“Sincerely bless the one who suffered torment, so that you too become a martyr at will and without persecution, without fire, without scourges, to be awarded the same rewards as them.”

(St. Basil the Great)

The holy martyrs of Sebaste accepted suffering for Christ just before the victory of Christianity in the Roman Empire. It happens like this: the war ends, and on the eve of victory, someone accepts death.

In 313, under St. Constantine the Great, the famous Edict of Milan was adopted, allowing freedom of Christian religion. But power in many provinces still belonged to the pagans, the persecutors of Christians. So it was in the province of Armenia, located on the territory of modern Turkey. Here, in the city of Sevastia, the zealous pagan Agricolaus commanded the garrison.

Before hostilities and on pagan holidays, then ritual sacrifices were performed. In the army of Agricola there were 40 Christian warriors, originally from Cappadocia, the color of the army were brave men who won many battles, covered with military glory. Of these, three: Kirion, Candide and Domnus were experts in the Holy Scriptures. Agricolaus decided to force these 40 people to make sacrifices to pagan idols.

At first, Agricolaus persuaded them, promised promotion, money. Then he began to threaten with prison and shameful death. But the soldiers rejected all the promises and threats, and then the ruler imprisoned them. In the dungeon, the soldiers began to loudly sing the 90th psalm "Alive in the help of the Most High." At midnight the Lord appeared to them, and they heard the words: “Good is the beginning of your will, but he who endures to the end, he will be saved” (Matthew 10:22).

A week later, a noble dignitary Lysias arrived in the city and ordered the Christian soldiers to be stoned. But the stones flew off target; a stone thrown by Lysias himself hit Agricolaus in the face. The embarrassed tormentors returned the prisoners to the prison to think about what to do with them. At night in prison, the soldiers again heard the comforting voice of the Lord: “He who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Be of good cheer and be not afraid, for you will receive incorruptible crowns.”

The next day, the soldiers were led bound to a lake near the city of Sevastia. That day it was very cold. The soldiers were ordered to undress and put directly into the icy water. And on the shore a bath was heated, and the tormentors said that any of them could immediately warm themselves in it if they renounced Christ. All night the warriors courageously endured the cold, encouraging each other. They sang hymns despite the pain of frostbite. And this flour is comparable in strength to fire burns. One of the soldiers, after several hours, could not stand it, ran ashore, to the bathhouse. But as soon as he entered the threshold of a hot bath, due to a sharp temperature drop, his skin and flesh began to separate, and he died.

At the third hour of the night, the Lord sent consolation to the martyrs: suddenly it became light, the ice melted, and the water in the lake became warm. All the guards were asleep, only one named Aglaius was awake. Looking at the lake, he saw that a bright crown appeared above the head of each martyr. Aglaius counted thirty-nine crowns and realized that the fleeing warrior had lost his crown. By an incomprehensible Divine Providence, it was revealed to him that where these martyrs stand, there is life and glory. There is that warmth that cannot be found anywhere and never, the Lord Himself is there. Then Aglaius woke up the rest of the guards, threw off his clothes and said to them: “And I am a Christian!” — and joined the martyrs. Standing in the water, he prayed: “Lord God, I believe in You, in whom these soldiers believe. Add me to them, so that I may be able to suffer with Your servants. “Following the example of those standing in the ranks, who, as soon as someone in the front row falls, immediately replace him with themselves, so that the line of the dead does not break. This one did the same. He saw Heavenly miracles, knew the truth, flowed to the Lord, became numbered among the martyrs!

Judas went away, and Matthew was brought in in his place! Pavlov's yesterday's persecutor, and now the preacher of the gospel, became an imitator. And he had a title from above, neither of man nor of man (Gal. 1:1). I believed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I was baptized into Him not by anyone else, but by my own faith, not in water, but in my own blood” (St. Basil the Great).

