Laodicea, a smaller octagonal church, located in the Roman East necropolis, is tentatively associated with the second century CE local bishop and martyr Sagaris. The impact of this martyr church on the surrounding necropolis is yet undetermined since the area is still unexcavated1. Bishop Sagaris also known as Saint Sagar died as a martyr about AD 166–175 during the reign of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Sources:
- Francesco D´Andria, The Sanctuary of St Philip in Hierapolis and the tombs of saints in Anatolian cities, in J.R. BRANDT, E. HAGELBERG, G. BIØRNSTAD, S. AHRENS, Lıfe and Death in Asia Minor in Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Times. Studies in Archaeology and Bioarchaeology, Oxford and Philadelphia, 2016, p. 14-16
- Irene Selsvold, The already-dead and the Christianisation of Western Asia Minor, December 2023, Acta ad archaeologiam et artium historiam pertinentia 36(23 N.S.):177-193
- Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 4.26.3
- https://christearlychurch.co.uk/person/sagaris-of-laodicea/