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Saint Theodosius, Roman Emperor (also known as Flavius Theodosius), born in Spain, about 346; died at Milan, 17January, 395. Theodosius is one of the sovereigns by universal consent called Great. He stamped out the last vestiges of paganism, put an end to the Arian heresy in the empire,pacified the Goths, left a famous example of penitence for a crime, and reigned as a just and mighty Christian emperor. He was already married to Aelia Flacilla, by whom he had two sons, Arcadius and Honorius (his future successors) and a daughter Pulcheria. A great part of the emperor's activity was now spent in establishing the catholic and orthodox faith and repressing Arianism. In February, 380, he and Gratian published the famous edict that all their subjects should profess the faith of the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria. The conventicles of the heretics were not to be called churches. During all his reign Theodosius took severe measures against the surviving remnants of paganism. In 388 a prefect was sent around Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor for the purpose of destroying temples and breaking up pagan associations., The legend of the Seven Children of Ephesus has its origins in the third century A.D. at a time when Ephesus was ruled by the Emperor Decius, who was a terror to Christian believers. Fleeing persecution, seven Christian youths left Ephesus and found a cave outside the city walls. They sealed themselves in and went to sleep. Two hundred years later in the fifth century A.D. an earthquake opened up the cave and awakened the sleepers. They crawled out of the cave and wandered back to Ephesus to find a changed city. Christianity had taken hold. The seven sleepers were entombed in the cave after their deaths. Soon after their deaths, the Grotto became a holy shrine for a cult, which worshipped the seven sleepers. In actuality, however, it is a Byzantine-era necropolis with several tombs cut into the rock.