Hieromartyr4th century

Hieromartyr Timothy Bishop of Prusa

Died c. 362, Prusa, Bithynia

Also known as Timothy of Prusa

A bishop of Prusa, given the gift of wonders, who turned many from idols to Christ and, after imprisonment, was beheaded under Julian the Apostate.

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Commemorated as

The Holy Hieromartyr Timothy, Bishop of Prusa, the Wonderworker

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Life

Timothy was bishop of Prusa, a city in the region of Bithynia in Asia Minor, during the fourth century. He is remembered in the Orthodox tradition for the purity and holiness of his life, on account of which he is said to have received the gift of wonderworking, and for the success of his ministry in turning many of the pagans of his see to faith in Christ.

His episcopate fell during the brief reign of the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363), who sought to restore pagan worship across the empire. Having learned of Timothy's preaching, Julian had the bishop imprisoned and forbade him to teach about Jesus Christ; when Timothy continued nonetheless to spread the Christian faith, the emperor ordered him beheaded. He is commemorated as a hieromartyr on June 10.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide

KontakionTone 4

(Podoben: “You were lifted up...”) As one who lived piously among Hierarchs and who underwent martyrdom,
O divinely-wise one,
you abolished the sacrifices of idolatry and showed yourself to be a protector of your flock.
Therefore, we cry fervently to you:
“By your intercessions, deliver us from all misfortunes, O Timothy our Father.”

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

TroparionTone 1

By sharing in the ways of the Apostles,
you became a successor to their throne.
Through the practice of virtue,
you found the way to divine contemplation, O divinely inspired one;
by rightly dividing the word of truth without error,
you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood.
O Hieromartyr Timothy entreat Christ God to save our souls.

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

Timeline3 momentsReadHide

4th centuryBishop of PrusaTimothy served as bishop of Prusa in Bithynia, where, by the account of his vita, he converted many pagans to faith in Christ and was granted the gift of wonderworking on account of the purity and sanctity of his life.
361-363Imprisonment under Julian the ApostateHearing of Timothy's activity, the emperor Julian the Apostate had him locked up in prison. Even there the saint continued to preach the Gospel, and the synaxarion relates that the faithful visited him in prison to hear the instruction of their arch-pastor.
c. 362Martyrdom by beheadingWhen Julian forbade him to teach about Jesus Christ and Timothy nevertheless continued to spread the Christian faith, the emperor gave orders for the saint to be beheaded. One account places his death in prison in the year 362.

Contributions & Legacy

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Episcopal Ministry

Prusa, the seat of Timothy's episcopate, was an ancient city of Bithynia in northwestern Asia Minor. According to his vita, Timothy received from the Lord the gift of wonderworking because of the purity and sanctity of his life, and through his ministry he converted many of the pagans of the city to faith in Christ.

The tradition associated with his memory describes him as a wonderworker who, by one account, cured the diseases and afflictions of the people. His commemoration as a hierarch and wonderworker reflects this reputation for healing alongside his work of evangelization.

Persecution and Martyrdom

Timothy's episcopate coincided with the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363), who attempted to revive the pagan cults the Christian emperors had suppressed. Learning of the bishop, Julian had Timothy imprisoned, yet the confinement did not silence him: even in prison he continued to preach the Gospel.

Julian explicitly forbade Timothy to teach about Jesus Christ. When the saint persisted in spreading the Christian faith, the emperor finally ordered him beheaded. By one account the execution was carried out in prison in the year 362.

Relics & Shrines

After his martyrdom, the holy relics of Timothy were transferred to Constantinople. By tradition the relics were held to be miracle-working, regarded as a continuing means of help to the faithful.

Companions1 figureShowHide

Persecutor: the emperor (361-363) who imprisoned Timothy and ordered his beheading for continuing to preach Christ.

Julian the Apostate

not commemorated

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