Synesius of Rome

Holy Martyr Synesius (called in the Slavic tradition Razumnik, the Prudent) was a reader of the Church of Rome and a martyr in the third century. He was born at Rome. The Orthodox Church commemorates him on 12 December (25 December by the new calendar, in the Serbian Church), as does the Catholic Church.

From his youth he was given by his parents to the bishop of Rome, to be taught the holy books. By his gift and zeal he was made a reader. He taught many the faith in Christ and unceasingly rebuked paganism. His deeds were reported to the ruler. In the time of the emperor Aurelian Synesius was seized, and the emperor demanded that he offer sacrifice to the idols. He refused and mocked the emperor. For this the emperor ordered him to be beaten with ox sinews so mercilessly that all the ground around him was filled with blood. Then he was cast into prison.

The next day the holy martyr was brought again to trial. They laid him on an iron grid heated in the fire, and then a voice came from heaven from God, which strengthened him and encouraged him for martyrdom, and a great rain fell, which put out the fire, and the saint remained unharmed. After that, by the emperor's order, a deep pit was dug, filled with spears with their points upward, and the martyr was thrown onto the spears in the pit. But the Lord healed him of all his wounds and made him wholly sound. In the end the emperor ordered his head to be cut off with the sword.

The relics of Saint Synesius were moved from Rome, in 830, to the island of Reichenau, to the abbey there.