorded under the names Abibus and Phanas, and some accounts describe him as having held the office of procurator and as possibly a bishop.
During the intensifying persecution of Christians, Sabinus withdrew to a remote village and concealed himself there together with other believers. His hiding place was betrayed to the authorities, and after being subjected to torture he was drowned in the Nile in the year 287 for refusing to deny Christ.
He is venerated as a martyr across several Christian traditions, commemorated on differing dates: in the Orthodox Church on March 13 and March 16, by the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, and by the Coptic Church on February 20.
God-bearing Sabinus,
you are a divine root, an unfading blossom,
a branch heavily-laden with fruit.
Fill with gladness those who honor your memory,
and unceasingly pray for us all!
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
With godliness you preached to the ungodly
that the Creator of all took flesh without undergoing change.
You excelled in your holy contest,
for by meeting death in the river you attained to the Source of incorruption.
Therefore, we praise you, blessed Sabinus.
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
Sabinus held the position of administrator of the Egyptian city of Hermopolis under Diocletian. Some accounts describe his role as that of a procurator and suggest he may also have been a bishop, and they record that he was of noble birth.
He was known for taking in Christians and for his charitable works among the poor, materially supporting those in need with food and money.
As the persecution of Christians grew more severe, Sabinus fled to a remote village and hid there with fellow believers, sheltering in a hut.
His refuge was revealed to the authorities by a man whom the accounts variously describe as an ungrateful beggar or a physician. According to the tradition, this was a beggar whom Sabinus had regularly supported with food and money, and who disclosed his location in exchange for two pieces of gold.
Sabinus was arrested together with a group of fellow Christians. He was taken to Antinoöpolis, where, after enduring a variety of tortures, he was drowned in the Nile in the year 287. Accounts relate that six other Christians were seized with him and that the group were all drowned together.
Sabinus is recognized as a saint by several Christian churches and is numbered among the Ante-Nicene saints and the martyrs of the third century. The Greek Orthodox Church observes his commemoration on March 16 with the full office.
The Orthodox Church commemorates him on both March 13 and March 16, the two dates recorded for the same saint. The Roman Catholic Church keeps his feast on March 13, and the Coptic Church on February 20.
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