The Holy 40 Martyrs martyred at Sebasteia Lake
Commemorated on March 9
In the year 313 Saint Constantine the
Great issued an edict, from which the christians were permitted freedom of
belief and made equal with pagans under the law. But his co-ruler Licinius was
prevailed upon by pagans, and in his part of the empire he decided to eradicate
Christianity, which had become considerably widespread there. Licinius prepared
his soldiery to fight against Constantine and, fearing mutiny, he decided to
rid christians from his army.
One of the
military-commanders of that time in the Armenian city of Sebasteia was Agricolaus,
a zealous proponent of paganism. Under his command was a company of forty
Cappadocians – brave soldiers – who emerged victorious from many a battle.
All of them were christians. When these soldiers refused to offer sacrifice to
the pagan gods, Agricolaus locked them up in prison. The soldiers immersed
themselves in diligent prayer, and at one point during the night they heard a
voice: "Persevere until the end, then shalt ye be saved".
On the following
morning the soldiers were again taken to Agricolaus. This time the pagan tried
the method of flattery. He began to praise their valour, their youthfulness and
strength; and again he urged them to renounce Christ and thereby win themselves
the respect and favour of their emperor. And again hearing their refusal,
Agricolaus gave orders to shackle the soldiers. But the eldest of them, Kyrion,
said: "The emperor has not given thee the right to put shackles upon
us". Agricolaus became embarrassed and gave an order to take the soldiers
back to prison without shackles.
Seven days later, the
reknown judge Licius arrived at Sebasteia and held trial over the soldiers. The
saints steadfastly answered: "Take not only our military insignia, but
also our lives, since nothing is more precious to us than Christ God". Licius
thereupon ordered the holy martyrs to be beaten with stones. But the stones
flew past them entirely; and the stone thrown by Licius, hit Agricolaus in the
face. The torturers realised that the saints were guarded by some invisible
force. In prison, the soldiers spent the night at prayer and again they heard
the voice of the Lord comforting them: "Believing in Me, if anyone shalt
die he shalt live. Be brave and fear not, since ye shall obtain crowns
imperishable".
On the following day
also the judge repeated the interrogation in front of the torturer, but the
soldiers remained unyielding.
It was winter, and
there was a strong frost. They lined up the holy soldiers, led them to a lake
located not far from the city, and placed them under guard on the ice all
night. In order to break the will of the martyrs, a warm bath-house was set up
not far away on the shore. During the first hour of the night, when the cold
had become unbearable, one of the soldiers could not hold out and made a dash
for the bath-house, but barely had he stepped over the threshold, that he fell
down dead. During the third hour of the night the Lord sent consolation to the
martyrs: suddenly there was light, the ice melted away, and the water in the
lake became warm. All the guards were asleep, except for one who kept watch by
the name of Aglaios. Looking at the lake he saw, that over the head of each
martyr there had appeared a radiant crown. Aglaios counted thirty-nine crowns
and realised, that the soldier who fled had lost his crown. Aglaios thereupon
woke up the other guards, discarded his uniform and said to them: "I too
– am a Christian" – and he joined the martyrs. Standing in the water he
prayed: "Lord God, I believe in Thee, in Whom these soldiers do believe.
To them add me also, and esteem me worthy to suffer with Thy servants".
In the morning the
torturers beheld with surprise that the martyrs were alive, and their guard
Aglaios was glorifying Christ together with them. They then led the soldiers
out of the water and broke their legs. At the time of this horrible execution
the mother of the youngest of the soldiers, Meliton, pleaded with her son not
to endure and suffer everything all the way to death. They put the bodies of
the martyrs on a cart and committed them to fire. Young Meliton was still
breathing, and they left him to lay on the ground. His mother then pulled up
her son, and on her own shoulders she carried him behind the cart. When Meliton
gasped out his last breath, his mother put him on the cart amidst the bodies of
his fellow sufferers. The bodies of the saints were committed to fire, and they
then threw the charred bones into the water, so that christians would not
gather them up.
Three days later the
martyrs appeared in a dream to Blessed Peter, bishop of Sebasteia, and
commanded him to give their remains over to burial. The bishop together with
several clergy gathered up the remains of the glorious martyrs by night and
buried them with honour.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.