Episode 263: St. Agapitus

Saint Agapetus suffered a cruel martyrdom at Praeneste, now called Palestrina, twenty-four miles from Rome. He reproached one of the emperors favorites his cruelty towards the Christians, Emperor Aurelian's immediately gave the order to arrest him. He was flogged with leaden-tipped straps and "scorpions"; his constancy and his prayer under torture converted five hundred pagans, who declared themselves Christians and were executed at once.