Baring-Gould’s sources: Roman Martyrology. Authority The Apologia De Fuga and Ep. Ad. Solit. ofS. Athanasius.] In the persecution of the Catholics of Alexandria by George, the Arian bishop, whom the Emperor Constantius had set in the place of S. Athanasius, Secundus, a priest, and several others were killed whilst keeping the feast of Pentecost. George has been already described (see life of S. George, April 24). He is said to have been ordained by Arian bishops in 354. He made his entry into Alexandria during the Lent of 356, and began his high-handed acts of violence immediately on the celebration of Easter. The Catholics assembled for that festival in a desert place near the cemetery, as they would not communicate in the churches from the hands of Arian clergy who denied the Eternal Godhead of the Son. They assembled again in the same place to keep the Whitsun festival. George having heard of it, persuadad the governor, Sebastian, who was a Manichsean, to send troops to punish them. The soldiers rushed sword in hand among the worshippers, and killed the priest Secundus and several of those present. Sebastian lit a great fire, and brought several virgins before it to make them confess themselves ready to submit to the false doctrine of Arius. But when he found that they could not be terrified, he stripped them, and beat them on the face till their features were unrecognizable. He took forty men, tied them back to back, and beat them so severely with sharp palm branches that many died of their wounds. Their bodies were cast to the dogs, and their relatives were forbidden to bury them. Those who survived were banished to the great Oasis By the authority of Sebastian the Catholic clergy were all expelled the city. Virgins were tied to stakes and their sides torn; the faithful laity had their houses pillaged, and were driven from the town. The persecution extended throughout Egypt and Libya. Constantius, the emperor, had ordered that all the churches should be given up to Arians, and Sebastian was required to carry this order into execution. He wrote to the governors and military officers of the different districts. The bishops were everywhere imprisoned, the priests and monks thrown into chains and banished. Venerable prelates of great age, some who had been bishops under S. Alexander, others under S. Achilles, and some even who had been ordained by S. Peter of Alexandria, the great bishop, who had suffered forty-five years before, were hurried across burning deserts. Several died in exile, several died on their way. Sixteen bishops were sent into banishment, thirty were driven from their sees.