Some say he was repeatedly tortured for the faith and to have died in the process. But he may be a martyr only because he suffered for Christ; he may not have died of it. The best literary witness to his existence is Saint Peter Chrysologus (died c. 450), who left a sermon in honor of Apollinaris. In it Chrysologus styles his subject as a martyr, but adds that although he spilled his blood many times for Christ and desired to lay down his life, God preserved him.

His shrine is at the Benedictine Abbey of Classe in Ravenna, which became famous throughout Christendom. Saint Fortunatus exhorted his friends to make pilgrimages to his tomb, and Saint Gregory the Great ordered parties in doubtful lawsuits to be sworn before it. Apollinaris's best memorials are the superb churches of Ravenna dedicated to name; however, Pope Honorius built one in Rome dedicated to him about 630. There is a fine mosaic representing him as a shepherd of his flock in Ravenna. The feast of Apollinaris occurs in all martyrologies, and the high veneration which the church paid early to his memory is a sufficient testimony of his eminent sanctity and apostolic spirit (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Farmer, Husenbeth, White).

In art, Saint Apollinaris is an early Christian bishop with a club. He may also be shown (1) beaten with a club by the devil; (2) standing or seated on hot coals; (3) bearded, in a chasuble and pallium, with sheep around him (in a mosaic); or (4) preaching to sheep. The sheep in early Christian mosaics signify that he was a pastor (Roeder).