Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman and Gallican Martyrologies. Authority: — The Acts, not by any means contemporary, and probably based on tradition.] SETTLE or no reliance can be placed on the acts of these martyrs. They relate that Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, sent these saints, Andochius, a priest, Thyrsus, a deacon, and Felix, a layman, to Gaul, to preach the Gospel. S. Polycarp was moved thereto by seeing S. Irenseus in vision appear to him and exhort him to do so, he, Irenseus, being then dead. Unfortunately for the story, S. Polycarp was martyred in a.d. 167, and S. Irenaeus died in a.d. 202 or 207. With these saints travelled S. Benignus. They landed at Marseilles. At Saulieu they were arrested and, with the exception of Benignus, were beaten, and hung up to trees by the wrists, their arms being twisted behind their backs. Fire was placed under them, and when nearly dead with pain and heat, they were taken down and their heads struck off.

It is probable that they suffered much later than the Acts would lead us to suppose. Some few relics [the bodily remains of a saint, or objects they used, kept with honor] are preserved at Saulieu near Autun.