Anastasius the Persian

Anastasius of Persia
The burial of Anastasius in the Menologion of Basil II
Saint & Martyr
Born	6th Century Ray
Died	22 January 628(628-01-22) Euphrates Valley
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Churches, Eastern Catholic Churches, Roman Catholic Church
Canonized	pre-congregation
Feast	22 January

Saint Anastasius of Persia (born with the name Magundat), originally a Zoroastrian soldier in the Sasanian army, became a convert to Christianity and was martyred in 628.

Anastasius was born in Ray; he was the son of a Magian named Bau, and had an unnamed brother. He was a cavalryman in the army of Khosrau II (r. 590-628) and participated in capture of the True Cross in Jerusalem, which was carried to the Sasanian capital Ctesiphon. The occasion prompted him to ask for information about the Christian religion; he then left the army, became a Christian, and afterwards a monk at the monastery of Saint Savvas (Mar Saba) in Jerusalem. He was baptized by Modestus, receiving the Christian name Anastasius to honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ ("Anástasis" in Greek). After seven years of the monastic observance, he was moved, as he thought, by the Holy Ghost to go in quest of martyrdom and went to Caesarea, then subject to the Sasanians.

Reproaching his countrymen for their religion, which he had once practiced, he was taken prisoner, cruelly tortured to make him abjure, and finally carried down near the Euphrates, to a place called Barsaloe (or Bethsaloe according to the Bollandists), where his tortures were renewed while at the same time the highest honors in the service of King Khosrau II were promised him if he would renounce Christianity.