Anastasius of Persia

Anastasius the Persian († January 22 628 in Bethsaloe in Persia ), also called Anastasios, was a monk and martyr and a saint of the Catholic Church and the Orthodox. As part of the Second Council of Nicaea, he was canonized and his cult admitted.

Life

Anastasius was born the son of a Persian Magers under the name Magundat. He served the Persian king Chosroes II as a soldier in the cavalry and fought in the war against the Eastern Roman Empire. He was under General Farrukhan called Shahrbaraz, participated in the conquest of Jerusalem, in the Holy Cross was captured by the Persian forces.

He is said to have been moved by the suppression of Christians under Khosrau II and captured by the Holy Cross to convert to Christianity. He left the military and was baptized by the future patriarch of Jerusalem Modestus 620 and entered as a monk in Jerusalem in the Anastasios Monastery. On the basis of a vision seven years later he left the monastery and went to Caesarea, where he was seized and imprisoned by the Persians.

Martyrdom

In Persian captivity, he was taken to Bethsaloe. There he was tortured to get him to move away from Christianity. Finally, he was hanged with seventy other Christian prisoners on January 22, 628 and beheaded his body. Then the body was allegedly accused of dogs, they should have the body but not touched.

Saints and relics

His relics were first brought to the monastery of Sergios Bethsaloe. According to legend, his body to have been brought by Honorius I. to Constantinople Opel and his then passes by the Venerable Bede to Rome. In the church Vinzenzo ed Anastasio in Rome's Fontana di Salvio these relics are located.

Until the recent reform of the calendar was his Holy Catholic Memorial January 22.

He is considered the patron saint of goldsmiths and is invoked against headaches and against frenzy.