05 Works, Today, April 3rd, is Saints Agape, Chionia and Irene's Day, With Footnotes - #91

Holy Sisters and Virgin Martyrs Agape, Irene and Chionia of Thessaloniki

Agape, Chionia and Irene were sisters and Christian saints from Aquileia, martyred at Thessalonica in 304AD. Agape and Chionia were charged with refusing to eat sacrificial offerings, whilst Irene was killed for keeping Christian books in violation of existing law. All were condemned to be burned alive.

Saints Chionia, Agape and Irene listen

to the preaching of Saint Demetrios

Orphaned at a young age, the sisters Agape, Chionia, and Irene led pious lives under the direction of the priest Xeno. They declined a number of offers of marriage. In 303, Emperor Diocletian issued a decree making it a capital offense to possess Christian scriptures. The sisters hid their copies.

Three Sister Martyrs

Eventually, they were arrested for offending the Imperial cult by not eating food that had been sacrificed to the gods. They were brought before Emperor Diocletian, who could not persuade them to renounce their faith, and as he was leaving for Macedonia, brought them with him. There they were taken to the court of Dulcitius, governor of Thessalonica.

Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus

 Agapia, Irene, and Chionia

Georgian translation of Menologion of Basil II. 11th century

The sisters repulsed the governor's indecent advances. Annoyed with Dulcititus as ineffectual, Diocletion turned the three young women over to Count Sisinus for trial. He imprisoned Irene, the youngest; and making no headway in getting the older two to recant, ordered them to be burned. Afterwards the decedents appeared to be merely asleep as neither their clothes nor bodies had been scorched. After the deaths, their house was searched and the scriptures found and publicly burned.

Sisinus ordered Irene to be taken to a brothel, but on the way the escort was intercepted by two soldiers who told them to abandon her on a mountain. When they returned Sisinus grew angry as he had given no such orders. He pursued Irene and she was wounded in the throat with an arrow, at which point she died.

Four other individuals were tried with the sisters: Agatho, Casia, Philippa and Eutychia. Of these, one woman was remanded as she was pregnant. The fates of the other three are unknown. More on  Agapia, Irene, and Chionia

These holy sisters suffered martyrdom in Thessalonica in the year 295.

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