Macrina the Elder (Greek:Μακρίνα; before AD 270 –c. 340) was the mother ofBasil the Elder, and the grandmother ofBasil the Great,Gregory of Nyssa,Peter of Sebaste, andMacrina the Younger.^[1]

The works of her grandson Basil indicate that she studied underGregory Thaumaturgus, and that it was his teachings handed down through Macrina to Basil and Gregory, that were particularly formative for the two Cappadocian brothers.^[2]

Her home was atNeocaesarea inPontus and according toGregory Nazianzen, during the persecution of Christians underGalerius andDiocletian, Macrina fled with her husband to the shores of the Black Sea.^[2] Once the persecution had passed, Macrina and her family returned to Neocaesarea.^[3]

She was widowed and is the patron of widows. Macrina is also the patron against poverty. Her feast is celebrated on 14 January. She is said to have died in the early 340s AD.^[4]

• 3rd-century births
• 340s deaths
• 4th-century Christian saints
• Ancient Christian female saints
• 3rd-century Romans
• 4th-century Romans
• Saints from Roman Anatolia
• People from Niksar

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Greek-language text