40 Martyrs of Sebaste

 We visited the Roman Forum while in Italy. It was one time on my trip that I felt under prepared. I should have read up on the Forum beforehand so that I would know what I was looking at. One thing I saw there did speak to me (just because I am a Catholic nerd) was the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs.

The Forty Martyrs were killed at Sebaste in in Arminia around 320 AD. In 313, Constantine issued an edict granting Christians religious freedom. His co-ruler, Licinius, however, was a pagan and decided to stamp out Christianity in his part of the Empire.

 As Licinius prepared his army to fight Constantine he decided to remove Christians from his army, fearing mutiny. In one of his units there was a company of forty Cappadocians, brave soldiers who had distinguished themselves in many battles. When these Christian soldiers refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods, their commander threw them in prison where they prayed and sang psalms all night. They heard a voice telling them, "Persevere until the end, then you shall be saved."

The next morning, they were urged again to renounce Christ and worship the pagan gods. When they continued to refuse, they were put on trial and sentenced to death. They were ordered to be stoned to death, but the stones missed the saints and returned to strike those who had thrown them. The soldiers spent another night in prison in prayer and again they heard the voice of the Lord comforting them. 

The next day the soldiers remained unyielding. It was winter and there was a severe frost. The soldiers were thrown into a lake with a guard set to prevent them from coming out of the water. In order to break their will, a warm bathhouse was set up on the shore. One of the soldiers broke and made a dash for the bathhouse. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he fell down dead. During the night, the Lord sent consolation to the soldiers. There was a sudden light, and the ice melted away. One of the guards was moved, took off his uniform and, declaring that he was a Christian, too, joined the martyrs in the lake.

In the morning the torturers found the soldiers still alive. Their limbs were broken and their bodies burned. The governor had their ashes scattered in the river, but Christians were able to secure some that became treasured relics. The feast day of the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste is March 9.