THEODOSIA OF TYRE

The ancient Phoenician city of Tyre, in Lebanon, became the site of the martyrdom of the holy virgin Theodosia in 307. The Church celebrates her memory on June 11 (May 29). In the VII book of his work “On the Palestinian Martyrs,” the ancient historian of the Church Eusebius Pamphilus (260/265–339) testifies about Theodosius. Church tradition calls Eusebius the “Father of Church History.”

In the fifth year of Diocletian’s persecution, Easter was celebrated on April 19 (6). According to Eusebius, Theodosia was a Christian and a dedicated virgin. This was a special ministry in the Early Church, which in the Orthodox East has since given way to female monasticism.

Seeing Christians awaiting trial in Praetoria, she approached them and heard them talking about the Kingdom of God. Theodosia, who was 17 years old at the time, asked to be remembered before God. It was obvious that Christians were awaiting trial, torture and execution. The soldiers standing nearby overheard the saint, grabbed her and brought her to the prefect for trial.

“The prefect was a frantic man,” writes Eusebius. He was obsessed with hatred of Christians. He subjected Theodosius to torture and ordered her body to be torn to the very bones. The saint survived and did not renounce her faith. In a rage, the ruler ordered her to be thrown into the “sea waves.”

In one of the ancient versions of the life of the saint, which complements what was written by Eusebius, it is said that Saint Theodosia was saved from drowning and, like the holy fools for Christ’s sake from a much later era or the characters in Dostoevsky’s novels, walked around the city with a stone around her neck, which the executioners tied for inevitable drowning. The pagans saw the signs of the saints but explained them with magic. So, in the Gospel the Lord Jesus was accused of casting out demons by the power of the devil (cf. John 12:24). According to the court verdict, Theodosia was beheaded.

It is providential that Eusebius himself, who preserved for us the testimony of the martyrdom of the holy virgin, departed to the Lord on June 12 (May 30), that is, the day after the commemoration of the transfer of the relics of Saint Theodosia, which happened subsequently. The exact timing of this event remains unclear. Such a coincidence is blessed and unforgettable. This is how God acts carefully for those who preserve the memory of the saints. God predestines for salvation.