Elimas of Babylon

Holy Hieromartyr Elimas of Babylon, a priest, suffered in the year 251, in the persecution of the Emperor Decius (249-251), together with Bishop Polychronius, the presbyters Parmenius and Chrysotelus, the deacons Luke and Mucus, and the martyrs Abdon, Sennis, Olympius and Maximus.

Decius, having defeated the Persians and taken their country, found many Christians there and began to persecute them. The bishop of Babylon, Polychronius, the presbyters Parmenius, Elimas and Chrysotelus and the two deacons were seized and brought to the emperor, who ordered them to sacrifice to the idols. Polychronius answered boldly that they offered themselves as a sacrifice to the Lord Jesus Christ, and would never bow to idols made by human hands.

Decius threw them into prison. At the second hearing Polychronius stood silent; Decius told the presbyters that their chief had gone mute, and Parmenius answered that the bishop had not gone mute but did not wish to defile his pure mouth and cast pearls before swine. For these words Decius ordered Parmenius' tongue cut out, but Parmenius, turning to Polychronius, said clearly: Pray for me, father, I see the Holy Spirit on you.

At Decius' command Bishop Polychronius was struck on the mouth with stones and, lifting his eyes to heaven, gave up his spirit. His body lay before the temple of Saturn, and at night two Persian princes, Abdon and Sennis, secret Christians, buried it beside the city wall.

Soon Decius left for Cordula and ordered the three presbyters and two deacons to be brought after him. At Cordula he again forced them to sacrifice to idols, but Parmenius, though without a tongue, answered loudly and firmly on behalf of all with a refusal. Decius, thinking that Parmenius spoke without a tongue by sorcery, ordered the torments increased and the confessors burned with fire.

Then a voice was heard from heaven: Come to Me, you who are meek of heart. Decius took this voice too for sorcery and ordered the heads of the martyrs cut off. The princes Abdon and Sennis stole their bodies at night and buried them in their village near Cordula; learning of this, Decius seized them and imprisoned them. They rejoiced and glorified God for this lot.

On the same day two other Persians, Olympius and Maximus, were brought to Decius as Christians, and after cruel torments were beheaded. For five days their bodies lay unburied, but on the sixth day Christians buried them with honour, secretly, by night. Returning to Rome, Decius led Abdon and Sennis with him in chains and commanded them to sacrifice to the gods, promising freedom and honours.

They answered that they offered themselves as a sacrifice only to their God, and that he should sacrifice to his gods himself. Decius condemned them to be eaten by beasts, but two lions and then four bears did not touch them and lay down at their feet; then Abdon and Sennis were beheaded with swords. Their bodies lay for three days before an idol to terrify the Christians, and at night a secret Christian, Cyrinus, buried them in his house. Their relics are kept in the church of Saint Mark in Rome.

The Synaxarion commemorates them all on 12 August (new style).