Post #5975

As soon as Serenus heard about it, having had himself called Peter and Marcellinus, he resumed them harshly, adding threats and terrors to the harshness of the words, if they had not renounced Christ. Having answered him with Christian freedom, the judge ordered Marcellinus to beat him up with fists, to separate him from Peter, and to lock him up naked in a prison filled with pieces of glass, without food and without light. Likewise he ordered to tie Peter very tightly. But these torments only added to both faith and courage, and having persevered in confession, they cut off their heads, thus bearing splendid witness to Jesus Christ. Thus they carried out their martyrdom in Rome on the 2nd of June 304 at the XII mile of the Via Aurelia, in the place called Selva Nera, which was later renamed Selva Candida in honour of the Saints. Saint Lucilla, a Roman matron, buried them in the catacombs Ad Duas Luaros (today Torpignattara), on the Via Labicana, near San Tiburzio, and their tomb was later adorned with verses from Pope St. Damaus. Their executioner, Dorotheus, was converted in old age and received baptism from Pope St. Julius I.