Severianus

Saint Severian or Severianus (died in late 452 or early 453; officially on 21 February 453) was bishop of Scythopolis in Palestine. He was martyred and is considered a saint. His feast day is 21 February.

Life Scythopolis was made the capital of the new province of Palaestina Secunda around 400 by the emperor Theodosius II. The relationship between the bishop of Scythopolis and the metropolitan of Caesarea was not well defined. Severianus was appointed bishop of Scythopolis, metropolitan of the province of Palestine II. His name is among the signatories to the Definition of Faith of the Council of Chalcedon (451), but he probably was not present at the council.

Severianus was killed because he had implemented the Chalcedonian faith among the Christians of Palestine. He was murdered during the unrest caused by the Definition, which stated that the divinity and humanity of Christ were two distinct but inseparable natures, contradicting the archimandrite Eutyches.

Butler's account The hagiographer Alban Butler wrote in the Lives of the fathers, martyrs, and other principal saints (1821),