Christina of Persia | |
|---|---|
 Icon of Saint Christina of Persia | |
| Virgin martyr | |
| Born | c. 6th century Sasanian Empire |
| Died | Sasanian Empire |
| Venerated in | Church of the East,Catholic Church,Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy |
| Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
| Feast | 13 March (Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church) 14 March (Eastern Orthodoxy) |
Christina (Syriac: ܟܪܣܛܝܢܐ,Kresṭīnā),[1] bornYazdoi (fl. 6th century), was aSasanian Persian noblewoman and Christian venerated after her death as avirgin martyr.
Christina was fromKarka d'Beth Slokh in the region ofBeth Garmai.[2][3] Her father, Yazdin, son of Mihrzbiroi, was the governor ofNisibis. She converted fromZoroastrianism to theChurch of the East. She was killed for refusing to consummate her marriage to a nobleman, and was venerated as a virgin martyr.[2][4] According to aGreek martyrology, she was beaten to death with rods.[2] The exact date of her death is unknown, but it was probably during the reign ofKhosrau I (531–579).[3][5]
Not long after her death,Babai the Great (died 628) wrote her biography in Syriac. Today only the preface survives. Since Babai lists all thehagiographical works he had written up to that point in his biography ofGeorge of Izla (martyred 615), he must have written Christina's biography after that date.[4][3] According to Babai, she was called Yazdoi "when she was pagan", but "in her new birth of adoption as a token of life, chose to be called Christina, a name that shall not pass".[1]
Christina is commemorated on 13 March in theCatholic Church and theSyriac Orthodox Church.[2] TheRoman Martyrology describes her as follows: "In Persia, Saint Christina, martyr, who was flogged with rods and concluded the witness of martyrdom under King Chosroes I of the Persians."[6] In theGeorgian Orthodox Church, her feast day was 15 March in the early 7th century. Some versions of the 10th-century church calendar ofIoane-Zosime, however, give it as 14 March.[7] TheSynaxarion of Constantinople of theEastern Orthodox Church also gives 14 March.[2]