In the morning the chiefs of the tormentors returned and saw that the soldiers were still alive, and in addition, one of the jailers was among them! In a rage, Lysias and Agricolaus ordered the shins of the martyrs to be broken with hammers in order to make the suffering unbearable. But even dying from torment, the soldiers did not stop praying and glorifying the True God. Among them was one very young local native named Meliton. His mother, also a Christian, was afraid that he would not stand the torture. She stood up in his presence relentlessly and urged him not to be afraid.

The bodies of the martyrs were placed on chariots and taken to be burned. Saint Meliton, still alive, was picked up by his mother and carried along. In her arms, he died. After burning at the stake, the charred bones of the holy forty martyrs of Sebaste were thrown into the river. But the Lord kept them. Three days later, the martyrs appeared in a dream to Blessed Peter, Bishop of Sebaste, and ordered their remains to be taken from the bottom of the river and buried. He, along with several clerics, came at night to the river, and they saw that the bones, even a small particle of them, glow in the dark. After collecting all the bones, they were transferred to a proper place. Their martyrdom in the Lord began on February 26, and they died on March 9. On this day, their memory is celebrated.

The names of the holy martyrs: Kirion, Candide, Domnus, Hesychius, Heraclius, Smaragdus, Evnoikos, Valens, Vivian, Claudius, Priscus, Theodulus, Eutychius, John, Xanthius, Ilian, Sisinius, Haggius, Aetius, Flavius, Akakios, Ekdit, Lysimachus, Alexander, Eli, Gorgonius, Theophilus, Dometian, Gaius, Leonty, Athanasius, Cyril, Sakerdon, Nicholas, Valery, Philoktimon, Severian, Hudion, Meliton, Aglaius - “Forty men, who had, as it were, one soul in separate bodies, in agreement and unanimity of faith, showed patience in torment, the same steadfastness for the truth. All are similar to one another, all are equal in spirit, equal in feat; therefore they were awarded equal crowns of glory ”(St. Basil the Great).

The rapidly spreading veneration of St. The Forty Martyrs reached the Christian West already in the 5th century. Particles of their relics were placed at the base of the altar of the basilica in Brescia, during its consecration; a special chapel was consecrated in honor of 40 martyrs in Rome's Santa Maria Antiqua.

On March 9, 1230, the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan II Asen defeated the army of Theodore Komnenos and captured him with his family and most of the troops. Ivan II Asen attributed his victory to the intercession of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. As a thank you, the king built or refurbished the church that was on this site (remains not fully clarified) and consecrated it in honor of the Forty Martyrs, and also left a significant inscription on the column of this church in memory of the glorious victory.

A feat similar to that of Sevastia was accomplished in 1919 by forty-two Russian priests who were tortured to death by executioners in the snow near Perm. Saint Theophan of Solikamsk died there for the Lord. The tormentors stripped the holy elder naked and lowered him into the hole until his body was covered with a crust of ice. And such examples of the death of our martyrs are innumerable.

It has long been a custom in Russia to sculpt and bake "larks" - buns in the form of birds - on the day of the memory of the Martyrs of Sebastia. These buns (cookies) were usually decorated with all kinds of frills and even gilding and were sold at the entrances to the church and at the market. Why larks? The peasants, paying attention to the fact that the singing lark sometimes soars up, then “falls” like a stone to the ground, explained this by the special boldness and humility of these birds before God. The lark quickly rushes upward, but, amazed by the majesty of the Lord, bows down in deep reverence. So the larks, according to the thought of our pious ancestors, represented the song of glory to the Lord, lifted up by the martyrs, their humility and aspiration upward, to the Kingdom of Heaven, to the Sun of Truth - Christ.

It is believed that “on Magpies day and night are measured, forty different birds fly in, forty birds make their way to Rus'.”

The memory of the 40 martyrs is one of the most revered holidays. St. Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and Ephraim the Syrian delivered their teachings that day, and John of Damascus and Theophanes of Nicaea wrote stichera for the feast. On this day, the severity of Great Lent is lightened and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated.

Troparion, tone 1:
Through the diseases of the saints, having suffered in the image of You, / beg, O Lord, / and heal all our illnesses, / Lover of mankind, we pray.

