Holy Martyr Philosophus (III)

The holy Martyr Philosophus (III) met his end for Christ in Alexandria in the time of the Emperor Decius (249–251). He was pressed to deny Christ, and when they could do nothing, they decided to make the young man fall into the sin of fornication: they left him bound in a garden in bloom together with a harlot. So as not to fall into sin, the saint bit off his tongue and by the unbearable pain protected himself from fleshly passion; then he spat the bleeding tongue into the harlot’s face. Enraged by the martyr’s fearlessness and courage, the executioners beheaded Saint Philosophus.