The Greek Life of *Eusebia/Xene (ascetic in Mylasa, ob. 5th c., S00519) recounts the life and miraculous death of a noble woman from Rome who founded a nunnery at a chapel of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030) in Mylasa (Caria, western Asia Minor). It mentions a monastery of *Andrew (the Apostle, S00288) in the same city, and a shrine and feast of *Ephraim (bishop of Mylasa, S02842) at the neighbouring village of Leuke. Written in Mylasa in the late fifth century.
E07857
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
The Life of Eusebia, renamed Xene (BHG 633)
Summary:
[1-7] Eusebia was the only child of a Christian noble family in Rome. She was betrothed to a rich man, but she wanted to become an ascetic. She convinced two of her servants to join her in a Christian life. Thus, they secretly gave all their possessions to the poor and they sneaked out of the house dressed like men, in order to avoid being recognised. They took a boat to Alexandria and from there they sailed to the island of Kos, looking for a remote place where her parents could not find them. There, they put on their female habit again and found a small house where they started living a holy life, praying God to send them a holy man to take care of them. There, Eusebia decided to change her name into Xene [= stranger].
[8-9] They met a certain old holy man, and told him of their intentions, requesting him to become their spiritual master. He revealed that his name was Paulos and he was originally from the city of Mylassa in Caria, where he was the prior of a monastery dedicated *Andrew (the Apostle, S00288). They followed him to Mylassa where they founded a monastery and oratory and dedicated to *Stephen (the first martyr, S00030), with Paulos as their spiritual father. Nobody knew where Eusebia was coming from as she kept calling herself Xene. She was humble, meek and modest, constantly fasted, and spent nights in prayer and vigil. The people called the monastery Koinon because Eusebia and her virgin were found by Paulos in Kos. Shortly later, the bishop of the city Kyrillos died and was succeeded by Paulos who ordained Eusebia deaconess.
[12-17] During the feast of *Ephraim (bishop of Mylasa, S02842), whose memory was celebrated by the bishop Paulos and all the people at the place of the saint’s burial in the village of Leuke (‘the White Village’), Eusebia realised that she was about to die. She exhorted her nuns to pray for her and consoled them for her upcoming death. The two nuns that used to be her handmaidens wanted to die with her. She consoled them and prayed for them. Then she went into the oratory and prayed for several hours. When she died, a great light shone and a pleasant smell came forth from the oratory. Then a wonder occurred: a crown composed of stars with a cross in the middle appeared in the sky at mid-day. When bishop Paulos and the people saw the sign from Leuke, they realised that it signalled Eusebia/Xene’s death.
[18-24] The people and the bishop returned to the city and visited the monastery praising God for this miracle. As the bishop was transferring Eusebia’s body to the square in the middle of the city, the crown and the cross in the sky were following the body. People came from the nearby cities to see the miracle and the body performed many healings. After a night of prayer, they brought the body to a place called Sykinion to the south of the city, where they buried it. Many people were healed from every kind of disease in that place. After some time, the two handmaidens died and were buried at Xene’s feet. Before dying, one of them revealed to the other virgins Eusebia’s name and noble origins. The saint bishop Paulos performed healings and miracles himself after the death of Eusebia. When he died, his body was buried in the oratory of *Andrew.
Text: Nissen 1938.
Summary: Giovanni Hermanin de Reichenfeld.
Service for the saint
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Cult PlacesCult building - oratory
Cult building - monastic
Burial site of a saint - unspecified
Non Liturgical ActivityComposing and translating saint-related texts
MiraclesMiracle at martyrdom and death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Miraculous sound, smell, light
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesWomen
Family
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Slaves/ servants
Aristocrats
Source
The pre-Metaphrastic text of the Life of Euseubia/Xene is preserved in three versions (BHG 633, 633a, 633b). For the manuscript tradition of her hagiographical dossier, see:https://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/notices/saint/311/
Bibliography
Edition:Th. Nissen, 'Sanctae Eusebiae seu Xenae vita,' Analecta Bollandiana 56, 1938, 106-117.
English translation and commentary:
M. J. Featherstone in V. Ruggieri, A. Acconci, J. M. Featherstone, 'Amboni cari e la "Vita Xenae seu Eusebiae" di Mylasa', Orientalia Chirstiana Periodica 68 (2002), 37-88.
Efthymios Rizos
Giovanni Hermanin De Reichenfeld
14/02/2020
ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00030 | Stephen, the First Martyr | Στέφανος | Certain | S00288 | Andrew, the Apostle | Ἀνδρέας | Certain | S00519 | Eusebia (or Xene), holy woman of Mylasa (Caria, west Asia Minor), 5th c. | Ευσεβία, Ξένη | Certain | S02842 | Ephraim, bishop of Mylasa | Ἐφραὶμ | Certain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Efthymios Rizos
Giovanni Hermanin De Reichenfeld, Cult of Saints, E07857 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E07857