Bishop Acacius was over Amida, Mesopotamia during the reign of Roman Emperor Theodosius in 400-425 AD. The Romans had captured 7,000 Persians and were holding them in Amida at the time. Acacius saw that the prisoners of war were starving and in utter misery, and decided to do something about it.
He brought his clergymen together and told them “Our God, my brethren, needs neither dishes nor cups; for He neither eats nor drinks, nor is in want of anything.” He went on to tell them that they would sell the church’s sacred silver and gold vessels and use the money to help the Persians.
The Bishop used the money to free, feed, and clothe the Persian prisoners and send them back to Persia. When they got there and told their Sassanid Emperor Bahram V what the Bishop had done for them, he was extremely impressed. He ordered for the persecution of the Christians to cease and asked to meet Acacius.
The Bishop’s kindness and charity ended the hostility between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Sassanid Empire. Christianity was allowed to flourish in the Persian Empire, as well.