Saint Anthony of Antioch: The Iconography
JANUARY 9
This saint figures in the Acta of SS. Julian of Antioch and Companions collected in the Acta Sanctorum for January 9. In the story twenty soldiers in Antioch and the son of the Prefect are imprisoned for accepting Christianity. Seven Christian brothers then lead the priest Anthony into the prison so that the converts can be baptized. For this Anthony has his eyes pulled out with hooks, and all of them are put to the sword.1

Prepared in 2014 by Richard Stracke, Emeritus Professor of English, Augusta University, revised 2015-08-01.

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Antonio Zanchi, a painting labeled The Martyr­dom of St. An­tho­ny, 17th cen­tury. It is possible that the martyr in the painting is Anthony of Antioch, though it seems more likely that it is St. Pelagius (See the de­scrip­tion page for an ex­tend­ed dis­cus­sion.)

DATES

  • Lived 266-302
  • Feast day in the Orthodox churches: January 8

BIOGRAPHY

  • Roman Martyrology for January 9
  • Acta Sanctorum January vol. 1, 575-87 (De Sanctis Martyribus Juliano, Basilissa, Celso, Marcionilla, Antonio Presbyter [etc.]

NOTES

1 The complete Acta is on pages 575-87 of the Acta Sanctorum, January volume 1. The baptism and the martyrdom are on pages 582 and 586 respectively. A brief life of these martyrs follows the Acta, but it does not mention Anthony by name.

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