E04058: Sozomen in his Ecclesiastical History recounts the discovery of relics of the *Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (S00103) under the church of *Thyrsos (martyr of Bithynia, S00612) in Constantinople, after dream visions experienced by the empress Pulcheria in 434/447. The relics had been buried in the private tomb of a noble woman of the Macedonianist sect in the late 4th century. Written in Greek at Constantinople, 439/450.

Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History, 9.2.

(1) Γυνή τις Εὐσεβία τοὔνομα, διάκονος τῆς Μακεδονίου αἱρέσεως, οἴκημα καὶ κῆπον εἶχε πρὸ τοῦ τείχους Κωνσταντινουπόλεως· καὶ ἱερὰ λείψανα ἐνθάδε ἐφύλαττε τῶν ἐν Σεβαστείᾳ τῆς Ἀρμενίας κατὰ τοὺς Λικινίου χρόνους μαρτυρησάντων τεσσαράκοντα στρατιωτῶν. (2) μέλλουσα δὲ τελευτᾶν κατέλιπε τὸν προειρημένον τόπον μοναχοῖς ὁμοδόξοις, καὶ μεθ’ ὅρκων αὐτῶν ἐδεήθη ἐκεῖσε ταφῆναι, ὑπὲρ δὲ κεφαλῆς ἐπὶ τῷ ἄκρῳ τὴν αὐτῆς σορὸν ἰδίᾳ ξέσαι καὶ συγκαταθέσθαι αὐτῇ τῶν μαρτύρων τὰ λείψανα, καὶ μηδενὶ καταμηνῦσαι. (3) καὶ οἱ μὲν ὧδε ἐποίουν. ὥστε δὲ τῆς προσηκούσης θεραπείας μεταλαγχάνειν τοὺς μάρτυρας καὶ τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἀγνοεῖν κατὰ τὰ συντεθειμένα πρὸς Εὐσεβίαν, εὐκτήριον οἶκον ὑπὸ γῆν ἐτεκτήναντο περὶ τὴν αὐτῆς θήκην, εἰς δὲ τὸ προφανὲς οἴκημα ὑπεράνω πλίνθοις ὀπταῖς τὸ ἔδαφος ἠμφιεσμένον καὶ καταβάσιον ἐκ τούτου λανθάνον ἐπὶ τοὺς μάρτυρας. (4) μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα Καισάριος ἀνὴρ τῶν τότε ἐν δυνάμει, ὃς καὶ ὑπάτου καὶ ὑπάρχου εἰς ἀξίαν προῆλθεν, θανοῦσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν γαμετὴν παρὰ τὴν Εὐσεβίας σορὸν ἔθαψε· τοῦτο γὰρ ἔτι περιούσαις αὐταῖς συνέδοξεν ὑπερφυῶς κεχαρισμέναις ἀλλήλαις καὶ περὶ τὸ δόγμα καὶ τὴν θρησκείαν ὁμοφρονούσαις. (5) ἐντεῦθεν πρόφασις ἐγένετο Καισαρίῳ κτήσασθαι τοῦτον τὸν τόπον, ὡς ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς πλησίον τῆς γαμετῆς ταφείη. οἱ δὲ προειρημένοι μοναχοὶ ἀλλαχῇ μετῳκίσθησαν μηδὲν περὶ τῶν μαρτύρων ὁμολογήσαντες.

