108 ST. NIRIA followed by that of the king. Their example was followed by all the great men of the conntry. Christianity spread through Iberia, and thence through the Caucasus, and to the shores of the Cas- pian sea, and the vast plains Ijring to the north of Iberia. The great temple of the god Ormuzd, in the capital of the country, near the modern Tiflis, was pulled down, notwithstanding the oppo- sition of some of the chiefs, and Nino raised on its ruins, a gi*eat cross which was transported to Petersburg, in 1801, by Prince George Bagration, but which the Emperor, Alexander, sent back to Georgia, where it had been revered for centuries as the palladium of the monarchy. The king built a church and sent an embassy to Constantiue to propose an alliance with him and to ask for priests to instruct his people. Constantiue gladly complied with this request, and the Church of Iberia long kept the faith untroubled by the heresies and disputes which vexed the ecclesiastical body of the empire. The historians of this century speak of the conversion of the Iberians, but the Georgian and Armenian authors are the only authorities for the name of the Saint and of the King. According to the Georgian chronicles, Mihran was son of the king of Persia ; probably Schahpour, the second of the Sassanides who were then reigning in Persia. Nino's body lies among the mountains in Georgia, in the little church of Sig- nakh, said to have been buiit in the fourth century. She is said to have preached in the neighbouring countries and converted Sophia, queen of Cachetia. Lebeau, Bas Empire^ Neale, Holy Eastern Church Milman, Hhtory of Christianity, Martinov, Annus Ecclesi' asticus. Azevedo. St. Niria, May 8, M. at Constanti- nople, with St. Acacius. (See Agatha (2).) AA,SS. SS. Nirilla (Marella, Mirella, MiRCELLA, Marcella) and Maurella, May 21, MM. with others, in Africa. AA.t^o. St. Nisia, Jone 28, M. in Africa. AA,SS, St. Nitasse, Deo. 25, the great Martyr Anastasia (6). St. Nitica, Niceta (2). St. NitOUChe. An imaginary saint, invented as patron of hypocrites. St. Noaleun or Noaluen, Noyala. St. Nobilis, Sept. 28, M. in Africa. AA,8S. St. Noetburg, Notburg. St. Noflede or Nofleta, Anno- FLEDIS. St. Noguette, or Norgubttb, hon- oured in Bretagne. Gu6rin. St. Noitburg, Notburg. St. Nominanda, Dec. 31. B,M. St. Nomititia, Jane 2, one of two hundred and twenty-seven Roman mar- tyrs commemorated together in the Mart, of St. Jerome, AA.S.S. St. Nomoize, Neomadia. St. Nona (l), Oct. 30, 1st century; M. at Leon in Spain, where a well and hermitage preserve her memory. AA.SS, Espana Sagrada, St. Nona (2). (See Berlbndis.) St. Noninna, July 6, V. in Ireland. Supposed to be Modwenna. AA.SS. SS. Nonna (l-O), MM. at different times and places. St. Nonna (7). Aug. 5, + c 374. Mother of St. Gregory Nazianzen. Daughter of Phillatius and Qorgonia. Wife of Gregory, who had an estate at Arianzus, near Nazianzus in Cappadocia ; he was a heretic, of the sect called Hyp- sistarii, but was converted by bis wife and became a staunch Catholic, and eventually bishop of Nazianzus. They had a daughter, Gorgonia (2), but Nonna prayed earnestly that she might have a son. Her prayer was answered by the birth of her famous son, St. Gregory Nazianzen. She dedicated him to God from his birth, presented him in the Church before he could speak, and con- secrated his hands by making him touch the sacred books. She had another son, Cesarius; she brought them both up with the greatest care, but did not have them baptized ; both were sent to school at Cajsarea, and there Gregory began his lifelong friendship with St. Basil the Great. Afterwards, at Athens, Julian tlio Apostate was one of his fellow- students. It seems that Gregory was
