The Holy Martyr Julian of Tarsus was born in the province of Cilicia in Asia Minor. He was the son of a pagan senator, and his mother was a Christian. After her husband's death, St. Julian's mother moved to the city of Tarsus, where she baptized her son and raised him in Christian piety. When the saint turned 18, Emperor Diocletian (284-305) began the persecution of Christians. Saint Julian was captured among others. He was brought to the court of Governor Marcian, where he was persuaded for a long time to renounce Christ. Neither tortures, nor threats, nor promises of gifts and honors could persuade the pious young man to sacrifice pagan sacrifices and renounce Christ. The Holy Confessor remained steadfast in his firm faith. 
For a whole year, the martyr was led through the cities of the Cilician region, interrogated and severely tortured in each of them, after which he was thrown into prison. St. Julian's mother followed her son and prayed that the Lord would strengthen him even more in faith and asceticism. In the city of Aegea, under the pretext of convincing her son to sacrifice to idols, she asked the governor to allow her to visit the prison. She spent three days in prison with Saint Julian, begging him to be firm to the end.
Saint Julian appeared before the ruler again. Thinking that the mother had convinced her son to obey the imperial decree, the ruler began to praise her prudence. Unexpectedly, the saint boldly confessed herself a Christian. The Holy Martyr Julian still fearlessly and courageously denounced pagan polytheism. Then the governor ordered the mother of St. Julian to have her feet chopped off for accompanying her son from Tarsus. The Holy martyr died of her wounds. 
The martyr Julian was sewn into a sack filled with sand and poisonous reptiles, and thrown into the sea. The body of the sufferer was washed ashore near Alexandria and honorably buried by a pious Alexandrian Christian woman. His martyrdom followed around the year 305. Subsequently, the relics of the holy martyr were transferred to the city of Antioch. St. John Chrysostom honored the memory of the holy Martyr Julian with a word of praise.