(6) καταπεσόντος δὲ τοῦ οἴκου μετὰ ταῦτα γῆς τε καὶ φορυτοῦ ἐπιβληθέντος πᾶς ὁ τῇδε τόπος ἐξωμαλίσθη, καθότι αὐτὸς Καισάριος εἰς τιμὴν Θύρσου τοῦ μάρτυρος μεγαλοπρεπῆ ναὸν τῷ θεῷ ἐνθάδε ἀνέστησεν. ὡς ἔοικε δέ, ὧδε ἐπιμελῶς ἀφανισθῆναι τὸν προειρημένον χῶρον καὶ τοσοῦτον προελθεῖν χρόνον ὁ θεὸς ἐβούλετο, παραδοξοτέραν καὶ ἐπιφανεστέραν κατασκευάζων τῶν μαρτύρων τὴν εὕρεσιν καὶ τῆς εὑρούσης τὴν θεοφίλειαν. ἦν δὲ τοῦ κρατοῦντος ἡ ἀδελφὴ Πουλχερία ἡ βασιλίς. (7) ἐπιφανεὶς γὰρ αὐτῇ τρίτον ὁ θεσπέσιος Θύρσος τοὺς ὑπὸ γῆν κρυπτομένους ἐμήνυσεν καὶ μετατίθεσθαι πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐκέλευσεν, ὥστε τῆς ὁμοίας θέσεως καὶ τιμῆς μετέχειν. ἅμα δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ τεσσαράκοντα χλανίδας ἠμφιεσμένοι λαμπρὰς καταδήλους αὐτῇ σφᾶς ἐποίησαν. ἐδόκει δὲ πίστεως κρεῖττον εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ παντελῶς ἄπορον. (8) οὔτε γὰρ οἱ παλαιότεροι τῶν ἐνθάδε κληρικῶν πολλάκις ἐρωτηθέντες οὔτε ἄλλος οὐδεὶς καταμηνύειν εἶχε τοὺς μάρτυρας. τὸ δὴ τελευταῖον πάντων ἀμηχανούντων Πολυχρονίῳ τινὶ πρεσβυτέρῳ, πάλαι γενομένῳ τῶν Καισαρίου οἰκείων, ἄγει τὸ θεῖον εἰς νοῦν τούς ποτε τὸν τόπον οἰκήσαντας μοναχούς. (9) καὶ παρὰ τοὺς Μακεδονιανῶν κληρικοὺς ἐλθὼν ἐπυνθάνετο περὶ αὐτῶν. ἤδη δὲ πάντων τετελευτηκότων ἕνα μόνον περιόντα εὑρών, ὡς ἐπὶ μηνύσει τῶν ἐπιζητουμένων μαρτύρων ἔτι πεφυλαγμένον ἐν ζῶσιν, ἐδεῖτο φράζειν, εἴ γε ἱερὰ λείψανα οἶδεν ὑπὸ τὸν δηλωθέντα χῶρον κρυπτόμενα. (10) ἐπεὶ δὲ διὰ τὰς πρὸς Εὐσεβίαν συνθήκας ἰδὼν αὐτὸν Πολυχρόνιος ὑποπαραιτούμενον καὶ τὴν θείαν ἐπιφάνειαν ἐδήλωσε καὶ τῆς βασιλίδος τὰς ὀχλήσεις καὶ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀμηχανίαν, συνωμολόγησεν ἀληθῆ τὸν θεὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι τῇ κρατούσῃ· βούπαιδα γὰρ τότε ὄντα καὶ ὑπὸ γέροντας ἡγουμένους τὴν μοναχικὴν ἐκδιδασκόμενον ἀκριβῶς ἐπίστασθαι μάρτυρας κεῖσθαι παρὰ τὴν τῆς Εὐσεβίας σορόν· μὴ εἰδέναι μέντοι, πότερον ὑπὸ τέμενος ἢ ἑτέρωθι κατορωρυγμένοι εἰσί, τῷ πολὺν παρελθεῖν χρόνον καὶ τὴν προτέραν ὄψιν τοῦ τόπου εἰς τὸ νῦν φαινόμενον ἀμειφθῆναι. (11) «καὶ μήν», ἔφη Πολυχρόνιος, «οὐ τὸ αὐτὸ πέπονθα· μέμνημαι γὰρ παρατυχὼν τῇ ταφῇ τῆς Καισαρίου γαμετῆς, καὶ ἀναλογιζόμενος ἐκ τῆς πέλας παρακειμένης λεωφόρου εἰκάζω αὐτὴν κεῖσθαι παρὰ τὸν ἄμβωνα» (βῆμα δὲ τοῦτο τῶν ἀναγνωστῶν). «οὐκοῦν», ὑπολαβὼν ὁ μοναχὸς εἶπε, «καὶ τὴν Εὐσεβίας σορὸν παρὰ τὴν Καισαρίου γαμετὴν ζητητέον, καθότι καὶ περιοῦσαι τὰ πολλὰ συνῆσαν ἀλλήλαις καὶ θανοῦσαι συνέθεντο ἅμα τὰς θήκας ἔχειν.»

