ST. THENNEW 240 be burnt, lest the ChriBtians should take it. But though the executioners laid it on the fiftggots directly the head was out off, they found themselves unable to light the pile. The governor therefore ordered the soldiers to keep guard over the body and not allow it to be moved from the place. The same day, the priest Fronto came to Ancyra, bringing Theodotus' ring which he had given him as a pledge that he would keep his promise to provide relics for a chapel he had encouraged Fronto to build at Malus, a few miles from Ancyra. Fronto brought with him a she ass laden with old wine from his own vineyard which he cultivated for his livelihood. The ass, fatigued with the journey from Malus, fell down at the place where the body of Theodotus was guarded by the soldiers. The guards invited the poor priest to stay and rest with them, saying he would be more com- fortable there than at an inn. They had made a booth of willow branches and brambles, and the body which they were watching lay near them, covered with hay and leaves. The fire was lighted and the supper ready. The priest having unloaded his ass, gave the soldiers some of his wine, which they found very good. One of the youngest of the band soon got excited and said this wine would do more for him than the waters of Lethe, for it would make him forget the blows he had received for love of the seven women who had been taken out of the pond, though he did not suppose all the Christians together had been so much persecuted for their religion as he had been for having guarded the pond so badly. "Take care, Metrodorus," said one of his companions, "that this good wine does not make you forget your past misfortunes too well and get you into new trouble by making you forget to guard this man of bronze who was so clever as to steal the bodies of the seven old women in spite of us." Fronto asked what they meant and they told him the whole story, adding that Theodotus must have been more than a man, as bronze and all other metals can be burnt in the fire, and every human being feels pain when beaten and cut, but not only did Theodotus utter no word of complaint or impatience under the torture, but even when he was dead his body would not burn, and it now lay hidden under the hay until the governor should decide what was to be done with it to prevent the Christians getting possession of it. Fronto waited impatiently till the guards were sound asleep, and then he took up the body of his friend ; replaced his ring on his finger, put the body and the head on his ass, laid the hay and leaves as he found them ; led the ass into the road, and let her go. She went straight home and never stopped until she came to the spot where a church was afterwards built in honour of St. Theodotus, over his relics. His worship began then and there, and quickly spread over the whole of the Eastern Church. He is com- memorated in the Greek Church, June 8 ; but in Palestine and throughout the Western Church his worship is combined with that of the Seven Virgins, his com- panions. May 18. B.M. Baillet and Butler pronounce this story to be authentic. It is given with fuller particulars in Greek and Latin by Papebroch in the Acta Sanctorum, from their Acts written by Nilus, an eye- witness. St. Theemeda or Thameda, June 2, M. 1286, in Egypt, with her sons, and St. Armenius and his mother. AA,SS. from Coptic and Abyssinian Calendars. St. Theitelt, Thiadild. St. Thelchidis, Thbodkchild. St. Themaria, Temaria. St. Themin, Thennew. St. Thenaw, Thennew. St. Theneukes, Thennew. St. Thenna, Thennew. St. Thennet, Thennew. St. Thennew, July 18 (Enoch, Tanea, Tanen, Thametis, Thaney, Thannat, Themin, Thenaw, Thenbw, Thenexjkes, Thenn a, Thennet, Thennow, Thewnew, in Welsh, Dwynwen), 5th century, patron, with her son St. Kenti- gern, of Glasgow. The Martyrology of Salisbury, Jan. 13, says, '* In Wales the feest of sayt Eenti- geme, that was goten his moder wyst not how whan nor by whome, yet was she a holy woman and moche loned our lady whan the people peroeyued she was with
