Gayane

Holy Martyr Gayane (Gaiania) was the abbess of a convent of virgins, a martyr of early Christian Armenia, and one of the thirty-⁠five maidens who suffered in the persecution of the Armenian king Tiridates. She died in the year 301 or 304. The Orthodox Church commemorates her on 30 September (13 October by the new calendar).

According to her Life, Gayane was abbess of the convent of virgins of Saint Paul, situated in the mountains near Rome. Among the maidens of the convent Hripsime stood out for her beauty. The emperor Diocletian wished to find himself a beautiful wife and sent servants to seek her. The emperor's servants found Hripsime in the convent, made her portrait and sent it to the emperor. Diocletian wished to take her as his wife. But the maidens did not wish to marry pagans, but wished to have a single bridegroom, Christ. To keep their virginity, they left the place where they lived and moved to Armenia. Diocletian learned of this and sent to the Armenian king Tiridates a letter in which he asked him to seek out Hripsime and send her to him.

Tiridates found the maidens, but himself let the beauty of Hripsime captivate him and wished to take her for himself. Hripsime did not wish to marry, but the king's servants were ready to cut down all the maidens. Wishing to preserve their lives, Hripsime went to the king. In his chamber Hripsime resisted Tiridates, and the king could not overcome her. Angered, the king sent for Gayane, who in his opinion should persuade Hripsime to become his wife. Gayane came and spoke with Hripsime, but instead of urging her to marry the king, she strengthened her to keep her virginity. She spoke in the Latin language, so that the Armenians would not understand, but the king's servants, who knew Latin, understood and translated to the king.

The king, enraged, seeing that he would not reach his goal, cut off Hripsime's head. Then he ordered the soldiers to cut the maidens down with swords and cast their torn bodies to the beasts. With special cruelty Tiridates dealt with Gayane and the two maidens who were beside the abbess. They were cruelly tortured, according to their Life, and then beheaded.