Il
martirio di Zotico in una miniatura del Menologio di Basilio II
The
Martyrdom of Saint Zotikos, circa 1025, ink, paint, and gold on parchmen,
30 x 23.1, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
Saint Zotique
Martyr (+ v.
350)
Originaire de Rome,
Zotique, ou Zôticos, aurait accompagné l'empereur Constantin en Orient pour la
fondation de Constantinople. Quoi qu'il en soit, il est très proche de
l'empereur. Il est surnommé "le nourricier des orphelins", car il
avait fondé non seulement une léproserie, mais aussi un hôpital et un hospice
pour les vétérans et les vieillards. Après la mort de Constantin, des jaloux
des privilèges de Zotique durant le règne précédent, le dénoncent à l'empereur
Constance pour malversation. Celui-ci condamne Zotique à mort et le charitable
est écartelé par des mules. Après le martyre, l'empereur se repent, reconnaît
publiquement la sainteté du martyr et fait construire une léproserie impériale
qui aura une longue destinée.
À Constantinople, vers
350 saint Zotique, prêtre de Rome, qui suivit l’empereur Constantin dans sa
nouvelle capitale et y fonda un hospice pour les pauvres et un orphelinat.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/9854/Saint-Zotique.html
Saint Zôticos de
Constantinople
Fête le 31 décembre
Églises d’Orient
À Rome – † v. 350
Originaire de Rome,
Zôticos aurait accompagné Constantin en Orient pour la fondation de
Constantinople. Or Constantin édicte un décret condamnant les lépreux à l’exil,
voire à la mort, à cause de leur contagiosité. Zôticos demande à l’empereur de
l’or pour « acheter des pierres précieuses » ; mais une fois
l’or en sa possession, il l’utilise pour fonder une léproserie où il soigne les
lépreux de ses propres mains. Palladios rapporte une histoire semblable à
propos de Macaire d’Alexandrie. L’auteur de la vie de Zôticos s’est peut-être
inspiré du récit de Palladios, ou d’une tradition commune. Après la mort de
Constantin, des jaloux dénoncent Zôticos à l’empereur Constance pour
malversation. Celui-ci condamne Zôticos à mort. Le charitable est écartelé par
des mules. Après le martyre, l’empereur se repent, reconnaît publiquement la
sainteté du martyr et fait bâtir une léproserie impériale qui aura une longue
destinée.
SOURCE : http://www.martyretsaint.com/zoticos-de-constantinople/
Saint Zoticus of
Constantinople
Also
known as
Feeder of Orphans
Zotico
Profile
Wealthy noble Roman
citizen. He first surrendered his position to become a priest,
and then gave away his worldly wealth to the poor and
lived to work for his parishioners.
When Emperor Constantine
the Great transferred the capital of his empire from Rome to Constantinople,
Zoticus went along. There he built a hospital for
the poor and orphans.
He preached the
orthodox faith against
the heretical Arian Emperor
Constantius, for which preaching he
was martyred.
Born
dragged
through the streets of Constantinople behind
a wild ass c.350
Additional
Information
Book
of Saints, by the Monks of
Ramsgate
Saints
of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
books
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
other
sites in english
webseiten
auf deutsch
sitios
en español
Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
sites
en français
fonti
in italiano
websites
in nederlandse
nettsteder
i norsk
MLA
Citation
“Saint Zoticus of
Constantinople“. CatholicSaints.Info. 17 December 2025. Web. 22 August
2026. <https://catholicsaints.info/saint-zoticus-of-constantinople/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-zoticus-of-constantinople/
Book of Saints
– Zoticus – 31 December
Article
(Saint)
(December
31) (4th
century) A holy priest,
a Roman by birth, who betook himself to Constantinople at
the time when the Emperor Constantine transferred thither the Capital of the
Empire, and who organised hospitals and
refuges for the poor among
the stately buildings that were being erected.
MLA
Citation
Monks of Ramsgate.
“Zoticus”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
11 December 2016. Web. 22 August 2026.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-zoticus-31-december/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-zoticus-31-december/
St. Zoticus
Feastday: December 31
Patron: of the poor
Death: 350
Zoticus (d.c. 350)
+ Priest and
patron of the poor. Originally from Rome, he journeyed to Constantinople (modern
Istanbul, Turkey) when it became the capital city of the Empire under Constantine the
Great (r. 324-337). There he founded a hospital for the poor and
defended orthodox Christianity before
the pro-Arian emperor Constantius II (r. 641-668). Feast day: December 31.
