THEODOSIA, A GOD-FEARING MAIDEN OF THE CITY OF TYRE, WHO CAME TO COMFORT THE BOUND MARTYRS, DROWNED IN THE SEA AT CAESAREA, A. D. 306)
When the fifth year of the tenth persecution had come, on the second day of the month of April, the Sunday of the resurrection of our Saviour, Theodosia, a God-fearing maiden of the city of Tyre, about eighteen years old, came to some bound martyrs at Caesarea, as they were standing before the tribunal, to receive their sentence of death. Her reason in doing so was affectionately to greet them, and to comfort them in their extremity.
Thereupon she was instantly seized by the soldiers, and brought before the Proconsul, who forthwith caused her to be maltreated as though he had been bereft of reason; for he did not have her tortured with all manner of dreadful torments, on her sides only, as was generally the custom, but he also caused her breasts to be torn open to the very bones, and then cut off. All this she suffered steadfastly and with a happy countenance; but when by reason of the intensity of the pain she could scarcely draw her breath any longer, so that it seemed that she would soon cease to live, the Proconsul had her thrown into the sea; and thus this faithful heroine of Jesus Christ was numbered among her slain fellow brethren and sisters. See A. Mell., 1st book, fol. 124, col. 2, 3, from Euseb., lib. 8. Also, J. Gys. on the name Theodosia.
(Martyr’s Mirror)
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