GIULIANO and BASILISSA, saints, martyrs. — They are commemorated together with others on 6 January in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum, on 8 and 21 June in the Synaxarium of Constantinople, and on 9 January in the Roman Martyrology, as martyrs of Antioch; however, they belong to the city of Antinoe in Egypt.
The kinship between the two martyrs and their relations with their companions are entirely arbitrary, devised by the author of the Passio. This, whose original version was in Greek and quite legendary, was certainly composed not long before the 7th century. At the beginning of the persecution of Diocletian, G. lived in perfect chastity with his wife B., who is said to have died naturally; G., however, was captured and brought before the tribunal of the prefect Marcianus, where he was interrogated and flogged. He converted the prefect’s son, Celso, with whom he was imprisoned. There they converted 20 soldiers, who were baptized by the priest Antonio. After further torments, they were all beheaded.