Arcadius of Mauretania
Encyclopedia
Arcadius of Mauretania (died ca. 302) is venerated as a saint
and martyr
. Tradition states that he was a prominent citizen of Caesarea in Mauretania Caesariensis
(present-day Cherchell
), who hid away in the countryside to avoid being forced to worship the Roman gods. However, he was caught and arrested. His legend states that he suffered a grisly death. His limbs were cut off, joint by joint, until all that remained were his trunk and head. According to his legend, as Arcadius looked around at all the pieces of him, hacked off, and lying on the ground, he could still speak, and cried out, "You are happy, my members. Now you really belong to God. You have all been sacrificed to Him."
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. Tradition states that he was a prominent citizen of Caesarea in Mauretania Caesariensis
Mauretania Caesariensis
Mauretania Caesariensis was a Roman province located in northwestern Africa. It was the easternmost of the North African Roman provinces, mainly in present Algeria, with its capital at Caesarea , now Cherchell.-Historical background:In the first century AD, Roman...
(present-day Cherchell
Cherchell
Cherchell is a seaport town in the Province of Tipaza, Algeria, 55 miles west of Algiers. It is the district seat of Cherchell District. As of 1998, it had a population of 24,400.-Ancient history:...
), who hid away in the countryside to avoid being forced to worship the Roman gods. However, he was caught and arrested. His legend states that he suffered a grisly death. His limbs were cut off, joint by joint, until all that remained were his trunk and head. According to his legend, as Arcadius looked around at all the pieces of him, hacked off, and lying on the ground, he could still speak, and cried out, "You are happy, my members. Now you really belong to God. You have all been sacrificed to Him."