On this day, June 25 according to the Julian Calendar (July 8 civil calendar), the Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates the Venerable Martyr Thebronia the Virgin (ca. 304).
The Venerable Martyr Thebronia the Virgin shone with a martyric end during the reign of Diocletian (284–305). She grew up in a monastery in the city of Sivapolis (in the region of Assyria), whose abbess was Hegumeness Briena, the aunt of Saint Thebronia. The hegumeness, caring for her niece’s salvation, imposed a stricter rule upon her compared to the other nuns. According to the monastery’s charter, on Fridays the sisters would set aside their obediences and spend their time in prayer and reading of Holy Scripture. It was customary for the abbess to assign the reading to Saint Thebronia.
When word spread throughout the city about the blessed virgin’s virtuous life, a noble pagan widow named Ieria began to visit her. Thebronia showed the troubled young woman the path to salvation, after which she was baptized and brought her parents and relatives to the light of Christ as well.
The enraged Diocletian sent a detachment of soldiers into Assyria to exterminate the Christians, under the command of Lysimachos, Selinos, and Primus. Selinos, the uncle of Lysimachos, was distinguished by his fierce hatred of the Orthodox, while Lysimachos himself, raised by a God-fearing mother, sympathized with them. The wise commander agreed with his kinsman Primus to protect the Christians as much as possible from the violence of the persecutors. When the detachment approached the monastery, the nuns fled into hiding. Only the Hegumeness Briena, her assistant Thomaida, and Saint Thebronia — who was gravely ill — remained in the monastery. The hegumeness was deeply grieved that her niece would fall into the hands of the impious, and fervently prayed to the Lord to protect her and strengthen her in the Christian faith. Selinos ordered that all the nuns be brought before him, but Primus with his soldiers found no one in the monastery except two elderly women and Saint Thebronia. Even the sight of them troubled him greatly, and he suggested that the nuns leave the monastery. The sisters did not wish to abandon the place of their ascetic labors.
Primus described to Lysimachos the astonishing beauty of Saint Thebronia and advised him to take her as his wife. Lysimachos replied that he had no desire to tempt a virgin dedicated to Christ, and asked that the remaining nuns be hidden somewhere so they would not fall into Selinos’ hands. One of the soldiers overheard this conversation and reported it to Selinos. Saint Thebronia was brought before the lawless commander with her hands bound and a chain around her neck. He offered the virgin to sacrifice to the pagan gods and promised her in return honor, rewards, and marriage to Lysimachos. The blessed woman answered firmly: “I have an eternal Bridegroom, and I would not exchange Him for any earthly benefit.” For this, Selinos subjected her to terrible torments. The holy martyr prayed fervently: “My Savior, do not abandon me in this hour of dreadful trial!” They beat the martyr for a long time, and blood poured from her wounds in streams. To intensify the tortures of Saint Thebronia, she was hung from a tree and fire was set beneath her. The torment was so unbearable that the crowd cried out demanding it stop. But Selinos continued to mock and ridicule the lamb of Christ. Thebronia fell silent. In her exhaustion she could not even speak. The enraged persecutor commanded that her tongue be torn out, her teeth broken, her breast cut off, and her hands and feet severed. Those watching could not endure this horrifying spectacle and left the place, cursing Diocletian and his gods.
Standing in the crowd were the nun Thomaida, who later described Thebronia’s martyrdom in detail, and the disciple of the holy virgin, Ieria. In the end, the holy martyr was beheaded.
In the year 363, the incorrupt relics of the saint were translated to Constantinople.
May the intercessions of the Venerable Martyr Thebronia the Virgin be with us all.