Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/254

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240 ST. DOMNA was hiding, and went into the town of Nioomedia. She first inquired of the Christians whore Agape was, and heard that she and Theophila had heen burnt in one of the churches on Christmas Day. In the morning she went down to the beach, and there she saw some fishermen. As she was disguised in man's clothes, they called to her to help them with their nets. She did so, and went out with them in their boat. When they hauled up their nets, they found them wonderfully heavy, and soon ascer- tained that this was because there were several corpses of men in them. Lest this occurrence should get them into trouble, they resolved to go off to some distant port instead of landing again at Nicomedia, and they invited her to come with them ; but she begged them to put her ashore before they went away. They therefore gave her a quantity of fish and some bread and left her. She examined the faces of the dead men, and found that one of them was Indes. She saw another ship approaching, and made signs. The master thought she wanted to sell her fish, and asked her the price. She said, " Nothing." He did not under- stand, and got angry, and, being a sailor, he had to swear, although he was a Christian. So ho said, '^By Christ I tell me what you will take for your fish." Whep she knew he was a Christian, she explained her difiiculty, and ho brought some linen and perfumes out of his ship, and he and his men helped her to bury the martyrs near the wall of the town. Then he would have taken her away in his ship, but she would not leave the grave, and said she would not have long to wait, and she would be buried beside her brother and his fellow-martyrs. When Qalerius heard where she was, he sent and had her beheaded on the spot. According to some accounts, Indes was not the brother of Domna, but a eunuch devoted to her service. In the Boman Martyrology, Dec. 28, are commemorated "The holy martyrs Indes the Eunuch, Domna, Agape, and Theophila, virgins, and their com- panions." Daru, Les Chretiens d la Cour de Diocletirn. Menology of Basil. St. Domna (2), or Alumna. Quo of the martyrs of Lyons, who died in prison. (See Blandina.) St. Domna (3), Domnina of Syria. St. Domna (4), March 12. V. M. Same as Donata. Put to death with St Peter, the chamberlain of Diocletian. Domne, Domna. Domneca, Dominica. St. Domniata, Sept 14. M. in Calabria. Mas Latrie. Domnicai Dominica. St. Domnicellai Nov. 1 1. M. Mas Latrie. St. Domnina (i), April 14. M. at Terano, in Umbria, under Nero. B.M, She is honoured with St. Valentine, St. Agape (2), and other MM. in the 3rd century. Jacobilli places the mar- tyrdom of Domnina in the time of Totila, 6 th century. St. Domnina (2), Aug. 23. + c. 285. Called DoNviNA in the B,M,^ but Domnina by Butler and some others. She was martyred at iBgea, a sea-port in Cilicia, forty-six miles south-east of Tarsus, with S8. Claudius, Asterius, Neon, Theonilla, and a child whose name we do not know, early in the reign of Diocletian and Mazimian. The great persecution of Diocletian had not begun, that Emperor being as yet indulgent towards tiie Christians, and averse to tyranny and cruelty ; but some of the laws against the Christians had never been repealed, and here and there were brought into play to gratify personal grudges, or the cupidity of governors, relations, or neighbours of the Christians. This was the case when the three brothers, Claudius, Asterius, and Neon were accused by their step- mother, who only wanted the magistrates to authorize her to take possession of their estate. At the same time were arrested two pious women, Domnina and Theonilla, and a child, who may have been the child of Domnina or the grand- child of Theonilla. Just then, Lysias, the proconsul of Cilicia, arrived at ^gea, and ordered that all the Christians should come up for judgment. The magistrates made strict inquiry for Christians, and apprehended six, of whom three were young men and brothers, two were women, and one a small child. The