It is stated that in the seventh year of the persecution the following persons were slain for the confession of the evangelical truth.
SOME PIOUS CHRISTIANS WHO WENT TO VISIT THEIR CONFINED FELLOW-BRETHREN, APPREHENDED AT CESAREA, AND BANISHED TO THE MINES; BUT THREE OF THEM, NAMELY, ARES, PROMUS, AND ELIAS, PUT TO DEATH AT ASKALON, A. D. 308.
About the beginning of the year 308, some godfearing Christians left Egypt, with the intention of journeying to Cilicia, to supply those, who for the confession of the faith had been banished to the mines there, with some needful things in their misery and poverty. They were apprehended at Cesarea by the guard at the gate of the city. Some of them were sent into misery and slavery through the same sentence, which consisted in this, that the right eye was to be put out, and the left knee-pan cut away, and the wound seared; and thus with one eye and one leg they were compelled to labor in this hard slavery.
Three of their number were apprehended at Askalon, in Palestine, and were tormented in various ways, because they steadfastly confessed their faith. One of them, named Ares, was burnt alive; the other two, Promus and Elias, were beheaded, and thus departed this life in a godly manner. _A. Mell., 1st book, fol. 126, col. 1_, from _Euseb._
PETER APSELAMUS, A YOUNG MAN, BURNED ALIVE AT CESAREA FOR THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, A. D. 308.
Shortly afterwards (on the 11th of January), a pious man, called Peter, and surnamed Apselamus, was apprehended. He was a native of Amea, a village in the neighborhood of Elentheropolis. For some time he had led the life of a recluse, having retired into solitude to give himself over to divine meditations.
Though the Judge and the other members of the tribunal had begged him again and again, to have compassion upon himself and his youth (for he was yet in the bloom of life), he disregarded it all, putting his entire confidence in the living and true God, whom he loved more than all this world contains, yea, than his own life. Finally he suffered his confidence in Christ, his Savior, to be tried, as precious gold, by fire, and was burned alive at Cesarea, for the name of Jesus Christ, having commended his soul into the hands of God. _Idem, Ibidem, ex Euseb., lib. 8._
BIBLIS, AQUILINA, AND FORTUNATA, THREE GODFEARING CHRISTIAN WOMEN, PUT TO DEATH FOR THE DIVINE TRUTH, IN PALESTINE, A. D. 308.
Among various other martyrs who suffered for the testimony of Jesus Christ in the seventh year of Diocletian’s persecution, we have noticed that there were also several honorable Christian women who, from love to their Savior, did not hesitate to give their lives for the truth. They were called Biblis, Aquilina, a girl of twelve years, and Fortunata, a maiden of Cesarea; who together laid down their lives for the truth, in Palestine. _J. Gys., fol. 26, col. 3_, compared with _A. M., fol. 131, col. 3, ex Mart. Rom. Menol. Grec. Metaphrast. 13 Junii_.