Sophia of Rome

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Sophia of Rome was an early Christian martyr of the 4th century who died around 304 during the Diocletian persecution of Christians . She was buried in the cemetery of Saints Gordianus and Epimachus .

Around 845, Pope Sergius II had some of the relics buried under the high altar of the church of San Martino ai Monti , while Bishop Remigius of Strasbourg brought other relics to the Eschau monastery . The attributes of St. Sophia are palm and book , but also trough and sword . Her feast day is May 15th .

The life of the saints of St. Sophia of Rome appears partially with that of St. Sophia of Milan mixed up.

A representation from the 15th century can be found in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna .

Saint Sophia of Rome should not be confused with the Ἁγία Σοφία ( [H] Agia Sophia ), venerated in the Eastern Church and occasionally depicted on icons . This expression designates - albeit linguistically ambiguous and occasionally locally but redesigned and interpreted in the sense of a concrete "Sophia of Rome" - as a rule expressly not a concrete saint , but rather the " divine wisdom " as an essential and effective component of the Holy Spirit . It goes back to the model of the divine wisdom - and not, as often falsely asserted a "Holy Sophia" - consecrated former imperial and main church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople / Istanbul . Numerous other churches and - derived from these - places in the Orthodox culture are named after this and not after Sophia of Rome or another saint named Sophia.

The name “ Sophienkirche ”, which is commonly used in the West for the church buildings dedicated to “Agia Sophia” (Ἁγία Σοφία), is based on a misunderstanding that was solidified during the Crusades and is still widespread today. Ignorance of the theology of Eastern Churches and the - here quite ambiguous - Greek language as well as Western Church customs led to the misconception that the main church of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, consecrated to "Agia Sophia", is not of Divine Wisdom, but of a specific saint or St. Sophia of Rome are consecrated.

St. Sophia is called against late frosts and for the flourishing of the crops, because she is counted among the ice saints ( "Kalte Sophie" or in Austria "Koide Sophal" ). It is the last in the series of ice saints, which are among the meteorological singularities in Central Europe . According to the farmer's rule, the mild spring weather only becomes stable when the "Kalten Sophie" has passed. Due to the Gregorian calendar reform , the actual reference day of the peasant rule is only a few days later.

The Sophienrauke (Sisymbrium sophia) , a plant species, is named after her.

St. Sophia is the namesake of Sophia and the modifications Sofia , Sophie and Sofi . These first names have recently occupied the top positions in the list of the most popular first names in Germany by the Society for the German Language .

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The most popular first names at the Society for the German Language (accessed on March 14, 2015).
personal data
SURNAME Sophia of Rome
BRIEF DESCRIPTION early Christian martyr
DATE OF BIRTH 3rd century
DATE OF DEATH at 304