Their story
Adapted in modern English from Baring-Gould (1897) · original text below
Philetus, a senator, his wife Lydia and their sons Macedo and Theoprepius suffered under Hadrian (Roman emperor 117–138), together with Amphilochius, a general, and Chronides, a registrar. Greeks and Latins venerate them on the same day. The story below comes from the Greek Menology and is legend.
Philetus, his family and Chronides were handed over to the general Amphilochius to be tortured. He ordered them thrown into a vessel of boiling oil, but as they were about to go in the bubbling oil suddenly went cold. Astonished, Amphilochius cried out, 'God of the Christians, help me!', and a voice from heaven answered, 'Thy prayer is heard, come up hither.'
When the emperor heard of it, he came down in a rage and had a cauldron of oil boiled for seven days and all of them thrown into it, but they were unharmed. The emperor left them, and praying and giving thanks to God, they gave up their spirits.
Early life
The book says little or nothing about early life. This is how the account begins.
Thin entry · the 1897 book gives only 170 words. We have not filled the gap with invented detail.
Saint Philetus, a senator, his wife, Lydia, their sons, Macedo and Theoprepius, also Amphilochius, a general, and Chronides, a registrar, who suffered under Hadrian, are venerated by Greeks and Latins on this day. According to the account in the Menology, Philetus, his wife and sons, and Chronides, were handed over to Amphilochius, the general, to be by him tortured.
How they teach us to live
Drawn from themes in the original account
Pray a little every day. Prayer runs all through this account.
Stay faithful when it costs you. This account is about holding firm under pressure.
Learn from the kind of life it was. A whole community that stayed faithful to Christ when it cost everything.