Isidore of Chios

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Isidore of Chios was an Egyptian Christian soldier who died as a martyr on the island of Chios in 251, during the persecutions ordered by the Roman emperor Decius. His feast day is May 14, and he is venerated as a saint, especially as the patron of sailors (venerated in places like Mollerussa).

Isidore openly confessed that he was a Christian to the fleet commander on Chios. He would not renounce his faith or worship the state gods, so he was tortured and beheaded. His body was thrown into a cistern.

Legend says that the trees on the south side of Chios shed tears for him, giving rise to the island’s mastic resin. His friends Ammonius and Myrope, who were also destined for martyrdom, reportedly retrieved his body and gave him a proper burial. Later Myrope was buried beside Isidore, and miracles were said to have occurred at their graves.

A chapel was built in his honor, and in the 5th century a church followed. Remains of this church can still be seen in ruins in Chios town. Isidore’s veneration spread across the Mediterranean and he became the protector of sailors.

In 1125, his relics were moved from Chios to the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice, where a small chapel houses his sarcophagus.