Saint Artemius

Artemius (Latin: Flavius Artemius; Ancient Greek: Ἀρτέμιος; died 362), also known as Shallita, spelt Shalita or Chalita (Classical Syriac: ܫܠܝܛܐ, romanized: Shalliṭā, lit. 'The empowered one') was a Syrian general of the Roman Empire and dux Aegypti or imperial prefect of Roman Egypt. He is considered a saint by the Catholic and the Orthodox Churches, by the name of Artemius of Antioch, Mar Shalita of Antioch, and Mar Shalita the Martyr. Few details are known of the life and death of Artemius, and many of those details are contradictory, or at least inconsistent, between Christian and pagan early sources. His place or year of birth are not indicated in any historical sources, although at least one tradition quoted in a contemporary source indicates that Artemius was an Egyptian by birth.  According to the 8th century compilation, Artemii Passio, he was a Senator and "a notable participant in the highest affairs of [Constantine]". However, the author of the Passio attributes this information to Eusebius, who does not in fact mention Artemius in any of his writings, and this information cannot be confirmed by any other known historical records. Furthermore, stories that place Artemius with Constantine at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge would make Artemius at least eighty years old when martyred by Julian, which would seem doubtful given his activity at the time. The assertion that Artemius was a friend and companion of Constantius II seems reliable. Given the fact that Artemius held the position of dux Aegypti in the final years of Constantinus' reign, as is asserted by a number of early sources, both pagan and Christian, it is clear that it is Constantius who must have awarded Artemius this position. In 360 CE, he was listed in a minute of the Oxyrhyncian Senate, under the name of Flavius Artemius, as holding the rank of dux Aegypti.