Today, December 22, according to the calendar, the memory of Saint Anastasia the Pharmacist, Saint Zoilos and Chrysogenos is commemorated.

The names celebrating today are: Anastasia, Natasha, Nana, Tasia, Sia, Tatia, Tasha, Tessa, Sasha, Zoilos, Zoila

Saint Anastasia the Great Martyr the Apothecary

Anastasia the Apothecary was born and raised in Rome at the end of the 3rd century AD. She was the daughter of a noble family. Her father was Praetextatos, a powerful preacher in the Roman era and a pagan. Flavia’s mother was a Christian.

Anastasia was baptized a Christian and raised by her mother. He even led her to the Christian teacher Chrysogonos, who after her mother’s death fully took over her teaching. When Anastasia reached adulthood, her father forced her to marry the Roman Poplius, which she did against her will. Anastasia avoided Poplius carnally, pretending that she was sick, a feigned illness as her synaxario records, while he consumed her property in idolatrous and profligate manifestations. Anastasia suffered a lot because she could not freely fulfill her Christian obligations.

The sudden death of her husband unleashed all of Anastasia’s potential. Thus she devoted all her wealth, time, activity and love to visiting imprisoned Christians in prisons, strengthening and encouraging them, so that they would not cower in the face of martyrdom. She became a chaplain, i.e. coach, of many martyrs who owe their glorious martyrdom to Anastasia’s encouragement and support.

In her work, this was not limited only to Rome, but extended her activity as far as the East, as far as Nicomedia in Asia Minor, after passing through Illyria and Macedonia, where she operated mainly in the city of Thessaloniki.

Its action in Thessaloniki

Saints Agapi, Chionia and Irini from Thessaloniki, students of Saint Anastasia of Farmacolytria who were martyred in the area of ​​Xirokrini. Miniature from the Calendar of Basil B’.

Specifically in Thessaloniki, she was the teacher in Christianity for the three sisters Agapi, Chionia and Irini, who were martyred under Diocletian in Thessaloniki. Before their martyrdom, her three students knew her care and love, for this reason the Roman authorities of the city imprisoned and tortured Anastasia in a prison in Thessaloniki. It is even possible that the mountain on which the third of the sisters, Saint Irini, was bowed by a soldier, is the mountain where today the Monastery of Saint Anastasia in Vasilika Thessaloniki is located. Anastasia took care of the burial of the honorable bodies of the three virgin martyrs. The memory of the students of Agia Anastasia in Thessaloniki, three sisters Agapi, Chionia and Irini is commemorated on April 16. In fact, two early Christian basilicas found in the Xirokrini district of Thessaloniki are considered to be connected with the martyrdom of the three women (the Early Christian Basilica of Xirokrini and the Early Christian Basilica of Agios Dimitriou and Lagada streets).

The martyrdom of Saint Anastasia

The rigid and unyielding Anastasia was finally tied to stakes and bound as she was delivered to the fire on December 22, 303 or 304 AD. in Thessaloniki (or according to others in Sirmio) while other sources place her martyrdom in Rome.

The honest body of Anastasia, according to the synaxaries, was received by a pious noblewoman using the acquaintance of the local Prefect and buried in the garden of her house. Later he built a Christian church there.

Other sources state that Anastasia’s husband, Poplius, imprisoned her because he failed to convert her to paganism. And her teacher Chrysogonus was imprisoned by Diocletian and tortured, because he taught Christianity with great success and arrogance. Correspondence has been preserved between Saint Anastasia, when her husband had imprisoned her, to prevent her philanthropic action, and Chrysogenos, when he was also in prison. Chrysogonus was followed by Anastasia on his martyrdom from Rome to Nicomedia, since in the meantime she was released from prison after the death of her husband (Poplius went as ambassador to Persia where he died suddenly).