The Holy Martyrs Eutropius, Cleonicus and Basilisk suffered in the city of Amazia of Pontus (Asia Minor) around 308.
The brothers Eutropius and Cleonicus and the nephew of the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Tyrone (commemorated on February 17) The Basilisk were friends. After the martyrdom of Saint Theodore, they were imprisoned and by their preaching led many pagans who were with them in prison to the Christian faith.
When Publius, who tortured Saint Theodore, died ingloriously, struck by God's wrath, Asclepiodotus, who was not inferior in cruelty to his predecessor, was appointed ruler of Amasia of Pontus. Having learned that the friends of the martyr Theodore Tyrone were still in prison, the ruler ordered them to be brought to him. Before the new ruler, Saints Eutropius, Cleonicus and Basilisk also firmly confessed their faith in Christ.
They were mercilessly beaten, so that their bodies turned into a continuous wound. During the torture, Saint Eutropius prayed loudly to the Savior: "Grant us, O Lord, perfect patience in these wounds for the sake of the crown of martyrdom, and come to our aid, just as you came to Your servant Theodore." In response to the saint's prayer, the Lord Himself appeared to the martyrs with Angels and with them the Holy Great Martyr Theodore Tyrone, who told them: "Behold, the Savior has come to your aid, so that you may be known about eternal life."
The soldiers and many of the people standing nearby were also honored to see the Savior. They began to ask Asclepiodotus to stop the torture. Seeing that the people were worried and ready to believe in the True God, the ruler ordered the martyrs to be taken away. Then the ruler invited Saint Eutropius to his house for lunch and invited him to publicly sacrifice to pagan gods, and remain a Christian in his soul.
But Eutropius rejected this proposal. The next day, the martyrs were brought to a pagan temple to forcibly force them to make sacrifices. Then Eutropius began to ask for the Savior: "Lord, be with us, and destroy all pagan demoniacality. May Christians make Bloodless Sacrifices to You, the True God, in this place." As soon as the last word of prayer sounded, an earthquake began, the walls of the temple began to collapse, and with them the image of the goddess Artemis broke. Everyone rushed out of the temple so as not to perish among the ruins. Amid the noise of the earthquake, a voice sounded from above: "Your prayer has been heard, and this place will be a house for Christians to pray."
When the earthquake ended, the ruler Asclepiodotus, barely recovering from fear, ordered high wooden stakes to be dug into the ground, the martyrs tied to them and poured with boiling resin. The saints began to pray to God, and Eutropius exclaimed, addressing the tormentors: "May the Lord turn your case against you!" And the resin began to flow around the bodies of the martyrs, like marble water, and burn the tormentors. Those who saw this were horrified, and the ruler bitterly ordered the bodies of the saints to be torn with iron hooks and their wounds to be stung with mustard mixed with salt and vinegar. The saints endured these torments with amazing firmness.
The martyrs spent the last night before their execution in prayer, and again the Lord appeared to them and strengthened them.
On the morning of March 3, Saints Eutropius and Cleonicus were crucified, and Basilisk was left in captivity.
On May 22, Saint Basilisk was executed in the city of Komanakh. He was beheaded and his body was thrown into the river. However, Christians found his remains and buried them in a plowed field. Later, a church in the name of St. Basilisk was erected in Komany.