SOURCE : https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2042
Zoticus of Constantinople (RM)
Died c. 350. At the time Constantine transferred the capital of his empire from
Rome to Constantinople, the Roman priest Zoticus also migrated. The saint built
a hospital for the poor and orphans in the new capital. He was a confessor of
the faith under the Arian Emperor Constantius (Benedictines).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/1231.shtml
Martyr Zoticus of
Constantinople, feeder of orphans (4th c.)
Commemorated on December
30 and 31
He was born in Rome, and
as a young man was chosen by the Emperor Constantine to assist in the
foundation of his new capital at Byzantium. An outbreak of leprosy in the new
City became so severe that the Emperor ordered that all lepers, whatever their
rank, be driven from the city or drowned in the sea. Zoticus, moved by
compassion for these people, went to the Emperor and asked him for a large
amount of gold to buy gems and pearls to enhance the glory of the city, 'For,
as Your Majesty knows, I am well-qualified in this field.' The Saint then used
the gold to ransom all those being led into exile or to drowning, and to
establish for them a camp on the hill of Olivet on the opposite shore of the
Bosphorus. There he brought the sick and provided for their care.
In 337 Constantius, an
Arian heretic, took the throne upon the death of his father. Some of
Zoticus' enemies at court, seeing an opportunity, denounced Zoticus to the new
Emperor, saying that he not only held subversive views, but had misappropriated
public money. When he learned of these charges, Zoticus presented himself to
the Emperor, finely dressed, and offered to take Constantius to see the gems
and pearls that he had bought on his behalf. When they reached the hill of
Olivet, Constantius was astonished to see a company of lepers coming to greet
him with lighted candles, honoring and praising him and their patron Zoticus.
Then the holy Zoticus said to the Emperor, 'These are the precious stones and
brilliant pearls that give luster to the crown of the heavenly Kingdom that you
will inherit by their prayers. I bought them for the salvation of your soul.'
Instead of being
grateful, the heartless Emperor ordered that Zoticus be tied behind wild
mules and dragged until dead. The mules ran down the hill, breaking the Saint's
body upon the rocks an brush. Then, of their own accord, they returned to the
top of the hill, still dragging the body, and, like Balaam's ass (Numbers ch.
22), spoke and proclaimed that the Martyr must be buried on that hill. The
astonished and repentant Emperor ordered the Martyr buried with honor, and
commanded that a hospital for lepers be built there, staffed by the best
physicians and caretakers.
Saint Zoticus is
also called Orphanotrophos, 'Cherisher of Orphans,' because in later
years a large orphanage was added to the leprosarium. The orphanage included a
general hospital and a home for the aged. The Saint was honored throughout
Byzantine history as the patron of the orphanage.
SOURCE : https://www.holytrinityorthodox.com/calendar/los/December/31-04.htm
San Zotico di
Costantinopoli
Sacerdote e organizzatore
dell'orfanotrofio di Costantinopoli. Forse martire (?).
Martirologio Romano: A
Costantinopoli, san Zótico, sacerdote, che provvide al sostentamento degli
orfani.
L'esistenza storica, o
per lo meno il perdurare della tradizione unita al nome di Zotico, è attestata
in epoca assai antica. Nel 472, infatti, in una pragmatica sanzione,
l'imperatore Leone aveva confermato i privilegi accordati all'Orfanotroflo,
facendo menzione esplicita di Zotico (beatissimae memoriae) che era considerato
il primo organizzatore di un tale servizio di carità.
La Vita di Zotico e un
panegirico in suo onore pronunciato da Costantino Acropolita non sono stati
ancora mai pubblicati. Bisogna quindi attenersi alla lunga notizia - riassunto
della Vita - dedicata a Zotico nei Sinassari bizantini, abitualmente al 31
dicembre, qualche volta al 30 o anche all'8 gennaio. Ma gli agiografi moderni
sono alquanto reticenti ad accordare pieno credito a questo testo. Basandosi
sui suoi dati, Zotico sarebbe stato uno dei dodici 'grandi' che l'imperatore
Costantino aveva fatto venire da Roma a Costantinopoli al momento della
fondazione della città. A Roma egli avrebbe esercitato il ministero
sacerdotale, a Costantinopoli sarebbe stato incaricato dell'educazione degli
orfani.
