Arpila of Gothia

Holy Venerable Martyr Arpila of Gothia was a monk and is counted among the Gothic martyrs who suffered around the year 375, in the time of King Ungerich, a persecutor of Christians. The Goths were a Germanic people who lived mostly along the Danube, in present-⁠day Romania, and from there spread over almost all of Europe. They are commemorated on 8 April.

Among those commemorated are the priests Vafusius and Verk, the monk Arpila, the laymen Aviv, Agn, Reas, Igathrax, Iskoes, Sila, Sigetz, Sonirilas, Suimbal, Ferm, Fill, Constans and Agathon, a prince, and the martyr women Anna, Alla, Larissa, Moiko, Mamika, Uirko, Animaisa, Gaafa, queen of the Goths, and Duklida, a princess. The king ordered the church set on fire during the service. In the flames three hundred and eight people perished, of whom the names of twenty-⁠one martyrs are known.

The widow of a Gothic king, Alla, gathered with her daughter Duklida the remains of the holy martyrs and took them to Syria. Then she returned to her own country, where after a time she was stoned and died a martyr together with her son Agathon. The relics of the saints remained with Duklida, who, in the time of Valentinian and Theodosius the Great, came to Cyzicus and gave a part of them for the consecration of a church. The end of the righteous Duklida was peaceful.