Historical accounts of early Christian saints and commemorations

The provided texts detail the martyrdom of several early Christian figures under the Roman Empire. The first account describes the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, soldiers in the army of Licinius, who were executed by freezing in a lake during the reign of governor Agricola for refusing to abandon their faith. The second text covers the missions of Bishops Ephraim, Basileus, Agathodorus, Elpidius, Eugenius, and Aetherius to Scythia and Cherson during the reign of Emperor Diocletian between 284 and 305 AD. These bishops were sent by the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Hermon, to spread Christianity. According to the text, Basileus was killed in Cherson after a miracle, while Ephraim was beheaded. Subsequently, other bishops were murdered by pagan residents, leading Aetherius to seek intervention from Constantine the Great. Constantine eventually ordered the expulsion of the pagans from Cherson, and Aetherius was later drowned in the Danube river after successfully establishing a church. These accounts serve as the basis for current ecclesiastical calendar commemorations observed in March.