Saint Mercurius

Saint Mercurius
Coptic icon portraying a vision of Saint Basil, with Saint Mercurius killing the pagan Roman Emperor Julian.
Great-martyr
Born	224 AD Eskentos, Cappadocia or Rome
Died	250 AD
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox Churches
Feast	11 November in the West 24 November in the East (25 Hathor)

Mercurius (224–250 AD) was a Christian saint and a martyr. He was born in the city of Eskentos in Cappadocia, in Eastern Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). His original name, Philopater (variant spellings include Philopateer and Philopatyr), means "lover of the Father". Saint Mercurius is also known by the name Abu-Seifein, which in Arabic means "the holder [literally, owns/possess] of two swords," referring to a second sword given to him, by the Archangel Michael.

Some accounts state that Philopater was born in Eskentos in Cappadocia. However, others refer to Rome as his place of birth. Philopater was the son of Yares, a Scythian officer in the Roman army. One day, while Yares was hunting in the forest with his father, the two were attacked by an animal. The animal jumped on Yares' father, causing Yares to faint. While Yares was unconscious, he had a vision with a brilliant light and a voice saying:

Yares, I am your God who loves you. I know that you have a good heart and that you hate the pagan idols. I want to inform you that your son, Philopatyr, will become like a tree bearing good fruits, and because of him, I will bless you and your wife. Philopatyr will be my witness and will defy all prejudice in my name.

Yares, his wife, and his son were baptized shortly after. All three were given new names. Yares became Noah, his wife became Saphina, and Philopater became Mercurius. News of their baptism spread quickly in the city and the prince ordered them to be arrested and thrown to wild animals. However, the animals did not harm them and the prince decided to release Noah and his family. When the Berbers attacked, Noah went to fight them. He was taken prisoner and was brought to their country where he was kept for seventeen months. When the war finally ended, he went back to his city and joined his family, but died shortly after.

St. Philopater Mercurius is also said to be the cousin of St. George of Cappadocia.

After the death of Noah, the pagan Roman Emperor Decius chose Mercurius to replace his father. Described as very strong and courageous, he earned the respect of his fellow soldiers and gained renown as a swordsman. When the Berbers attacked Rome, Decius went out to fight them but became afraid when he saw how many there were. Mercurius then came to him and said, "Do not be afraid, because God will kill our enemies and will bring us victory."