The Martyrdom of Saint Demetrios is a Cretan icon from the Byzantine period (figure 1). It is dated to the end of the 15th century AD. The icon consists of a tempera painting decorated with gold leaf on a wooden board measuring seventeen inches high by fourteen and a quarter inches wide by five-eighths of an inch thick. Although the Martyrdom of Saint Demetrios originally hung on the wall of a church or cathedral, today it resides in the Menil Collection. As the title indicates, the scene is that of the martyrdom of Saint Demetrios. The 4th-century Emperor Galerius ordered the death of Saint Demetrios after the emperor lost his favorite gladiator to a Christian whom Saint Demetrios had blessed before the fight. The artist of this icon composed the scene in a dynamic and condensed manner. Six soldiers stand to the left of the stage, each writhing in motion as they stab Saint Demetrios. These figures overlap a lot, making this part of the scene the most chaotic. Overcrowding and hustle and bustle give this area greater visual weight. The long, thin spears wielded by these assassins form sharp diagonals as they cross the violent scene and impale the saint. Saint Demetrios collapses to the right, having fallen, it seems, on a sort of platform. A stone entrance or niche directly behind Saint Demetrios frames it and visually breaks up the scene. As the six men murder him, Saint Demetrios receives the crown of martyrdom from an angel above him, represented as a small winged figure. Saint Loupos looks forward from the right as his friend bleeds from his numerous wounds, although he is mostly invisible due to the icon's less than ideal condition. Despite the age of the work, it still conveys the same narrative as in its original. setting. However...... middle of paper ...... martyred for the strength of her faith and her ultimate sacrifice. This suggests to the viewer that he too should be willing to give his life for his faith. The icon also fulfills a second task: that of educating the faithful in the traditions of the Church and the lives of the saints. In an easy-to-understand visual language, this icon clearly depicts a sacred figure killed and simultaneously rewarded, presumably for their sacrifice. The artist even went so far as to label the most important character in the story, Saint Demetrios, for the viewer. This work not only visually engages the viewer as a fine example of Byzantine tempera painting, but also elicits a spiritual response from its audience. The Martyrdom of Saint Demetrios venerates Saint Demetrios and his sacrifice in order to imbue his audience with the same strength of faith as that observed in the martyr's final moments..