John troparion, tone 1:
Passion-bearers of all honor, / warriors of Christ forty, / firm arms, / through fire and water through fire and water / and fast fellow citizens, / with them pray to Christ for those who by faith praise you / Glory to Him who gave you a fortress, / glory to Him who crowned you, / glory to Him who gives you all healing.

Kontakion, tone 6.
All the armies of the world are left, / cleave to the Lord of Heaven, / fourty passion-bearers of the Lord, / passed through fire and water, blessed, / deservedly receive glory from Heaven / and many crowns.

Forty Martyrs of Sebaste

For every Orthodox person, the icon of the holy martyrs of the city of Sebastia is an example of true faith and fortitude. The holy image placed in your house is able to protect you from evil and gossip, help you gather strength and overcome any misfortune.

History of the icon

During the reign of the Roman ruler Constantine, Orthodox people were given freedom of religion. However, not everyone agreed with this state of affairs. The governor Licinius, who had the power, dreamed of reviving paganism and ridding the Roman lands of the followers of Orthodoxy. The perfidious pagan decided to start with military detachments, at that time almost entirely consisting of Orthodox people.

One of the detachments under the command of Licinius ended up in the city of Sebastia. The governor gathered the soldiers at his place and promised them rich gifts for refusing the Orthodox faith and sacrificing to pagan idols. The soldiers indignantly refused, and then Licinius ordered his servants to throw those who disagreed into prison. The believers spent seven days and nights in a damp cellar, praying unceasingly to the Lord.

On the eighth day, Licinius again demanded to renounce Christ, but no one agreed, and then the pagan ordered the Orthodox to be undressed, driven out to the middle of the frozen river, and a bathhouse to be heated nearby in order to force the soldiers to renounce their faith in the face of death from severe cold. The forty martyrs faithful to Christ accepted death and departed to the Kingdom of Heaven in glory and bliss. A few years later, the monks of the city of Sebastia painted an icon that tells of a great martyr's feat.

Where is the holy image

The imperishable relics of the forty Sebastian martyrs were preserved in the Sebastian monastery, where they are currently located. A list of the original icon, along with a particle of miraculous relics, can also be found in the Church of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste in Moscow.

Description of the icon

The icon, painted 5 years after the martyrdom of the Roman Orthodox soldiers, depicts the Sebastian martyrs, ready to accept a painful death in the name of the Lord and His Kingdom. The martyrs stand on the ice, but their eyes are fixed on the heavens: there the Grace and Glory of God awaits them.

What they pray for in front of the icon "Forty Martyrs of Sebaste"

The feat and sacrifice of the Roman Orthodox soldiers converted many people to Orthodoxy, who saw their courage and steadfastness. From that time to the present day, they pray to the Martyrs of Sebaste, asking for the gift of strength, strengthening of faith and gaining stamina in the face of life's difficulties. Also, in front of this icon, they ask the Lord to return to the path of salvation people who have departed from the Orthodox faith.

Prayer of the Forty Martyrs of the Lord

“Faithful warriors, strong in spirit, who saw the sign of the Lord and were not afraid of a terrible death for the sake of saving your souls, at this hour I resort to you with a cry for help and intercession: do not leave me, a weak and unworthy servant of God, in torment and impotence, protect me by the strength of your faith from temptation and worldly impurities, show me the path to salvation, so that with your life and spirit you will faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ and humbly enter the Kingdom of Heaven at the end of your earthly journey. Amen".

This prayer must be read every time faith in the sacred providence of God begins to leave you. Saints' Day falls annually on March 22 according to the new style. On this day, prayer in front of their image can change life and fate for the better. We wish you undying faith in God. Be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

22.03.2018 05:46

One of the saints most beloved by Christians is Blessed Xenia of Petersburg. Her deeds deserve respect and...

One of the most beloved ones in the na-ro-de holidays is the day of So-ro-ka mu-che-ni-kov Se-va-stiy-sky, March 22 on no- in mu style. Why is this holiday so loved?

