Magundat, his Persian name at the time, was a magician and the son of a magician. When the Persians plundered Jerusalem in the seventh century and stole the Holy Cross, Magundat, then a soldier, saw the Holy Cross and heard the Christian lessons. He went to a church and asked about the lives of the saints in the icons. He went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and met Patriarch Modestos 11 and was baptized Anastasios by him. He became a monk at the monastery of St. Anastasios, studied Greek, and learned the Psalter by heart. He was the gardener and cook and memorized the lives of the saints. He lived there seven years and then had a vision that he was called to be a martyr. He secretly left the monastery and went to several churches, praying to the Theotokos to show him his way. He saw a Persian magician and chastised him, saying he was once the same. He was jailed and taken before their judge and was asked to deny Jesus Christ. He refused clearly and was beaten, chained, and made to carry heavy rocks. He would not leave off his prayer rule at night. A vision was seen by the jailers one night showing Anastasios in the company of two other celebrants, all three dressed in white. He was given permission to attend the church service of the Elevation of the Holy Cross, and the Christians reverently kissed his wounds. When he was being transferred to another city, Christians would all come to pay him respect. He was marched to a river and there strangled with seventy other Christians. His last words were that he desired a bitter and grievous death and that this was not very painful. His head was removed and taken to the Persian king, Chosroes, as proof of his death. He had prophesied that the king would be deposed and ordered killed by his own son within a few days of his own death, and this came to pass.