The Theban Legion (286 AD)
Today, I honor 6000 brave Christians who served & died under the evil hand of Emperor Maximian. They started out of Thebes Egypt, 6600 men who 1st pledged allegiance to Christ and 2nd to Maximian. Records of their martyrdom didn't surface until 64 yrs later 350 and not until 490 was it written. In 515, a monastery in Burgandy Switzerland was named after these courageous Christians who resisted killing of innocent Christians for Maximian.
Under the command of Mauritius (St. Maurice later), they had just executed the Emperors command to put down an insurrection in Gaul. Maximian then ordered the legion to take an oath of allegiance that he was divine & then slaughter all Christians in the Burgundy region.
Being Christians themselves, he wrote back asking to recuse himself and allow other battalions to carry out such order. Stating, he & his men could not kill innocents without first dishonoring their first oath, taken at baptism, to love and serve God above all else.
Maximian was ego hurt & replied: execute every tenth man of your legion. It was done. 660 loyal warriors to Rome was slaughtered! He ordered again a second. We cant imagine what was going through these brave Christians minds at the time. They could have revolted, run away, made other choices, defend themselves! Mauritius replied:
"Emperor, we are your soldiers but also the soldiers of the true God. We owe you military service & obedience, but we cannot renounce Him who is our Creator & Master, and also yours even though you reject Him. In all things which are not against His law, we most willingly obey you, as we have done hitherto. We readily oppose your enemies, where ever they are, but we cannot stain our hands with the blood of innocent Christians. We have taken an oath to God before we took one to you. You cannot place any confidence in our second oath if we violate the first!"
In rage, Maximian condemned the entire legion to death Sept 22 286. The legion did not fight back or defend themselves. Nearly 6000 Christians died for their 1st allegiance to Christ by their 2nd in command Maximian.
What loyalty this legion of Thebes had to Christ. I desire that!
Under the command of Mauritius (St. Maurice later), they had just executed the Emperors command to put down an insurrection in Gaul. Maximian then ordered the legion to take an oath of allegiance that he was divine & then slaughter all Christians in the Burgundy region.
Being Christians themselves, he wrote back asking to recuse himself and allow other battalions to carry out such order. Stating, he & his men could not kill innocents without first dishonoring their first oath, taken at baptism, to love and serve God above all else.
Maximian was ego hurt & replied: execute every tenth man of your legion. It was done. 660 loyal warriors to Rome was slaughtered! He ordered again a second. We cant imagine what was going through these brave Christians minds at the time. They could have revolted, run away, made other choices, defend themselves! Mauritius replied:
"Emperor, we are your soldiers but also the soldiers of the true God. We owe you military service & obedience, but we cannot renounce Him who is our Creator & Master, and also yours even though you reject Him. In all things which are not against His law, we most willingly obey you, as we have done hitherto. We readily oppose your enemies, where ever they are, but we cannot stain our hands with the blood of innocent Christians. We have taken an oath to God before we took one to you. You cannot place any confidence in our second oath if we violate the first!"
In rage, Maximian condemned the entire legion to death Sept 22 286. The legion did not fight back or defend themselves. Nearly 6000 Christians died for their 1st allegiance to Christ by their 2nd in command Maximian.
What loyalty this legion of Thebes had to Christ. I desire that!
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