Pelagia the Virgin

For the Pelagia of Antioch also known as Pelagia the Penitant or Pelagia the Harlot, see Saint Pelagia. For other uses, see Pelagia (disambiguation).
Saint Pelagia
Virgin & Martyr
Born late 3rd century
Residence Antioch
Died Antioch
Venerated in Roman Catholic Church
Greek Orthodox Church
Major shrine Antioch
Feast October 8 (Greek Orthodox)
June 9 (Roman Catholic)
October 5 (Naples)

Pelagia (Greek: Πελαγία), distinguished as Pelagia of Antioch and Pelagia the Virgin, was a Christian saint, virgin, and martyr who committed suicide during the Diocletian Persecution rather than be forced by Roman soldiers to offer a public sacrifice to the pagan gods.[1] She was 15 years old. Originally, her feast day was celebrated on October 8,[2] in common with SS Pelagia the Harlot and Pelagia of Tarsus.[3] In the Roman Catholic Church, it came to be celebrated on June 9[1] and, at Naples in Italy, she is celebrated on October 5.[4]

Life

Pelagia is mentioned by Ambrose[5] and was the subject of two sermons by John Chrysostom.[6] She was home alone during the Diocletian Persecution when Roman soldiers arrived. She came out to meet them and, discovering they intended to compel her to participate in a pagan sacrifice, she received permission to change her clothes. She went to the roof of her house and threw herself into the sea.[1] The patristic sources treat this as a sacred martyrdom rather than an ignoble suicide.

Legacy

Pelagia's story was the probable basis for the later dubious accounts of Pelagia of Tarsus.[1]

See also

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 Kirsch (1911).
  2. Wright's Syriac Martyrology.
  3. Greek Synaxarion.
  4. Butler (1866), "8 October: St. Pelagia, Penitent".
  5. Ambrose, De Virg., III, 7, 33.
  6. Chrysostom, Hom. in Matth. lxvii. (Latin)

Bibliography

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/23/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.