The Martyrs of Merum in Phrygia

Amachius, governor of Phrygia, ordered that the temple at Merum, a city of that province, be opened and cleared of the filth that had built up there over time, and that the statues in it be polished afresh. When this was carried out, it grieved the Christians very much. Now a certain Macedonius, Theodulus and Tatian could not bear this insult to their religion. Moved by a burning zeal for virtue, they rushed into the temple by night and smashed the images to pieces.

The governor was furious at what had been done, and he would have put to death many people in that city who were entirely innocent. But the men who had done the deed gave themselves up of their own accord, choosing to die themselves in defense of the truth rather than see others put to death in their place. The governor seized them and ordered them to make up for their crime by sacrificing. When they refused, their judge threatened them with tortures. But they scorned his threats, for they were men of great courage, and declared that they were ready to undergo any suffering rather than defile themselves by sacrificing. After putting them through every possible torture, he at last laid them on iron grills with a fire underneath, and killed them in this way. Yet even in this final extremity they gave the most heroic proof of their endurance. They spoke to the ruthless governor in these words: “If you want to eat broiled flesh, Amachius, turn us over onto the other side as well, or we may seem only half cooked to your taste.” So these martyrs ended their lives.