Saint Markian was born in Kira. Leaving his homeland, he withdrew into the desert, where he built a small cell and secluded himself in it, feeding only on three ounces of bread and a little water in the evenings. He did not light candles, relying on divine light for reading. One day, when a large serpent threatened him and his visitors, the saint made the sign of the cross and destroyed it.
Flavian, the Patriarch of Antioch, and other bishops tried to persuade him to leave his solitude for the benefit of many, but he did not agree. The venerable one returned many from heresies to the true faith.
The saint's sister came to him with her son, bringing treats, but he refused to accept them, asking if they had offered this in other monasteries. Receiving a negative answer, he commanded them to leave with what they had brought.
Knowing about the disputes regarding his body after death, the saint made his disciple Eusebius swear to bury him secretly away from the cell. Saint Markian departed to the Lord in the year 388.
