In 313, Emperor Constantine the Great granted Christians religious freedom in the Western half of the Roman Empire, but his co-ruler Emperor Licinius, a pagan, continued to persecute Christians in the Eastern empire. In 320, the 12th Roman Legion in Sebaste (present-day, Turkey) was commanded to offer pagan sacrifices as a test of political loyalty. A company of forty Christian soldiers from Cappadocia refused, saying “We will not sacrifice. For to do so is to betray our faith.”
Wishing to preserve the soldiers, Governor Agricola attempted to persuade them, “But what of your comrades? Consider, you alone of Caesar’s troops defy him! Think of the disgrace you bring upon your legion.” “To disgrace the name of our Lord Jesus is more terrible still,” the men answered.
“Give up this stubborn folly,” the governor commanded, “You have no lord but Caesar! I promise promotion to the first one of you who steps forward to do his duty.” None of the soldiers moved. The governor then switched tactics and threatened them with torture, imprisonment, and death if they continued to refuse.
The soldiers stood firm. “You can offer us nothing that would replace what we would lose in the life to come. We have learned to deny our bodies where our souls are at stake.”
Governor Agricola had the stubborn soldiers flogged, but not one surrendered. They were then imprisoned until Lysias, the commander of the 12th Legion, arrived. Lysias, again, demanded that the soldiers submit to worship The Emperor or else pay the penalty for their defiance. The forty respectfully refused. As it was winter, Lysias then ordered that the soldiers be stripped naked and sent into the frozen lake until they either recanted or died of exposure.
The young men did not wait to be stripped but removed their clothing themselves and marched into the frozen lake singing. The commander posted guards to prevent their escape from the icy water. He also arranged a fire and a warm bath on the shore to tempt the unyielding soldiers to surrender.
Encouraging one another to stand firm, the Christian soldiers prayed, “Lord, we are forty engaged in this contest. Grant that forty may receive crowns of glory.”
During the night, one man broke and left his companions for the warm bath. However, when the man entered the hot bath, the sudden heat was too great a shock to his frozen body, and he died. A guard named Aglaius, however, took off his uniform and joined the remaining thirty-nine martyrs in the lake. Aglaius was impressed by the martyrs’ courage and claimed to have a vision of crowns over their heads; so, he too professed faith in Jesus and elected to die alongside them. Thus, the number of forty remained complete.
At daybreak, the frozen bodies of the forty martyrs were burned and the charred bones and ashes were thrown into the river.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Writing based on a true story.
~Anonymous