The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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

Saint’s feast

Cult building - oratory
Cult building - monastic
Burial site of a saint - unspecified

Composing and translating saint-related texts

Miracle at martyrdom and death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Miraculous sound, smell, light

Bodily relic - entire body

Women
Family
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Slaves/ servants
Aristocrats

Source

Bibliography