A monk of Cyprus from his youth during the reign of Constantine the Great. He was the spiritual teacher of the holy martyrs Julian the Physician and Eubolos, who suffered under Julian the Apostate.
Feast Day
March 6
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Arcadius of Cyprus was a fourth-century monastic ascetic who is remembered above all as the spiritual teacher of the martyrs Julian the Physician and Eubolos. According to the synaxarion he embraced the monastic life from his youth on the island of Cyprus during the reign of the emperor Constantine the Great (306-337), and his example and counsel shaped disciples who later gave their lives for Christ.
His commemoration is kept on March 6, where his life is recorded together with that of his two disciples. The surviving accounts are brief, presenting him chiefly through his role as a guide of souls and through his sorrow and faith at the martyrdom of those he had formed.
Timeline 3 moments
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Reign of Constantine the Great (306-337)Monastic life on CyprusArcadius devoted himself to monastic struggle on Cyprus from his youth, becoming known for piety and spiritual guidance.
Reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363)Martyrdom of his disciplesHis disciples Julian the Physician and Eubolos were arrested during the persecution of Julian the Apostate and, by the synaxarion's account, were tortured and beheaded.
Shortly after 361-363Burial of the martyrs and reposeHaving grieved their deaths yet given thanks to God, Arcadius buried the bodies of his disciples and soon afterward reposed in peace.
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Teacher of the Martyrs Julian and Eubolos
The defining feature of Arcadius's memory is his relationship to Julian the Physician and Eubolos, who came to him for spiritual direction and, in the words of the tradition, became steadfast through his words and virtue. When the persecution of Julian the Apostate emboldened pagan officials against Christians, the two disciples were seized and, after harsh torture, put to death.
The accounts relate that Arcadius mourned their martyrdom deeply but ultimately gave thanks to God for their witness. He buried their bodies and, remaining in the place where he dwelt, gave himself to prayer with tears before reposing in peace a short time later.
