Hieromartyr Dorotheus, Bishop of Tyre (5 June)
The Hieromartyr Dorotheus was bishop of the Phoenician city of Tyre, during the time of the persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Heeding the words of the Gospel (Mt.10:23), the saint withdrew from Tyre and hid from the persecutors. He returned to Tyre during the reign of Saint Constantine the Great (306-337, May 21), again occupying the bishop’s throne he guided his flock for more than fifty years, and converted many of the pagans to Christianity.
When the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) began openly to persecute Christians, Saint Dorotheus was already over 100 years old. He withdrew from Tyre to the Myzean city of Udum (present day Bulgarian Varna). Delegates of the emperor arrested him there for his refusal to offer sacrifice to idols. They began to torture the holy Elder, and under torture he surrendered his soul to the Lord (+ ca. 362) at the age of 107.
Some ascribe to Saint Dorotheus the compilation of a work, “The Synopsis”, a collection of sayings, and including lives of the holy prophets and apostles.
Saint Dorotheus became Bishop of Tyre in Phoenicia about the end of the third century. During the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian, about the year 303, he fled to Odyssopolis in Thrace to preserve his life, and after the death of the tyrants he returned to Tyre. He lived until the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363), from whose persecution he again fled to Odyssopolis (or, according to Theophylact of Bulgaria, Edessa), but was found by Julian’s men and slain in great torments, at the age of 107, in 361. He was very learned, and has left behind writings in both Latin and Greek relating the lives of the holy Prophets, Apostles, and other Saints.
Dorotheus was Bishop of Tyre from the time of Diocletian to the time of Julian the Apostate, under whom he was tortured and suffered for the Orthodox Faith. He lived on earth for one hundred seven years and, pleasing God, took up his habitation in life eternal in the year 361 A.D. Dorotheus was a very educated man and wrote many instructive works in Greek and Latin. Especially well known is his Greek-Latin Syntagma.
Apolytikion of Hieromartyr Dorotheus
Fourth Tone
As a sharer of the ways and a successor to the throne of the Apostles, O inspired of God, thou foundest discipline to be a means of ascent to divine vision. Wherefore, having rightly divided the word of truth, thou didst also contest for the Faith even unto blood, O Hieromartyr Dorotheus. Intercede with Christ our God that our souls be saved.
Kontakion of Hieromartyr Dorotheus
Third Tone
Having preached the Orthodox doctrines, O most sacred Martyr, thou didst bring thyself as a divine gift to thy Creator; at the first, thou hadst excelled in asceticism; at the last, thou didst contest firmly as a Martyr, and didst lawfully receive the prize of thy vict’ry from Christ our Saviour and God.
Source: oca.org / goarch.org / westserbdio.org
