Seven Sleepers
Cave of the Seven Sleepers in Ephesus According to the traditions of the Orthodox Church, the story of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus takes place during the reign of Roman Emperor Decius. His reign was short but significant due to his efforts to revive the traditional Roman religion and his persecution of Christians. He came to Ephesus to enforce his laws against anyone found to be a Christian — and the punishment was a gruesome torturous death. In Ephesus, he found seven noble young soldiers, named Maximilian, Iamblicus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodianus (Constantine) and Antoninus, who had been secretly baptised as Christians and who held steadfast to their faith. The soldiers were stripped of rank, and because they served the Emperor, they were not sentenced to death, but instead given a warning not to pursue their Christian faith any longer! They promptly distributed their property among the poor, took only a few coins and went into a c...