The holy martyrs Trophimus and Theophilus suffered during the reign of Diocletian. Along with them, eleven faithful servants of Christ also endured martyrdom. Refusing to offer sacrifices to idols and to renounce Christ, they were subjected to cruel tortures: they were hanged, torn with iron, stoned, and finally burned. However, by the power of God, the saints remained unharmed in the fire. In the fury of the torturer, he ordered their heads to be cut off, which indeed happened in honor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The exact place of their suffering is not established; some point to Lycia, but it is more likely that it was the island of Crete. The martyrdom of the saints dates back to the era of the persecutions of Diocletian in the early 4th century.
