Above: St. Agnes of Rome (291-304)
In the year 304 AD, two young Christian girls from a wealthy, pagan household in Rome, died a martyr’s death within days of each other.
Wealthy families in early Rome often raised their daughters using well educated slaves from Greece. These ‘nannies’ were often Christian, as was the case in this household.
The Roman patrician’s daughter Agnes was a beautiful girl. She grew up alongside the nanny’s daughter, Emerentia. The girls were like sisters, completely devoted to one another. When Agnes was 13, her father decided it was time for her to marry, so he encouraged the son of a high-ranking Roman to ask her for her hand in marriage. Agnes reportedly spurned his advances saying, “I am already the spouse of a Lover much more noble and powerful than you.” The enraged suitor discovered she was a Christian and reported her to the authorities. She was sentenced to be executed by the edict of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
There is enough variety in the description of how Agnes died that some of her story is considered legend. The consistency behind every account, however, is that Agnes was a very young Christian who sacrificed her life for her faith in Christ.
Roman law prohibited executing virgins, so the judge gave Agnes a choice– sacrifice to the gods or be violated at a brothel. Agnes reportedly responded, “Do you believe that I could now bow my head before simple rock idols, mute and lifeless?”
According to truth or legend, all the men who approached Agnes in the brothel became blind. She then prayed for God to restore their sight. Agnes was eventually killed by the executioner’s sword.
A few days after Agnes’ death, a young woman was found praying by her tomb. It was Emerentiana, who admitted to being a Christian. She admonished the crowd for killing Agnes. The crowd commanded her to leave the site. When she refused, they stoned her.
It is said that the deaths shocked many Romans and helped bring an end to the persecutions. Some said, “Do young girls constitute such a threat to Rome that it is necessary to kill them?” Others said, “If this religion can enable a 13-year-old girl to meet death without fear, it is worth looking into.”
The heroism and death of these young girls inspire us in our own faith and obedience. There is another, however, whose name we do not know, but whose Christian influence was monumental in the Roman world. We would do well to remember also the unnamed nanny, whose exceptional teaching and inspired lifestyle enabled two young girls to withstand the test of martyrdom.
–From The New Encyclopedia of Christian Martyrs, by Mark Waters, as told in the Voice of the Martyrs magazine
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The precise details of this story cannot be proven. Legend is often mixed with history in these very old stories. But what cannot be denied is that countless martyrs of all ages have faced death with that kind of faith and courage and hope, bearing witness to unbelievers and giving inspiration to fellow Christians. Already in the second century A. D. Tertullian wrote that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” implying that the willing sacrifice of their lives led to the conversion of others.
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I Corinthians 1:26-27 — Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Matthew 5:10-12a — (Jesus said), “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”
I Peter 4:12-16 — Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
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All-powerful and ever-living God, you choose the weak in this world to confound the powerful. When we celebrate the memory of St. Agnes, may we, like her, remain constant in our faith. Amen.
–Roman Catholic prayer remembering the life of St. Agnes of Rome
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