In the year 313 St Constantine the Great issued an edict granting
Christians religious freedom, and officially recognizing Christianity as
equal with paganism under the law. But his co-ruler Licinius was a
pagan, and he 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.
One of the
military commanders of that time in the Armenian city of Sebaste was
Agricola, a zealous champion of idolatry. Under his command 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, Agricola locked them up in prison.
The soldiers occupied themselves with prayer and psalmody, and during
the night they heard a voice saying, “Persevere until the end, then you
shall be saved.”
On the following morning, the soldiers were
again taken to Agricola. This time the pagan tried flattery. He began to
praise their valor, their youth and strength, and once more he urged
them to renounce Christ and thereby win themselves the respect and favor
of their emperor.
Seven days later, the renowned judge Licius
arrived at Sebaste and put the soldiers on trial. 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 then
ordered his servants to stone the holy martyrs. But the stones missed
the saints and returned to strike those who had thrown them. One stone
thrown by Licius hit Agricola in the face, smashing his teeth. The
torturers realized that the saints were guarded by some invisible power.
In prison, the soldiers spent the night in prayer and again they heard
the voice of the Lord comforting them: “He who believes in me, though he
die, yet shall he live (John 11:25). Be brave and fear not, for you
shall obtain imperishable crowns.”
On the following day the judge repeated the interrogation in front of the torturer, but the soldiers remained unyielding.
It
was winter, and there was a severe frost. They lined up the holy
soldiers, threw them into a lake near the city, and set a guard to
prevent them from coming out of the water. In order to break the will of
the martyrs, a warm bath-house was set up on the shore. During the
first hour of the night, when the cold had become unbearable, one of the
soldiers made a dash for the bath-house, but no sooner had he stepped
over the threshold, than 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 Aglaius, who was keeping watch.
Looking at the lake he saw that a radiant crown had appeared over the
head of each martyr. Aglaius counted thirty-nine crowns and realized
that the soldier who fled had lost his crown.
Aggias then woke up
the other guards, took off 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 You, in Whom these soldiers believe. Add me to
their number, and make me worthy to suffer with Your servants.” Then a
fortieth crown appeared over his head.
In the morning, the
torturers saw with surprise that the martyrs were still alive, and their
guard Aggias was glorifying Christ together with them. They led the
soldiers out of the water and broke their legs. During this horrible
execution the mother of the youngest of the soldiers, Meliton, pleaded
with her son not to persevere until 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
picked up her son, and on her own shoulders she carried him behind the
cart. When Meliton drew his last breath, his mother put him on the cart
with the bodies of his fellow sufferers. The bodies of the saints were
tossed in the fire, and their charred bones were thrown into the water,
so that Christians would not gather them up.
Three days later the
martyrs appeared in a dream to St Peter, Bishop of Sebaste, and
commanded him to bury their remains. The bishop together with several
clergy gathered up the relics of the glorious martyrs by night and
buried them with honor.
There is a pious custom of baking
“skylarks” (pastries shaped like skylarks) on this day, because people
believed that birds sing at this time to announce the arrival of spring.
Forty “skylarks” are prepared in honor of the Forty Martyrs.
Source-Oca.Org
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