Babylas of Antioch

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Roman Catholic
, January 24

Babylas (

Roman Rite, January 24. He has the distinction of being the first saint recorded as having had his remains moved or "translated" for religious purposes; a practice that was to become extremely common in later centuries.[3]

Life

Babylas was the successor of Zebinus as Bishop of Antioch in the reign of the Emperor Gordian III (238–244), being the twelfth bishop of the see. During the Decian persecution (250) he made an unwavering confession of faith and was thrown into prison where he died from his sufferings. He was, therefore, venerated as a martyr.[4]

John Chrysostom's homily upon Babylas and the Acts of the Martyrs report the following story, that Babylas once refused the visiting pagan emperor, on account of his sinful ways, permission to enter the church and had ordered him to take his place among the penitents. John does not give the name of the emperor; the Acts mention Numerian.[5] It is more likely the contemporary Philip the Arab of whom Eusebius (Historia ecclesiastica, VI, 34) reports that a bishop would not let him enter the gathering of Christians at the Easter vigil.[4] Later legend elaborates on this, stating that Babylas demanded that he do penance for his part in the murder of the young Gordian III before he would allow Philip to celebrate Easter.

Veneration

In 351 the Caesar

translating the remains of Babylas to Daphne was to neutralize the pagan effects of the temple of Apollo
located there, or, as Chrysostom expresses it, to "bring a physician to the sick."

According to Chrysostom, when Emperor

Orontes. Near the close of his discourse John Chrysostom refers to the erection of the church dedicated to Babylas, and to the zeal of the Bishop Meletius
in promoting it, who actually took part in the work with his own hands.

This was the first recorded "translation" of the buried remains of a saint, something that was to become routine in the Middle Ages.

The columns and walls of the ruined temple were still pointed out twenty years later. In the Middle Ages, the remains of Babylas are said to have been moved to Cremona.

References

  1. ISBN 9781088279311
    .
  2. Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica
    , VI, 39.
  3. ^ Eduard Syndicus; Early Christian Art; p. 73; Burns & Oates, London, 1962
  4. ^ a b c Kirsch, Johann Peter, "St. Babylas", The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 12 Feb. 2014
  5. ^ http://www.diakonima.gr/2013/09/04/%ce%ac%ce%b3%ce%b9%ce%bf%cf%82-%ce%b2%ce%b1%ce%b2%cf%8d%ce%bb%ce%b1%cf%82-%ce%bf-%ce%b9%ce%b5%cf%81%ce%bf%ce%bc%ce%ac%cf%81%cf%84%cf%85%cf%81%ce%b1%cf%82-%ce%b5%cf%80%ce%af%cf%83%ce%ba%ce%bf%cf%80/
  6. ^ a b c d Frendo 2007, p. 86.

Sources

  • Frendo, David (2007). "Dangerous Ideas: Julian's Persian Campaign, Its Historical Background, Motivation, and Objectives". Bulletin of the Asia Institute. 21.

External links

Titles of the Great Christian Church
Preceded by
Zebinus
Patriarch of Antioch

237–253 		Succeeded by
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