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Martyr3rd century

Martyr Maximus of Ephesus

Also known as Maximus the Martyr

A Christian who confessed Christ at Ephesus and was put to the sword for the faith.

April 30New Calendar
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May 13Old Calendar
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Commemorated as

The Holy Martyr Maximus of Ephesus

Life

Maximus of Ephesus is an early Christian martyr commemorated in the Eastern Orthodox calendar on April 30. He is recorded as having confessed his faith in Christ at Ephesus, in the Roman province of Asia in Asia Minor, and as having been put to death by the sword. The surviving synaxarion notice is very brief and preserves little beyond the fact of his confession and the manner of his death.

By tradition his martyrdom is placed in the third century, during the persecution of the emperor Decius, which fell in the years around 249 to 251. No detailed account of his life, origin, or trial has been transmitted.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide
KontakionTone 2

(Podoben: “You sought the heights...”) You appeared as a bright star announcing Christ with your radiance,
which is repulsive to this world, O Martyr Maximus;
extinguishing the allure of false gods,
you enlighten the faithful,
always interceding for us all.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 3

Your holy martyr Maximus, O Lord,
through his sufferings has received an incorruptible crown from You, our God.
For having Your strength, he laid low his adversaries,
and shattered the powerless boldness of demons.
Through his intercessions, save our souls!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Contributions & Legacy

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Martyrdom

According to the synaxarion, Maximus suffered for his faith in Christ and was run through with a sword. The record does not describe the circumstances of his arrest or the proceedings against him.

One traditional listing identifies the place of his death as Ephesus and assigns it to the persecution under the emperor Decius in the mid-third century. Decius issued an edict in 250 requiring inhabitants of the empire to perform a public sacrifice, and the refusal of Christians to comply produced numerous martyrs across the eastern provinces; Maximus is counted among those remembered from this period.

Companions1 figureShowHide
A distinct martyr of the same name, commemorated on a separate day.
Martyr Maximusthe Merchant
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Browse other saints who share his calling and place.

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints