Claudius of Byzantium

Holy Martyr Claudius of Byzantium was one of the four young confessors Claudius, Hypatius, Paul and Dionysius, who suffered with Saint Lucillian, a pagan priest who became a Christian, and the holy martyr Paula.

Lucillian was a pagan priest in the time of the Roman emperor Aurelian (270-275). In old age he saw that the pagan religion was false, turned with all his soul to Christ the Saviour and was baptized. Through his preaching many pagans began to turn to Christianity. Then the Jews denounced Lucillian to Silvanus, the governor of Nicomedia, for spreading faith in the One whom they had crucified. Silvanus tried to bring him back to idols. When he refused, Lucillian had his jaws crushed, was beaten with rods and hung head downward, then thrown into prison, where he met the four youthful confessors of Christ, Claudius, Hypatius, Paul and Dionysius. Lucillian urged them to stand firm in the faith and not to fear torments or death.

After a time they were brought to trial and thrown into a furnace heated red-⁠hot, but a sudden rain put out the flames and the saints remained unharmed. The governor sentenced them to death and sent them to Byzantium to carry out the sentence. The youths were beheaded, and the holy martyr Lucillian was nailed to a cross with many nails.

A witness of the saints' struggle was the holy virgin Paula, who had devoted herself to serving those who suffered for Christ: she brought food to the imprisoned Christians, washed their wounds, brought them medicines and buried the bodies of the martyrs. After the death of Lucillian and the four, she returned to Nicomedia and continued her ministry. She was seized and thrown into a furnace, but the power of God kept her unharmed. Then she was sent to Byzantium, where she was beheaded.

Saint Claudius is commemorated on 16 June, in the new style. Their life is also found in the Lives of the Saints by Saint Dimitry of Rostov.