Which names are observed on September 18 in the Greek Orthodox calendar?
The source records the following names for September 18: Ariadni and Ariana, Evmenios, Evmenia and Evmenis, Kastor, Kastoras and Kastoris, and Romylos together with Romylos, Romylis, Romyla, Romylia, Romylis and Romylaia. These forms are tied directly to the saints commemorated on the day. The list is presented without additional commentary on frequency or regional variations. Individuals bearing any of these names traditionally mark the date through family gatherings or church attendance, following the fixed commemorations rather than civil birth dates. The complete set of variants appears together as a single block in the calendar entry, showing the full range of spellings and diminutives that share the same commemoration.
Who is Saint Ariadne the Martyr?
Saint Ariadne lived during the reigns of emperors Hadrian and Antoninus, between 117 and 139 AD. She resided in the city of Promission or Prymnessos in the province of Phrygia Salutaria. Although a servant, the account states that she surpassed many free women in virtue, being superior and brighter than many ladies who were slaves to worldly vanities and earthly pollutions. After she became Christian, her master Tertullus, one of the most powerful leading citizens of the city, urged her to return to pagan worship. She refused, even on the occasion of his son’s birthday celebration when it proved impossible to persuade her to sacrifice to the idols. She was beaten severely and tortured for a long time with iron claws that tore her flesh. To escape further pressure she fled the household. While pursued she fell from a cliff and died. Other Synaxarion sources report that the martyr herself prayed for a rock to open and received her inside its fissure, where she gave up her spirit while thanking God. Angels then struck her pursuers with spears. The narrative underscores her steadfast refusal to renounce her faith despite severe physical torment and pursuit. The two endings of the story—one by falling from a cliff and one by miraculous enclosure in rock—are both preserved in the tradition without preference for either version.
Which other saints are honored on the same date?
The calendar also marks Saint Evmenios, Archbishop of Gortyna and known as the Wonderworker, Saint Kastor the Martyr, and Saint Romylos. The source supplies no further biographical detail for these three figures beyond their titles and the fact that their memory is kept on September 18.
How does the Orthodox calendar structure name days?
Name days in Greece follow the fixed commemorations of saints rather than civil birth dates. Each day carries one or more saints, and individuals bearing the corresponding names traditionally observe the date with family gatherings or church attendance. The September 18 entry illustrates the pattern by pairing specific names with the saints listed above. The source presents the names and the single extended account without additional commentary on contemporary practice or future observances, leaving the precise manner of celebration to local custom. The structure remains constant across years, so the same saints and names recur annually on this date.
What is the historical setting of the recorded events?
The sole extended narrative belongs to Saint Ariadne and is placed in the second century under Roman emperors Hadrian and Antoninus. The location is given as a city in the Roman province of Phrygia Salutaria. No additional chronological or geographic information is supplied for the other saints. The events unfold in a period when pressure to participate in pagan rituals was common for Christians, particularly servants under non-Christian masters. The account mentions the master’s status as one of the most powerful leading citizens and the specific occasion of his son’s birthday as the moment of confrontation, situating the martyrdom within everyday household and civic life of the time.
Frequently asked questions
Which names celebrate on September 18?
Ariadni, Ariana, Evmenios, Evmenia, Kastor, Romylos and their listed variants are the names recorded for the day.
Which saints does the Orthodox Church commemorate on September 18?
The Church keeps the memory of Saint Ariadne the Martyr, Saint Evmenios Archbishop of Gortyna, Saint Kastor the Martyr and Saint Romylos.
Is there a longer account for any of the saints?
The source provides a detailed narrative only for Saint Ariadne; the remaining three saints are named without further biography.
Where did the events concerning Saint Ariadne take place?
The account locates her life in the city of Promission or Prymnessos within the Roman province of Phrygia Salutaria.
Why do Greek families observe name days?
Name days follow the Orthodox calendar ’s fixed saint commemorations, giving each bearer of a saint’s name a traditional annual observance independent of birth date.
