St. Nemesius of Alexandria

Nemesius, called Nemesion in this edition, was an Egyptian Christian at Alexandria during the persecution of Decius. He was first accused of theft and cleared himself of that charge. His accusers then brought forward the fact that he was a Christian.

When he confessed his faith before the prefect, he was subjected to severe torture and condemned to death by fire among criminals. Butler draws the account from Dionysius of Alexandria as quoted by Eusebius. The injustice of his first accusation remained distinct from the confession for which he suffered.

The same notice discusses other Christians of Alexandria and makes clear that their commemorations fall on different days. It also records the release of the young Dioscorus, rather than assigning martyrdom to everyone it names. This reading keeps Nemesius’s own witness and December 19 commemoration distinct from those surrounding accounts.