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He was born at Sinope on the Black Sea coast, and martyred there. Much of the information about this martyr comes from Asterius the bishop of Amesia (modern Amasya). His account says that Phocas was a market-gardener by profession, and when the Roman soldiers called at his cottage they had orders to kill a Christian named Phocas, he invited them into his cottage to overnight and he would tell them his location in the morning. During the night Phocas dug his grave in his garden, and in the morning he said to his guests that he was phocas. The soldiers carried out their orders, and buried him in his grave. Sailors in the Black sea, and Aegean sang chants in honor of their patron saints. |