Sotto il regno
dell'imperatore Costanzo, essendo scoppiata un'epidemia di lebbra in
Costantinopoli, l'imperatore diede ordine di affogare coloro che ne erano
colpiti. Zotico non esitò a infrangere l'editto imperiale e costruì per i
malati un rifugio fuori di città, sulla collina di Eleones. La figlia di
Costanzo fu anch'essa colpita dall'epidemia e doveva essere affogata, poiché
nell'editto non era prevista alcuna eccezione. Zotico la raccolse ma, essendolo
venuto a sapere l'imperatore, fu condannato a morte. Legato alla coda di muli
focosi che dovevano trascinarlo nelle vie della città e condurlo a morte,
Zotico non resistette al supplizio, ma, subito dopo la sua morte, gli animali
si rifiutarono di andare avanti e si fermarono. Nel luogo dove Zotico era
spirato sarebbe scaturita una fonte miracolosa e dotata di potenza guaritrice.
Questo avvenimento avrebbe indotto Costanzo a costruire un lebbrosario.
La memoria di Zotico
aveva luogo a Costantinopoli il 31 dicembre nella chiesa di S. Paolo
nell'Orfanotrofio. Esisteva, inoltre, nella stessa città una chiesa dedicata a
Zotico, al di là del Corno d'oro, sulla collina Eleones (o Eleanai). Fu
quest'ultima ad essere visitata nel 1200 dal pellegrino Antonio di Novgorod e
colà si celebrava la del santo all'8 gennaio.
In Occidente, il culto di
Zotico restò ignoto fino a che Cesare Baronio non introdusse la sua memoria nel
Martirologio Romano al 31 dicembre senza tuttavia conferirgli il titolo di
martire.
Autore: Joseph-Marie
Sauget
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/83480
Den hellige Zoticus av
Konstantinopel ( -~350)
Minnedag:
31. desember
Da keiser Konstantin
flyttet hovedstaden fra Roma til Konstantinopel, ble også den romerske prest
Zoticus med. Han bygre et hospital for fattige og foreldreløse i den nye
hovedstaden. Han bekjente den katolske tro under den arianske keiser
Konstatius. Minnedag 31. desember.
Kilder:
KIR - Sist oppdatert: 1998-08-20 00:04
SOURCE : https://www.katolsk.no/biografier/historisk/zkonstan
Zoticus van
Constantinopel; stichter & martelaar; † ca 340.
Feest 30 & 31
december.
Volgens zeggen was hij
afkomstig uit een oud Romeins geslacht, sommigen menen zelfs dat hij een
bloedverwant was van keizer Constantijn († 337; feest 21 mei). Hij was begaan
met de armen en hulpbehoevenden. Daarom kwam hij naar Constantinopel, verkocht
alwat hij bezat en besteedde de opbrengst aan de stichting van opvanghuizen
voor armen, wezen, daklozen en zieken. Ondanks zijn hoge afkomst nam hij zelf
deel aan de verzorging en verpleging van deze mensen. Naar verluidt zou
Constantijn hem persoonlijk geld gegeven hebben om zijn werk te ondersteunen.
Hij ontving de
priesterwijding en keerde zich tegen de ariaanse opvattingen van
Constantijns zoon en opvolger keizer Constantius (337-361).
Vergramd hierover liet de
keizer hem achter een wilde ezel binden en zo over de grond slepen tot hij aan
zijn verwondingen was overleden.
[000»jrb; 139/4p:393; 140/12p:162; 500; Dries van den Akker s.j./2007.12.10]
© A. van den Akker
s.j. / A.W. Gerritsen
SOURCE : https://heiligen-3s.nl/heiligen/12/31/12-31-0340-zoticus.php
Zoticus
Beiname: Orphanotrophos, der
Waisen Speisende
Gedenktag katholisch: 31.
Dezember
Gedenktag orthodox: 30.
Dezember, 31. Dezember
Name bedeutet: Z: der Mann voller Leben (griech.)
O: der Waisenpfleger (griech.)
Priester, Märtyrer (?)
* in Byzanz, heute der Stadtteil Fatih in Ístanbul in der Türkei
† um 340 daselbst
Zoticus wird als Gründer
des ersten Waisenhauses von Byzanz verehrt.
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Autor: Joachim
Schäfer - zuletzt aktualisiert am 02.08.2026
Quellen:
• Vera Schauber, Hanns Michael Schindler: Heilige und Patrone im Jahreslauf.
Pattloch, München 2001
korrekt zitieren: Joachim Schäfer: Artikel Zoticus, aus dem Ökumenischen Heiligenlexikon - https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienZ/Zoticus.htm, abgerufen am 22. 8. 2026
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet das Ökumenische
Heiligenlexikon in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte
bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über https://d-nb.info/1175439177 und https://d-nb.info/969828497 abrufbar.
SOURCE : https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienZ/Zoticus.htm
