Martyr Eutychian of Illyria

The Martyr Eutychian is known from the Life of the Great Martyr Anastasia, who suffered under Diocletian. After Anastasia had been starved in prison for sixty days in Illyria, the governor ordered her to be drowned together with condemned criminals. Among them was Eutychian, a devout man who, according to St Dimitry of Rostov's Menaion, had been stripped of all his property for Christ.

The prisoners were put on a ship and taken out to sea, where the soldiers bored holes in it and left in a boat. According to the Life, the Martyr Theodotia appeared and steered the ship to shore. Amazed at their rescue, the 120 prisoners asked Eutychian and Anastasia to teach them the faith and were baptized by them. On learning of this, the governor had them all executed, and Anastasia was burned. Eutychian died with them around 304. He is commemorated on 22 December (4 January) together with St Anastasia and the martyrs Chrysogonus, Theodotia, Evodus and others.