During the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius, a nobleman named Marinus came from Persia to Rome with his wife Martha and their two sons, Audifax and Abacum, in order to venerate the tombs of the Holy Apostles.
They began visiting Christians who were being held in prison and burying the bodies of those who had been martyred for Christ. When they learned of the execution of 260 Christians, Saint Marinus and his family secretly retrieved the bodies of the martyrs from fire and buried them in a cave.
The emperor ordered that they be arrested. However, the saints remained well hidden. They encountered other Christians who were gathering in prayer in the name of Christ and joined them.
Upon learning of the existence of this small group, the emperor became enraged and ordered the arrest of all of them, including Saint Marinus and his family. They were brought before the judge Gelasius, who sentenced them to death for refusing to worship the idols.
Despite severe torture, the holy martyrs remained steadfast in their faith. They were thrown to wild beasts, which became tame at their sight and refused to attack them. They were also cast into the fire, yet the flames did not harm their bodies.
In the end, they were all beheaded except Saint Martha, who was drowned in a river.
