St. Demetrius of Salonica was a Christian martyr who lived in the 4th century. He is also referred to as “the Megalomartyr” by the Greeks.

Demetrius was a deacon in Salonica. Early legends about Demetrius credit him with a military career, so he's also sometimes called a military martyr. He was run through with spears ca 306 at Sirmium, modern Serbia, during the Christian persecutions of emperor Maximian.

He was extremely popular in the Middle Ages, and along with St. George, he was the patron of the Crusades.

St. Demetrius' relics are kept in Thessaloniki, Greece, a city of which he is the patron saint. His memory is celebrated on the 26th of October. He is also revered by the Serb Orthodox Church as Mitar, having a feast of Mitrovdan on November 8th.

St. Demetrius of Alexandria was the Christian bishop of Alexandria in the 2nd and 3rd century, the first Alexandrian bishop of whom anything is known.

External link

• St. Demetrius of Alexandria