Saint Maria of Antioch (epub)

The narration offered in the following pages tells of a certain young woman named Maria, who lived in Antioch in Syria, within whose story are manifest parallels in the story of St. Maria, Anthemius, and Magnus to that of St. Cyprian and St. Justina, similarly associated with Antioch. One can readily see Maria, Magnus, and Anthemius as corresponding respectively to the characters of Justina, Cyprian, and Aglaidus, yet the dynamic here is subtly and intriguingly distinctive.

The present text has been translated by Robert Nixon from a Greek hagiographical sketch, the sole extant copy of which is to be found in a manuscript of uncertain antiquity held at the Medici Library at Florence, and which was reproduced in the Acta Sanctorum for May 29, published in 1688. The story of Saint Maria is a wonderful tale exhibiting in striking colors the capriciousness of the human heart, the presence and potency of spiritual forces, and the unpredictability of all earthly affairs.