St. Eubulus
Name: St. Eubulus
Date: 5 March
In the seventh year of Diocletian’s persecution, continued by Galerius Maximianus, Firmilian, thecruel governor of Palestine, stained Caesarea with the blood of many illustrious martyrs. TheChristians Adrian and Eubulus came from the region called Magantia to Caesarea, to visit the holyconfessors there. At the gates of the city they were asked as were all strangers, where they weregoing and upon what errand. They spoke the truth, and were brought before the presiding officer. He ordered them to be tortured, their sides torn with iron hooks, then condemned them to beexposed to wild beasts. In the meantime they were imprisoned. Two days later, for the pagan celebration of a festival of the local deity, Adrian was exposed to alion. The animal did not kill him, but only mangled him, and finally his throat was pierced with asword. The judge offered Eubulus his liberty if he would sacrifice to idols. The Saint, however, preferredthe glorious death of Christ’s true disciples, and two days later won the crown his companion hadalso conquered. Saint Eubulus was the last to suffer in this persecution at Caesarea, which hadcontinued for twelve years under three successive governors. Divine vengeance was pursuing thethird of those, the cruel Firmilian, who was beheaded for his crimes that same year, by the emperor’sorder, as his predecessor had been two years before. |
