Their lives tell of their courage in the face of death and of the mercy that the saints preserved even to their persecutor.
In the fourth century, three secret Christians, Akindin, Pigasy and Anempodist, served at the court of the Persian king Sapor II. When the persecution began, the envious informed the king about their faith. Called to trial, the courtiers openly confessed the Holy Trinity. This confession was followed by severe torture. The executioners, growing tired, replaced each other, but the martyrs remained steadfast.
According to the hagiography, during the torture, the king himself lost consciousness. The people around him thought he was dead. Then the condemned Christians turned to God with prayer, and Sapor came to his senses. Those whom he ordered to be tortured begged for his salvation. However, the king declared the incident witchcraft and ordered the saints to be hung over a bonfire so that they would suffocate in the smoke. Through their prayers, the fire went out and the ropes fell apart.
When Sapor blasphemed the name of God, he was speechless. Once again, he was helped by one of those whom he persecuted: Saint Akindin took pity on the king and, in the name of the Lord, delivered him from his dumbness. But the persecution continued. The martyrs were placed on an iron grate heated by fire. They were praying, and the sudden rain extinguished the flames.
Many people witnessed these events. Seeing the steadfastness of the saints and the miracles performed through their prayers, they turned to Christ. Among the believers was the executioner Affonius. He publicly asked the martyrs for forgiveness for the suffering he had caused, confessed his faith and accepted death for the Lord himself. The nobleman Elpidiphorus and the tsar's mother also declared themselves Christians.
Sapor ordered the execution of the martyrs. As they were led outside the city walls, a huge crowd of Christians followed, praising Christ. By the king's command, the soldiers attacked the escorts. According to the hagiography, up to seven thousand people died then. Elpidiphorus was killed along with them.
The next day, Akindin, Pigasia, and Anempodist were burned along with the tsar's mother. At night, Christians secretly came to the place of execution. They found the bodies of the martyrs undamaged by fire and buried them with honor.
Two actions are particularly memorable in this life: the prayer of the saints for the unconscious tsar and Akindin's compassion for the persecutor, who had lost his speech. Even after suffering, they responded to someone else's suffering. And a man who had recently been an executioner was able to repent and share their faith. The memory of the Persian martyrs reminds us of faithfulness to Christ, the power of forgiveness, and the fact that the path to God can open up to a person at the most unexpected hour.