The deacon Apollonius and his convert Philemon were Christian martyrs of the Diocletianic Persecution around 303. Philemon was a famous flute player, mime and actor at Antinoöpolis in Egypt.
Narrative During the persecution, Philemon dons the deacon's clothes so that, disguised as Apollonius, he could offer the required sacrifice to Jupiter in his stead, and the deacon avoid imprisonment and death. However, just before performing the public sacrifice, Philemon was recognized and declared himself a Christian, and refused to make the sacrifice.Rollason, Nikki. Gifts of Clothing in Late Antique Literature Routledge, 2016, p. 139
They were brought from Antinoë to Alexandria, and put to death with many others who had become believers in Christ. Their fate was to be bound hand and foot and to be cast into the sea.Butler, Alban. "Saints Apollonius, Philemon, etc., Martyrs". Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints 1866. CatholicSaints.Info. 29 December 2016
Veneration Their feast day is 8 March. Philemon is the patron saint of dancers. In the Orthodox Church they are commemorated on December 14."Martyrs Philemon, Apollonios, Arrian, and Theonas of Alexandria", Orthodox Church in America
Legacy The story formed the subject of Philemon Martyr, a play by Jacob Bidermann. Bidermann presents acting as "a potential route to moral and spiritual transformation".Herdt, Jennifer A., Putting On Virtue: The Legacy of the Splendid Vices University of Chicago Press, 2012, p. 157 Neo-Latin Drama in Early Modern Europe(Jan Bloemendal, Howard Norland, eds.) BRILL, 2013, p. 277
Philemon is a recurring motif in the work of the twentieth-century British artist Albert Houthuesen.
References
External links Philemon at Catholic Online Philemon at Patron Saints Index 8 March saints at St. Patrick's Church