1st century
Saints Leontius, Hypatius and Theodulus
First-century Roman soldiers; Leontius, a Greek by birth, brought his fellow soldiers Hypatius and Theodulus to the faith, and they were martyred together under Vespasian.
Biography
Leontius was Greek by origin, from Aegina, and served as an officer of the Roman army in Tripoli, Phoenicia, in the time of Emperor Vespasian. He became a Christian and began preaching to his subordinates, while giving his earnings to help the poor, widows and orphans.
According to tradition, the officer Hypatius was sent to arrest him but fell gravely ill on the way and was healed after he and his soldiers — among them Theodulus — called on "the God of Leontius". The miracle led them to baptism. When the governor Adrian learned what had happened, he arrested all three; Hypatius and Theodulus were tortured and beheaded, while Leontius was flogged to death.