Holy Martyrs Philemon, Apollonius, Arian and Others

Life

In the time of Diocletian a certain judge Arian cruelly tortured Christians in Egypt. Arian captured Apollonius also and threatened him with tortures. Apollonius became afraid of the tortures, so he bribed a certain well-known musician Philemon, a pagan, to go in his place, disguised in his clothing, to offer sacrifice to the idols. But when Philemon stepped before the idols, suddenly the light of the Christian Faith shone in his heart and he crossed himself. Then he came out and began to cry: I am a Christian! A servant of Christ the Living God! Hearing this, the judge laughed, thinking that Philemon was mocking the Christians. Then Philemon was tortured with terrible torments. Rain from heaven fell upon him and baptized him. Finally both Philemon and Apollonius were beheaded by the judge Arian. But then Arian also became a Christian, after he healed his blind eye in a miraculous way at Philemon's tomb. Condemned to death by Emperor Diocletian, Arian was executed along with four soldiers who likewise declared themselves Christians.