Saints Victoria, Anatolia, and Audax ( it, Sante Vittoria, Anatolia, e Audace) are venerated as
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
s and
saints
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual res ...
by the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. Victoria and Anatolia are mentioned (without Audax) in the
Roman Martyrology
The ''Roman Martyrology'' ( la, Martyrologium Romanum) is the official martyrology of the Catholic Church. Its use is obligatory in matters regarding the Roman Rite liturgy, but dioceses, countries and religious institutes may add duly approved ...
under the date of 10 July. Anatolia was first mentioned in the ''De Laude Sanctorum'' composed in 396 by
Victrice (Victricius), bishop of Rouen (330-409).
Anatolia and Victoria are mentioned together in the ''
Martyrologium Hieronymianum
The ''Martyrologium Hieronymianum'' (meaning "martyrology of Jerome") or ''Martyrologium sancti Hieronymi'' (meaning "martyrology of Saint Jerome") is an ancient martyrology or list of Christian martyrs in calendar order, one of the most used a ...
'' under 10 July: ''VI idus iulii in Savinis Anatholiae Victoriae''; Victoria is also mentioned alone under 19 December: ''In Savinis civitate Tribulana Victoriae''.
The two saints appear in the mosaics of
Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo
The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo is a basilica church in Ravenna, Italy. It was erected by the Ostrogothic king Theodoric the Great as his palace chapel during the first quarter of the 6th century (as attested to in the ''Liber Pontificalis ...
, at
Ravenna
Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...
, between Saints
Paulina
Paulina or Paullina (, ) was a name shared by three relatives of the Roman Emperor Hadrian: his mother, his elder sister and his niece.
Mother of Hadrian
Domitia Paulina or Paullina, Domitia Paulina Major or Paulina Major, (''Major'' Latin fo ...
and
Christina. A ''Passio SS. Anatoliae et Audacis et S. Victoriae'' of the 6th or seventh century, which added the name of Audax, was mentioned by
Aldhelm
Aldhelm ( ang, Ealdhelm, la, Aldhelmus Malmesberiensis) (c. 63925 May 709), Abbot of Malmesbury Abbey, Bishop of Sherborne, and a writer and scholar of Latin poetry, was born before the middle of the 7th century. He is said to have been the so ...
(died 709) and
Bede
Bede ( ; ang, Bǣda , ; 672/326 May 735), also known as Saint Bede, The Venerable Bede, and Bede the Venerable ( la, Beda Venerabilis), was an English monk at the monastery of St Peter and its companion monastery of St Paul in the Kingdom o ...
(died 735), who list the saints in their martyrologies.
Caesar Baronius
Cesare Baronio (as an author also known as Caesar Baronius; 30 August 1538 – 30 June 1607) was an Italian cardinal and historian of the Catholic Church. His best-known works are his ''Annales Ecclesiastici'' ("Ecclesiastical Annals"), wh ...
lists Anatolia and Audax under 9 July and Victoria under 23 December.
Legend
Their legend recounts that, in the time of the Emperor
Decius
Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius ( 201 ADJune 251 AD), sometimes translated as Trajan Decius or Decius, was the emperor of the Roman Empire from 249 to 251.
A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was procla ...
, Anatolia and Victoria were sisters whose
marriage was arranged to two noble, non-Christian
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
men. They resisted
matrimony
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...
and their prospective grooms denounced them as Christians. They received permission to imprison the women on their estates and convince them to renounce their faith. Anatolia's suitor, Titus Aurelius, gave up, and handed her back to the authorities. Victoria's suitor, Eugenius, was more persistent, but also ended up returning her to the authorities.
Deaths
Victoria's legend states that she was stabbed through the heart in 250 AD at Trebula Mutuesca (today
Monteleone Sabino
Monteleone Sabino is a (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Latium region of Italy, located about northeast of Rome and about south of Rieti.
Main sights
* Trebula Mutusca: ruins of the ancient Sabine town
* Santa Vittoria: 12th-cen ...
) after chasing away a dragon terrorizing the residents in exchange for their conversion. An elaboration on her legend states that her murderer was immediately struck with
leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
, and died six days later. Anatolia was killed, also in 250 AD, at "Thora" (identified with present-day
Sant'Anatolia di Borgorose). Her legend states that she was at first locked up with a poisonous
snake
Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...
. The snake refused to bite her, and a soldier named Audax was sent into her cell to kill her. The snake attacked him instead, but Anatolia saved him from the snake. Impressed by her example, he converted to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and was martyred by the sword with her.
Spread of cult
Due to the
translation of their relics, their cult spread across Italy. Some relics of Saint Victoria were transferred in 827 by Abbot Peter of
Farfa from the Abbey to Mount Matenano in the Picene area (roughly the south of Le Marche) because the Abbey was besieged by "
Saracens
file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century Germany in the Middle Ages, German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings, to refer ...
".
The town of
Santa Vittoria in Matenano is named after her. Ratfredus, a later Abbot of Farfa, brought the body from Farfa to Santa Vittoria in Matenano on 20 June 931.
The bodies of Anatolia and Audax were transferred by Abbot Leo to
Subiaco around 950. At an unknown date, a scapula of Anatolia was translated to the present-day
Sant'Anatolia di Borgorose and an arm of the saint was translated to the present-day
Esanatoglia
Esanatoglia is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche, Italy.
History
According to the legend, Esus, the Celtic God of war, would be the origin of the name of the Esino river, on whose shores a town, ''Aesa'', is presumed to have been founded in R ...
. The bodies of Anatolia and Audax still rest at Subiaco in the
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
of Santa Scholastica, under the
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
of the
sacrament
A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...
.
Her feast day was actually 9 July. A simulacrum and other relics of Saint Victoria are currently on display at the
Santa Maria della Vittoria church in Rome.
St Mary's Cathedral, Kilkenny, Ireland also claims to hold St Victoria's body, preserved in wax, along with a
chalice
A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning.
Re ...
containing some of her blood. These were supposedly sent to Kilkenny in 1845 by
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI ( la, Gregorius XVI; it, Gregorio XVI; born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari; 18 September 1765 – 1 June 1846) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1 June 1846. He h ...
.
Notes
External links
anadolutayfasi.net
Sources
*At ''Santi, Beati e Testimoni''
*
Santa Anatolia*
Santa Vittoria*At ''Santa Anatolia'' (a town in the province of
Rieti
Rieti (; lat, Reate, Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina re ...
)
Santa Anatolia(for the legend of Anatolia and Victoria, click on "S. Anatolia" in the index on the left)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victoria, Anatolia And Audax
Italian saints
Saints trios
250 deaths
3rd-century Christian martyrs
Year of birth unknown
Groups of Christian martyrs of the Roman era