Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/231

217 ST. DAMIANA 217 at Alexandria. A young girl who re- fused to sacrifice to the idols. To compel her to do so, her arms were held hy force, and fire and incense placed in the palm of her hand, that she might in- voluntarily shake it off in her pain, and might thus be said to sacrifice. She held her hand steady until the fire was burnt out. She was then further tor- tured, and beheaded. AA,8S. Neale, Hist. E, Church, Compare with the story of St. Cyprilla. Migne's Jerome has Sytilla for Cyrilla. St Cyrilla (3), May 13, M. at Polentia, in Liguria. AA.SS. St. Cyrina, Cyria (2). St. Cyta, SiLA. St. Cyte, OsiTH. D St. Daama, or Damia, May 27, M. at Tomis, on the Black Sea. AA,SS, St Daciana, Tatiana. St Dafrosa, or Affrosa, Jan. 4. f 363. Wife of St. Flavian, or Fabian, a Eomau knight; and moiher of SS. BiBiANA and Demetria. Butler says that Ammianus Marcel- linus, a pagan historian, and an officer at the court of Julian the Apostate, relates that, in the year 363, that Em- peror appointed Apronianus governor of Some, and that, while he was on the way thither, he lost an eye. He ascribed the accident to magic, and, as the miracles of the Christians were attri- buted to the same cause, he resolved to exterminate them. Among the supposed magicians, Flavian was one of the first apprehended. He was burnt in the &ce with a hot iron, and banished to Aquee Taurinaa, now Acquapendente, where he died of his wounds in a few days. His wife Dafrosa was imprisoned in her house for some time, and then carried outside the gates of Bome and beheaded. According to another account, she was given into the power of her own relations, who tried to induce her to marry again and sacrifice to the gods. She was encouraged in her refusal by a vision of her husband calling her, and three days afterwards she died in peace. BJH, BoUandus, Acta Sanctorum, Butler, in his account of St. Bibiana, Lives of the Fathers. St Dagila, M. July 12. 483. The Bey. W. M. Sinclair (Smith and Wace, Dictionary of Christian Bio^ graphy), says she was wife of a steward of Huneric, king of the Vandals. She had several times confessed her faith during the pei^secution of Genserio, and in 483, under his son Huneric, she was beaten with whips and staves until she was exhausted, and was then exiled to a desert, where she went with great cheer- fulness. AA.S8. Arturus a Monastero calls her "Saint," and says she was beaten to death. St. Daire, Daria. Irish. St Daludarca, Darlugdacha. B. Damgerosa, Nov. 14. 1150. The beautiful daughter of Gandin de Che- mir6 of Cenomannia (le Mans) who lived a life of sin with ner uncle. The Bishop of le Mans remonstrated with him in vain. He was struck by light- ning, and miserably shipwrecked. Dam- gerosa, stricken with horror and regret, went to the bishop and begged to be restored by penance. She made a public confession of all her sins, then obtained absolution and renounced the world, but no convent would receive her, so great was the horror of her crime. She lived at a place that she inherited from her father, built an oratory on a hill, had two companions related to her, and re- mained shut up there doing penance for fifty years. Oynecseum, St. Damhnade, or Damhnat, June 1 3, V. Irish. Of SUe ve Beagh, in Tyrone. 5th century. Patron saint of the coun- ties of Fermanagh, Gavan, and others. Identical with or confounded with St. DiMNA, or Damnoda, or Dymna, sumamed ScHENB or Oohene, t.e. the fugitive. Butler. St. Damia, or Daama, May 27, M at Tomis, on the Black Sea. St. Damiana. 6th century. An