Today, March 6, Saturday of the Souls, as it is called, the Church commemorates the miraculous
event of the discovery of the Holy Cross by St. Helen. The Church also commemorates the holy 42
Martyrs of Amorium (in Phrygia). Passion-bearers Constantine, Aetius, Theophilus, Theodore were
among those who were martyred.
We also celebrate the memory of Saint Arcadius, who is listed by Leontios Machairas as one of the
saints of the Church of Cyprus. He served as Archbishop of Cyprus.
The holy 42 martyrs lived during the reign of the iconoclast Emperor Theophilus and were a group of
Byzantine senior officials. When the city of Amorium in Phrygia was occupied by the Arabs in 838 AD,
the 42 officers and notables of Amorium were taken as hostages. They were transferred to Samarra
and imprisoned.
Even deprived of water, they prayed to the God to deem them worthy to receive the wreath of
martyrdom. Indeed, a few days later they were brought to the caliph, who in a friendly manner
promised to restore them to their posts if they converted to Islam.
The saints with one mind and one mouth confessed their faith in God and refused to convert to
Islam, who angrily ordered their beheading.
Source: Church of Cyprus
Website: https://orthodoxtimes.com/memory-of-holy-forty-two-martyrs-of-amorium-2/
