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Saint Apollonia

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	Topics Saint Apollonia Topic Home Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the ChristianChristian Overview A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as Christ.... s prior to the persecution of DeciusDecius Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius, Roman emperor, In the last year of his reign he co-ruled with his son Herennius Etr... . According to legend, her tortureTorture Torture is any act by which severe pain, whether physical or psychological, is intentionally inflicted on a person as a mean... included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. For this reason, she is popularly regarded as the patronessPatron saint In those denominations of Christianity which believe in the intercession of saints, the patron saint of a particular group o... of dentistryDentistry Dentistry is the art and science of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions, diseases, and disorders of the oral ... and those suffering from toothacheToothache A toothache, also known as odontalgia or, less frequently, as odontalgy, is an aching pain in or around a tooth.... or other dental problems. Martyrdom Ecclesiastical historians have claimed that in the last years of Emperor Philip the ArabPhilip the Arab Marcus Iulius Philippus, known in English as Philip the Arab after the origin of his family, was a Roman emperor from ... (reigned 244244 Summary Events... –249249 Events... ), during otherwise undocumented festivities to commemorate the millennium of the founding of Rome (traditionally in 753 BC, putting the date about AD 248248 Events... ), the fury of the Alexandrian mob rose to a great height, and when one of their poetFacts About Poet A poet is someone who writes poetry.... s prophesied a calamity, they committed bloody outrages on the Christians, whom the authorities made no effort to protect. Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, relates the sufferings of his people in a letter addressed to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch, of which long extracts have been preserved in EusebiusEusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Caesarea was a bishop of Caesarea in Palestine and is often referred to as the father of church history becaus... ' Historia Ecclesiae. After describing how a Christian man and woman, Metras and Quinta, were seized and killed by the mob, and how the houses of several other Christians were pillaged, Dionysius continues: "At that time Apollonia, parthénos presbytis (by which he very probably means not a virgin advanced in years as is generally reported, but a deaconess) was held in high esteem. These men seized her also and by repeated blows broke all her teeth. They then erected outside the city gates a pile of fagots and threatened to burn her alive if she refused to repeat after them impious words (either a blasphemy against Christ, or an invocation of the heathen gods). Given, at her own request, a little freedom, she sprang quickly into the fire and was burned to death." This brief tale was extended and moralized in Jacobus de VoragineJacobus de Voragine Jacobus de Voragine was an Italian chronicler and archbishop of Genoa.... 's Golden LegendGolden Legend The *Golden Legend* by Jacobus de Voragine is a collection of fanciful hagiographies, lives of the saints, that became a l... (c. 1260). Apollonia and a whole group of early martyrs did not await the death they were threatened with, but either to preserve their chastity or because they were confronted with the alternative of renouncing their faith or suffering death, voluntarily embraced the death prepared for them, an action that runs perilously close to suicideSuicide Suicide is the act of willfully ending one's own life.... , some thought. Augustine of Hippo touches on this question in the first book of The City of GodThe City of God *The City of God* is a book written in Latin by Augustine of Hippo in the early 5th century, dealing with issues conce... , apropos suicide: "But, they say, during the time of persecution certain holy women plunged into the water with the intention of being swept away by the waves and drowned, and thus preserve their threatened chastity. Although they quitted life in this wise, nevertheless they receive high honour as martyrs in the Catholic Church and their feasts are observed with great ceremony. This is a matter on which I dare not pass judgment lightly. For I know not but that the Church was divinely authorized through trustworthy revelations to honour thus the memory of these Christians. It may be that such is the case. May it not be, too, that these acted in such a manner, not through human caprice but on the command of God, not erroneously but through obedience, as we must believe in the case of SamsonSamson Samson, Shimshon or Shama'un is the third to last of the Judges of the ancient Children of Israel mentioned in t... ? When, however, God gives a command and makes it clearly known, who would account obedience thereto a crime or condemn such pious devotion and ready service?" The narrative of Dionysius does not suggest the slightest reproach as to this act of St. Apollonia; in his eyes she was as much a martyr as the others, and as such she was revered in the Alexandrian Church. In time, her feast was also popular in the West. A later legend mistakenly duplicated Apollonia, making her a Christian virgin of RomeRome Rome is the capital of Italy and of its region, called Latium.... in the reign of Julian the ApostateJulian the Apostate Flavius Claudius Iulianus , was a Roman Emperor of the Constantinian dynasty.... , suffering the same dental fate. Veneration The Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches celebrate the feast day of St. Apollonia on February 9, and she is popularly invoked against the toothache because of the torments she had to endure. She is represented in art with pincers in which a tooth is held. In a late 14th century14th century As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400.... illumination from a French manuscript, widely distributed as a poster that is considered suitable for dentists' offices in the U.S., the tooth in her pincers glows from within, like a lightbulb. Saint Apollonia is one of the two patron saintPatron