New Martyr Myron of Crete

Myron, often called Myron the Tailor, was a New Martyr of Crete who was put to death under Ottoman rule for refusing to abandon the Orthodox faith. According to the surviving account, he was from Mega Kastro, the city now known as Heraklion, and was executed there on March 20, 1793, the day on which he is commemorated. He should not be confused with the earlier Myron of Crete, the wonderworking archbishop of the third and fourth centuries, who died a natural death.

Few biographical details survive. The account relates that Myron was born into a pious Orthodox Christian family and that his father was named Demetrios. He earned his living as a tailor. The tradition describes him as a sober and serious young man whose conduct and bearing drew the envy of some of the Muslims of the city.

By the account, his accusers arranged for a young boy to bring a false charge against Myron, which gave them a pretext to seize him and bring him before the kadi. Myron denied the accusation. The judge offered to release him if he would convert to Islam and threatened death if he refused. Myron held to his confession of Christ, and after imprisonment and further interrogation he was sentenced to death and executed by hanging outside the city. He is numbered among the New Martyrs who suffered during the period of Ottoman rule over the Orthodox lands.