The Holy Martyr Zinovy, Bishop of Yege, and his sister Zinovy suffered martyrdom in 285 in Cilicia. Since childhood, they adopted the holy Christian faith from their parents and led a pious, chaste life. In their mature years, devoid of avarice, they distributed their inherited property to the poor. For his charity and holy life, the Lord rewarded Zinovy with the gift of healing various diseases. He was elected bishop of the Christian community in Cilicia.
While in holy orders, Saint Zinovy zealously spread the Christian faith among the pagans. When Emperor Diocletian (284-305) began the persecution of Christians, Bishop Zinovy was the first to be captured and brought to trial before the ruler Lysias. "I will speak with you briefly," said Lysias to the saint. "I offer you life if you worship our gods, and death if you don't." The saint replied: "This temporary life without Christ is not life, but death.; I'd rather suffer temporary torment for my Creator and then live with Him forever than give Him up for a temporary life and then suffer in hell forever."
By order of Lysias, the saint was nailed to a cross and tortured. The bishop's sister, seeing her brother's suffering, wanted to share it with him. She fearlessly confessed her faith in Christ to the persecutors, for which she was also given to torment. By the power of the Lord, the saints who survived the torture on a red-hot bed and in a boiling cauldron were beheaded. Presbyter Hermogenes secretly gave the bodies of the holy martyrs to burial.