Holy Martyr Kaisarios of Damascus, and those with him

Bâb Tûmâ, one of the seven ancient gates of Damascus
which fell to the Islâmic invasion in 634

The first of November is also the feast-day of seven martyrs of seventh-century Damascus: Saint Kaisarios and those with him. Oftentimes Kaisarios alone is named, or alongside one other martyr, Saint Dasios. Other authorities give the full list of the names of this group of Damascene martyrs as: Kaisarios, Agrippa, Adrianos, Dasios, Sabba, Sabianos and Thōmas.

Their brief hagiographical entry states of these seven martyrs only that they were arrested in Damascus, and that they were instructed to deny Christ but refused. After this they were subjected to various tortures, none of which were effective in converting them. In the end, all seven were beheaded by the sword. Nothing is said about the nature of the persecution or the officials which placed them under arrest. However, given that Damascus in the seventh century was one of the conquests of the early Caliphate, it seems reasonable to assume that Saint Kaisarios and his companions suffered persecution during the expansion of Islâm or else during the rule of the ’Umawîyah which followed. Holy martyr Kaisarios and all those who accompanied you, steadfast confessors of Christ before your persecutors, pray unto Christ our God that our souls may be saved!