saint Summary In those denominations of Christianity which believe in the intercession of saints, the patron saint of a particular group o... s of CataniaCatania Catania is the second largest city of Sicily and is the capital of the province which bears its name.... . In GermanyGermany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in central Europe.... , where the Fourteen Holy HelpersFourteen Holy Helpers The Fourteen Holy Helpers are a group of saints venerated together in Roman Catholicism because prayer to them was thought t... (vierzehn heiligen) or Nothelfer are singled out as the patron saints of daily life, Apollonia, protectress against toothache, is one of them. William S. Walsh noted that, though the major part of her relics were preserved in the former church of St. Apollonia at Rome, her head at the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, her arms at the Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, parts of her jaw in St. Basil's, and other relics are in the Jesuit church at AntwerpAntwerp The city and municipality of Antwerp is a centre of commerce in Flanders and Belgium and the capital of Antwerp province, i... , in St. Augustine's at BrusselsBrussels Brussels is the capital of Belgium, the French Community of Belgium, the Flemish Community, the Flemish Region and the main... , in the Jesuit church at Mechlin, in St. Cross at Liege, in the treasury of the cathedral of Porto, and in several churches at CologneCologne Overview Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Feder... . These relics consist in some cases of a solitary tooth or a splinter of bone. There was a church dedicated to her in Rome, near the Basilica di Santa Maria in TrastevereFacts About Trastevere Trastevere is rione XIII of Rome, on the west bank of the Tiber, south of Vatican City.... , but it no longer exists. Only its little square, the Piazza Sant'Apollonia remains. One of the principal train stations of LisbonLisbon Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal.... is also named for this saint. There is a statue of Saint Apollonia in the church at LocronanLocronan Locronan is a commune in Finistre, Bretagne, France.... , FranceFrance France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and whi... . Cult in England In EnglandEngland England is the largest and most populous constituent country of the United Kingdom.... , there are 52 known images of her in various churches which survived the ravages of the 16th century16th century As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600.... Commissioners. These are concentrated in DevonDevon Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, Dorset and Somerset to the east.... and East AngliaEast Anglia East Anglia is a region of eastern England, named after one of the ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, which was named after the h... . Most of these images are on the panels of roodFacts About Rood Rood has several distinct meanings, all derived from the same basic etymology.... screens or in stained glassStained glass The term *stained glass* refers either to the material of coloured glass or to the art and craft of working with it.... with only one being a stone capital. By county, some of the locations are: CornwallCornwall Cornwall is a county in South West England on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar.... : Poundstock Devon: AlphingtonAlphington, Devon Overview Alphington is a village in the southwest of Exeter in southwest England.... (now gone), AshtonAshton, Devon Ashton is a civil parish in the Teignbridge district of Devon, England.... , Combe MartinCombe Martin Combe Martin is a village in Devon, England. ... , Exeter CathedralExeter Cathedral The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornw... (tapestry in St. Gabriel's chapel), HolneHolne Holne is a small village on the southeastern slopes of Dartmoor, in Devon, United Kingdom.... , Kenn, Kenton, KingskerswellKingskerswell Kingskerswell, is a village located in Devon, England.... (now faded beyond recognition), ManatonManaton The village of Manaton is situated on the south-eastern side of Dartmoor National Park, Devon, in the United Kingdom.... , Payhembury, South Milton, Stoke-in-Teignhead, Torbryan, UgboroughUgborough Ugborough is a village in Devon, England.... , WhimpleWhimple Whimple is a village in East Devon, approximately nine miles due east of the city of Exeter, and three miles from the neares... (now gone), Widecombe-in-the-MoorWidecombe-in-the-Moor Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a small village located within the heart of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon in the United Kingd... , Wolborugh (Newton Abbot) LincolnshireLincolnshire Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England.... : Long SuttonLong Sutton, Lincolnshire Overview Long Sutton is a village in South Holland, south Lincolnshire.... NorfolkNorfolk Norfolk is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England.... : Barton TurfBarton Turf Barton Turf is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.... , DockingDocking, Norfolk Summary Docking is a village in Norfolk, England.... , Horsham St Faith, LudhamLudham Ludham is a village in Norfolk, England, in The Broads National Park, at the end of a dyke leading to Womack Water and flowi... , NorwichNorwich Norwich is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England, and the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk.... (St. Stephen's), Norwich-over-the-water (church disused), SandringhamSandringham, Norfolk Overview Sandringham is a village and civil parish in the north of the English county of Norfolk.... Suffolk: NortonNorton, Suffolk Norton is a small village in Suffolk, England. The nearest town is Bury St. Edmunds.... , SomerleytonSomerleyton Summary Somerleyton is a village near the River Waveney in north-eastern Suffolk, England within The Broads National Park.... , Westhall, ChilternChiltern Chiltern can refer to the following places:... Her image is the side support of the arms of the British Dental AssociationBritish Dental Association The British Dental Association is a professional association, trade union and special register body representing dentists in... . External links Orthodox synaxarion article from The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907)