From his youth, he followed Christ, having freed himself from two heavy burdens: the burden of wealth and the burden of the flesh. He cast off the first by distributing all his riches to the poor, and the second through great fasting. Thus, having first healed himself, he began to heal others as well. Seeing him radiant with the Holy Spirit, the people chose him as Bishop of Gortyna on Crete, where he tended Christ’s flock as a good shepherd. He was a father to orphans, a source of wealth for the poor, and a healer of the sick. Through prayer, he performed many miracles: he slew a deadly serpent, cast out demons, and healed the sick—not only in Gortyna but also in Rome and the Thebaid. In the Thebaid, he brought down rain through prayer during a time of drought. It was there that he surrendered his soul to God. He lived in the 7th century.

Saint Ariadne the Martyr. Saint Bidzin the Martyr, Prince of Georgia.