Pothinus was martyred along with Alexander, Attalus, Espagathus, Maturus, and Sanctius, during persecutions by Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor known for his great tolerance of faiths other than Christianity. Pothinus and several companions were seized by a mob and taken to the magistrate; Pothinus is believed to have died from the abuse he suffered in prison, while the others were killed by wild beasts in the local amphitheater.