FRUCTUOSUS, BISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF TARRAGONA, WITH AUGURIUS AND EULOGIUS, HIS DEACONS, BURNED ALIVE FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT TARRAGONA, ABOUT THE YEAR 261. It is stated that at this time, Fructuosus, bishop of the church of Tarragona in Spain, and Augurius and Eulogius, his deacons, were apprehended at the command of Aemilian, the Proconsul, and held in prison six days, before they were brought before the tribunal of the Proconsul. When they were standing before the judgment seat, Aemilian commanded them to kneel before the altars, and worship the gods standing thereon, and sacrifice to them, saying to Fructuosus: “I understand that thou art a teacher of a new-devised religion, and that thou incitest giddy young women, no longer to go to the groves, where the gods are worshiped, yea, to forsake Jupiter himself. Go on, then, despising our religion, but know thou, that the Emperor Gallien has, with his own lips, issued a decree by which he binds all his subjects, to serve the same gods which the prince, that is, the Emperor, serves or honors.” Thereupon Bishop Fructuosus answered: “I worship the eternal Prince, who has created the days and the gods, and is Lord even over the Emperor Gallien; and Christ, who is begotten of the eternal Father himself, whose servant, and the shepherd of whose flock I am.” The Proconsul derisively said: “Yea, who hast been it till now; but thou art so no longer.” With this, he sentenced Fructuosus and his two deacons, Augurius and Eulogius, to be burned alive. These faithful martyrs, having received the sentence of death, for the name of Christ, rejoiced in their impending martyrdom, and when they saw the people weep, as they were led to death, they forbade them to weep. When some offered Fructuosus a drink on the way, that he might refresh his heart, he refused it, according to the example of Christ, saying: “Now is our fast-day. I do not wish to drink; it is not yet the ninth hour of the day (that is three o’clock in the afternoon, before which time those who fasted did not eat); and death itself shall not break my fast-day.” When they arrived in the arena, where the executioner had been ordered to build a great fire in which to burn these pious martyrs, a dispute (proceeding, however, from heartfelt love) arose among the faithful Christians, as to who should first untie the latchets of the shoes of the bishop, their beloved shepherd and teacher. But Fructuosus would not permit it, saying: “I shall untie them myself from my feet, so that I can go unhindered into the fire.” And perceiving that they wept, he said: “Why weep ye? and why do you ask me to remember you? I shall pray for all of Christ’s people.”