Athenogenes, Bishop of Heracleopolis

Athenogenes was bishop of Heracleopolis in Cappadocia or in Egypt — the synaxaria differ — in the late third century, a man of advanced age and great learning who is credited by the Eastern tradition with the composition of the evening hymn Phos Hilaron, "O Gladsome Light," which remains the principal hymn of Vespers in the Orthodox Church to this day.

During the persecution of Diocletian, Athenogenes was arrested with ten of his disciples and brought to the governor for examination. The synaxarion records that as he was being led to execution, the old bishop began to sing the hymn that he had himself composed — "O gladsome light of the holy glory of the Father immortal, the heavenly, the holy, the blessed Jesus Christ" — and that his disciples took it up and sang with him to the place of beheading. All eleven were crowned together.

The hymn remained in the daily prayer of the Church from that day forward — already cited by Basil the Great a generation later as an ancient and beloved evening prayer. Athenogenes' feast is kept on July 16.