Cantius, Cantianus and Cantianilla

The Holy Martyrs Cantius, Cantianus and Cantianilla were Christians of Rome, put to death for their faith in the year 304, on 31 May. They are venerated together in the Orthodox and the Catholic Church.

A late legend says that they were orphaned siblings of a noble Roman family, the Anicii, related to the emperor Carinus. Cantius and Cantianus were the brothers, and Cantianilla their only sister. Protus was their tutor or guardian, and the one who brought them to the faith. When Diocletian began to persecute Christians, the four left Rome, sold their home and gave most of the proceeds to the poor. They reached their estate in Aquileia, where they were going to visit in his prison the holy priest Chrysogonus. They were captured, however, at a place called Aquae Gradatae (now San Canzian d'Isonzo) and were beheaded because they refused to offer sacrifice to the Roman idols.

A priest named Zoelus buried their bodies at the site. Saint Maximus of Turin later preached a panegyric in their honour, and they are also mentioned by Venantius Fortunatus. His testimony, which he could draw from contemporary documents, is very reliable: it says only that they were brothers by blood and that they were martyred together not far from Aquileia, as they were leaving it in a carriage. Their cult was anciently spread in Lombardy, France and Germany. At San Canzian an early Christian basilica and a tomb with the remains of three persons have recently been discovered.