During the persecutions against Christians in the region of Nicomedia, there lived the noble count Anicetus.
He boldly confessed his faith before the emperor Diocletian. He condemned idolatry and declared that no torture could frighten him.
He was therefore subjected to severe tortures, yet he never ceased glorifying the Lord. He was bound to a wheel and thrown into a cauldron of boiling liquid, from which he survived through divine intervention.
A relative of his, Photius, also confessed his faith, was arrested, and endured many tortures.
In the end, the two saints surrendered their souls to the Lord. Their bodies, which had been cast into the fire, emerged untouched by the flames, a miracle that led many pagans to believe.
The Church commemorates Saints Photius and Anicetus on August 12.
