Tradition states that he was a prominent citizen of Caesarea in Mauretania Caesariensis (present-day Cherchell), who hid away in the countryside to avoid being forced to worship the Roman gods.

His absence at the public sacrifices being noted, soldiers were dispatched to his house and arrested a relative they found there, despite the man's protests that he did not know where Arcadius was.

[2] Hearing of his relative's arrest, Arcadius returned and presented himself before the governor.

According to his legend, as Arcadius looked around at all the pieces of himself that had been hacked off and were lying on the ground, still being able to speak, he cried out, "You are happy, my members.

"[1] The cultus of Arcadius is established by a sermon preached about him by Zeno of Verona, who also hailed from Mauretania.