E02090: The Latin Martyrdom of *Christina (martyr of Tyre, and here also of Bolsena, S00907) is written before the late 7th c. in several versions, apparently based on an original Greek version, and all containing the same broad narrative. It narrates Christina’s refusal to sacrifice to pagan gods, her baptism, her trial presided over by three successive judges, and her death, killed by blows to her heart and side. The location of the martyrdom and burial of Christina varies, most texts situate it in Tyre (Syria), while some place it in Bolsena (central Italy).
Creators: name: Mpignot
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2016
Subjects: History

description: Martyrdom of Christina (BHL 1748, 1749, 1751)<br><br>Summary:<br><br>This summary provides the main narrative, which is common to the versions consulted: BHL 1748 (Pennazzi, S. A., Vita e martirio ammirabile della gloriosa s. Cristina (Montefiascone, 1725), 259-275); BHL 1749, BHL 1749b (both published by Cross-Tuplin (1980), 187-203 and 173-187); and BHL 1751 (Acta Sanctorum, Iul., V, 524-528). These versions have been chosen for the following reasons: the first three are attested in manuscripts from the 8th or 9th century, while BHL 1751 is the most widely available text, the only one printed in the Acta Sanctorum. There are several minor differences, additions and omissions in these texts, which are not considered here. Only a few major differences in the narrative are mentioned, in square brackets. Paragraph numbers follow the edition in the Acta Sanctorum (BHL 1751).<br><br>§§ 1-3: Christina [BHL 1748, 1749: ‘from Tyre’; BHL 1749b: ‘Under Hadrian’, ‘living in the city of Tyre’; BHL 1748, 1749, 1749b: ‘not yet 11-years old’; BHL 1751: ‘ around 11 years old’], is the only daughter of her father Urbanus, a magister militum, and her mother, who is from the gens Anicia. Christina is very beautiful and many seek to marry her, but Urbanus sends Christina with twelve handmaids to adore the gods in a high tower that he has built. However, Christina loves God and, as she receives incense for the gods, she places it on a window to the East and does not offer it to the idols for seven days. The handmaids try to convince Christina to offer incense, she tells them about God and Jesus Christ and tries to convert them, however they fear to be punished by Urbanus if they abandon the gods. Then Urbanus comes and expects her to offer incense but she does not. The handmaids tell Urbanus that his daughter has not sacrificed to the gods for nine days. Urbanus asks Christina why and exhorts her to adore the gods to avoid their punishment. Christina tells him not to call her his daughter, as she is the daughter of the God for whom she offers sacrifice.<br><br>§§ 4-6: Urbanus is pleased, as he thinks that she is referring to the gods. He tries to kiss her but she rejects him: she wants to remain pure for God. Her father exhorts her not to venerate only one god, to avoid angering the others. She states that she adores the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity. [BHL 1749, 1749b have considerations regarding ‘substantia’ not found in BHL 1748 and 1751]. Urbanus remarks that she adores three gods. She replies that she adores one divinity (BHL 1749, 1751: ‘divinitas’; BHL 1749b: ‘tres personae sed deitas una’) and asks her father to provide her with gifts to offer sacrifice to God. He agrees. She asks in particular for a spotless tunic to adore God and be purified from sin. She washes her hands and face, and, weeping, prays to Jesus Christ, asking for the forgiveness of her sins and for his help at the time of suffering. An angel appears and comforts her in preparation of her trial. Christina asks for a sign of protection and the angel places the sign of the cross on her head. She then finds white bread at her right and gives it to the angel, asking for eternal life and saying that she has not eaten bread for twelve days. The angel blesses the bread, breaks it and gives it to Christina. Christina invokes the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and thanks Jesus Christ. In the evening she breaks the idols of Jupiter, Apollo and Venus, uses them as steps to escape from the tower with the help of her tunic tied to the window. She gives them to the poor before returning to the tower again with the help of her tunic. The next day her father comes to adore the idols, cannot find them and asks the handmaids who tell him that Christina has broken them and given them away. <br><br>§§ 7-9: Urbanus is full of rage, Christina is beaten. He requires her to return the idols and adore the gods to avoid death. She however adores God and Jesus Christ. [BHL 1749b adds that Urbanus orders the handmaids’ throats to be cut, angering Christina]. He orders Christina to be beaten by twelve men. However she endures it and prevails. She tells Urbanus that idols have no power. Urbanus orders her to be sent to jail in chains, then, full of sadness, he goes home and refuses to take any food. Her mother learns what happened and goes to meet Christina. Weeping, she asks her only and most beloved daughter to explain why she worships a foreign god. Christina tells her that she should not be called her daughter, she has the name of the Saviour. [BHL 1749b then has a lacuna until the narrative of Christina’s next torture, preceded by Christina’s thanks to God to be worthy of suffering.] Her mother goes home and tells Urbanus, who, full of rage, orders her to be brought to his court by soldiers. Urbanus requires his daughter to adore the gods to avoid torture. Christina tells him that he is not her father. Urbanus orders her to be tortured by twelve men. Her flesh is ripped off, and Christina throws some of it in her father’s face, giving it to him as food, to shame him. Urbanus asks her to adore the gods or be killed, but Christina tells him that she endures suffering thanks to the Son of God who came from heaven to save mankind.