Commemorated on September 4
This “great and wonderful man, if he could be called a man” – as Saint John Chrysostom spoke of him – was Bishop of Antioch during the reign of the wicked Emperor Numerian. This Numerian concluded a peace treaty with a barbarian king, who was more noble and peace-loving than he. As a sign of his sincere desire for a lasting peace, the barbarian king gave his young son to be brought up and educated in Numerian’s court.
One day Numerian stabbed this innocent boy to death with his own hands, and offered him as a sacrifice to the idols. Still hot from the crime and the innocent blood, this criminal with an emperor’s crown went to a Christian church to see what was going on there. St. Babylas was at prayer with the people, and heard that the emperor had come with his retinue and desired to enter the church.
Babylas interrupted the service, went out in front of the church, and told the emperor that as he was an idolater he could not enter the holy temple where the one true God was glorified. In a homily about Babylas, St. John Chrysostom said : “Who else in the world would he fear – he who with such authority, repulsed the emperor?…By this, he taught emperors not to overreach their authority beyond the measure given to them by God, and he also showed the clergy to use their own authority. “
The shamed emperor turned back, but planned revenge. The following day, he summoned Babylas and berated him urging him to offer sacrifice to the idols, which, of course, the saint steadfastly refused to do.
The emperor then bound Babylas and cast him into prison. The emperor also tortured three children: Urban, age twelve, Prilidian, age nine and Hippolinus, age seven. Babylas was their spiritual father and teacher, and they, out of love for him, had not runaway. They were the sons of Christodula, an honourable Christian woman who had herself suffered for Christ.
The Emperor first ordered that each child be beaten with a number of blows corresponding to his years, and then had them cast into prison. He finally had all three beheaded with a sword. The chained Babylas was present at the beheading of the children and encouraged them.
After that, he laid his own honourable head under the sword. He was buried in his chains by Christians, in the same grave as those three wondrous children, as he had willed before his martyrdom. Their holy souls flew off to their heavenly habituation, while their miracle-working relics remained for the benefit of the faithful, as a constant witness to their heroism in the Faith. They suffered in about the year 250 AD.
Troparion & Kontakion
Troparion β Tone 4
By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, / you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, / you defended the Faith, even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Babylas, entreat Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion β Tone 4
You guarded the mighty works of faith in your heart, / therefore, you did not fear the tyrant; / preserve us as well, Hieromartyr Babylas, good servant of Christ.