ST. DONATA 241 brotbers wero brongbt one by one to tbe proconsnl, who inflicted borrible tortures on eacb, and finally bad tbem cracified. Domnina was next led fortb, and being threatened witb tortnre by fire, she said she was more afraid of eternal fire, which she would incur if she obeyed the governor by sacrificing to his gods. She was then stripped, and beaten until she died. The executioner said, "May it please you, Domnina is dead." To which Lysias answered, "Throw her into the river." The jailor at once brought another prisoner, saying, " Here is Theonilla." B,M. Martyrfim Aci<i. Butler, Lives of the Fathers, from the authentic Proconsular Acts given by Euinart, Burins, Baronius, etc. St. Domnina (3), or Donvina, of Antioch, Oct. 4 and 14. 305 or 306. Martyred with her two daughters, Beuinna, or Berenice (2), and Prosdocb They fled from their home in Syria. They were going to Edessa, but were overtaken by Domnina's husband with soldiers, and recaptured and taken to or towards Hierapolis. On the way, a river was found to be swollen and overflowing its banks. When the soldiers were eat- ing and drinking, the three women quietly walked into the river, and were drowned. They are mentioned in a homily of St. Chrysostom, who holds them up to veneration. As the Chris- tians did not encourage suicide, it is supposed they were driven to it, as the only way of saving themselves from the brutality of the soldiers. Compare St. Pelaoia (6;. JS.itf.,Oct. 14. C. Byeus, in AA.SS, St. Domnina (4), Oct. 12, M. Of Anazarba, in Cilicia (or in Lycia, accord- ing to the B.M.) In the time of Diocle- tian. Many times tortured and imprisoned to shake her constancy. One of her tor- tures was that her feet were burnt. At last she died of her wounds while praying in prison. Menology of Basil, AA.S8. St. Domnina (5), July 10, M. at Antioch. AA.8S, SS. Domnina (6) and Maura (4). Codinus says that, in the time of Theo- dosius the Great (379-395), St. Domnina came from Bome to Constantinople with another person, apparently named Maura. They found a place in the new city, not yet built upon, and asked the emperor to give it to them. He did so, and with his help, they built two monasteries, one called the monastery of St. Domnina, or of Alexander, and the other the monas- tery of Maura. Tillemont, Empereurs, vi. 404. St. Domnina (7), Jan. 8. The mother of St. George the Chozebite, i,e. a monk of Choseba, a laura near Jeru- salem. She was living in Palestine, and fled with her son to Byzantium, to escape an inroad of the Saracens. She was already old when she came to Byzan- tium, and lived there many years in great holiness. Neale, Holy Eastern Church. Byzantine Calendar, Jan. 8. She is perhaps the same as St. Dominica (2), of Carthage. AA,SS. St. Domnina (8), or Domna, March 1 . + about 460, a V. of Syria. Moved by the example or teaching of St. Maro to lead a religious life, she built herself a hut in her mother's garden, where she spent much time in prayer and tears, going to church every day at cock-crow, but never looking anybody in the face ; she fasted till she was wasted to a skele- ton. Many women joined her prayers, and followed her pious example. AA.S8.y from Theodoret. St. Donata. Twenty-eight saints of this name are mentioned in the calendars and martyrologies. Of these, ten, or eleven, or thirteen suffered martyrdom at Bome, and two or three in other parts of Italy; nine in Africa; one at Nice- media ; one in Syria ; one at Byzantium ; one in Thrace, and one in Bulgaria ; and others whose place of martyrdom is un- certain. Of those put to death for the Christian faith at Bome — Five SS. Donata are among 227 martyrs, June 2, in a list in the Martyro- logy of St. Jerome. Two commemorated June 3. One with many other saints, Feb. 17. One in the cemetery of Priscilla, on the Via Salaria, Dec. 31, with five other women, SS. Paulina, Bustica, Nomi- NANDA, Sebotina, Hilabia, and their companions. These are in the Boman Martyrology. B
