Apollonia of Alexandria, St.

views updated

APOLLONIA OF ALEXANDRIA, ST.

Also called Appolline, virgin and martyr, died in a popular uprising preceding the persecution of decius. Her martyrdom is described in a letter of Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 6.41.7). According to Dionysius, a

mob seized "the marvelous aged virgin Apollonia," broke her teeth, and threatened to burn her alive. Having been given a brief respite, she leaped into a fire and was consumed. The morality of such acts was discussed by St. Augustine (Civ. 1.26). Despite the fact that Dionysius explicitly mentions her age, Apollonia is usually represented in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance as a young woman, generally holding a forceps and a tooth. She is venerated as the patroness of dentists.

Feast: Feb. 7.

Bibliography: j. de p. bolÉo, O Martírio de Santa Apolónia (Porto 1968) includes a summary in Eng. w. bulk, St. Apollonia, Patronin der Zahnkranken; ihr Kult und Bild im Wandel der Zeit (Bielefeld 1967). c. a. mena serra, Santa Apolonia: patrona dental (Miami, FL 1986). f. quadri, Sant'Apollonia nella Svizzera italiana: studio storico e iconografico (Lugano 1984). g. d. gordini, Bibliotheca sanctorum 2:258262.

[m. j. costelloe]