4th century
Saint Marcellus, Hieromartyr Bishop of Apamea
A fourth-century hieromartyr bishop of Apamea in Syria, known for his campaign against paganism.
Biography
Marcellus came from Cyprus, where he served as civil governor of the island under Emperor Theodosius the Great, noted for a fairness that was rare for the time. He was later ordained a priest and became bishop of Apamea in Syria.
As bishop he built new churches and tore down many pagan temples; when one temple dedicated to Zeus would not come down, he sprinkled it with holy water and it was destroyed by fire. He was arrested over the incident and thrown into a furnace, where he gave up his spirit.