Basilides (2)

Basilides (2),

saint and martyr, was one of the four soldiers of the army of Italy, under Maxentius, who witnessed a glorious confession at Rome, before the praefect of the city, named Aurelius. In the year 309 the praefect of Rome was one Aurelius Hermogenes, and this is probably the proper date of their martyrdom. Aurelius had heard that Basilides and his companions had openly avowed their belief that the God of the Christians was the only true God; whereupon he caused them to be cited before him, and did all in his power to induce them to sacrifice to the idols, but in vain; and he then committed them to prison. While there they converted to the faith Marcellus the jailer, and several of the prisoners. The emperor Maxentius caused them to be brought before him and severely beaten with rods of iron; but he found them immovable, and eventually ordered that their heads should be struck off. Their bodies were buried on the Aurelian road, about four and a half leagues from Rome, where it seems a chapel was afterwards built over their tomb. Their festival is kept in the Roman Church on June 12. See Baillet and Butler, June 12.