Aphian
Encyclopedia
Saint Aphian is venerated as a martyr
by the Catholic Church and by the Eastern Orthodox Church
. He is said to have died during the persecutions of the Emperor Galerius
, on April 2, ca. 305.
In the Eastern Orthodox calendar, his feast thus falls on April 2, along with Edesius
(Aedisius), who is sometimes called his brother.
He was from Lycia
, and his wealthy and distinguished parents gave him the best education possible in rhetoric
, law
, and philosophy
in the famous schools of Berytus, Phoenicia
. While he was away at school, he became a Christian. Aphian withdrew to Cappadocia
because his parents resisted his efforts to convert them to Christianity
.
St. Pamphilus was at Caesarea Maritima at the time of Aphian's martydom, expounding Holy Scripture, and the young Aphian was one of his disciples. He lived at the house of Eusebius of Caesarea
, but gave no intimation of his purpose to make the public protest which ended in his martyrdom.
According to his legend, he was only eighteen when he entered the temple at Caesarea Maritima, where the prefect
Urbanus was offering sacrifice
. Seizing the outstretched hand that was presenting the incense
, he reproached the magistrate
with the idolatrous act. The guards fell upon him furiously and, after cruelly torturing
him, flung him into a dungeon
.
The next day he was brought before the Prefect, torn with iron claws, beaten with clubs
, and burned over a slow fire, and then sent back to confinement.
After three days he was again taken from prison and thrown into the sea with stones tied to his feet. Eusebius, an eyewitness, declares that an earthquake
simultaneously shook the city, and that the sea flung up his corpse on the shore.
In the old martyrologies his feast was on the fifth, but the Bollandists pronounce for the second of April as the correct date.
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
by the Catholic Church and by the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
. He is said to have died during the persecutions of the Emperor Galerius
Galerius
Galerius , was Roman Emperor from 305 to 311. During his reign he campaigned, aided by Diocletian, against the Sassanid Empire, sacking their capital Ctesiphon in 299. He also campaigned across the Danube against the Carpi, defeating them in 297 and 300...
, on April 2, ca. 305.
In the Eastern Orthodox calendar, his feast thus falls on April 2, along with Edesius
Aedesius of Alexandria
Saint Aedesius of Alexandria was an early Christian martyred under Galerius Maximianus. He was the brother of Saint Aphian...
(Aedisius), who is sometimes called his brother.
He was from Lycia
Lycia
Lycia Lycian: Trm̃mis; ) was a region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey. It was a federation of ancient cities in the region and later a province of the Roman Empire...
, and his wealthy and distinguished parents gave him the best education possible in rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
, law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in the famous schools of Berytus, Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
. While he was away at school, he became a Christian. Aphian withdrew to Cappadocia
Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province.In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine...
because his parents resisted his efforts to convert them to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
.
St. Pamphilus was at Caesarea Maritima at the time of Aphian's martydom, expounding Holy Scripture, and the young Aphian was one of his disciples. He lived at the house of Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea
Eusebius of Caesarea also called Eusebius Pamphili, was a Roman historian, exegete and Christian polemicist. He became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. Together with Pamphilus, he was a scholar of the Biblical canon...
, but gave no intimation of his purpose to make the public protest which ended in his martyrdom.
According to his legend, he was only eighteen when he entered the temple at Caesarea Maritima, where the prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
Urbanus was offering sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
. Seizing the outstretched hand that was presenting the incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
, he reproached the magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
with the idolatrous act. The guards fell upon him furiously and, after cruelly torturing
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
him, flung him into a dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
.
The next day he was brought before the Prefect, torn with iron claws, beaten with clubs
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
, and burned over a slow fire, and then sent back to confinement.
After three days he was again taken from prison and thrown into the sea with stones tied to his feet. Eusebius, an eyewitness, declares that an earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
simultaneously shook the city, and that the sea flung up his corpse on the shore.
In the old martyrologies his feast was on the fifth, but the Bollandists pronounce for the second of April as the correct date.