Maximian, the ruler of Cilicia, celebrated idolatry in the city of Pompeiopolis. The holy martyr Sozont, a Christian from Lycaonia, saw a vision calling him to martyrdom and went to the city, where, witnessing the idolatry, he broke off the hand of a golden idol and distributed the gold to the poor. He himself appeared before the ruler and confessed to his deed, explaining that the idol could not resist, as it was not the true God. The ruler ordered him to be cruelly tortured: he was hung on a tree, scraped with iron claws, and put into boots with sharp nails. The saint, despite the torments, praised God and, in the end, surrendered his spirit to God. When his body was burned, lightning illuminated the place, and rain extinguished the fire, leaving the body incorrupt. At night, the believers took the relics of the saint, which began to heal the sick. On the site of his martyrdom, a church was built to glorify the Holy Trinity.
