Nicetas the Goth
Nicetas is a Christian martyr of the 4th century, venerated particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church. His feastday is 15 September. Nicetas was of Gothic origin, living during the 4th century AD. His life spanned the years of Emperor Constantine the Great's sole rule (324–337 AD). He belonged to the upper social class of his people. Nicetas was instructed in Christianity by Theophilus of Gothia, a converted bishop, between 325 and 341 AD.
His martyrdom occurred during the persecution initiated by Athanaric, a judge (iudex) of the Visigothic tribes, after 374 AD. The persecution was fueled by the rejection of the native pagan religion and the adoption of the Roman Emperor's religion, which was Christianity, then considered the religion of the enemy. Nicetas' story highlights the tensions between pagan and Christian beliefs during this era and his sacrifice underlines the spread of Christianity among Gothic tribes.
In the Martyrology
- September 15 Saint Nicetas the Goth, martyr