Sunday, December 29, 2013

Little known Greek martyr in the early Church

St. Anysia


                                 
St. Anysia
St. Anysia
 
 
 
Feastday: December 30
284 - 304

Martyr of Greece. She was a wealthy woman of Salonika, in Thessaly, who used her personal funds to aid the poor. A soldier accosted her in the street and tried to drag her to a pagan sacrifice. Anysia resisted and was killed when the soldier attacked her with his sword.
 
from Wikipedia
Saint Anysia of Salonika was a Christian virgin and martyr of the 4th century.
Anysia was born to a wealthy and pious Christian family in Salonika. She dedicated herself to vows of chastity and poverty, praying and helping the poor. The legend of her martyrdom states that in 304, a Roman soldier apprehended her as she was on her way to services. Discovering she was a Christian, he beat her, and intended to drag her to a pagan temple to sacrifice to Roman gods. When he tore off her veil (a reminder of her vow of chastity), she spit in his face, and he murdered her.[1]

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