Saint Aetius

Aetios was a 9th-century Byzantine patrician and general, a saint of the Orthodox Church, and one of the 42 Martyrs of Amorium. His feast day is celebrated by the Orthodox Church on March 6. During the reign of Emperor Theophilos, Aetios was the strategos of the Anatolic Theme, which was headquartered in Amorium. In 838, the Arab Caliph al-Mu'tasim invaded the eastern frontier and, following several successes, marched toward Amorium. Emperor Theophilos sent a military detachment to defend the city and placed Aetios in command. During the siege of the city, Aetios, realizing that the defenses would not hold, decided to launch a sortie to save as many people as possible. He sent a messenger to the emperor, but the messenger was captured by the Arabs and the plan was not carried out. Aetios then sent an embassy to al-Mu'tasim proposing the surrender of the city in exchange for the safe passage of the Byzantine army and the inhabitants, but the Caliph refused. The city fell that same month, in August, and Aetios was taken prisoner, imprisoned, and executed after refusing to convert to Islam to save his life.