Nereus and Achilleus were among the first martyrs to be venerated as saints. Both men were praetorian soldiers of the Roman army in the household of Flavia Domitilla.
They served under Emperor Trajan. When Diocletian ascended to the throne, persecution of Christians began in earnest, which Nereus and Achilleus readily participated in. However, through this participation, they came to meet holy men and women who moved their hearts, leading to their eventual conversion to Christianity. They are said to have persecuted Christians until they themselves were converted to Christianity.
Some records state that they were instructed and converted by St. Peter. These two soldiers inspired Saint Domitilla to consecrate her virginity to God. Thereupon, Aurelianus, the fiancee of Domitilla, reported all three to the Roman authorities as being Christians.
In order to live their new faith, upon their conversion and baptism, the soldiers threw down their weapons and armor, free from the tyranny of sin, and rejoicing in their newfound freedom.
Nereus and Achilleus were captured, tortured, and exiled to the island of Terracina. There, they were beheaded for failure to renounce their faith and sacrifice to the Roman gods, true followers of Jesus Christ, perhaps in the second century.
Their bodies were buried in a family vault, later known as the cemetery of Domitilla. Excavations by De Rossi in 1896 resulted in the discovery of their empty tomb in the underground church built by Pope Siricius in 390.
Two hundred years after their deaths, Pope Gregory the Great delivered his 28th homily on the occasion of their feast. “These saints, before whom we are assembled, despised the world and trampled it under their feet when peace, riches and health gave it charms.”
Saint Damasus, the pope, wrote the inscription for their tombstone. In it, he stated that it was love for Christ and a desire to witness to their new faith that inspired Nereus and Achilleus to “throw away their shields, their armor, and their bloodstained javelins” and give up their lives in martyrdom.
Other Saints of the Day
1. Saint Epiphanius of Salamis
2. Saint Pancras of Rome
3. Saint Richrudis of Marchiennes
4. Saint Candida Maria de Jesus Cipitria y Barriola
5. Saint Crispoldus