He studied at Autun and was brought before the provincial governor Heraclius for not worshipping the pagan goddess Cybele (Berecynthia), by failing to show due reverence when a procession during her festival was passing by.

[2] His mother, the Blessed Augusta, encouraged him on his way to execution and was present at her son's death, which took place on 22 August 178.

In the oldest redaction of manuscripts containing the saint's life is a Gaulish sentence recording that she allegedly yelled from the city wall: Nate, Nate, Symphoriane, mentobeto to Diuo which may be read as "gnate, gnate, mentobe to diwo"[3] ("Son, Son, O Symphorian, remember your God!").

[1] There is a St. Symphorian's Church at Veryan, Cornwall, and another at Durrington in West Sussex, now a suburb of the town of Worthing.

During the pontificate of Melchiades (311–13), St. Timotheus came from Antioch to Rome, where he preached for fifteen months and lived with Sylvester, who later became pope.

Johann Peter Kirsch, writing in the Catholic Encyclopedia, sees this as "connected with the confusion regarding the Roman presbyter resulting from the Acts of the Martyrs of Porto.