In the year 313, holy im-pe-ra-tor Kon-stan-tin Ve-li-ki yes-ro-val hri-sti-a-us-we-bo-du ve-ro-is-po- ve-da-nia. But power in many pro-vin-qi-yah is still not-mu-over-le-zha-la tongue-no-kam, go-ni-te-lyam hri-sti-an. So it was in the province of Ar-me-nia, ras-po-la-woof-she-sya on the ter-ri-to-rii of modern Turkey. Here, in the city of Se-va-stii gar-ni-zo-nom ko-man-do-val, the zealous pagan Ag-ri-ko-lai. And now, in the winter of 320, he commanded all of his in-and-us to make sacrifices-in-with-but-she-niya ido-lams. For so-rock man-lo-very from-ka-za-lis, declaring that they are christian-ane and klo-nya-yut-sya only God is-tin-no -mu, not is-tu-ka-us.

Sna-cha-la Ag-ri-ko-lai coo-wa-ri-wal them, promised to be promoted in the service, money. That is why he began to threaten my prison and shameful death. But in-and-we rejected all the su-ly and threats, and then the ruler imprisoned them. Uz-ni-ki diligently, but prayed and at night heard a voice: “Pre-ter-singing to the end, spa-set-sya.”

A week later, a noble dignitary Li-siy arrived in the city and ordered to beat in-and-new-hri-sti-en with stones-nya-mi. But stones-no le-te-whether mi-mo goals; ka-men, thrown sa-mim Li-si-em, fell in the face of Ag-ri-ko-lai. Embarrassed mu-chi-te-whether we-well-whether uz-no-kov in prison, in order to think-mother, how to-step-drink with them. But-whose in the dark in-and-we again heard-sha-whether the comfort-sha-y-shchy voice of the Lord-yes: “Be-ru-yu-shchi in Me , if he dies, come to life. Dare and don’t be afraid, for rise up the imperishable crowns. ”

On the next day, we are connected again and again to the lake near the city of Se-va-stia. That day there was a strong frost. In-and-for-we-for-whether it’s time-to-child and in-a-hundred-wee-whether it’s right in the icy water. And on the be-re-gu the ba-nya was drinking, and mu-chi-te-whether they said that any of them could immediately warm up in it , if from-re-even from Christ. All night long, in-and-we are mu-s-stven-but pe-re-but-si-li-lo-lod, encouraging each other. They sang a psalm-we, despite the pain, with-chi-nya-e-muyu about-mo-ro-same-no-eat. And mu-ka this si-le compare-ni-ma with burn-ga-mi from fire. One of the vo-and-new, after a few hours, could not stand it, ran to the shore, to the bathhouse. But as soon as he stepped on the threshold of a hot-to-top-linen-ba-ni, because of the sharp-to-pe-re-pa-yes, the-pe-ra-tour to- Ms. and his flesh became from-de-lyat-sya, and he died.

The night lasted, and the guards, who were guarding the places of a hundred mu-che-nia, for-dre-ma-li. Only one of them, Agla, could not sleep. He was de-wife: how can these Christians, despite the unheard-of torments, not stop praying? In the third hour-su-no-chi, he saw that there was a bright light over the lake, with everything like summer. It became so warm that the ice melted. Agla-y mis-mind-shaft: what about-is-ho-dit? Looking up, he saw over the heads-lo-va-mi in-and-new light-ty-schi-e-sya crowns. The crowns would be thirty de nine - according to the number of the remaining ones, stop-ki-mi-che-no-kov. Then Agla-y threw off his clothes, scream-zero, waking up other guards: “And I hri-sti-a-nin!” - and ran to mu-che-no-kam. He prayed: “God-by-God, I believe in You, in Someone-ro-go, these in-and-we believe. Bring me to them, so that I can be able to suffer with Your-and-mi-ra-ba-mi.
In the morning, come back to the head-ni-ki mu-chi-te-lei and see-de-li that you are still alive, yes, among them one of ty-rem-shchi-kov! In a rage, Li-siy and Ag-ri-ko-lai ve-le-li pe-re-beat mu-che-ni-kam mo-lo-ta-mi go-le-ni to make fear -yes-niya is not-but-si-we-mi. But die-paradise from mu-che-ny, in-and-we don’t re-re-hundred-va-whether to pray and glorify Is-tin-no-God.
Lee-this pri-ka-hall to uni-live the remains in-and-new, so that hri-sti-ana is not chi-ta-whether the power of new mu-che-no-kov. The bodies of the saints would be co-burned on the co-st-re, and the bones were thrown into the river. Three days later, mu-che-no-ki appeared in a dream to Bis-ko-pu Se-va-stiya Peter and how-le-would he take the bones from the river. The bishop with a few priests-no-ka-mi but-whose tai-but came to the river. Oh miracle: ko-sti mu-che-ni-kov si-i-whether in water like stars! Christ-sti-ane collected the remains of the saints and with the honor of them.

