THE years passed quickly. Soon Decius was no more; grass grew, and sheep grazed on the hill. Then one day a shepherd, looking for shelter, began moving the stones at the entrance to the cave. As he laboured, he heard the singing of psalms from within. Louder and louder it grew, until seven young men scrambled out.
Thinking that only one night had gone by, Maximian sent Malchus into Ephesus for bread. But the streets were strange to him; there was even a Christian cross over the city gate. Malchus’s demand to see Emperor Decius drew only doubtful stares; and when he tried to buy bread, he was arrested for trying to pass currency not used for two centuries.
There was a fine rumpus, but when the bishop read Malchus’s diary he was convinced, and wrote excitedly to Emperor Theodosius declaring a miracle.* Malchus, meanwhile, rejoined Maximian and the others at the cave. There the seven sleepers of Ephesus lived out their days singing psalms, offering a sacrifice of praise for the stability of the Empire.*
Emperor Theodosius II came to the throne in 402 as an infant, and ruled under a regent until 416. He died in 450, and his sister Pulcheria took over as Empress. Elfric calls the bishop Marinus, but Gregory of Tours does not name him; if these events took place in the days of Emperor Theodosius, then of the bishops we know the candidates include Heraclides (fl. 403), Memnon (fl. 440), Bassianus (444-448) and Stephen (448-451). Bassianus was popular but irregularly consecrated; Stephen, who managed to oust him, was unpopular and his doctrine of Christ failed the test of the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Their rivalry was resolved when they were both forced to retire.
St Gregory of Tours (538-594) indicates that the Seven died again almost immediately, but Elfric (?955-?1022) tells how the Emperor came to see them, and found them with shining faces (like Moses after his meetings with God). They assured him that ‘we will be for thee [here] within oftentimes praying God for this, that He will preserve thee in holy fulness of faith, and in the strength of thy belief, and thy kingdom in peace.’