Hellenic Net

ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ  Πληροῦμεν ὑστέρημα σοῦ, Σῶτερ, πάθους, Τεσσαράκοντα, συντριβέντες τὰ σκέλη. Ἀμφ' ἐνάτῃ ἐάγη σκέλη ἀνδρῶν τεσσαράκοντα. In the year 313 Saint 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, “Perseve...