The life of St Babylas of Antioch
The emperor of the day, freshly guilty of a wrong the sources describe in different ways, came to the church wanting to look in on the Christians at prayer, and Babylas met him at the door and would not let him pass, telling him plainly that a man who had done what he had done and worshipped as he worshipped had no place inside. The emperor went away shamed, and came back the next day for his revenge.
He had Babylas seized and pressed him to offer sacrifice, which the bishop would not do, and had him bound and put in prison. With him were three boys, sons of a Christian woman named Christodoula, who had stayed near their bishop out of love for him rather than run when the trouble came. The emperor had each of them beaten a number of strokes equal to his own age, the eldest twelve, then the others by years down to the youngest at seven, and afterward had all three beheaded while Babylas, still in chains, stood by and spoke courage into them. He was given the same death after them. The Christians of the city buried him in his own chains, in one grave with the three boys, as he had wished.
