Baring-Gould’s sources: The “Martyrologium parvum," Ado, Usuardus, Notker, See. Roman Martyrology. Authorities Eusebius, viii. 3; Lactantius, De Mortib. Persec. c. 12. J The saint called John in the Martyrologies is not named either by Eusebius or Lactantius, and he is thought to be the same as S. George. Lactantius gives Feb. 24th as the day of his death.

When the decree of Diocletian [Roman emperor 284–305, who began the ‘Great Persecution’ of Christians in 303] against the Christians was set up in Nicomedia, a “ man of secular dignity” tore the edict down; he was at once sentenced to death. That this John of Nicomedia, as he is called by the Martyrologium parvum and Usuardus [a 9th-century monk of Paris who compiled a list of saints for each day], is the same as S. George can hardly be maintained, as the date of S. George’s martyrdom at Lydda in Palestine, is given in the Chronicon Paschale as 285, whereas that of the Nicomedian martyr was the year of the promulgation of the edict against the Christians, a.d. 303.