(12) ἐπεὶ δὲ κατὰ τὰ εἰρημένα ὀρύσσειν ἔδει καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ λείψανα ἀνιχνεύειν, μαθοῦσα ταῦτα ἡ βασιλὶς προσέταξεν ἔχεσθαι τοῦ ἔργου. (13) ἀνορυγέντος τε τοῦ περὶ τὸν ἄμβωνα χώρου ηὑρέθη ἡ τῆς Καισαρίου γαμετῆς θήκη, καθὼς συνέβαλε Πολυχρόνιος, ὀλίγον δὲ διεστὼς ἐκ πλαγίου κατάστρωμα πλίνθων ὀπτῶν, ἰσόμετρός τε τῇ τούτων περιβολῇ πλὰξ μαρμαρίνη· ὑφ’ ἣν αὐτῆς Εὐσεβίας ἡ σορὸς ἀπεδείχθη καὶ τὸ περὶ αὐτὴν εὐκτήριον ἐπιεικῶς μάλα λευκοπορφύροις μαρμάροις ἠμφιεσμένον· τὸ δὲ ἐπίθεμα τῆς θήκης ὥσπερ εἰς ἱερὰν ἐξήσκητο τράπεζαν. ἐπ’ ἄκρου δέ, καθ’ ὃ οἱ μάρτυρες ἔκειντο, τρύπημα μικρὸν ἀνεφάνη. (14) παρεστὼς δέ τις τοῦ βασιλέως οἴκου ῥάβδον λεπτὴν ἣν ἔτυχε κατέχων διὰ τοῦ τρυπήματος καθῆκε· καὶ ἀνιμήσας τῇ ῥινὶ προσήγαγε, καὶ μύρων εὐωδίας ὠσφράνθη. ἐκ τούτου δὲ ἀγαθαὶ ἐλπίδες τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις καὶ τοῖς ἐφεστῶσιν ἐγένοντο, καὶ σπουδῇ τὴν σορὸν ἀποκαλύψαντες εὑρίσκουσι τὴν Εὐσεβίαν. (15) τὸ δὲ πρὸς κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς ἐξέχον τῆς θήκης, εἰς κιβωτοῦ σχῆμα περιεξεσμένον, ἰδίῳ ἔνδοθεν ἐκαλύπτετο ἐπιθέματι· καὶ ἑκατέρωθεν αὐτῷ πρὸς τὰ χείλη σίδηρος ἐπικείμενος συνεῖχε μολύβδῳ συμπεπηγώς. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ μέσου τὸ αὐτὸ τρύπημα πάλιν ἀναφανὲν ἔτι σαφέστερον ἐδείκνυ ἔνδοθεν ἔχειν τοὺς μάρτυρας. (16) ὡς δὲ ταῦτα ἠγγέλθη, συνέδραμον εἰς τὸ μαρτύριον ἥ τε βασιλὶς καὶ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος· αὐτίκα τε διὰ τῶν ἐπιστημόνων περιαιρεθέντων τῶν σιδηρίων δεσμῶν εὐπετῶς ἐξειλκύσθη τὸ ἐπίθεμα· ὑπὸ δὲ τοῦτο μύρα πολλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς μύροις ἀλαβαστροθῆκαι ἀργυραῖ δύο ηὑρέθησαν, ἐν αἷς τὰ ἱερὰ λείψανα ἔκειτο. (17) τότε μὲν οὖν ἡ βασιλὶς εὐχαριστήρια ηὔξατο τῷ θεῷ, τοσαύτης ἐπιφανείας ἀξιωθεῖσα καὶ τῆς εὑρέσεως ἐπιτυχοῦσα τῶν ἱερῶν λειψάνων· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πολυτελεστάτῃ θήκῃ τιμῶσα τοὺς μάρτυρας παρὰ τὸν θεσπέσιον Θύρσον κατέθετο, δημοτελοῦς ἑορτῆς ὡς εἰκὸς καὶ τῆς προσηκούσης πομπῆς σὺν ψαλμῳδίαις ἐπιτελεσθείσης, ᾗ καὶ ἐγὼ αὐτὸς παρεγενόμην. (18) καὶ τὰ μὲν ὧδε γενέσθαι οἱ παρατυχόντες τῇ ἑορτῇ μαρτυρήσουσι· σχεδὸν γὰρ πάντες ἔτι περίεισιν, καθότι πολλῷ ὕστερον συνέβη Πρόκλου ἐπιτροπεύοντος τὴν Κωνσταντινουπόλεως ἐκκλησίαν.