In Russia, from a long time ago, it was customary to drink tea on the day of pa-my-ti of Se-va-stiy-sky mu-che-ni-kov le-drink from te-hundred and bake “zha-vo-ron- kov "- boo-loch-ki in the form of birds. For what-mu-names-but zha-vo-ron-ki? The peasants, paying attention to the fact that the so-so-y-o-ro-nok either soars up, then with a stone “pa-da-et” to earth-le, explain-it-is-nya-whether it is a special daring-but-ve-no-it and humble-re-no-it of these birds before God. Zha-vo-ro-nok quickly aspires-la-et-sya kver-hu, but, in-ra-female-ve-li-chi-em Lord-yes, in deep-bo-com blah -go-go-ve-ni slope down. So zha-vo-ron-ki, according to the thoughts of our b-go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o our ancestors -not-sen-nuyu mu-che-ni-ka-mi, their humility and striving upwards, to the Kingdom of Heaven, to the Sun of Truth - Christ .

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

At that time, in one Armenian city of Sebastia, one of the commanders was Agricolaus, a zealous supporter of paganism. Under his command was a squad of forty Cappadocians, brave warriors who emerged victorious from many battles. All of them were Christians. When the soldiers refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods, Agricolaus imprisoned them. The warriors indulged in fervent prayer, and one night they heard a voice: “He who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

The next morning, the soldiers were again brought to Agricola. This time the pagan used flattery. He began to praise their courage, youth and strength, and again invited them to renounce Christ and thus win the honor and favor of the emperor himself. Again hearing the refusal, 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 the dungeon without fetters.

After 7 days, a noble dignitary Lysias arrived in Sevastia and arranged a trial for the soldiers. The saints answered firmly: “Take not only our military rank, but also our lives, for us there is nothing more precious than Christ God.” Then Lysias ordered that the martyrs be stoned. But the stones flew off target; the stone thrown by Lysias hit Agricolaus in the face. The tormentors realized that some invisible force was protecting the Saints. 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 come to life. Be of good cheer and be not afraid, for you will receive incorruptible crowns.”

The next day, the trial and interrogation before the tormentor was repeated, but the wars remained adamant.

It was winter, it was very cold. The holy warriors were undressed, taken to a lake not far from the city, and placed under guard on the ice all night. To seduce the martyrs, a bath was set up on the shore. In the first hour of the night, when the cold reached extreme ferocity and the bodies of the saints were iced over, one of the forty could not stand the feat and ran to the bathhouse. But as soon as he stepped on its threshold and felt the warmth, he immediately fell and died. Seeing this shameful flight, the holy martyrs began to pray fervently that the Lord would strengthen them.

