Secundian was a senator or some sort of prominent official; Marcellian and Verian were scholars or students.

A fifteenth century account relates that under Emperor Decius, the three were zealous persecutors of Christians.

[1] According to one version, they were baptized by a priest named Timotheus (Timothy) and confirmed by Pope Sixtus II.

By order of Decius, they were arrested by the prefect Valerian and decapitated at Civitavecchia and then their bodies were thrown into the sea.

Gratian and Felinus, used as lections in the Arona Passionale, are extracted from the Acts of SS.