Philothea of Athens
Philothea of Athens ( Greek Αγία Φιλοθέη η Αθηναία Agia Filothei i Athinea ; * 1522 in Athens , † 1589 in Athens) is an Orthodox saint and patroness of Athens. She is venerated as a martyr for the freedom of Greece and the Orthodox faith.
Life
Philothea, whose birth name Revoula Benizelou , came from a respected family in Athens, which at that time, like almost all of Greece, was under Ottoman rule . When she was twelve years old, she was given to a rich man who abused her. After he died three years later, she returned to her parents' home. After the death of her parents, she founded a women's monastery at the age of 25 and placed it under the patronage of St. Andreas . She took the religious name Philothea - "the God-loving" - on. With the sisters of her convent, she founded schools, worked in the poor and sick and protected young women from the forced conversion to Islam and from the harem . Eventually she was kidnapped from the monastery church and beaten to death.
Adoration
The shrine of St. Philothea is venerated in the Orthodox Cathedral of Athens . Her feast day is February 19th . The house where the saint was born in Athens' old town was renovated in 2016-2017 and can be viewed as a museum.
Web links
- Biography (greek)
- Kurzbiografie (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Philothea of Athens |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Revoula Venizelos (maiden name); Philothea |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Orthodox saint, patron saint of Athens |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1522 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Athens |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1589 |
| Place of death | Athens |