Apollonia was an elderly deaconess living in Alexandria, Egypt, during a period of intense anti-Christian persecution under Emperor Philip the Arab. This persecution was not a systematic imperial decree but rather a spontaneous, violent outburst by a pagan mob in Alexandria, incited by a pagan prophet. The event occurred shortly before the Decian persecution, which began in 250 AD.
 

Our primary source for her martyrdom is a letter from Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch, preserved by Eusebius of Caesarea in his Ecclesiastical History (Book VI, Chapter 41). Dionysius, an eyewitness to the events, recounts the horrific violence inflicted upon Christians in Alexandria.

According to Dionysius' account:

"They seized the admirable virgin Apollonia, then in advanced age, and after striking her on the jaw, they knocked out all her teeth. They then kindled a pile of wood outside the city and threatened to burn her alive if she refused to utter impious blasphemies against the Christian faith. Apollonia, however, asked for a brief moment of delay. When granted, she bravely and instantly, without any sign of fear, sprang into the fire herself and was consumed."

Her act of willingly entering the flames, rather than uttering blasphemies or allowing her torturers the satisfaction of throwing her in, was seen as a profound act of faith and ultimate surrender to God. Some interpretations view this as a form of "proactive martyrdom," a desperate choice to avoid further torture and defilement of faith.
 

Her courageous death, along with many others during this violent period in Alexandria, quickly established her as a martyr within the early Church.


Saint Apollonia Pray for us!