The Holy Martyrs Solochon, Pamphamer, and Pamphalon, Soldiers, at Chalcedon
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Life
Solochon, Pamphamer, and Pamphalon were soldiers of the imperial Roman army commemorated together as martyrs who suffered at Chalcedon during the persecutions of the late third and early fourth centuries. According to the synaxarion, Solochon was a native of Egypt, and the three served in the same regiment under a tribune named Campanus.
When the persecution of Christians under the emperors Diocletian and Maximian required all soldiers to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, the three refused, professing that they worshipped only the true God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Pamphamer and Pamphalon died under the tortures that followed; Solochon endured prolonged torments and, by the account of his life, died last, surrendering his soul in prayer. The Church commemorates the three together on May 17.
Timeline 3 moments
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c. 286-305Service under CampanusSolochon, an Egyptian, together with Pamphamer and Pamphalon, serves in the imperial army in the regiment of the tribune Campanus, who is sent with his soldiers to Chalcedon.
c. 286-305Refusal to sacrificeRequired with the rest of the troops to offer pagan sacrifice, the three refuse, professing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
c. 286-305Martyrdom at ChalcedonPamphamer and Pamphalon die under torture; Solochon endures prolonged torments and afterward surrenders his soul in prayer at the house of a widow.
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Historical Context
The martyrdom is set during the reign of the emperor Maximian (284-305), in the period of the great persecutions associated with Diocletian and Maximian, dated by the calendars to approximately 286-305. Christian soldiers serving in the Roman army were a recurring target of these persecutions, since military service brought a direct demand to participate in the imperial and pagan cult.
The three soldiers belonged to the regiment of the tribune Campanus, who, according to the synaxarion, was sent with his troops to the city of Chalcedon on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus opposite Byzantium. There the soldiers were required to make pagan sacrifice, and the refusal of Solochon, Pamphamer, and Pamphalon set them apart for trial.
The Martyrdom
On the orders of Campanus the three were subjected to severe tortures. The synaxarion relates that Pamphamer and Pamphalon died during these torments. Solochon survived, and the account dwells on his sufferings: when the torturer ordered that his mouth be forced open so that he might be made to drink blood offered to idols, he is said to have clenched his teeth so firmly that they could not be parted even with iron, and the sword bent in the attempt.
By the same account Solochon then broke his bonds and stood before the torturer, continuing to confess Christ. He endured further torments — beatings, being dragged over sharp stones, and being suspended by one hand under weights — and Campanus is said to have thrust a stylus into his ear. Christians carried the dying martyr to the house of a widow, where, after he had eaten, conversed with the believers, and prayed with his eyes lifted to heaven, he gave up his soul to the Lord Jesus Christ.
