Martyrs Acindynus, Pegasius, and Companions in Persia

Acindynus, Pegasius, Aphthonius, Elpidiphorus, and Anempodistus were five Christians of the Persian court of Sapor II in the fourth century, all in positions of considerable influence — Acindynus and Pegasius were imperial officers, Aphthonius and Anempodistus members of the royal household, and Elpidiphorus a senator. They had concealed their faith during the early years of the great Persian persecution of Christians, but were eventually denounced after meeting secretly for prayer at a small chapel outside the capital.

Sapor, having had Christian advisors in his court before and being on guard against further conversions, conducted the examinations personally. The synaxarion records a long sequence of public tortures applied successively over many days — Acindynus and his three principal companions on the rack, in fire, dragged behind chariots — and the king's mounting frustration that the spectacle of their constancy was drawing his own courtiers toward the faith rather than away from it. Twenty-eight of the court's pagans declared themselves Christians during the ordeal and were beheaded with the original four; Elpidiphorus the senator joined them on the same day.

After every torment the king could devise, the five were finally cast into a great furnace and crowned together. Their joint feast is kept on November 2.