Arcadius of Mauretania

Who was Arcadius of Mauretania?

Arcadius of Mauretania is venerated as a saint and martyr. Tradition states that he was a prominent citizen of Caesarea in Mauretania Caesariensis, 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."