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Holy Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus 10/20/2013
These holy and great martyrs for the faith in Christ were senior officers at the court of the Emperor Maximian. The Emperor himself highly appreciated them for their bravery, wisdom and loyalty. Still, when he had heard that these two noblemen of his were Christians, his love for them turned to anger. On the day that there was a public sacrifice in honour of the idols, the Emperor summoned Sergius and Bacchus together with him to offer sacrifices to the idols, which they openly refused. The Emperor was so infuriated that he ordered them to be stripped forthwith of their military insignia and dressed in women's clothes; even more, heavy iron collars were put on their neck and they were dragged through the streets of Rome to become the laughing stock of all. He then ordered them to be taken to Asia, to his governor Antioch and to be put to the torture. And Antioch had advanced in his service and came to this position with the support of Sergius and Bacchus, who had recommended him to the Emperor at the time. When he began advising them to renounce Christ and save themselves from humiliation, torture and death, these holy people said to him:" Honour or humiliation, life or death _ it makes no difference for the one who seeks the Kingdom of Heaven." Antioch threw Sergius and Bacchus into prison and ordered Bacchus to be put to the torture first. The servants took turns beating the holy man until they had completely distorted his body. His soul left his distorted bleeding body, and was carried in the hands of angels to God. He suffered and died in the city of Barbalissos. Then they took Saint Sergius out of his prison cell, and put shoes on him with sharp nails inside and made him run as far as the city of Rosapha in Syria, where he was beheaded. They suffered and were crowned with the wreaths of everlasting glory about 309.
