The Church celebrates the memory of Martyrs Isaurus, Basil, Innocent, Felix, Hermias, and Peregrinus, who were martyred at the end of the third century in Apollonia, and of Saint Filonidis, bishop of Kourion in Cyprus.
In the life of Agios Filonidis, written by Bishop Ariston, it is mentioned that he lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Saint Filonidis was thrown into prison, along with Saints Aristocles, Demetrius, and Athanasius, for refusing to worship the idols and publicly confessing his faith in Jesus Christ.
Upon learning of the royal decree, according to which the soldiers were ordered to harm the Christian prisoners, the saint threw himself off a cliff after a fervent prayer so as not to tarnish the image of God.
In this way, he showed in practice that, in cases where higher spiritual goods are at stake such as virtue, honor, dignity, freedom, and faith in God, human life, which is undoubtedly a gift from God, is sacrificed to safeguard the highest universal ideals.
The Holy Martyr Filonidis fell asleep in the Lord before he even fell to the ground. In a few verses, the hymn writer expresses the joy and gratitude of the Cypriots to the Holy Hierarch.
Source: Church of Cyprus