Aglaida of Rome

Saint Aglaida of Rome, the Righteous, was a wealthy young Roman woman who, after a sinful life, repented and became a venerable. She is commemorated on 1 January, together with the holy martyr Boniface of Tarsus. Her name is not included in the present calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Aglaida was the daughter of Acacius, once chief of the city. Young and beautiful, mistress of wealth inherited from her parents and living free, without a lawful husband, she spent her days in sin. She had a faithful slave, Boniface, also young, who was steward of her house and estates, and with him she lived in sin. Both felt the reproach of conscience and wished to wash away their sin. The Lord had mercy on them and gave them the chance to cleanse their sins with blood and end their sinful life with repentance.

The errand for relics

Aglaida learned that if one keeps in the house with reverence the relics of holy martyrs, salvation is easier through their prayers, for sins grow fewer and virtues take up their dwelling. It was the time of a fierce persecution in the East. She sent Boniface with much gold to bring back the relics of a martyr, who would be her guide and protector. On departing, laughing, Boniface asked: "And if I do not find relics and suffer for Christ myself, will you receive my body with honour?" Aglaida took his words seriously and rebuked him for allowing himself jests on a holy errand. Boniface thought over her words and all the way was attentive. He began to fast, to abstain from meat and wine, and to pray much, in order to come to the fear of God.

The martyrdom of Boniface

Arriving at Tarsus in Cilicia, he left his companions at the inn and went to the city square, where Christians were being tortured. Shaken by the sight of the terrible tortures and seeing the faces of the holy martyrs lit by the grace of the Lord, he rushed to them, kissed their feet and begged their prayers, that he too might be counted worthy to suffer with them. The judge asked who he was. Boniface answered: "I am a Christian," and refused to sacrifice to the idols. At once he was given tortures: he was beaten so that the flesh fell from his bones, needles were driven under his nails and, finally, molten tin was poured into his throat, but by the power of the Lord he remained unharmed. The crowd around rose in revolt, threw stones at the judge and rushed to the pagan temple to overturn the idols. The next day the judge ordered the martyr thrown into a cauldron of boiling pitch, but this too did him no harm: an angel who came down from heaven sprinkled him, and the pitch poured out of the cauldron, caught fire and burned the tormentors. Then Boniface was condemned to be beheaded with the sword. From the wound flowed blood and milk; seeing this wonder, about five hundred and fifty people believed in Christ.

Meanwhile his companions, after waiting two days in vain, began to search for him, supposing that he had given himself to some frivolous pastime. They learned from a witness what had happened and were led to where the severed body still lay. With tears they asked his forgiveness for their improper thoughts and, after redeeming the martyr's remains for much money, they brought them to Rome.

The relics and Aglaida's repentance

On the eve of their arrival Aglaida saw in a dream an angel, who ordered her to prepare to receive her former slave, now lord and protector, a fellow minister with the angels. Aglaida summoned clergy, received the honoured relics with great reverence and then built, on the place where he was buried, a church in the name of the holy martyr and placed the relics there, which became glorious through many miracles. She distributed all her property to the poor and retired to a convent, where she spent eighteen years in repentance and received, even in life, the gift of casting out unclean spirits. She was buried beside the tomb of the martyr Boniface.