St. Themistocles icon

Orthodox icon of Saint Themistocles, Themistokles, the Martyr of Myra in Lycia. Commemorated December 21. Saint Themistocles was born in Myra of Lycia in the 3rd century AD. He was a shepherd in trade and a fervent Christian full of goodness. In the mid 3rd century AD emperor Decius began a great persecution against Christians. The leader of Lycia then was Asclepius. His soldiers were searching for Christians of the area and led them to the Asclepius to try them.One of those Christians was Dioscorides. In 250 AD the soldiers of Asclepios pursued Dioscorides who fled to the mountain where St. Themistocles was herding his sheep. He sought from help from the Saint, who naturally hid Dioscorides from his pursuers. At one point the soldiers arrived there and asked St. Themistocles if he had seen the fugitive. The Saint told them to stop pursuing Dioscorides and to grant him life. They told him that unless he would reveal what he knew, they would take him. And this is what happened. The Sain