# Claudius, Asterius, And Neon, Three Brothers, Crucified For The Testimony Of Jesus Christ; Also Two Women, Donuina And Theonilla, Tormented To Death For The Same Testimony, At æGæA In Cilicia, A. D. 285. · Page 2 of 2 [Previous page: CLAUDIUS, ASTERIUS, AND NEON, THREE BROTHERS, CRUCIFIED FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST; ALSO TWO WOMEN, DONUINA AND THEONILLA, TORMENTED TO DEATH FOR THE SAME TESTIMONY, AT ÆGÆA IN CILICIA, A. D. 285.](/en/stories/mm-claudius-asterius-and-neon-three-brothers-crucified-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-also-two-women-donuina-and-theonil/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: ZENOBIUS AND HIS SISTER ZENOBIA, BEHEADED AFTER MANY TORMENTS, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT AEGÆA IN CILICIA, A. D. 285.](/en/stories/mm-zenobius-and-his-sister-zenobia-beheaded-after-many-torments-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-at-aega-in-cilicia-a-d-28/) Lysias having gone within to the other members of the tribunal, and having drawn the cover over the court, determined with them upon the sentence of death for the three brothers. When he came out, he read from a tablet their sentence, which was as follows: “Claudius, Asterius, and Neon, brothers, who are Christians, who blaspheme the gods, and refuse to sacrifice, shall be crucified before the forum, and their bodies be given to the birds of heaven as food, to be devoured by them; and this shall be executed by Eulalius, the jailer, and Archelaus, the executioner.” However, before they were led forth to death, they were taken back to prison. Then Eulalius, the jailer, brought out Donuina, one of the women imprisoned, to whom Lysias, the Proconsul, said: “See, woman, this fire and these torments are ready for you. If you desire to escape unhurt by them, sacrifice before the gods.” Donuina replied: “I shall not do it, lest I fall into the everlasting pains of hell. I serve God and his anointed Christ, who has created heaven and earth, and all that is therein. Your gods are of wood and stone, and are made by human hands.” Donuina examined on the rack.—Lysias said: “Strip her stark naked, stretch her, and lacerate all her members with rods.” While they were beating her she died. Then said Archelaus, the executioner, to the Proconsul: “Your highness, Donuina has died.” Lysias commanded: “Let her dead body be thrown into the river.” Eulalius, the jailer, then said: “Here is Theonilla.” Lysias said to her: “Woman, thou hast seen, what punishment they who were disobedient have suffered, and how they have been tormented. Honor the gods, therefore, and sacrifice, so that thou mayest be delivered from these punishments.” Theonilla answered: “I fear him who has power to cast both soul and body into the fire of hell; and who will burn with it all those who depart from God, and give honor to Satan.” Lysias said: “Smite her on the cheeks, throw her down, bind her feet, and torment her greatly.” Theonilla answered: “Does it seem to thee, to be right and proper, thus to maltreat a well-born woman? Thou knowest, that thou canst not conceal from God what thou doest to me.” Lysias commanded: “Hang her up by the braids of her hair, and smite her on the cheeks.” Theonilla severely examined on the rack.—Having been stripped naked, Theonilla said: “Art thou not ashamed to uncover my nakedness, seeing that 141 through me, thou puttest to like shame thy mother and thy wife, who are also women?” Lysias asked whether she had a husband, or whether she was a widow? Theonilla replied: “I have been a widow now for over twenty-three years, and have remained thus single, in order to more zealously serve God with fasting, watching and praying; which God I did not know until after I had renounced the world and the idols.” Lysias commanded them, in order to disgrace her the more, to shave the hair from her head, put bundles of thorns around her body, and stretch her out between four stakes, then, to beat her over her whole body, and put hot coals upon her, that she might be consumed. When Eulalius, the jailer, and Archelaus, the executioner, had done all this, death ensued, and they said to Lysias: “Sir, she is dead now.” Lysias commanded that her dead body should be sewed up in a leathern bag, and thrown into the water; which was done. Thus did these holy martyrs suffer, under Lysias, the Proconsul of Cilicia, in Aegæa, on the 23d of August, in the second year of Diocletian, when he was Burgomaster with Aristobulus, A. D. 285. These acts have for the most part been taken from the records of the clerk of the criminal court of the city of Aegæa, and were gathered by the ancient Christians. These court documents were called Acta Proconsularia. Compare this with A. Mell., 1st book, fol. 92, col. 3, 4, and fol. 93, col. 1. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_141) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: CLAUDIUS, ASTERIUS, AND NEON, THREE BROTHERS, CRUCIFIED FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST; ALSO TWO WOMEN, DONUINA AND THEONILLA, TORMENTED TO DEATH FOR THE SAME TESTIMONY, AT ÆGÆA IN CILICIA, A. D. 285.](/en/stories/mm-claudius-asterius-and-neon-three-brothers-crucified-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-also-two-women-donuina-and-theonil/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: ZENOBIUS AND HIS SISTER ZENOBIA, BEHEADED AFTER MANY TORMENTS, FOR THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, AT AEGÆA IN CILICIA, A. D. 285.](/en/stories/mm-zenobius-and-his-sister-zenobia-beheaded-after-many-torments-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-at-aega-in-cilicia-a-d-28/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-claudius-asterius-and-neon-three-brothers-crucified-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-also-two-women-donuina-and-theonil/part-2/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+Claudius%2C+Asterius%2C+And+Neon%2C+Three+Brothers%2C+Crucified+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%3B+Also+Two+Women%2C+Donuina+And+Theonilla%2C+Tormented+To+Death+For+The+Same+Testimony%2C+At+%C3%A6G%C3%A6A+In+Cilicia%2C+A.+D.+285.+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+2&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AClaudius%2C+Asterius%2C+And+Neon%2C+Three+Brothers%2C+Crucified+For+The+Testimony+Of+Jesus+Christ%3B+Also+Two+Women%2C+Donuina+And+Theonilla%2C+Tormented+To+Death+For+The+Same+Testimony%2C+At+%C3%A6G%C3%A6A+In+Cilicia%2C+A.+D.+285.+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+2%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-claudius-asterius-and-neon-three-brothers-crucified-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-also-two-women-donuina-and-theonil%2Fpart-2%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-claudius-asterius-and-neon-three-brothers-crucified-for-the-testimony-of-jesus-christ-also-two-women-donuina-and-theonil--b00053-o000000%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+285%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)