Holy Martyrs Acindynus, Pegasius, Anempodistus,
Aphthonius, Elpidophorus and their companions 15/11/2010
They were all from Persia. They suffered during the reign of King Shapur II of Persia in the year 355. The first three were dignitaries at the King’s court, but secretly they served their Lord Jesus Christ. When they were accused and brought to trial before the King, he asked them where they came from. Their answer was:” Our fatherland and our life is the Holy Trinity, consubstantial and undivided, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the one God.” The King put them to fierce tortures, but they endured them with psalmody and prayer on their lips. During their torments, angels of God appeared to them on several occasions, and once the Lord Jesus Christ as a man “with face shining as the sun”. The Saints were plunged into molten lead, but emerged unscathed. Seeing this miracle, one of the soldiers, named Aphthonius, believed in Christ and exclaimed: „Great is the Christian God! “ He was beheaded there and then. Many others saw and believed. Then the King ordered and Acindynus, Pegasius and Anempodistus were sewn into sacks made of animal skin and thrown into the sea. But Saint Anthony appeared to them from the other world together with three shining angels, took the holy Martyrs to the shore and released them. Elpidophorus was a distinguished member of the Senate. When he declared that he was a Christian and reprimanded the King for killing the innocent Christians, the King condemned him to death. Elpidophorus was beheaded together with seven thousand other Christians with him. While the three first martyrs were at last thrown into raging furnace, together with twenty-eight soldiers and the King’s mother, for they had also believed in Christ. In the fire they surrendered they righteous souls into the hands of their Lord.
