He was sent by St Polycarp from Asia Minor to preach in Gaul. He became the first Bishop of Lyons and brought many pagans to Christianity. At the time of a persecution of Christians in the year 177, Pothinus was taken for trial; carried there, as he was ninety years old. "Who is the Christian God?", the proconsul asked him. "You will find out, if you are worthy", old Pothinus answered him. The pagans assaulted him with sticks and stones, and belaboured him without mercy. Thrown into prison, St Pothinus died of the beating and entered into the heavenly Kingdom. 
