As a rich young man in the early fourth century, Apphianus could have had anything he wanted. Sent by his parents from his home in Lycia (SW Turkey) to an exclusive school in Beirut, Apphianus came to faith through the influence of Christians he met. As a new Christian, he rejected the excesses of vice his classmates chose to pursue and focused on living a godly life.
Returning home, he found that his parents despised the Christian faith. Still a teenager, he left his home and traveled to Palestine. There, he was able to study under the famous church historian Eusebius – who later recorded the manner of Apphianus’ death.
Caesar Maximinus issued edicts commanding the administrators of cities to require everyone to offer a loyalty sacrifice to the emperor. Name by name, individuals were called up to publicly offer this sacrifice. The three ways to escape death were to publicly sacrifice to the idol, bribe an official, or run away.
Witnessing this horrified Apphianus. On March 31st, 306 AD, he slipped through the band of soldiers that surrounded the officiating governor and grabbed his hand mid-sacrifice. He begged the governor not to sacrifice to an idol, but to the one true God.
The governor was furious. He ordered Apphianus to be beaten from head to toe and he was placed into the stocks. The next day, his broken body was dragged out of the prison and he was commanded to sacrifice. Apphianus’ refusal resulted in further severe beatings. His continued refusal resulted in the Romans tying his feet with oil-soaked rags and lighting them on fire. He was then dragged back into prison.
On the third day, still firm in his testimony, he was dragged to the dock and pitched into the sea. Eusebius wrote:
“…as soon as they had cast this truly sacred and
thrice-blessed youth into the fathomless depths of the sea, an uncommon
commotion and disturbance agitated the sea and all the shore about it, so that
the land and the entire city were shaken by it.
And at the same time with his wonderful and sudden perturbation, the sea
threw out before the gates of the city the body of the divine martyr, as if unable
to endure it.”
Apphianus shows us a bold and convincing testimony for Christ.
