St Theodora the Virgin and Didymus the Soldier (304)

Saint Theodora the Virgin and Didymus the Soldier (+304) met their end for Christ in the time of the Emperor Diocletian in the city of Alexandria, in 303 or 304.

The holy virgin Theodora boldly confessed Christianity before Eustratius, the governor of Alexandria. To Eustratius’s question why she did not marry, Theodora replied that she had dedicated herself to the Lord and kept her virginity for His name’s sake. Eustratius gave the saint three days to think, and threatened that if she did not repent he would throw her into a brothel. Brought to be questioned a second time, the virgin held firmly to her faith as before. Then, as he had promised, she was thrown into the brothel. The Christian Didymus, dressed in a soldier’s garb, went into the house of ill fame without hindrance, scattered the frightened libertines, and smuggled Theodora out dressed in his own clothing. When Eustratius was told what had happened, he summoned Saint Didymus to the tribunal. The saint boldly told how he had freed the holy confessor. For his defiance Didymus was sentenced to death. Before his death Saint Theodora came to the martyr and declared that she wished to give up her soul to the Lord together with him. Seeing this, Eustratius ordered both to be beheaded.

The holy bodies were burned in fire.