Feast 4th October | ||
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Died 4th October (1st century)
Athens, Greece Venerated in Coptic Orthodox Church, Armenian Apostolic Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodoxy | ||
Quartus (Greek: Κούαρτος, Kouartos) was a Christian who sent greetings to friends in Rome through Paul of Tarsus (Romans 16:23).
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According to church tradition, he is known as Quartus of Berytus and is numbered among the Seventy Disciples. He was Bishop of Beirut and suffered for the faith. He converted many to the Christian faith. His feast day is October 4.
Description
Quartus was born in the city of Athens, and was one of its wealthy and learned nobles. He believed in the Lord Christ and served him. Having received the grace of the Comforter on the day of Pentecost, he preached the life giving Gospel in many countries. He entered the city of Magnis and preached there. The people of the city believed; he baptized them and taught them the life giving Commandments. Then he returned to Athens, to preach there also, but they stoned him and tortured him severely. Finally they cast him into the fire; thus, he received the crown of martyrdom.
The New American Standard Bible translates Romans 16:23 as follows:
Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother.
Although the literal translation of the Greek is that Quartus is "the" brother, most scholars interpret this as meaning that Quartus is a fellow believer, rather than a brother of Erastus. Thus, some translations such as the NIV translate the phrase as "our brother Quartus".
Hymns
Troparion (Tone 3)
Holy Apostles, Erastus, Olympas, Herodian, Sosipater, Quartus and Tertius, entreat the merciful God, to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.Kontakion (Tone 2)
Illumined by divine light, O holy apostles, you wisely destroyed the works of idolatry. When you caught all the pagans you brought them to the Master and taught them to glorify the Trinity.Source: St. Nikolai Velimirovic, The Prologue from Ohrid