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[[Image:Eleutherios.JPG|frame|right|Hieromartyr Eleutherius bishop of Illyria]]
Our father among the [[saint]]s, [[Hieromartyr]] '''Eleutherius of Illyria''' (Greek ''Elevtherios'': Ἐλευθέριος), was an early [[bishop]] of the Church who was [[martyr]]ed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. He is remembered with his mother, Martyr '''Anthia (Evanthia)''', on [[December 15]].
==Life==
Eleutherius was born in Rome in the latter years of the first century. His father was in the imperial service of the Roman Emperor, but his mother Anthia was a Christianwho accepted Christ through the preaching of the disciples of Saint Paul. Anthia became a widow at an early age. She then sent her son to of Anicetus, the Bishop of Rome for his care. The bishop recognized the special spiritual gifts that the young boy possessed and [[ordination|ordained]] him a [[deacon]] at the age of 15, a [[priest]] at 18 and Bishop of Illyricum , in modern Albania, at age 20.
During the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, Eleutherius was soon responsible for winning many converts to Christianity, which caused him to be branded as an "enemy of the state". The commander Felix was sent to arrest the youthful bishop and bring him back to Rome for trial. Instead, the heart of Felix was touched by the words of Eleutherius and he, too, became a Christian.
