saint
Apostles Stachys, Amplias, Urban, Narcissus, Apelles, and Aristobulus
Six of the Seventy named in the sixteenth chapter of Romans: Stachys became bishop of Byzantium under the apostle Andrew, while the others were consecrated as bishops in Macedonia, Athens, Heraclea, and among the Britons.
Life
Stachys, Amplias, Urban, Narcissus, Apelles, and Aristobulus were six of the Seventy whom the Lord sent out, all named by the Apostle Paul in the closing chapter of his letter to the Romans. Stachys is greeted there as "my beloved" (Romans 16:9); tradition makes him the first bishop of Byzantium, ordained by Andrew the First-called himself before Andrew left for the Black Sea regions, serving for sixteen years until his repose at Argyropolis on the Bosphorus.
Amplias, "my beloved in the Lord" (Romans 16:8), served as bishop of Diospolis in Lydia and was slain by pagans there. Urban, "our fellow-worker in Christ" (Romans 16:9), labored as bishop in Macedonia and was likewise crowned with martyrdom. Narcissus (Romans 16:11) served at Athens and was slain by pagans. Apelles, "approved in Christ" (Romans 16:10), served as bishop of Heraclea in Thrace and died in peace. Aristobulus, "of the household" of Paul (Romans 16:10), was the brother of Barnabas; tradition takes him as the apostle to Britain, where he is said to have labored and died.
Their joint feast falls on October 31, with the Synaxis of the Seventy on January 4.
Traditions
Feast day
October 31
Topics
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