0 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁B ene vent o , ▁moved ▁to ▁Rome ▁in ▁ 2 6 0 ▁and ▁was ▁sent ▁as ▁a ▁bishop ▁to ▁Ast i ▁in ▁ 2 6 5 . ▁There ▁he ▁suffered ▁per sec ution ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁pag an ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁town . ▁The ▁earliest ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁story , ▁the ▁anonymous ▁Pass io ▁San ct i ▁E vas ii , ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁various ly ▁dated ▁at ▁early ▁ele vent h - century , ▁t enth - century ▁and ▁nin th - century , ▁sets ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁times ▁of ▁the ▁Lomb ard ▁king ▁L uit pr and , ▁who ▁re igned ▁during ▁the ▁years ▁ 7 1 2 – 7 4 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁versions ▁der iving ▁from ▁the ▁latter , ▁E vas ius ' s ▁oppon ents ▁were ▁Lomb ard ▁ad her ents ▁of ▁A rian ▁Christian ity , ▁rather ▁than ▁pag ans . ▁Still ▁other ▁accounts ▁place ▁his ▁life ▁during ▁the ▁fourth ▁century ▁and ▁have ▁him ▁consec r ated ▁as ▁Ast i ' s ▁first ▁bishop ▁around ▁ 3 3 0 . ▁ ▁Car bon ▁d ating ▁of ▁his ▁re lic s ▁( ass uming ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁genu ine ) ▁fav ours ▁the ▁third - century ▁hypothesis . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁said ▁that ▁following ▁his ▁flight ▁from ▁Ast i , ▁E vas ius ▁took ▁refuge ▁in ▁the ▁forest ▁known ▁as ▁Sel va ▁Cor nea ▁along ▁with ▁two ▁compan ions