Page:A Dictionary of Saintly Women Volume 1.djvu/68

54 54 ST. ANASTASIA suspected sect of CLristians, and used to go secretly, with her maid, disguised in nen's clothes, to visit the prisoners of her religion, that he at once imprisoned her, intending to starve her to death, and take possession of her property. During her imprisonment, she was comforted hy letters from St. Chrysogonus, who en- couraged her to suffer all things rather than renounce her religion. At her hushand's death she was brought out of prison with her three maids, who had shared her captivity, and who were immediately put to death. The judge who condemned them was found dead in his bed next morning. His successor, trying to persuade Anastasia to abjure her religion, was struck blind, and, calling on his gods for help, was answered by the devil, " Because you have insulted the spouse of Christ, you shall bo tormented by us in hell." He died the same day. Another judge, knowing that she had great possessions, said, "Give me all your riches, then you will be a true Christian ; I will let you go and worship whom you please, and your poverty will please your God." Anastasia replied, have, and give to the poor ; but you are not poor, and would spend all in sinful luxury.*' He condemned her to die of hunger. She was fed by angels, or by the spirit of her friend St. Theodoba, or Theodote, who had formerly helped her, but who had before this time suffered martyrdom. Anastasia was next put in a boat, with a number of other Christians, and set adrift on the sea; they were safely cast ashore on the isl«aid of Palmaria, where other Christians already lived. The whole community were edified by the conversation of St. Anastasia, who was soon remarked by the authorities as an irrepressible Christian, and con- demned to be roasted alive. She said she did not fear pain, because she had Christ in her heart; so the governor ordered her heart to be brought to him after her death ; and he found the name of Jesus written on it. 270 companions .of her martyrdom in Palmaria are honoured with her. Other accounts place the scene of her martyrdom in fiome, uid say she was buried by her friend Apollokia in her garden under the Palatine hill. Others say Apollonia buried her in Dalmatia, whence she was translated to different places. A laugh- able story is told of her three maids. Agape, Chionia, and Irene. B.M. Golden Legend, Villegas. Vega. Butler. Baillet. Greek and Eussian calendars, Dec. 22. Mrs. Jameson. St. Anastasia (6) of Olivet, June 2, 6th or early 6th century. Called " Saint " by Philip of the Visitation, in his History of the Carmelites, She is mentioned as leading a holy, ascetic life on the Mount of Olives in Uie time of the famous abbot, St Sabas, who died at a great age in 532. AA,SS, Prmter. St Anastasia (7) Patricia, March 10. 567. A beautiful patrician matron of Constantinople, named Anastasia, in- voluntarily became the object of the admiration of the Emperor Justinian, and the jealousy of his wife Theodora. Anastasia fled to Alexandria, and built a convent five miles off, in a little town called Quinta This convent stood for many years after her death, and wbs called from her the convent of Patricia. A few years after her flight, Theodora died; and Anastasia, hearing that Jus- tinian was searching for her, left her retreat by night, and wont for protection to the abbot Daniel, who presided over a laura in the desert of Sceta. She told him her story. He put her in a cave some distance from his dwelling, for- bidding her ever to leave it, or any one else to enter the place of her retreat, and called her Anastasius the eunuch. He showed the place to one of his monks; told him to take a vessel of water there once every seven days, and put it down in front of the coll ; then, having listened to one prayer of the recluse, he was to come away. In this manner Anastasia lived for 20 years, without departing from the rule given her by Daniel. Feeling herself near death, she wrote on a shell a request to the abbot to come and bury her. She then hung the shell outside her cell. Daniel, warned in a dream, told the monk to go to the cell of the eunuch Anastasius, where he would find a shell, with writing on it, hanging outside the door. He did so,
 * « My Master would have me sell what I