St. Philemon
Philemon and Apollonius
Feast day: March 8
Death: 305
Martyr with Apollonius. An actor at Antinoe, Egypt, in the Nile Delta, he was converted to Christianity by the deacon Apollonius and was arrested with him by Roman authorities during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Taken to Alexandria, they were wrapped in chains and hurled into the sea.
Apollonius was a deacon at Antinoe in the Thebaid, Egypt, and was said to have converted Philemon, a popular musician and entertainer. According to legend, he was arrested during the persecution of Diocletian and, fearful of torture, offered the pagan Philemon four gold pieces if he would perform the rite of eating food sacrificed to false gods in his place.
Philemon agreed. He dressed himself in Philemon's clothes and his hooded cloak to hide his face. Philemon appeared before the judge, who asked him to carry out the rite. The Holy Spirit entered Philemon, and he claimed himself a Christian and refused to partake of the sacrifice.
The judge Arrian argued with him, and finally thinking he was speaking to Apollonius, asked that Philemon be brought to him. Unable to find Philemon, the court officers brought Philemon's brother, Theonas. Asked where his brother was, he pointed out Philemon in Apollonius's cloak.
The judge saw the situation as a joke but insisted that Philemon perform the rite. Philemon refused. Arrian responded that it was foolish of him to refuse when he was not even baptized. Philemon prayed, and a cloud miraculously appeared and rained upon him. He claimed that he was thus baptized.
Arrian appealed to him, begging him to think of what a terrible loss of musical skill such resistance would mean. The musician's pipes were then said to have been destroyed by Philemon himself or to have spontaneously burst into flames. Officers arrested Apollonius, proclaimed the two men as Christians, and they were condemned to death.
One legend says that before the execution, Apollonius and Philemon asked that a great pot be brought before them and a living baby be placed inside it. They then asked soldiers to shoot arrows at it, which they did, the arrows piercing the pot. The baby remained unharmed. The judge then ordered the soldiers to shoot the men with arrows, but all the arrows hung suspended int he air, except one, which blinded Arrian.
Despite this and several other miracles, Apollonius is said to have been tied in a sack, thrown into the sea, and drowned. Arrian's sight was said to have been restored when clay from Apollonius's tomb was applied to his eyes. This led to the conversion of Arrian and four other officials
Philemon and Apollonius
Feast day: March 8
Death: 305
Martyr with Apollonius. An actor at Antinoe, Egypt, in the Nile Delta, he was converted to Christianity by the deacon Apollonius and was arrested with him by Roman authorities during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. Taken to Alexandria, they were wrapped in chains and hurled into the sea.
Apollonius was a deacon at Antinoe in the Thebaid, Egypt, and was said to have converted Philemon, a popular musician and entertainer. According to legend, he was arrested during the persecution of Diocletian and, fearful of torture, offered the pagan Philemon four gold pieces if he would perform the rite of eating food sacrificed to false gods in his place.
Philemon agreed. He dressed himself in Philemon's clothes and his hooded cloak to hide his face. Philemon appeared before the judge, who asked him to carry out the rite. The Holy Spirit entered Philemon, and he claimed himself a Christian and refused to partake of the sacrifice.
The judge Arrian argued with him, and finally thinking he was speaking to Apollonius, asked that Philemon be brought to him. Unable to find Philemon, the court officers brought Philemon's brother, Theonas. Asked where his brother was, he pointed out Philemon in Apollonius's cloak.
The judge saw the situation as a joke but insisted that Philemon perform the rite. Philemon refused. Arrian responded that it was foolish of him to refuse when he was not even baptized. Philemon prayed, and a cloud miraculously appeared and rained upon him. He claimed that he was thus baptized.
Arrian appealed to him, begging him to think of what a terrible loss of musical skill such resistance would mean. The musician's pipes were then said to have been destroyed by Philemon himself or to have spontaneously burst into flames. Officers arrested Apollonius, proclaimed the two men as Christians, and they were condemned to death.
One legend says that before the execution, Apollonius and Philemon asked that a great pot be brought before them and a living baby be placed inside it. They then asked soldiers to shoot arrows at it, which they did, the arrows piercing the pot. The baby remained unharmed. The judge then ordered the soldiers to shoot the men with arrows, but all the arrows hung suspended int he air, except one, which blinded Arrian.
Despite this and several other miracles, Apollonius is said to have been tied in a sack, thrown into the sea, and drowned. Arrian's sight was said to have been restored when clay from Apollonius's tomb was applied to his eyes. This led to the conversion of Arrian and four other officials
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