At the third hour of the night, the Lord sent consolation to the martyrs: suddenly it became light, the ice melted, and the water in the lake became warmer. At this time, those who were guarding the martyrs were sleeping, only one prison guard, Aglaius, was awake. He pondered over what he had seen: the one who separated from the martyrs immediately perished, while the rest, in the bitter cold, remained alive and unharmed. Struck by the light that shone on the holy martyrs, he lifted his head up and saw 39 bright crowns that fell on the heads of the sufferers. Surprised that there were not 40 of them, according to the number of those who suffered, but 39, he realized that he was missing one crown, because he who fled to the bath was rejected from the face of the saints. He immediately woke up the sleeping guards, threw off his clothes and, in front of everyone, ran into the lake, exclaiming: “And I am a Christian!” Standing in the water, he prayed: “Lord God, I believe in You, in whom these soldiers believe. Join me with them, so that I may be able to suffer with Your servants.

In the morning the tormentors came, and seeing that the saints were alive and had not suffered from the cold, they attributed all this to magic. They were surprised that a prison guard was among them and fell into a rage. The holy martyrs were sentenced to be taken out of the lake and subjected to a new torture - to break their shins with hammers.

During this painful execution, the mother of the youngest of the warriors, Meliton, urged her son not to be afraid and 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 they left him lying on the ground. Then the mother picked up 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.

But when the fire burned to the ground, the bones of the holy martyrs remained intact. But the tormentors did not calm down, fearing that Christians would worship the holy relics, they decided to throw them into the river. The Lord kept all the bones of the martyrs intact in the water.

After three days, the holy martyrs appeared to the Bishop of the city of Sebaste, Peter, and said to him: “Come at night and carry us out.” The blessed bishop, with reverent men from his clergy, came to the bank of the river on a dark night. There they saw a marvelous sight: the bones of the saints shone in the water like stars, and those places in the river where their smallest particles lay also shone. The Bishop collected every single bone and their particles and placed them in a worthy place.

The names of the martyrs have been preserved: Kirion, Candide, Domnus, Hesychius, Heraclius, Smaragdus, Eunoikus, Valens, Vivian, Claudius, Priscus, Theodulus, Eutychius, John, Xanthius, Ilian, Sisinius, Haggaeus, Aetius, Flavius, Akakiy, Ekdekiy, Lysimachus, Alexander, Eli, Gorgonius, Theophilus, Domitian, Gaius, Leonty, Athanasius, Cyril, Sakerdon, Nicholas, Valery, Filiktimon, Severian, Khudion, Meliton and Aglai.

The memory of the holy 40 martyrs in all the most ancient hymns belonged to the circle of the most revered feasts and commemorations of saints. According to the Charter, the service includes 2 canons. On the day of their memory, the severity of fasting is eased - it is allowed to eat wine and even oil, and it is instructed to certainly celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.

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40 MARTYRS OF SEBASTE (†320)

“Sincerely bless the one who suffered torment, so that you too become a martyr at will and without persecution, without fire, without scourges, to be awarded the same rewards as them.”

(St. Basil the Great)

The holy martyrs of Sebaste accepted suffering for Christ just before the victory of Christianity in the Roman Empire. It happens like this: the war ends, and on the eve of victory, someone accepts death.

In 313, under St. Constantine the Great, the famous Edict of Milan was adopted, allowing freedom of Christian religion. But power in many provinces still belonged to the pagans, the persecutors of Christians. So it was in the province of Armenia, located on the territory of modern Turkey. Here, in the city of Sevastia, the zealous pagan Agricolaus commanded the garrison.

Before hostilities and on pagan holidays, then ritual sacrifices were performed. In the army of Agricola there were 40 Christian warriors, originally from Cappadocia, the color of the army was brave men who won many battles, covered with military glory. Of these, three: Kirion, Candide and Domnus were experts in the Holy Scriptures. Agricolaus decided to force these 40 people to make sacrifices to pagan idols.

At first, Agricolaus persuaded them, promised promotion, money. Then he began to threaten with prison and shameful death. But the soldiers rejected all the promises and threats, and then the ruler imprisoned them. In the dungeon, the soldiers began to loudly sing the 90th psalm "Alive in the help of the Most High." At midnight the Lord appeared to them, and they heard the words: “Goodness is the beginning of your will, but he who endures to the end, he will be saved”(Matthew 10:22).

