The Orthodox Church commemorates today Martyrs Philemon and Domninus, Venerable Jacob the Confessor, and Saint Thomas, Patriarch of Constantinople.
Venerable Jacob remained steadfast in the Orthodox faith throughout his life. He lived in a turbulent period, that is the Second Iconoclasm, which led to serious loss of life.
We learned a lot about Venerable Jacob from a letter written by Theodore the Studite, who was probably his spiritual father. According to the letter, Venerable Jacob decided to follow a monastic path from an early age and distinguished himself thanks to his self-restraint and struggle, but also thanks to his devotion to the Orthodox faith.
In recognition of his virtuous life, the Orthodox Church decided to honour him by ordaining him to a bishop. However, he was sent into exile, where was fiercely tortured, due to the stance he took during the Iconoclasm. When he reposed in the Lord he was deemed worthy to receive the wreath of martyrdom.
Source: Church of Cyprus
