Description

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (martyred around AD 320) were Christian soldiers serving under Emperor Licinius. When ordered to sacrifice to the pagan gods, they refused and were condemned to stand exposed throughout the night in a freezing lake. A heated bathhouse was placed nearby to tempt them to renounce Christ. One soldier abandoned the company, but one of the guards saw heavenly crowns descending upon the martyrs, confessed Christ and joined them, restoring their number to forty.

The icon depicts the soldiers standing together within the icy waters, with crowns appearing above them and the Lord Jesus Christ. A bathhouse is shown on the shore. Their unity is central to the composition: they strengthened one another so that the weakness of one would be overcome by the faith of all.

Icon Source & Historical Details

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Tradition: Byzantine

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