Martyr Claudian of Perge

Martyr Claudian, together with the Martyrs Papius and Diodorus, was a shepherd in the region of Pamphylia (Asia Minor, the city of Perge, also called Attalia; not to be confused with Pergamon — an entirely different, unrelated city in the region of Mysia). All three spread the Christian faith among the surrounding pagans.

They were seized and brought to trial before the governor Paulinus, who pressed them to sacrifice to idols. For refusing they were subjected to cruel torture and beheaded by the sword. Their death occurred around 250, during the persecution of Emperor Decius.

Their feast is kept on February 3/16.

NOTE: the original stub was an unprocessed image caption from pravicon.com for a miniature from the Iviron Monastery (Mount Athos, late 15th c.) — it has been reworked into a coherent life. The spelling has been clarified as "Perge (Pamphylia)," not "Pergamon" — homonymous cities easily confused due to the similarity of their names. Separately noted: several different saints named "Claudian" exist in the Orthodox menology (a Persian martyr, a Nicomedian martyr, a Melitene martyr) — this entry pertains specifically to the Pamphylian martyr, companion of Papius and Diodorus.