The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Martyrdom of Eirene (BHG 952y-953a)

We have not examined this text. Stavroula Constantinou provides a summary of the Martyrdom, which we reproduce here:

'According to Irene's legend, there is an emperor called Licinius who has a daughter called Penelope distinguished for her extreme beauty. Penelope is shut up by her father in a tower until she reaches the age of marriage. In the tower she converts to Christianity and is baptised Irene by a priest who miraculously enters the tower. When Irene reaches the age of marriage, her father comes to the tower to let her out. He then discovers that she has become a Christian. He tries unsuccessfully to kill her, but is himself killed instead and resurrected by Irene. Realising the power of the Christian God, Licinius converts and decides to give up his throne. His successor tortures Irene without managing to kill her. He is finally sent away from Irene's city by the infuriated inhabitants who in the meantime have converted after witnessing the power of God manifested in Irene's body. The emperor is succeeded by his son, who also comes to Irene's city with the intention of killing her. Eventually he is killed by an angel. Irene is set free. She preaches the word of God and performs miracles until she is arrested by the new emperor. Thirty days later a prefect arrives in the city. Irene has another trial during which the prefect is converted. Finally, the king of Persia sends seventy soldiers in order to arrest Irene. She is brought to Persia where she is killed by the Persian king. She is resurrected by an angel four days later. The king of Persia converts to Christianity. As soon as everybody has been baptised, Irene is miraculously brought to Ephesos where she preaches and performs miracles. When she is summoned by God, she encloses herself in a coffin from which her body disappears.' (Constantinou 2005, 27)

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