Saint Martyr Clement was born in Ancyra in 258 from a pagan father and a Christian mother. In his youth, he lost his parents, who foretold his martyrdom. A woman named Sophia, who adopted him, raised him in the fear of God and took care of abandoned children. Clement became a reader, then a deacon, and at the age of 20 was ordained as the Bishop of Ancyra.
During the persecutions of Diocletian, Clement was subjected to cruel tortures for his faith. He was tortured in various ways, but remained steadfast. The emperor, seeing his health after the tortures, did not believe the denunciation and imprisoned him, where many pagans, witnessing his courage, came to believe in Christ.
Clement was sent to Nicomedia to the emperor Maximian, where he was joined by his disciple Agafangel. Both saints underwent new tortures from the ruler Agrippinus, but despite this, they continued to heal and instruct people. After their release, they were again captured and sent to Amisus, where they were tortured in boiling lime, yet remained unharmed.
The saints were sent to Tarsus for further tortures, and Clement received a revelation about his sufferings. After the death of Maximian, Agafangel was beheaded, and Clement was killed in the temple during the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice around the year 312.
