Pontianus was an eighteen-year-old Christian martyr from a noble family in Spoleto. Living during the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, he was reported to the Roman authorities for his faith. When facing a judge named Flavian, he refused to renounce his religious beliefs, choosing instead to undergo torture and execution. He was beheaded on January 14, 175. He is recognized as a saint by the Catholic, Old Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox churches.