Saint Zeno of Nicomedia died in 303 A.D. He was a Roman soldier and commander who lived in Nicomedia which is today’s Turkey. He lived during the reign of the Roman Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. They fiercely persecuted the Church and sent many Christians to their death. In Nicomedia 20,000 Christians were burnt to death on Christmas Day as they gathered in a Cathedral. Saint Zeno was put to death when he mocked the Emperor’s devotion to a soulless god when he offered a sacrifice to a Roman deity.
Image: 20 000 martyrs from Nicomedia (985, Constantinople, miniature from the Vatican Museum) |