Martyr
Venerable Antoninus of Syracuse
IX век
Martyr Antoninus of Syracuse (9th c.) — a young man raised by the conquering emir who had drawn close to him, tortured and burned together with his father, brother, and the elder Andrew for remaining faithful to Christ.
Martyr Antoninus of Syracuse suffered in the 9th century during Arab rule over Sicily. After the fall of Syracuse to the forces of the emir Ibrahim, the young Antoninus, together with his father John, brother Peter, and the elder Andrew, was taken captive to Africa. Noticing the youth's intelligence and virtuous character, Ibrahim drew him close, had him educated in Arabic language and letters, and even called him kinsman; his brother Peter was given high standing at court. When the emir discovered that the captives secretly held to their Christian faith, he had them cruelly tortured: Antoninus was beaten with rods and dragged through the city tied to a donkey in public humiliation. His father John was killed by the emir's own hand. The bodies of the martyrs Andrew, John, Peter, and Antoninus were burned together on a pyre by Ibrahim's order.