Theodota

Saint Theodota of Thessaloniki, Martyr, was the mother of the Holy Martyrs Agape, Irene and Chionia, who suffered for Christ at Thessaloniki in 304, in the reign of the emperor Diocletian. The calendar of the Church of Greece commemorates her on 16 April together with her daughters.

Little has been preserved about Theodota herself. Greek tradition presents her as a devout woman of a wealthy family of Thessaloniki, who raised her daughters in the Christian faith. The Church numbers her among the martyrs, but the circumstances of her death were not written down. Other accounts of the martyrdom say that the sisters were orphaned young, so her place in the story is not fully clear.

The suffering of her daughters is well known. When Diocletian ordered Christian books to be handed over and burned, the three sisters hid the books in their house and withdrew to a mountain near Thessaloniki, perhaps Chortiatis. There Saint Anastasia the Deliverer from Potions visited and strengthened them. Arrested in 304, they were tried by the governor Dulcitius, together with Agathon, Eutychia, Kassia and Philippa.

Because they would not deny Christ, Agape and Chionia were burned alive. Irene was imprisoned and then taken to a brothel, but no one dared to touch her, and in the end she too gave her life for Christ. The remains of their relics were gathered by Christians and buried west of the city, where first a small chapel and later a larger church were built. The Miracles of Saint Demetrius mention this shrine of the three martyrs.

Saint Theodota is thus honoured as the mother who gave the Church three virgin martyrs. Her memory is kept on 16 April, the feast of Saints Agape, Irene and Chionia.