Philumenus of Ancyra

Holy Martyr Philumenus of Ancyra lived in the time of the emperor Aurelian (270-275) in Lycaonia and traded in grain in the city of Ancyra in Galatia. He was denounced to the governor of the region, Felix, before whom he declared himself a Christian. For this he was hung up, scraped and then thrown into the fire, from which, by the grace of God, he came out unharmed.

After that nails were driven into his head, hands and feet, and he was dragged thirty stadia, that is, more than forty versts. Exhausted, the saint gave his soul to God, around the year 274.

The stadion was a measure of distance from the places of running contests and was about 690 fathoms. Lycaonia was an ancient country of Asia Minor, which from the year 25 before Christ became part of the Roman province of Galatia, its capital at first the Phrygian city of Iconium. Saint Philumenus is commemorated on 12 December.