Seeing that the chosen flock of Christ was multiplying, the devil rose against it, inciting the wicked emperors Diocletian and Maximian to cruelly persecute the believers. Among the martyrs was the valiant warrior of Christ, Callistratus, a native of Carthage, who, despite the idolatry of his companions, remained faithful to Christ, having learned the faith from his Christian father and grandfather.
When his Christian piety became known, the governor Persentian summoned him to trial, where Callistratus boldly confessed his faith, rejecting the sacrifices to idols. For this, he was subjected to cruel tortures, but he did not renounce Christ, relying on Him in his sufferings.
The governor, unable to break his spirit, ordered that the saint be thrown into the sea in a leather sack. However, by God's will, Callistratus was miraculously saved by dolphins and, coming ashore, brought to faith forty-nine warriors who also confessed Christ.
After this, the governor, enraged, ordered the warriors to be tortured, but they steadfastly endured their sufferings, praying for help. In the dungeon, Saint Callistratus taught them the basics of faith, and the next day, when they were brought back to trial, they unanimously confessed Christ.
The governor, unable to break them, ordered them to be thrown into a pond, where they, thanks to the prayers of Callistratus, were miraculously baptized. In the end, all of them were brutally killed, but their relics were gathered and buried with honor, and a church was built over them, as Saint Callistratus had foretold.
