One of the seven sons of Saints Getulius and Symphorosa, martyred together near Tivoli under the emperor Hadrian.

Saint Julian of Aniene was a lay martyr, one of the sons of Saints Getulius and Symphorosa of Tivoli, who died with his mother and brothers near Tivoli, Italy, around the year 138, under the emperor Hadrian. He belongs to the ancient and well-attested cult of Symphorosa’s family, one of the notable family martyrdoms of the early Roman Church.

Quick Facts

• Died: c. 138, Tivoli (Aniene), Italy
• Venerated as: Layperson and martyr; son of Sts. Getulius and Symphorosa

Who Was Saint Julian of Aniene?

Julian is remembered as one of the seven sons of Symphorosa, herself the widow of St. Getulius, martyred earlier for his own faith. Ancient Roman tradition, echoed in later martyrologies, holds that the emperor Hadrian ordered Symphorosa and her sons put to death at a shrine near Tivoli after they refused to offer pagan sacrifice, each son reportedly killed by a different method at a different location along the river Aniene.

Historical Setting

Tivoli, near Rome, was a significant site of early Christian martyrdom and later pilgrimage, and the story of Symphorosa’s family circulated widely in the Roman Church as an example of an entire household’s shared fidelity under imperial pressure. Whether every detail of the account reflects a single verified historical event or represents an early tradition later elaborated in devotional retelling, the site and cult of Symphorosa’s family were venerated in Rome for many centuries.

Why the Church Remembers Saint Julian of Aniene

The Church remembers Julian of Aniene as part of a family martyrdom that testified to shared, generational faith: a mother whose own witness under trial extended visibly into the courage of her children. This kind of family-wide fidelity was treasured by the early Roman Church as a particularly moving form of Christian witness.

Canonization and Feast Day

No formal canonization process is recorded for Julian of Aniene, in keeping with the standard case for a saint of the second century; his veneration rests on ancient and immemorial local cult in Rome and Tivoli, received through the Church’s liturgical memory.

What Catholics Can Learn Today

The witness of an entire family choosing fidelity together speaks powerfully to parents and children today: the faith modeled by one generation can become the courage that sustains the next. Julian’s story is a reminder that passing on the faith within a family is itself a form of Christian mission.

A Prayer to Saint Julian of Aniene

Saint Julian of Aniene, faithful son who followed your mother’s example even to death, pray for families striving to pass on the faith today. Help parents and children alike to encourage one another toward greater trust in God, whatever trials come. Amen.

Sources

• Roman Martyrology
• Butler’s Lives of the Saints, revised edition