Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman Martyrology, inserted by Baronius, from the Greek Menaea. Authorities: — Theodoret; mention in the Chron. Paschale, and the Acts written by John the Monk, probably John Malala, of little value.] Artemius was sent by the Arian Emperor Constantius to Patras and Thebes in Bceotia, to translate the bodies of S. Andrew and S. Luke to Constantinople, as they were exposed to the danger of being lost on account of the incursions of the Barbarians. He accomplished this task, and in addition to it that of translating S. Timothy from Ephesus, with such success, that Constantius rewarded him by elevating him to the prefectship of Egypt. Artemius was as zealous in persecuting Catholics at the bidding of his Arian master as he had been in translating Apostolic relics. The infamous George had been elevated to the patriarchal throne of Alexandria in the room of S. Athanasius, who was hiding. Artemius not only sent his soldiers, but went himself with them to hunt down that zealous champion of the true faith. At Tabenna he asked the monks to join with him in divine worship, but they indignantly refused communion with an Arian who had an Arian bishop in his suite. In the life of S. Pachomius we read that on this occasion, when Artemius was striving to hunt out the great Athanasius, and was searching the cells of Tabenna, he woke one morning to find that his nose had been bleeding during the night, and was so scared, that the Benedictine editor of the Life of S. Athanasius trusts his bloody nose was the means of his conversion to orthodoxy.
Ammon, an Egyptian bishop, who flourished in the days of Theophilus, and who wrote concerning the history of E in the reign of Constantius, speaks of Sebastian and his successor Artemius as raging in persecutions against bishops, monks, virgins, and other Catholics.
“ When the blessed Bishop Athanasius was pursued under Constantius by the Arians [followers of Arius, who taught that the Son is a created being, not fully God], the holy monks and virgins and most religious laity in Egypt and Alexandria endured many hardships, and were despatched with wounds and blows, and the bishops throughout the whole of Egypt were sent away, Sebastian being the governor, having succeeded Syrianus, by whose command many virgins, devoted by chastity to God, were killed by the weapons of the wicked in the church of the Bishop S. Theonas; and when of the holy bishops many expired through torments under Artemius, who succeeded Sebastian, and all the holy Western bishops were driven into exile, and indescribable miseries were general, the Arians prevailing under their most cruel leader, George, &c.” But if S. Artemius persecuted the Catholics, he a\sr worried the infidels by plundering their temples and knoc ing off the heads of the idols.
On the accession of Julian the exasperation of the heathen was relieved from restraint, and on accusation brought against him, Artemius was put to death.
Ammianus Marcellinus says, “ At this time, Artemius, who had been duke of Egypt, and against whom the citizens of Alexandria brought a great mass of heavy accusations, was put to death.”
George, the Arian bishop, according to the statement of Ammianus, was in the habit of accusing numbers of the inhabitants of Alexandria to Constantius, as opposed to his authority, and probably Artemius, who seems to have been hand and glove with this infamous man, executed them.
Theodoret says, " Artemius, who held the office of military commander in Egypt, having, during the reign of Lives of the Skints.
Constantius, destroyed some idols, was, in consequence, not only deprived of all his property, but was also beheaded.”1 The monk John, who wrote his Passion, compiled it from Philostorgius, unconscious that he was quoting an Arian historian, who naturally glorified a martyr of his own persuasion, one who disbelieved in the eternal Godhead of Christ. The Paschal chronicle says, “ Artemius, duke of the province of Egypt, in the times of Constantius of blessed memory, whilst enjoying this dignity, singularly affected the Churches; his goods were confiscated, and his head was struck off at Alexandria, through the great hatred borne him by Julian.” This is a statement by an Arian hand, for the only Churches Artemius affected were those in which the Consubstantial was not adored.
The acts of Artemius were expanded into a prolix narrative by a certain monk John, supposed by some to be John Malala, and by others John of Damascus. He throws completely over the Arianism of his hero, and says not a word about his persecution of the Catholics and of S. Athanasius [bishop of Alexandria (d. 373), great defender of the Nicene faith]. The Greek Church, relying on these Acts, and probably without critically investigating the case, has adopted Artemius into its sacred Kalendar, and Baronius [Cardinal Baronius (d. 1607), church historian who edited the Roman Martyrology] drafted him from the Greek Mensea into the Roman Martyrology.
