St. Achilleus

Soldiers Who Laid Down Their Arms

St. Achilleus was an early Roman martyr, honored together with his companion St. Nereus on May 12. The most reliable witness to the two saints is an inscription that Pope St. Damasus I (366–384) placed over their tomb in the Catacomb of Domitilla on the Via Ardeatina. According to Damasus, Nereus and Achilleus were soldiers — traditionally identified as members of the Praetorian Guard — who had carried out the cruel orders of a persecutor until their conversion to Christ, when they threw down their weapons and shields, confessed the faith, and paid for it with their lives.

Legendary Acts and the Question of Dating

Beyond this ancient testimony, little can be said with historical certainty. Later legendary Acts connect the two soldiers with the household of Flavia Domitilla, a Roman noblewoman of the imperial Flavian family who was exiled for her faith under the emperor Domitian; this tradition lies behind the customary dating of their martyrdom to around the year 100. Many historians, however, judge that the martyrdom more likely took place during the great persecution of Diocletian at the beginning of the fourth century. The Church honors the substance of their witness — soldiers of the empire who became soldiers of Christ — while treating the details of the legend with caution.

Veneration in the Catacomb of Domitilla

Devotion to Nereus and Achilleus is ancient and well attested. A basilica was raised over their tomb in the Catacomb of Domitilla in the fourth century, and pilgrims to Rome today can still visit the catacomb and see a small surviving column depicting the martyrdom of Achilleus — among the earliest images of a Christian martyrdom. Their relics were later translated to the church of Santi Nereo ed Achilleo near the Baths of Caracalla, which remains a station church of the Roman liturgy. Venerated since before formal canonization processes existed, the two martyrs are commemorated in the General Roman Calendar with an optional memorial on May 12.

Significance

Once soldiers in the service of a persecutor, Achilleus and his companion Nereus show that no past lies beyond the reach of conversion. By casting aside their weapons and confessing Christ at the cost of their lives, they exchanged loyalty to the empire for loyalty to the Gospel. Pilgrims who visit their tomb in Rome's catacombs are reminded that the faith handed down to them was guarded by men willing to die for it.