Arianus
( ? - 311)
Roman Official in Egypt
Roman official in Egypt, Arianus became governor of Thebes. He is known only from literary and documentary sources. In several Coptic martyrdoms, he is the prosecuting official who comes on to the male martyrs, talking about how beautiful they are... He then offers to let the martyrs go sound and safe if they give in to him. But the martyrs, of course, invariably refuse to surrender to his sexual proposals.
The irony of the story is that Arianus, with Theoticus and three others friends, was converted to Christianity on witnessing at Alexandria the martyrdom of SS. Apollonius and Philemon. The Roman judge therefore ordered them to be arrested, then ordered to drown all the five men in the sea... So also the lustful Arianus is now venerated as a Saint by the Coptic Church.
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