Born to rich nobility, he became a bishop in Armenia. He retired during the reign of Diocletian, and hid away as a hermit in the forests of Argeus. His peace and solitude attracted the local animals, which he healed and nurtured. Upon discovery, the Roman governor imprisoned him and tortured him to recant his faith. In prison, he famously saved a child from choking on a fish bone. Miraculously unable to down him, they tore him with combs and beheaded him.