A week later, a noble dignitary Lysias arrived in the city and ordered the Christian soldiers to be stoned. But the stones flew off target; a stone thrown by Lysias himself hit Agricolaus in the face. The embarrassed tormentors returned the prisoners to the prison to think about what to do with them. At night in prison, the soldiers again heard the comforting voice of the Lord: “He who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Be of good cheer and be not afraid, for you will receive incorruptible crowns.”

The next day, the soldiers were led bound to a lake near the city of Sevastia. That day it was very cold. The soldiers were ordered to undress and put directly into the icy water. And on the shore a bath was heated, and the tormentors said that any of them could immediately warm themselves in it if they renounced Christ. All night the warriors courageously endured the cold, encouraging each other. They sang hymns despite the pain of frostbite. And this flour is comparable in strength to fire burns. One of the soldiers, after several hours, could not stand it, ran ashore, to the bathhouse. But as soon as he entered the threshold of a hot bath, due to a sharp temperature drop, his skin and flesh began to separate, and he died.

At the third hour of the night, the Lord sent consolation to the martyrs: suddenly it became light, the ice melted, and the water in the lake became warm. All the guards were asleep, only one named Aglaius was awake. Looking at the lake, he saw that a bright crown appeared above the head of each martyr. Aglaius counted thirty-nine crowns and realized that the fleeing warrior had lost his crown. By an incomprehensible Divine Providence, it was revealed to him that where these martyrs stand, there is life and glory. There is that warmth that cannot be found anywhere and never, the Lord Himself is there. Then Aglaius woke up the rest of the guards, threw off his clothes and said to them: "And I'm a Christian!"- and joined the martyrs. Standing in the water, he prayed: “Lord God, I believe in You, in whom these soldiers believe. Add me to them, so that I may be able to suffer with Your servants. “Following the example of those standing in the ranks, who, as soon as someone in the front row falls, immediately replace him with themselves, so that the line of the dead does not break. This one did the same. He saw Heavenly miracles, knew the truth, flowed to the Lord, became numbered among the martyrs!

Judas went away, and Matthew was brought in in his place! Pavlov's yesterday's persecutor, and now the preacher of the gospel, became an imitator. And he had a title from above, neither of man nor of man (Gal. 1:1). I believed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I was baptized into Him not by anyone else, but by my own faith, not in water, but in my own blood.(St. Basil the Great).

In the morning the chiefs of the tormentors returned and saw that the soldiers were still alive, and in addition, one of the jailers was among them! In a rage, Lysias and Agricolaus ordered the shins of the martyrs to be broken with hammers in order to make the suffering unbearable. But even dying from torment, the soldiers did not stop praying and glorifying the True God. Among them was one very young local native named Meliton. His mother, also a Christian, was afraid that he would not stand the torture. She stood up in his presence relentlessly and urged him not to be afraid.

The bodies of the martyrs were placed on chariots and taken to be burned. Saint Meliton, still alive, was picked up by his mother and carried along. In her arms, he died. After burning at the stake, the charred bones of the holy forty martyrs of Sebaste were thrown into the river. But the Lord kept them. Three days later, the martyrs appeared in a dream to Blessed Peter, Bishop of Sebaste, and ordered their remains to be taken from the bottom of the river and buried. He, along with several clerics, came at night to the river, and they saw that the bones, even a small particle of them, glow in the dark. After collecting all the bones, they were transferred to a proper place. Their martyrdom in the Lord began on February 26, and they died on March 9. On this day, their memory is celebrated.

Names of the holy martyrs: Kirion, Candide, Domnus, Hesychius, Heraclius, Smaragd, Eunoikus, Valens, Vivian, Claudius, Priscus, Theodulus, Eutychius, John, Xanthius, Ilian, Sisinius, Haggius, Aetius, Flavius, Akakiy, Ekdit, Lysimachus, Alexander, Elijah, Gorgonius, Theophilus, Dometian, Gaius, Leonty, Athanasius, Cyril, Sakerdon, Nikolai, Valery, Philoktimon, Severian, Hudion, Meliton, Aglaius - “Forty men, who had, as it were, one soul in separate bodies, in agreement and unanimity of faith, showed patience in torment, the same steadfastness for the truth. All are similar to one another, all are equal in spirit, equal in feat; therefore they were awarded equal crowns of glory ”(St. Basil the Great).

