Aurea of Ostia
Italian Roman Catholic saint
Saint
Aurea of Ostia
|
|
---|---|
![]()
Santa Aurea church.
|
|
Virgin and martyr | |
Died |
mid-3rd century
Ostia , Roman Empire |
Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church , Orthodox Church |
Major shrine | Cathedral of Santa Aurea |
Feast | August 24; [1] May 20 [2] |
Attributes | depicted being thrown into the sea with a millstone around her neck [3] |
Patronage | Ostia , Italy |
Aurea of Ostia (or Aura ; in Greek , Chryse ; both names mean “golden girl”) is venerated as the patron saint of Ostia .
Background
There is no historically reliable information about her life; only that there was a church dedicated to Sant'Aurea in Ostia. [4]
According to tradition, she was martyred sometime during the mid-third century, either during the reign of Roman Emperor Claudius Gothicus or Trebonianus Gallus . Said to have been of royal or noble blood, Aurea was exiled from Rome to Ostia because she was a Christian. [2] In Ostia, she lived on an estate outside of the city walls and maintained contact with local Christians, including the bishop of Ostia , Cyriacus (Quiriacus). [5]
Miracles associated with Aurea while she was in Ostia relate how a Christian prisoner named Censorinus had his chains miraculously loosened after he had been comforted by Aurea. [5] Seventeen soldiers [lower-alpha 1] converted to Christianity as a result of this miracle, and were later beheaded near Ostia's Arch of Caracalla . Another legend states that Aurea and her friends also brought back to life the dead son of a shoemaker. [5] Ulpius Romulus executed Aurea's friends and tortured Aurea. When she refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods, she was thrown into the sea with a stone tied around her neck. [5]
Veneration
According to tradition, Aurea was buried on her estate in Ostia. [5] The church of Santa Aurea grew around her tomb. The church was rebuilt in the 15th century. A fragment of a Christian inscription that refers to Aurea was rediscovered near Santa Aurea in 1981 and later relocated to the castle of Ostia. [5] It reads: CHRYSE HIC DORM[IT] ("Chryse sleeps here"). "It may be her original funerary inscription," one scholar states, "but it may also have been added later to the tomb." [5] A marble column from perhaps the 5th century [5] was discovered in 1950 near the same church. It reads S.AVR. [5]
In the Orthodox tradition Aurea is venerated as "Chryse" and with her the companions. [6]
The Martyrologium Romanum of 2001/2004 no longer includes Aurea, as she is not a historical figure. The soldiers were already not included in the older editions. [6]
Notes
- ↑ Their names are given as Felix, Maximus, Taurinus, Herculanus, Nevinus, Historacinus, Menna, Commodius, Hermis, Maurus, Eusebius, Rusticus, Monaxius, Armandinus, Olympius, Eipros and Theodorus in the Acta
References
- ↑ "St Aurea", The British Museum
- 1 2 "Santa Aurea di Ostia" . Santi e beati . Retrieved March 15, 2011 .
- ↑ "St. Patrick Catholic Church Saint of the Day" . St. Patrick Catholic Church . Retrieved March 3, 2012 .
- ↑ Luzi, Luigi. "Sant’Aurea di Ostia: cosa racconta la leggenda agiografica sulla sua vita", In Terris , May 20, 2023
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Church of Sant'Aurea" . Ostia-Antica.org . Retrieved March 15, 2011 .
- 1 2 Schäfer, Joachim. "Aurea von Ostia und Gefährten", Ökumenischen Heiligenlexikon
External links
- ACTA MARTYRUM AD OSTIA TIBERINA (Original Latin text, with English translation)
International | |
---|---|
National |