St. Theodore of Amasea is one of the two recognized saints called Theodore who are venerated as warrior saints and Great Martyrs in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. He is also known as Theodore Tyron (or Tyro or Tiron or Tiro or Teron). The other saint of the same name is Theodore Stratelates, also known as Theodore of Heraclea.
"Tiro" is a word from classical Latin meaning a "recently enlisted soldier or recruit". Nothing reliable is known about St Theodore except that he was martyred in the early 4th century (306 is the date quoted for Theodore of Amasea, but 319 for Theodore Stratelates). The stories told about his life and martyrdom are all matters of myth and legend.
The legends of Theodore of Amasea recount that he was a recruit serving in the Roman army at Amasea, which is the modern Amasya in Northern Turkey, about 30 miles (48 km) south of the Black Sea coast at Sinope and Samsun. (Another version says that he was not a recruit but was called "Tyro" because he served in the Cohors Tyronum When he refused to join his fellow soldiers in pagan rites of worship, he was arrested, but then (perhaps on account of his youth) set free after a warning. However, he again protested paganism by setting fire to the temple of Cybele (the local mother-goddess) at Amasea. He was then condemned to death and, after tortures, was executed by being thrown into a furnace.
His remains were said to have been obtained by a woman from Eusebia and interred at Euchaita, where he had been born. This was a Byzantine city which no longer exists but is thought to correspond to the modern Avkhat, which is about 30 miles from Amasea. A shrine was erected there, which became an important place of pilgrimage.
St Theodore became especially important in the Eastern Orthodox Church, where his cult spread widely. He became the first patron of Venice. He was not popular in northern Europe beyond Italy.
Attributes: dressed as a soldier sometimes in court dress, with emblems such as a spear, temple, torch, dragon, pyre, martyr's wreath
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Svatý Teodor z Amasea (nazývaný Teodor Tiro) pocházel z Arménie nebo ze Syrie. V mládí byl vojákem ve meste Amasia v Pontu, v Malé Asii. Za pronásledování krestanu spolucísari Maximiána Galeria a Maximina Dáje meli všichni obetovat modlám. Teodor se netajil tím, že je krestanem a verejne víru vyznával slovy i skutky. Kvuli svému postoji byl predveden k soudu. Tam prohlásil, že se bude klanet jedine pravému Bohu a Králi králu a že pro nej dá rád své údy v obet. Soudci se uradili, že mladému muži dají nekolik dnu na rozmyšlenou, že až vše porádne uváží, tak zmení názor. V té dobe si modlitbou vyprošoval potrebnou sílu a vytrvalost ve víre. Také povzbuzoval ostatní krestany, poukazoval na nesmyslnost víry v bohyni Cybélu, která dle pohanského vyprávení mela s vlastním bratrem 12 detí a byla ctena jako matka bohu. Pohané ji na brehu reky, kde mela chrám, uctívali nemravnými tanci. Teodora to pohoršovalo do té míry, že v noci prišel její chrám podpálit. U soudu se svým skutkem netajil a prohlásil, že ohen založil, aby zkoumal její moc, ona však neobstála. Soudce ho dal zmrskat a jeho statecnost mu byla nevysvetlitelnou hádankou. Znovu jej ješte zkusil získat sliby, ale on byl ochoten radeji zemrít než aby zaprel Krista. Byl tedy krute mucen na skripci, drásán železnými hrebeny a pak vržen do vezení. V noci prý se z vezení ozýval zpev více hlasu, ale žalárník zpívající nevidel, když vešel, byl klid. Ješte po dvakrát s ním bylo jednáno pomocí mucidel, takže bylo videt i na jeho vnitrnosti. Pak byl odsouzen k smrti upálením a ihned odvlecen na popravište kde byl rozsudek vykonán. Zbylé ohorelé ostatky jeho tela pak pohrbila zbožná paní Eusebie. Na míste hrobu Teodora byl pozdeji vystaven chrám k jeho cti. Ve XII. století byly jeho ostatky preneseny do mesta Brindisi. Jeho hlava byla uložena v chrámu v Gaete v Itálii.
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