Christianity’s history of discrimination against the gay community is widely known, and the irrational aversion on the part of Christians towards same-sex relationships and marriage is unfortunate, to say the least. So, it should come as a big surprise that, during the early days of the religion, there were two male lovers who would go on to be venerated as saints across the whole of Christendom. Their names were Sergius and Bacchus, and this is their story.
(Note that most of the assertions surrounding the couple’s relationship come from the research of historian John Boswell).
A Secret Calling
Sergius and Bacchus were high-ranking Roman soldiers during the reign of emperor Galerius, at the beginning of the fourth century. They were originally described as erastai, meaning lovers, indicating they were engaged in an erotic homosexual relationship. That did not bother their contemporaries. However, same-sex couples weren’t uncommon back then.
But Sergius and Bacchus did have a secret that had nothing to do with their sexuality. They were Christians during a time where being one was a crime—and so they had to keep their true religion hidden from the world.
Did you know… the word erastai is related to Eros, a winged son of Aphrodite and the Greek god of love and sex. His Roman counterpart is, you guessed it, the beloved Cupid.
Historian and scholar John Boswell has argued that Sergius and Bacchus were united under the ritual of adelphopoiesis, or brother-making, a form of early Christian same-sex marriage. This, of course, has been disputed, but there’s little doubt they had a devotion towards each other that went beyond our modern understanding of friendship. They went everywhere and did everything together, and the two passionately shared a single faith in a hostile environment.
The Secret Exposed
One day, their military company entered a pagan temple, but the couple refused to join them. This proved highly suspicious to their fellow soldiers. When the emperor himself ordered them to perform a sacrifice to Jupiter, they again refused. Their secret was out: they admitted to being Christians and did not apologize for it. So, they were chained, dressed like women, and paraded around town in an attempt to humiliate them. They took the opportunity to label themselves as brides of Christ, arguing that both men and women honored God all the same.
As they did not submit to Roman standards, Galerius sent the defying couple to Barbalissos, near the Euphrates river in Mesopotamia. There they were tried by Antiochus, a military commander and friend of Sergius. But they again refused to give up their faith. So, they were beaten and flogged.
Did you know… In 250 AD, a widespread official persecution of Christians took place across the Roman Empire as a consequence of an edict by the emperor Decius. Many Christians were killed during this time, and many others renounced their faith to avoid being killed by authorities.
Bacchus died first, falling to the horrors of torture. The next day, Bacchus’ spirit came to Sergius, who was weeping for his lover’s death. The 5th-century Christian text, Passion of Sergius and Bacchus, says that at this point, Bacchus questioned Sergius’ sadness.
“Why do you grieve and mourn, brother? If I have been taken away from you in body, I am still with you in the bond of union, chanting and reciting, ‘I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shall enlarge my heart.'” Not long after, Sergius was beheaded.
Martyrs and Saints
During the 5th century, the tragic story of the male lovers who died for their faith became widely popular, as hymns were sung and churches built to honor their names across the world. Sergius and Bacchus were quickly revered as martyrs and saints by the Catholic Church as well as the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Ancient and medieval hymns clearly show just how beloved this couple was during the time. Here’s a fragment from one dating to the 6th-century:
Of Serge and Bacchus,
the pair
filled with grace,
let us sing, O ye faithful!
Glory to Him who worketh
through his saints
amazing and wonderful deeds!
It was not desire for this world
that captivated Serge for Christ,
nor the empty life of worldly affairs
[that captivated] Bacchus;
rather, made one
as brethren
in the bond of love
they called out valiantly to the tyrant,
See in two bodies one
soul and heart,
one will and virtue.
Take those that yearn to please God.
Glory to Him who worketh
through his saints
amazing and wonderful deeds!
The Nature of Their Love
And for those doubtful about the nature of their union, here’s another hymn from the 9th century:
I. O ye heavens, draw up the marriage contract as our
voices resound with odes
And let us make manifest the gracious rewards of the
Lord.
We who are below shall celebrate the saints with an
illustrious hymn
From our very hearts.
II. Holy martyrs shining by virtue of your merits,
Sergius and Bacchus,
As partners you wear God’s crown, you have
transcended
Together the enclosure of the flesh; and now you are
Above the stars.
It’s worth noting that at no point during the trial or later rise to fame was their sexuality an issue. Not for the Romans, and not for the early Christians who wrote their story and venerated their courage. The only “sin” the couple had committed was to have faith in the wrong God in the wrong circumstances.
Now, most modern assertions surrounding the sexuality of Sergius and Bacchus come from John Boswell’s research, and many have disputed one or more of his conclusions. Some question the very existence of these figures, considering some issues relating to the 5th-century text from which their story is known. What is clear, however, is that these two saints were in fact venerated for centuries starting in the 5th century, and their close relationship has inspired many gay Christians, who’ve now taken them as the patron figures of homosexuality in Christian canon.
Though the Western Church unfortunately no longer recognizes them as official saints by Vatican decree (no surprise there), they remain highly celebrated across many religious communities. Their official feast day is October 7.