Martyr Ardalion (+305–311)

The holy Martyr Ardalion (+c. 305–311) met his end for Christ in the time of the Emperor Maximian Galerius (305–311). He was an actor.

Once Saint Ardalion was playing the part of a Christian in the circus. According to the author’s design, the actor was first to refuse to offer sacrifice and then to agree to deny Christ. In the course of the play Saint Ardalion was hung on a tree and they began to torture him. He portrayed the sufferer so naturally that the spectators, delighted, praised his art. Suddenly the saint asked the people to be silent and declared that he was truly a Christian and would not fall away from Christ. The governor of the city wanted to convince the people that Saint Ardalion was acting and would perform the sacrifice at the end of the spectacle, but the saint went on confessing Christ. Then the governor ordered him to be thrown into a red-hot furnace.