Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/300

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
286
286

286 ST. EUDOCIA penitential manner for a considerable time, a false accusation was raised against her by ber former lovers, and she was condemned by Diogenes, the gOTomor, to be tortured. Sbe wrought so many miracles on this occasion, striking her enemies dead and raising them again, that Diogenes at last set her at liberty. She also raised to life Firmina, who had died suddenly in a bath ; she and her husband and family were converted, and so was Diogenes. The last miracle recorded of her is that she raised to life a boy who was killed by a dragon ; then by her prayers she caused the dragon to burst and bum away. Great numbers of people were converted and baptized in consequence. Diogenes' successor, Yicentius, could not bear to have so great a saint in his jurisdiction, so he ordered her to be beheaded. B.M, AA.SS,<t from a Greek book in the Vatican. St. Eudocia (3), Aug. 4, M. 4th century. A woman of Boman birth, but living in the East; taken prisoner by the soldiers of Sapor, king of Persia, and carried to that country. Being learned in the Holy Scriptures, she con- verted many of her fellow-prisoners and many Persian women. For this offence she was scourged with sinews of oxen until her flesh fell from her bones ; then kept in prison for six months; then they packed her up in a sort of cage of canes or reeds, and bound it tight to her with thin hempen cords, and squeezed and wrenched one limb after another until they cut all her flesh ; finally, they dragged her over rough beams by ropes and broke all her bones. After these tortures, they found she was still alive, so they cut off her head. AA.SS. St. Eudocia (4), Jan. 6. Nun in the convent of St. Cecilia at Rome. Mentioned by Cajetani and Menard. Bucelinus. St. Eudoxia (l), Jan. 31, M. at Ganope. One of tnree daughters of Athanasia (1). St. Eudoxia (2), Nov. 3. + 303. Concealed St. Valentine, priest, and St. Hilary, deacon, for a long time in her house in Eome, during the persecution under Maximian, and when at length they were beheaded at Yiterbo, she buried them in a place called Cavillarins. For this act of devotion she was beaten to death. The martyrdom of Valentine and Hilary is recorded in the Baman Martyrolrgy, but there are many versions of the story; that which tells of En- doxia's deeds is not well authenticated. AA.SS., Prseter. St. Eudoxia (3), Euphrosyne (12). St. Eufemia (l), Euphemia. St. Eufemia (2). (See Sila.) St. Euferia, Sept. 10. Probably a mistake in old MS. for Euplia. AA^S. St. Eufra, or Eufuida, Jan. 14, M. in Africa. AA.SS. P,B. St. Eufrasia, Euphrasia. St. Eufrida, Eufra. St. Eufrosine, Euphrosyne. St. Eugamina. Formerly honoured at Soissons. Gu6rin. St. Eugenda, Jan. 2, M. with St. Tobia at Sirmium; mentioned in St. Jerome's Martyrology. AA.SS, St. Eugenia (l), Dec. 25, 26, Sept. 1 1, Jan. 3 (Euoenne, Oine in Soissons, OuiNE in parts of France, Oyne in some Celtic places), V. M. 2nd or 3rd century. Patron of Spain. Daughter of Philip, who was proconsul of Egypt under Commodus (180-192), and of St. Claudia (8). In her fifteenth year it was contemplated to marry her to Aquilinus, but she said she preferred a husband of good conduct to one of high lineage. At that time Christians were allowed to dwell peaceably near Alexandria, but not within the city ; and as Eugenia, who had heard with interest of the doctrines of St. Paul, was one day walking near the town, she heard the Christians singing psalms, of which she spoke to two of her friends and fellow-students, Prothus and Jacynthus, and proposed to them to become Christians, to which they agreed. She then dressed herself in man's clothes, and went to a monas- tery, where Ellen was abbot. This Ellen, who is supposed to bo Helenus, bishop of Liopos, had once disputed with a heretic, and getting the worst of the argument^ he had a great fire made, and saying, " We shall now see which is the right faith," he went int^ the fire, and came out unhurt The heretic