The rapidly spreading veneration of St. The Forty Martyrs reached the Christian West already in the 5th century. Particles of their relics were placed at the base of the altar of the basilica in Brescia, during its consecration; a special chapel was consecrated in honor of 40 martyrs in Rome's Santa Maria Antiqua.

On March 9, 1230, the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan II Asen defeated the army of Theodore Komnenos and captured him with his family and most of the troops. Ivan II Asen attributed his victory to the intercession of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. As a thank you, the king built or refurbished the church that was on this site (remains not fully clarified) and consecrated it in honor of the Forty Martyrs, and also left a significant inscription on the column of this church in memory of the glorious victory.

A feat similar to that of Sevastia was accomplished in 1919 by forty-two Russian priests who were tortured to death by executioners in the snow near Perm. Saint Theophan of Solikamsk died there for the Lord. The tormentors stripped the holy elder naked and lowered him into the hole until his body was covered with a crust of ice. And such examples of the death of our martyrs are innumerable.

Russia has long been the custom on the day of remembrance of the Sebastian martyrs to sculpt and bake "larks" from dough - buns in the form of birds.

These buns (cookies) were usually decorated with all kinds of frills and even gilding and were sold at the entrances to the church and at the market. Why larks? The peasants, paying attention to the fact that the singing lark sometimes soars up, then “falls” like a stone to the ground, explained this by the special boldness and humility of these birds before God. The lark quickly rushes upward, but, amazed by the majesty of the Lord, bows down in deep reverence. So the larks, according to the thought of our pious ancestors, represented the song of glory to the Lord, lifted up by the martyrs, their humility and aspiration upward, to the Kingdom of Heaven, to the Sun of Truth - Christ.

It is believed that “On Magpies, day and night are measured, forty different birds fly in, forty pichugs make their way to Rus'.”

The memory of the 40 martyrs is one of the most revered holidays. St. Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and Ephraim the Syrian delivered their teachings that day, and John of Damascus and Theophanes of Nicaea wrote stichera for the feast. On this day, the severity of Great Lent is lightened and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated.

Troparion, tone 1
Through the diseases of the saints, having suffered in the image of You, / beg, O Lord, / and heal all our illnesses, / Lover of mankind, we pray.

John troparion, tone 1
Passion-bearers of all honor, / warriors of Christ forty, / firm arms, / through fire and water through fire and water / and fast fellow citizens, / with them pray to Christ for those who by faith praise you / Glory to Him who gave you a fortress, / glory to Him who crowned you, / glory to Him who gives you all healing.

Kontakion, tone 6
All the armies of the world are left, / cleave to the Lord of Heaven, / fourty passion-bearers of the Lord, / passed through fire and water, blessed, / deservedly receive glory from Heaven / and many crowns.

Prayer to the 40 Martyrs of Sebaste
Oh, saints, glorify the martyrs of Christ, fourty, in the city of Sebastia Christ for the sake of courageously suffered, through fire and water we passed, and as friends of Christ entered the rest of the Kingdom of Heaven, imate greatness boldness to the Most Holy Trinity to intercede for the Christian race: especially for those who honor your holy memory, and those who call you with faith and love. Ask the all-merciful God for forgiveness of our sins and correction of our life, but in repentance and unfeigned love for each other, we will live with boldness before the Terrible Judgment of Christ, and by your intercession we will stand at the right hand of the Righteous Judge. She, pleasers of God, wake us up as protectors from all enemies, visible and invisible, and under the shelter of your holy prayers we will be delivered from all troubles, evils and misfortunes until the last day of our life, and thus we will glorify the great and venerable name of the Almighty I am the Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Ah min.

Forty Martyrs of Sebaste