Saint Chrysanth, coming from a pagan family, received a good education and, studying books about Christianity, converted to the faith. He was baptized by the presbyter Carpophorus and began to preach the Gospel. His father married him to the priestess of Athena, Saint Daria, whom he also converted to Christ. The young couple decided to lead a chaste life and began to live separately, gathering Christians around them.
The townspeople reported to the eparch Kelerip about the preaching of celibacy, and Saint Chrysanth was handed over to the tribune Claudius for torture. However, despite the torments, he remained steadfast, and the tribune, seeing his courage, believed in Christ and received Baptism along with his family. Emperor Numerian, learning of this, ordered their execution. Saint Claudius was drowned, and his sons and soldiers were beheaded. The Christians buried the martyrs in a cave, and Saint Hilaria, the wife of Claudius, began to visit this place regularly for prayer until she was captured and also met a martyr's end.
Saint Daria was handed over to the brothel, where she was guarded by a lion, preventing anyone from defiling her. Saint Chrysanth was thrown into a pit of filth, but there he was visited by the Heavenly Light. The emperor ordered the saints to be handed over to the executioners, and after tortures, they were buried alive in the ground.
The Christians gathered in the cave, celebrating the day of the martyr's death of the saints, performing services and partaking of the Holy Communion. Learning of this, the pagan authorities ordered the entrance to the cave to be filled in, which led to the death of many Christians, among whom were the martyrs presbyter Diodorus and deacon Marian.
