ON THE HOLY BROTHERS AND MARTYRS, PAUL, PAUSIRION, AND THEODOTION, AT CLEOPATRIS IN EGYPT.
Under Diocletian.
CommentaryPaul, Martyr at Cleopatris in Egypt (St.) Pausirion, Martyr at Cleopatris in Egypt (St.) Theodotion, Martyr at Cleopatris in Egypt (St.)
[1] Cleopatris is a city in the innermost recess of the Arabian Gulf toward Egypt, not far from the City of the Heroes, as Strabo reports from Artemidorus in book 17. This was the arena of the holy brothers Paul, Where and when these Saints suffered. Pausirion, and Theodotion, whom Maximus Cythereus and the Greek Menaion celebrate on this day. They fell under Arianus, the Governor of Egypt, or certainly of the Thebaid and the region toward Arabia, of whom we treat in the Acts of St. Asclas on January 23 and on March 8 in the deeds of Saints Philemon and Apollonius and of Arianus himself (for he too was made a Martyr from being a persecutor).
[2] Their feast day. Galesinius also records them in these words: On this very day, of the holy Martyrs Paul, Pausinius, and Theodotion. These were brothers by blood who, having despised and scorned the transitory things of this life, first embraced monastic discipline: afterwards the two elder ones, under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian, were cast into prison for the faith, and by order of the Prefect Arianus were subjected to the most horrible torments. Theodotion, however, out of longing for his brothers, whom he had heard were in chains, Their constancy, set out for the city, and when he once beheld their admirable constancy in enduring tortures and reflected within himself on the rewards proposed to them, he rushed into the midst and, freely professing himself also to be a Christian, was struck with the axe: the other two were cast into the river. Canisius writes the same somewhat more briefly. So that one may marvel that our Rader, who had thoroughly studied the Martyrologies of Galesinius and Canisius, nevertheless writes in his Notes to the Menaion that he had read nothing about them except in the Menaion: unless perhaps he judged so for the reason that both call him Pausinius, who is Pausirion and Pausirios in the Menaion.
[3] The Menaion relates their Acts somewhat more clearly and at greater length:
Pausirion and Paul, brothers And companions in contest, the river's wave revealed. Here is my neck, let the sword come, Cries Theodotion, desiring God.
These lived under the reign of Diocletian and Maximian, under the Governor Arianus, at Cleopatris, and were brothers by blood. Monastic life; The first two had taken the monastic habit from their earliest age, and when they were arrested, Paul was thirty-seven and Pausirion twenty-five years old. When their brother Theodotion heard that they had been captured, having left the company of robbers in the mountains, he hastened to see and greet them. And seeing them subjected to questioning, he did not dare to approach more closely, his brother converted, but standing in a certain place, he reasoned thus with himself: But what riches and rewards will my brothers obtain? Therefore, kindled with divine love, he returned and professed himself a Christian before the tyrant Arianus, and leaping upon him, knocked him from the tribunal. Immediately, therefore, with burning nails driven through his sides and belly, and then beheaded, he ended his life. Soon a Martyr. Paul and Pausirion, cast into the river, consummated their martyrdom. Maximus Cythereus narrates the same.