‘1. A woman called Eusebia, who was a deaconess of the Macedonianist sect, had a house and garden outside the walls of Constantinople, where she kept holy relics of the forty soldiers who had suffered martyrdom under Licinius at Sebaste in Armenia. 2. When she was about to die, she bequeathed the said property to monks of her creed, and bound them by oath to bury her there, hew out a separate place above her head at the top of her coffin, and bury the relics of the martyrs with her, without telling anyone. 3. The monks did so. Yet in order that the martyrs might receive due veneration without others knowing, according to the agreement with Eusebia, they created a subterranean oratory surrounding her tomb, a building visible on the surface above, with its floor paved with baked bricks, and a secret descent leading thence to the martyrs. 4. At some point later, a powerful man of that time called Kaisarios, who had been appointed to the dignities of consul and prefect, lost his wife and buried her next to the tomb of Eusebia. This had been agreed by the two women, while they were still alive, for they had been particularly fond of each other and shared the same faith and religious community. 5. That provided a reason for Kaisarios to purchase this place, in order that he might be entombed by his wife. As for the aforesaid monks, they were settled elsewhere, without disclosing anything about the martyrs.

6. At some later point, the building collapsed and the site was levelled and filled up with earth and rubble, because the same Kaisarios erected there a magnificent temple of God in honour of Thyrsos the martyr. It seems that God willed that the aforesaid site should be so perfectly obliterated, and that such a long period of time should elapse, because He wished to render more extraordinary and spectacular the finding of the martyrs and His favour for the finder. And the latter was the sister of our reigning sovereign, the empress Pulcheria. 7. The divine Thyrsos appeared to her three times, and disclosed to her who were buried in the ground, commanding that they be moved by his side, in order that they share the same position and veneration. But also the Forty themselves appeared to her, wearing splendid chlamyses. Yet the whole thing was regarded as incredible and altogether impossible. 8. For neither the earlier clerics of the shrine, who were persistently asked about this, nor indeed anyone else had any information about the martyrs. Finally, while everyone was at a loss, God reminded a certain presbyter called Polychronios, who had once been a friend of Kaisarios, about the monks that had once inhabited that place. 9. He then went to the clerics of the Macedonianists to inquire about them. All of them had already died, and he found only one living, as if preserved in life just in order to disclose the whereabouts of the holy martyrs they were looking for. He asked him if he was aware of any holy relics being buried at the said site. 10. As he saw him reluctant, on account of their agreement with Eusebia, Polychronios told him about the divine revelation, the enquiries of the empress, and their inability to find a solution. The monk then admitted that God had revealed the truth to the empress. Back then he had been a cowherd, trained in the monastic life under the instruction of elders, and he knew with certainty that relics of martyrs rested by the coffin of Eusebia. Yet he did not know whether they were buried under the shrine or elsewhere, because so much time had elapsed, transforming the site to its current appearance. 11. “Well, then,” said Polychronios, “that is not the case with me. For I remember attending the funeral of Kaisarios’ wife and, judging from the location of the neighbouring road, I assume that she should be resting near the ambo” (that is the readers’ tribune). “In that case,” added the monk, “you should look for Eusebia’s tomb as well next to the wife of Kaisarios, because they had spent most of their lives together and had agreed to share the same tomb.”

12. Τhese words, then, suggested that it was necessary to dig, in order to locate the holy relics. Hearing about it, the empress commanded them to start with the work. 13. Thus the site around the ambo was excavated and the coffin of Kaisarios’ wife was unc