<br><br>§ 10: Urbanus orders Christina to be put on a rack and burnt. She prays to Jesus Christ asking for help: immediately the fire burns many of the pagans [BHL 1748, 1749, 1749b: ‘a thousand and five hundred’; BHL 1751: ‘five hundred’] and leaves her unharmed. Urbanus then interrogates her about her magical powers and she explains that she defeats the devil in Christ’s name. Urbanus sends her to jail, where three angel appear to her and take care of her. Christina prays to God, acknowledging His help.<br><br>§ 11: In the night Urbanus sends five servants and orders her to be bound to a stone and thrown into the sea. However she is taken by angels and walks over the water. She prays to Jesus Christ, asking for baptism and the forgiveness of sins. She hears a voice telling her that her prayer has been heard, and she receives a purple robe [BHL 1749b states that it is given by Jesus Christ himself; BHL 1748 and 1749 that Christ’s glory comes down to her; BHL 1751 simply states that it is given from heaven]. <br><br>[Here BHL 1749b has a longer narrative. It starts with a prayer of Christina, narrating how she was baptised in the sea by Jesus Christ himself in the name of the Father, of Himself and of the Holy Spirit. Then he left her to the care of the archangel Michael, and she saw Him returning to heaven. Then Christina tells that Urbanus found her in his praetorium and interrogated the servants who did not know how she arrived there. After this story narrated by Christina, BHL 1749b continues the narrative: Urbanus asks her how she escaped from the sea. She tells him that she has been reborn in Jesus Christ, who will free her from him. Another judge will come after Urbanus. Jesus Christ will bring Urbanus to death and darkness where he will have no rest. Urbanus sends her to jail awaiting punishment by the sword]. <br><br>Christina prays to Jesus Christ, acknowledging that she has received the forgiveness of sins and asking Him to give Urbanus back his due, since he plans her execution the following day. She is brought back to jail, while Urbanus dies the same night.<br><br>§§ 12-13: Hearing that Urbanus has died, Christina gives thanks for the fulfilment of her prayer and for the fact that Urbanus has been sent to hell. Then another judge comes, named Dion, worshipper of idols and persecutor of Christians. Christina’s deeds are read to him, and he summons her, trying to convince her to worship the gods, in order to avoid death. [BHL 1748, 1749, 1749b add that Dion offers Christina, who is from the gens Anicia, to be married with an aristocrat of his court.] Christina refuses and replies that Christ will free her from his hands. The judge orders her to be beaten, while she tells him that he will be defeated like Urbanus. She also notes that the judge, Dion, has a name given to idols. Angered, the judge orders her to be put on a hot iron grill, but she is unharmed. [BHL 1748, 1749, BHL 1749b add that Christina thanks God for having been baptised and for joyfully enduring this torture]. Dion states that she is helped by the gods, but Christina replies that it is God who helps her, and who will send him to hell like Urbanus. The judge orders her hair to be shaved and her body to be exposed naked. Women see this and are disconcerted by the judge’s unfitting decision. Christina thanks God for being worth of enduring all this.<br><br>§§ 14-15: [BHL 1748, 1749 and 1749b narrate that Dion summons Christina and asks her to come to the temple of Apollo to offer sacrifice. Christina refuses and does not fear any punishment. Dion insists and Christina agrees to go there. Dion thinks that she will offer sacrifice. Then Christina speaks to the idol, requiring it to go walk outside the temple to a distance of 40 feet. BHL 1748 and 1749 add that the idol follows Christina’s orders, and that the judge is shocked and tells Christina that she used magic but that the idol showed mercy and therefore obeyed. Christina replies that he fails to see that the idol is no god, and she exhorts him to believe in God. She asks the Lord to destroy the idol; BHL 1751 simply states that, as she is brought to the temple of Apollo by Dion, she asks for God’s help in the destruction of the idol.] The idol immediately falls and becomes dust. Many pagans believe in God after seeing this. [BHL 1748, 1749, 1749b: three thousand men believe; BHL 1751: seven thousand men believe]. The judge dies and Christina is sent back to jail. Later, another judge named Iulianus, a pagan, comes and is made aware of Christina’s deeds (gesta). He summons her to his court and requires her to adore the gods to avoid death. As Christina refuses, Iulianus orders a furnace (furnax) to be h