The Holy Seven Youths of Ephesus: Maximilian, Iamblichus, Martinian, Dionysius, Antoninus, Exacustodian (Constantine) and John (+c. 250)

The holy Seven Youths of Ephesus, Maximilian, Iamblichus, Martinian, Dionysius, Antoninus, Exacustodian (Constantine) and John, lived in the city of Ephesus. During the persecution of the Christians by Decius (249–251) they took refuge in a cave outside the city, to prepare themselves by prayer and fasting for the labour of martyrdom. The emperor had the entrance to the cave walled up with stones, and the Lord’s chosen ones fell asleep. More than a hundred and seventy years later, in the reign of the pious Emperor Theodosius the Younger (408–450), by the providence of God the cave was opened and a wonderful miracle took place: to refute the heretics who denied the resurrection of the dead, the youths of Ephesus woke up (their Life is given at length in the reading for 4 August). According to one account the saints first fell asleep on 4 August and woke on 22 October; according to another tradition, 22 August is the day of their second falling asleep.