Memorial Day of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (22/03)

On March 22, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the forty Sebastian martyrs — Christian soldiers from the city of Sevastia (the territory of modern Turkey), who were martyred for their faith in Christ.

In 313, Saint Constantine the Great issued a decree according to which Christians were allowed freedom of religion, and they had equal rights with pagans. But his co-ruler Lycinius was a staunch pagan and in his part of the empire decided to eradicate Christianity, which had spread significantly there. Lycinius was preparing for war against Constantine and, fearing treason, decided to purge his army of Christians.

At that time, in the Armenian city of Sevastia, Agricolaus, a zealous supporter of paganism, served as one of the military leaders. Under his command was a squad of forty Cappadocians, brave warriors who emerged victorious from many battles. They were all Christians. When the warriors refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods, Agricolaus imprisoned them. The warriors indulged in fervent prayer and one night heard a voice: « Having endured to the end, he will be saved».

The next morning the warriors were again brought to Agricolaus. This time the pagan used flattery. He began to praise their courage, youth and strength and again invited them to renounce Christ and thereby gain the honor and favor of the emperor himself. Hearing the refusal again, Agricolaus ordered the soldiers to be chained. However, the eldest of them, Kirion, said: «The Emperor did not give you the right to impose shackles on us». Agricolaus was embarrassed and ordered the soldiers to be taken to prison without shackles.

Seven days later, the noble dignitary Lysias arrived in Sebastia and held a trial of the soldiers. The saints firmly answered: «Take not only our military rank, but also our lives, for us there is nothing more valuable than Christ God». Then Lysias ordered the holy martyrs to be stoned. But the stones flew past the target; the stone thrown by Lysias hit Agricolaus in the face. The torturers realized that the saints were being protected by some invisible force.

In prison, the soldiers spent the night in prayer and again heard the voice of the Lord comforting them: «He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Dare and do not be afraid, for you will accept imperishable crowns». The next day, the trial before the torturer and the interrogation was repeated, but the soldiers remained adamant.

These events took place in winter, there was severe frost. The holy warriors were stripped, led to a lake near the city, and placed in custody on the ice for the entire night. To break the will of the martyrs, a bathhouse was lit nearby on the shore. At the first hour of the night, when the cold became unbearable, one of the soldiers could not stand it and ran to the bathhouse, but as soon as he crossed the threshold, he fell dead. At three o'clock in the morning the Lord sent joy to the martyrs: suddenly it became light, the ice melted, and the water in the lake became warm. All the guards slept, only one named Aglaias was awake. Looking at the lake, he saw that a bright crown had appeared above the head of each martyr. Then Aglaias woke up the rest of the guards, threw off his clothes and said to them: «And I am a Christian!» - and joined the martyrs.

The next morning, the torturers were surprised to see that the martyrs were alive, and their guard Aglaias glorified Christ with them. Then the soldiers were taken out of the water and their shins were broken. During this painful execution, the mother of the youngest of the warriors, Meliton, convinced her son not to be afraid and to endure everything to the end. The bodies of the martyrs were placed on chariots and taken to be burned. Young Meliton was still breathing and was left lying on the ground.

Then the mother raised her son and carried him on her shoulders after the chariot. When Meliton breathed his last, his mother placed him on a chariot next to the bodies of his holy companions. The bodies of the saints were burned at the stake, and the charred bones were thrown into the water so that Christians would not collect them.

Three days later, the martyrs appeared in a dream to Blessed Peter, Bishop of Sebaste, and ordered him to bury their remains. The bishop and several clergy collected the remains of glorious martyrs at night and buried them with honor.

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