Theognius of Edessa

Holy Martyr Theognius of Edessa was the son of the holy martyr Bassa and the brother of Agapius and Pistus. The family suffered in the time of the emperor Maximian, in Edessa of Macedonia, at the beginning of the fourth century.

The emperor had issued a law commanding all his subjects to sacrifice to the pagan gods on his birthday. Many Christians, seized by fear, submitted, but those firmly grounded in the faith offered heroic resistance. Among them was Bassa, with her sons. She was of senatorial rank, had received the Christian faith from her parents and had brought up her children in it. Her husband, Valerian, a notable citizen of Edessa, had become a pagan priest. He was the first to bring sacrifice and libation to the idols. Then Bassa took her sons aside and told them that it was not fitting to follow their father, but that, hastening toward Christ and despising what passes away, they would receive from the Lord goods eternal and incorruptible.

Theognius, Agapius and Pistus listened to their mother's words and refused to sacrifice to the idols. Then Valerian denounced his wife and children to the governor. Before the mother's eyes the children were tortured. The eldest, Theognius, was hung up and scraped with iron claws. Agapius, still a boy, had the skin flayed from his head to his chest, and the martyr uttered no sound. At last they began to torture the youngest, Pistus. The mother did not cease to encourage them to endure suffering for Christ. Then the boys were beheaded.

Saint Bassa was shut in prison, and the pagans brought her food and urged her to obey the emperor's command. She answered them nothing and rejected all the food. After seven days an angel strengthened her with heavenly food. In the tortures that followed she remained unharmed by fire, water and beasts. The grace of God protected Bassa equally from the hot furnace and from blows of stones. When she was brought to a pagan temple she shattered the statue of Zeus. Then the martyr was thrown into the depths of the sea, but, to the astonishment of all, a ship appeared, and three light-⁠bearing men lifted her aboard. The venerable Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain thought that these were her children, tortured before.

After eight days Saint Bassa herself came down from the ship to the ruler of the island of Alon, not far from Cyzicus, in the Propontis or Sea of Marmara. First, tempting her with rich gifts and garments, the ruler tried to persuade her, and then, after thorough tortures, forced her to sacrifice to the gods, frightening her with sufferings. At last he asked her why she was not afraid to die. Bassa answered that she hastened to be rid of death and to inherit eternal life. After being beaten with rods, she was beheaded. Later a church was built in her honour on a height, visible from every side to sailors, who regarded her as their protectress.

It is known that around the year 450 a church of the holy martyr Bassa already existed in Chalcedon. Prayer to Saint Bassa delivers from despondency, helps sailors on voyages, parents in the upbringing of children, in healing, in standing firm in the faith and in hard circumstances of life. The commemoration of Saint Bassa and her sons Theognius, Agapius and Pistus is on 3 September, in the new style.