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Hieromartyr4th century

Martyr Zoticus the Keeper of Orphans

died c. 350

Also known as Zoticus of Constantinople

A wealthy Roman official who became a priest and cared for orphans, the poor, and the sick in Constantinople, and suffered martyrdom under Constantius.

Feast Day
December 30
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Commemorated as

The Holy Martyr Zoticus the Orphanotrophos, Keeper of Orphans

Come to them for
Healing

Life

Zoticus, surnamed Orphanotrophos ("the keeper" or "feeder of orphans"), was a wealthy Roman of noble family who entered the service of the Emperor Constantine the Great. When Constantine transferred the capital of the empire from Rome to Constantinople, Zoticus moved to the new city, where he is remembered as one of the earliest organizers of Christian charity in the imperial capital.

Spurning worldly honors, he was ordained to the priesthood and devoted himself and his fortune to caring for the destitute, the orphaned, and the sick. He is especially associated with the care of lepers, whom he sheltered and protected, and is venerated in tradition as a founder of organized care for orphans and the poor in Constantinople.

Under Constantine's son and successor Constantius, an adherent of Arianism, Zoticus fell into disfavor and met a violent death. The Orthodox tradition commemorates him as a martyr on December 30.

Timeline4 momentsReadHide
  1. c. 324–337Service to Constantine and move to ConstantinopleAn illustrious and wealthy Roman in the service of Constantine the Great, Zoticus relocated to Constantinople when Constantine made it the capital of the empire.
  2. Reign of ConstantineOrdination and works of charityRenouncing worldly status, Zoticus was ordained to the priesthood. With funds received from Constantine, he established a place of treatment for the sick and a shelter for the homeless, caring for the destitute and orphaned.
  3. 337–361Disfavor under ConstantiusAfter Constantine's death, his son Constantius, an Arian, accused Zoticus over a large sum of money received from the late emperor, which the emperor wrongly believed had been spent on jewels.
  4. c. 350MartyrdomBy tradition Constantius ordered Zoticus tied to wild mules and dragged over the stones; his body was lacerated and he died of his injuries.

Contributions & Legacy

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Charitable Work in Constantinople

According to his life, Zoticus first provided for the destitute and orphaned in his own home, then, with funds received from the Emperor Constantine, built a place of treatment for the sick and a shelter for the homeless. The synaxarion accounts emphasize his care of lepers in particular.

Tradition relates that he took in those afflicted with leprosy, rescuing them from soldiers who had been ordered to drown them in the sea. His epithet Orphanotrophos — "the one who feeds orphans" — preserves the memory of this charitable vocation, and he is honored as a founder of organized orphan and leper care in the imperial capital.

Martyrdom and Veneration

The Orthodox tradition reckons Zoticus a martyr, holding that he suffered death under the Arian emperor Constantius after being accused of misappropriating imperial funds. By the account preserved in his life, he was tied to wild mules and dragged over stones until he died, around the year 350.

His life relates that a stream of pure water sprang forth at the place of his death, from which many received healing. Some accounts note that the institution for the care of lepers associated with his memory was supported and maintained by later Byzantine emperors. He is commemorated on December 30; some sources record his feast on December 31.

Companions & Contemporaries1 figureShowHide
Emperor whom Zoticus served and who funded his charitable institutions in Constantinople.
Constantine the Great
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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints