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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Today (2. April) is the feast day of: Francis of Paola Apphian and Theodosia (d. 306) Apphian was a native of Lycia who converted to Christianity and went to live in Caesarea (Palestine). When Maximian issued his edict against Christianity, A. publicly denounced sacrifice to the state gods before the governor. The governor responded by having A. tortured and then thrown into the sea. Legend tells that, although A's body was weighted down with stones, an earthquake hit after his death and cast his body up on the beach. An 18-year-old woman named Theodosia was killed in the same persecution---tortured and thrown into the sea on Easter for speaking to a group of Christians waiting to be sentenced to death. Mary of Egypt (5th cent.) Cyril of Scythopolis tells, in his vita of St. Cyriacus, of a woman named Mary who lived out in the Jordanian desert. She is supposed to have told Cyriacus that she had been a famous actress who was doing penance. An elaborate legend grew around this, telling that M. was an Egyptian who lived as a courtesan for 17 years before going out to the desrt for 47 years--not seeing a single human being and beset by a lot of exotic temptations. Nicetius of Lyons (d. 573) Nicetius (Nizier) was a nephew of St. Sacerdos of Lyons, who named N. as his successor to the bishopric. N. served well for 20 years, famous as an exorcist. Ebba the Younger (d. c. 870) Ebba was abbess of Coldingham on the English/Scottish border. She convinced her nuns to join her in mutilating their faces, so raiding Danes would lose interest in raping them. The disgusted Vikings killed them all instead. ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html