Theodulus of Caesarea in Palestine

Holy Martyr Theodulus of Caesarea in Palestine is one of the twelve martyrs of the persecution of Diocletian in the years 308 and 309 at Caesarea in Palestine: the priest Pamphilus, the deacon Valens, Paul, Porphyrius, Seleucus, Theodulus, Julian, Samuel, Elijah, Daniel, Jeremiah and Isaiah.

The Holy Martyr Pamphilus, born at Berytus (Beirut), studied at Alexandria and was made priest at Caesarea. He laboured much at comparing and correcting the texts of the New Testament, damaged by copyists, and the corrected copies he wrote out and sent to those who wished to have them. Thus he brought many pagans to Christ. By his labours a rich library of spiritual books was gathered at Caesarea. The blessed Jerome greatly honoured him. In the work of preaching he was helped by Saint Valens, deacon of the church of Aelia, an elderly man, a fine student of Holy Scripture, and by Saint Paul, burning with faith and love for Christ. All three were imprisoned for two years by the governor Urbanus. Under his successor, Firmilian, one hundred and thirty Christians from Egypt were condemned to the gold mines of Cilicia, and five young brothers escorted them. On the return they were stopped at Caesarea and thrown into prison. They were brought to trial before Firmilian together with Pamphilus, Valens and Paul. Calling themselves by the names of the prophets Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel and Daniel, the young men answered that their homeland was Jerusalem, meaning by this the heavenly Jerusalem. Firmilian did not know a city of that name.

Before these suffered the servant of the priest Pamphilus, the young Porphyrius, eighteen years old, gentle and humble, who, hearing of the death sentence on the martyrs, asked the governor's leave to bury their bodies; for this he was put to death and burned on a pyre. A witness of his martyrdom, the pious Christian Seleucus, a former soldier, went to Pamphilus before the execution and told him of the end of Porphyrius. He was seized at once and, by Firmilian's order, beheaded with the condemned. One of the governor's servants, Theodulus, an old man and a secret Christian, greeting the martyrs led to death, kissed them and asked them to pray for him. He was brought by the soldiers to Firmilian and, by his order, crucified.

Theodulus is commemorated on 1 March (new style), on a movable day, with the others. Their story was also written down by Saint Demetrius of Rostov.