saint
Apostles Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, and Hermes
Six of the Seventy named in Romans 16 and Acts: Herodion, kinsman of Paul and bishop of Patras; Agabus the prophet who foretold famine and Paul's arrest; and four others who served as bishops from Macedonia to Phillipopolis to Rome.
Life
Herodion, Agabus, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, and Hermes were six of the Seventy whom the Lord sent forth (Luke 10:1), all named by the Apostle Paul in the closing chapter of his letter to the Romans. Herodion (Romans 16:11) is greeted as a kinsman of Paul; tradition makes him bishop of Patras and a martyr beheaded with Olympas at Rome under Nero. Agabus is the prophet of Acts 11:28 who foretold the famine in the reign of Claudius and (Acts 21:10–11) who at Caesarea predicted Paul's binding at Jerusalem; tradition takes him to Antioch and through Judea as a preacher.
Rufus (Romans 16:13), greeted as "chosen in the Lord," is identified by tradition with the Rufus who is the son of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21); he served as bishop of Thebes in Greece. Asyncritus (Romans 16:14) labored as bishop of Hyrcania in northern Asia Minor. Phlegon (also Romans 16:14) served as bishop of Marathon. Hermes (Romans 16:14) labored as bishop at Philippopolis in Thrace.
All six are reckoned among the Seventy. Their joint feast falls on April 8, with the Synaxis of the Seventy on January 4.
Traditions
Feast day
April 8
Topics
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