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{{Short description|Christian saint (died 303)}}
{{About|the Christian Saint|the 6th century Byzantine historian|Agathias}}
{{Infobox saint
| honorific_prefix = [[Saint]]
| name             = Acacius
| birth_date       = late-3rd century
| death_date       = ~303
| feast_day        = 7 May (formerly 8 May); 16 January (translation of relics) 
| venerated_in    = [[Roman Catholic Church]]<br>[[Eastern Orthodox Church]]<ref>{{in lang|el}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3053/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀκάκιος ὁ Μάρτυρας ὁ κεντυρίων].'' 7 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.</ref> 
| image           = Agathius-Acacius-Acacio-martyrdom.jpg
| caption         = ''The Martyrdom of Saint Agathius''.  16th century work by an anonymous artist from [[Toledo, Spain|Toledo]]. 
| birth_place     = [[Cappadocia]]
| death_place     = [[Byzantium]]
| titles          = [[Holy Helper]], [[Christian martyr|Martyr]]
| canonized_date  =
| canonized_place =
| canonized_by    =
| attributes      = palm of martyrdom, centurion with a bunch of thorns, in armour with standard and shield, depicted with [[Theodore of Amasea]] 
| patronage       = soldiers, [[Squillace]], [[Guardavalle]], invoked against headache 
| major_shrine    = Cathedral of [[Squillace]], [[Italy]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14239a.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Squillace|website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref>
}}

'''Saint Acacius''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Ἅγιος Ἀκάκιος; died 303), also known as '''Agathius of Byzantium''', '''Achatius''', or '''Agathonas''' to Christian tradition, was a [[Cappadocian]] Greek centurion of the imperial army, martyred around 304. A church existed in [[Constantinople]] associated with Acacius and possibly named after him: the [[Church of St Acacius]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Woods|first=David|date=2001|title=The Church of "St." Acacius at Constantinople|url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/1584527|journal=Vigiliae Christianae|volume=55|issue=2|pages=201–207|doi=10.2307/1584527|jstor=1584527 |issn=0042-6032|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

==History==
Agathius was arrested on charges for being a Christian by Tribune Firmus in [[Perinthus]], [[Thrace]], tortured and then brought to [[Byzantium]] where he was [[scourge]]d and [[decapitation|beheaded]], being made a martyr because he would not renounce his Christian faith.

The date of his martyrdom is traditionally 8 May, when his feast was observed. It was later moved to 7 May.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Martyr Acacius the Centurion at Byzantium |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/05/07/101313-martyr-acacius-the-centurion-at-byzantium |access-date=2024-08-16 |website=www.oca.org}}</ref>

==Veneration==
His relics were relocated ''ca.'' 630 to a spring at [[Squillace]], close by the Vivarium, the monastery founded in the previous century by [[Cassiodorus]] in the heel of [[Italy]].<ref name="geo">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110708132053/http://centreleonardboyle.com/otherlinks.html Barnish, Samuel J., "Select Abstracts"<!-- Bot generated title -->]}}</ref>  He was known in [[Squillace]] as ''San Agario''.  A relic of his arm was brought to [[Guardavalle]] in 1584 by the [[bishop of Squillace]], Marcello Sirleto, hence Agathius' patronage of this city.  Relics from Squillace were also brought to [[Cuenca, Spain|Cuenca]] and [[Ávila, Spain|Ávila]] in [[Spain]], where he is known as ''San Acato''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90216|title=Sant' Agazio (Acacio) su santiebeati.it|website=Santiebeati.it}}</ref>

St. Agathius is also venerated in [[Slovenia]], where numerous churches and chapels are dedicated to him; this popular veneration goes back to the 16th century, when he was considered the patron saint of the fighters against the [[Ottoman Turks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.druzina.si/ICD/spletnastran.nsf/all/DEB5E348F09DBB68C1257022003AE455|title=Koledar svetnikov - Ahacij in tovariši|website=www.druzina.si}}</ref> For the same reason he became popular among the [[Maniots]], inhabitants of the [[Mani Peninsula]] in [[Greece]], who took up his confrontation of the Pagan Roman authorities as a symbol of their own long lasting resistance of the [[Ottoman Empire]]'s rule.

St. Achatius is one of the [[Fourteen Holy Helpers]] or Auxiliary Saints in Roman Catholic tradition.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90216 Santiebeati:Agathius]

{{commons category}}
{{Fourteen Holy Helpers}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Agathius}}
[[Category:303 deaths]]
[[Category:4th-century Christian martyrs]]
[[Category:Saints from Roman Anatolia]]
[[Category:Fourteen Holy Helpers|Acacius]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]