Feastday: May 4
Death: 304
Most likely a legendary saint. According to tradition, she was a maiden of Tarsus, in Cilicia, the daughter of noble parents who arranged a marriage between her and a son of Emperor Diocletian. To delay the wedding, she went on a trip and, during the journey was baptized by one Bishop Clino. After returning, her fiance discovered her devotion to Christianity and killed himself from the shame. Pelagia was swiftly denounced to Diocletian by her mother. The emperor, who supposedly desired her for himself or another son, was willing to spare her if they wed and she renounced the faith. When she stood firm, Diocletian ordered Pelagia to be roasted to death. She is most likely based on the historical Pelagia of Antioch.
Pelagia (Greek: Πελαγία; d. early 4th century), distinguished as Pelagia of Tarsus and Pelagia the Martyr (Πελαγία ἡ Μάρτυς, Pelagía ē Mártys), is a legendary Christian saint and martyr who lived in Tarsus in Cilicia (southeastern Asia Minor) during the reign of Roman emperor Diocletian. Originally, her feast day was celebrated on October 8, in common with SS Pelagia the Virgin & Pelagia the Harlot, both of Antioch and one or both of whom her story is probably modeled after. In the Roman Catholic Church, the feast was eventually moved to May 4.
Legend
According to tradition, Diocletian's son, the heir to the throne, fell in love with her and wanted to marry Pelagia. She replied that she could not, because she had sworn to preserve her virginity and was wedded to Christ. In his sorrow, Diocletian's son killed himself. Pelagia was sent to Rome by her pagan mother, where Diocletian asked her to become his wife. She refused, calling the emperor insane. She was then burnt to death, and her flesh melted and smells of myrrh pervaded throughout Rome. By some versions, she was burned within a Brazen bull. The story concludes by relating that the pagans sent four lions to surround her bones, but instead they protected her bones from vultures and crows until a Christian bishop could recover them.
History
There is little historical base to the story, as Diocletian had a daughter Valeria but no sons—a fact of considerable importance to the history of his reign. However, he did carry out the last intensive persecution of Christians in Roman history, many of whose victims were indeed burned alive. Thus, Pelagia might have been an actually martyr of that time, even if under different circumstances than those recounted in the later story. More probably, commemorations of the historical martyr Pelagia at Tarsus were probably embellished and given a local setting at some point.
Constantine the Great built a church on the reputed site of her remains.
