Martyrs of Dyrrhachium

The Martyrs of Dyrrhachium were seven Christians (Peregrinus, Lucian, Pompeius, Hesychius, Papias, Saturninus and Germanus), probably from Rome or elsewhere in Italy, who fled to Macedonia from the persecution begun under the emperor Trajan. At Dyrrhachium (today Durrës, in Albania) they witnessed the martyrdom of Bishop Astius, head of the Christian community there, who was crucified. The sight gave them courage and they declared themselves Christians. Condemned by the governor Agricola, they were bound with chains to a ship and thrown into the Adriatic, near the shore, to drown, around the year 120.

They are venerated by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and their day of commemoration is 7 July. Their bodies, carried by the waves to the beach, are said to have been gathered by Christians. Tradition says that ninety years later they appeared to the bishop of Alexandria and told him to build a church where they were buried.