Athanasia of Aegina

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Athanasia of Aegina ( Greek Ἀθανασία , epithet Thaumaturgos [ Greek θαυματουργός ]; * around 790 in Aegina ; † 14 August around 860 ibid) was the founder of a monastery and is venerated as a saint of the Orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic Church .

Life

Athanasia was born to a wealthy family on the island of Aegina around the year 790 as the daughter of Niketas and Eirene. Already at the age of seven she felt a call to an ascetic life. Athanasia received a standard education, which consisted of readings in the Psalter and the Holy Scriptures . After a spiritual experience, she decided to enter a monastery. She was married off by her parents against her will at the age of 16. However, her husband was killed in an attack by Arabs 15 days after the wedding.

Now a widow, she decided to dedicate her life to God. Contrary to her wishes, she had to enter into a second marriage on the basis of an alleged imperial edict , which ordered the marriage of virgins and widows. This is said to have been issued by Michael II , but there is no tradition of this edict. Her second husband is said to have been an "unbelieving barbarian". Athanasia led an ascetic and charitable life in marriage. She supported the needy, gathered other pious women around her and also moved her husband, who entered a monastery, to a religious life. Athanasia founded a monastery herself and after a few years became the abbess of this monastery. With some other nuns she moved to Timia on Aegina near the Stephanoskirche and built three other churches. One was dedicated to Theotokos , one to John the Baptist and one to Nicholas of Myra .

A few years later Athanasia went to Constantinople and lived there in a monastery for six or seven years. The reason for this change is unclear, but it was probably not entirely voluntary, because, according to the Vita in Constantinople, she should have felt like she was in exile. She returned to Timia and died there a short time later on August 14th, probably in the year 860. Numerous miraculous healings are said to have occurred on her coffin.

Modern reception

Judy Chicago dedicated an inscription to Athanasia of Aegina on the triangular floor tiles of the Heritage Floor of her installation The Dinner Party . The porcelain tiles labeled with the name Athanarsa are assigned to the place with the place setting for Hrotsvit .

literature

  • Alice-Mary Talbot (Ed.): Holy Women of Byzantium. Ten Saints 'Lives in English Translation (=  Byzantine Saints' Lives in Translation . Volume 1 ). Dumbarton Oaks, Washington DC 1996, ISBN 0-88402-241-2 , pp. 139 ( books.google.de ).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Athanasia: Prosopography of the Middle Byzantine period . 2013 ( degruyter.com ).
  2. ↑ HolyWomen ( Memento from June 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ^ A b Venerable Athanasia the Abbess of Aegina. In: oca.org. Retrieved December 5, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Brooklyn Museum: Athanarsa. In: brooklynmuseum.org. Retrieved December 5, 2017 .
personal data
SURNAME Athanasia of Aegina
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Saints
DATE OF BIRTH around 790
PLACE OF BIRTH on Aegina
DATE OF DEATH August 14 at 860
Place of death on Aegina