Martyr4th century

Martyrs Manuel Sabel, and Ismael of Persia

died 362

Also known as Manuel · Sabel · Ismael

Three Persian brothers of noble birth, raised in the faith by their Christian mother, who came to the Romans as envoys and, confessing Christ, were put to death by Julian the Apostate.

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Commemorated as

The Holy, Glorious Martyrs Manuel, Sabel, and Ismael of Persia

Life

Manuel, Sabel, and Ismael were three brothers from an illustrious Persian family who were martyred in 362 during the reign of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate. Their father was a pagan, while their mother was a Christian who saw to their baptism and raised them in the Christian faith from childhood.

The brothers entered the military service of the Persian king Alamundar and were sent as envoys to Julian to negotiate a peace treaty between Persia and Rome. When they refused to take part in pagan sacrifices, Julian annulled the treaty, imprisoned them, and subjected them to torture before having them beheaded. They are commemorated together as a single brother group on June 17.

Kontakion & Troparion3 hymnsReadHide

KontakionTone 4

(Podoben: “You appeared today...”) The three divine Martyrs of Persia took up the Cross, and did not display cowardice,
but in the arena,
they proclaimed the One God in three Persons.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

KontakionTone 2

(Podoben: “You sought the heights...”) Wounded by faith in Christ, you drank faithfully from His cup,
and overthrew the idolatry and audacity of the Persians.
O blessèd Martyrs, equal in number to the Trinity,
intercede for us all.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 4

O godly champions and opponents of impiety, divinely-in
spired Manouḗl, wondrous Ishmaḗl, and Sabél,
you proclaimed Christ, the Son of God courageously,
and you shed your blood for Him.
Do not cease imploring Him to save our souls.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline2 momentsReadHide

362MartyrdomThe three brothers, having refused to take part in pagan sacrifices while serving as envoys to Julian the Apostate, were tortured and beheaded.
395Church built at ConstantinopleEmperor Theodosius the Great built a church in their honor at Constantinople, thirty-three years after their deaths.

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributionsReadHide

Mission and Confession

The three brothers reached adulthood and entered the service of the Persian king Alamundar, who sent them as diplomatic representatives to conclude a peace treaty with the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate, who reigned from 361 to 363. Julian at first received the envoys respectfully and with due honor.

His attitude changed when the brothers declined to participate in the pagan religious rituals that accompanied the negotiations. The synaxarion relates that they explained they had come on behalf of their king to discuss matters of state, not questions of religion. Julian nonetheless annulled the peace agreement and had the brothers imprisoned as common criminals rather than treated as ambassadors, demanding that they renounce their Christian faith.

Martyrdom

When the brothers remained steadfast, Julian ordered them severely tortured: their limbs were nailed to trees, iron spikes were driven into their heads, and sharp splinters were forced beneath the nails of their fingers and toes. The account relates that the saints glorified God and prayed as though they did not feel the torments. They were ultimately beheaded in 362.

Julian ordered their bodies burned. According to the synaxarion, an earthquake followed and the earth swallowed their remains; after Christians prayed for two days, the earth gave the bodies back, and they emanated a sweet fragrance. This was held to have converted many pagans to Christianity. The brothers' death falls within Julian's reign and before his Persian military campaign, which began in March 363 and ended with his death on June 26 of that year.

Legacy

By tradition, the Persian king Alamundar later defeated Julian's forces in battle after learning of the murder of his envoys. In 395, thirty-three years after the brothers' deaths, the emperor Theodosius the Great built a church in their honor at Constantinople.

The hieromonk Germanos, later Patriarch of Constantinople, composed a canon in honor of the three brothers.

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Patriarch of Constantinople who composed a canon in their honor.

Saint GermanusPatriarch of Constantinople

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints