Who are the Sebaste Martyrs?

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste were born into eternal life circa 320 A.D. Little is known about these forty extraordinary men (other than that they had names like Xantheas, Hesychius, and John). This frustrates an attempt to tell their story because the reader is given the end only, or really the end of one story and the beginning of another. So, to ask the question, “who are the martyrs” gives the answer: they were martyrs. This is really all we know about them; however, this single detail of the story tells the reader everything he would want to know. They were men of faith and conviction. They cared little for the things of this world. They were men with a conscience, and remarkably they listened to it. They were strong, courageous, and devoted to Christ. In this light, it really matters very little whether one or the another was clever, or unlucky in love, or had a sense of humor, or was rich or poor. Although they were forty, the martyrs shared but a single soul. All lived as one, united in Christ, under the name Christian.

The Forty were Roman soldiers, veterans of the “Thundering” XII Legion. While on campaign in Sebaste, Cappadocia, these men were asked to burn incense to the Roman gods, which they resolutely refused. For this, they were brutally tortured and sentenced to stand naked on a frozen lake until death took them. Most people avoid discomfort, fear pain, and abhor even the thought of death. These men eagerly stripped themselves of their soldier’s tunic, so much the sooner to put on heavenly robes. While advancing to their place of death they prayed: “Forty we come bearing witness to Christ so too may forty be received into heaven.” 

To add to their agony, the Romans sentinels overseeing the execution lit fires and drew baths along the shore of the lake to entice the men to forsake the Lord. One alone was seduced by the dancing flames and ran to wrap himself in blankets of steam. He abandoned his comrades and Christ and leapt into the hot bath. The heat of the bath was too strong for his weak and frozen heart, and he died instantly. One of the watchmen, moved by the strength and faith of the remaining thirty-nine, stripped himself and soon completed their company, showing that God listened to their prayer.  So it was that they came to the end of their earthly life.