Christians from Persia. Acindynus, Pegasius, and Anempodistus were servants at the court of Emperor Sapor (Savorius). When it was discovered that they were Christians, the Emperor subjected them to torture and cast them into a dungeon, where an angel of God appeared to them several times, and on one occasion, the Lord Himself appeared. When Aphthonius, one of the tormentors, saw that molten lead did not harm the martyrs, he exclaimed, "Great is the God of the Christians!" and was immediately beheaded. The three martyrs were then sewn into leather sacks and cast into the sea, but Saint Aphthonius, accompanied by three angels, delivered them. Finally, they were cast into a fiery furnace, together with 28 soldiers and the Emperor’s mother. Elpidiphorus, a dignitary of the Emperor, rebuked the Emperor for killing innocent people and declared himself a Christian; he, too, was beheaded, followed by 7,000 others. They suffered martyrdom in the year 355.

Venerable Marcian of Cyrrhus. Hieromartyr Victorinus, Bishop of Patavium.