After the martyrdom of Saints Eutropius and Cleonicus, Saint Basiliscus, who was imprisoned at the time, prayed to God for help and support. The Lord then appeared to him in a vision and encouraged him, foretelling the glory that would follow him into eternity. After this revelation, the saint asked the guards to release him for four days so that he could bid farewell to his mother and his brothers.
He thus managed to return to his family home, where he spoke to his relatives about faith in the true God and the hardships that awaited all Christians. After this, he returned to prison. When the governor Agrippa learned of his absence, he ordered the arrest of the guard who had allowed him to leave. Saint Basiliscus was severely tortured, yet he continued to pray and chant without ceasing.
In the village of Dakozaria, they tied his body to an oak tree. The Lord answered his prayers, loosening the chains that bound him and causing the oak to blossom. Many people then believed in Christ, witnessing the miracles occurring around the saint.
Later, he was brought before the governor, and despite the threats, he boldly confessed his faith. Enraged, the governor ordered his beheading with a sword. After his martyrdom, a multitude of angels received his soul into the Kingdom of Heaven.
His body was buried with honor. At that place a spring flows to this day, healing the illnesses of all faithful. Governor Agrippa, tormented by evil spirits and passions, came to believe in God when he saw drops of blood from the saint’s sufferings that appear around him. Finally, not long afterward, a devout citizen built a church in the name of Saint Basiliscus, where many miracles took place.
