Babyle

Who they were

Babila was bishop of Antioch in the 240s AD and died a martyr in prison there, following his confession of faith, during the persecution of the Emperor Decius around the year 250, according to the historian Eusebius of Caesarea writing over half a century later. Ancient martyrologies join his memory, on 24 January, to that of three boy martyrs, and John Chrysostom, drawing on traditions current at Antioch, tells how Babila once barred the church doors to an emperor who had treacherously killed a hostage prince and then tried to take part in the liturgy with blood on his hands; Babila was afterwards arrested and condemned to death, asking to be buried together with the chains of his imprisonment.

According to this account he was beheaded, rather than dying of privation in prison as Eusebius has it, and the identity of the unnamed emperor involved remains debated among historians. Tradition names the three boys martyred with him, whom he had instructed in the faith, as Barbadus aged twelve, Apollonius aged nine and Urbanus aged seven, though the names and their order vary between sources.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

Bishop of Antioch martyred under the Emperor Decius after barring an emperor guilty of murder from the church; venerated together with three boy martyrs he had instructed in the faith.

Connected on this site

• John Chrysostom Saint
  “Ancient martyrologies join his memory, on 24 January, to that of three boy martyrs, and John Chrysostom, drawing on traditions current at Antioch, tells how Babila once barred the church doors to an emperor who had treacherously killed a hostage prince and then tried to take part in the liturgy with blood on his…” — this site's research