The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Apollonia of Alexandria
d. 249 · Aged deaconess · Martyr of Alexandria · Alexandria
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Apollonia of Alexandria was
An aged Christian woman of Alexandria seized in the anti-Christian riot that preceded the Decian edict, described by bishop Dionysius in the letter Eusebius preserved: the mob “broke out all her teeth,” then built a pyre and threatened to burn her alive unless she blasphemed. Given a moment’s freedom, she leapt into the fire of her own accord rather than deny Christ. Dionysius reports her among the first victims, before the edict itself; her cult made her, incongruously, the patron of the toothache she suffered. A named woman rescued from an anonymous massacre by a bishop’s pen.
Also listed in martyrs, women and the decian persecution.
Common questions
When did Apollonia die?
Apollonia of Alexandria is dated d. 249 in the archive, which places Apollonia in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313).
Which early sources mention Apollonia?
Apollonia of Alexandria is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from Dionysius of Alexandria and The Hieronymian compilers. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Apollonia from?
The archive associates Apollonia of Alexandria with Alexandria.
Who were Apollonia’s contemporaries?
The archive links Apollonia of Alexandria to 4 other figures, including Dionysius the Great, Metras of Alexandria, Quinta of Alexandria and Serapion of Alexandria. Each connection is drawn from a source that places them together, not from inference.
Primary-source mentions (2)
Every passage below is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Dionysius of Alexandria, via Eusebius VI.41
c. AD 255They seized that most admirable virgin Apollonia, an old woman, and, beating her on the jaws, broke out all her teeth. And they made a fire before the city and threatened to burn her alive unless she would repeat their impious words.Dionysius of Alexandria · VI.41 · source text
Martyrologium Hieronymianum (Apollonia of Alexandria, 9 February)
c. AD 450Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 180 · The Scillitan martyrs, AD 180
- AD 190 · The Quartodeciman controversy, AD 190
- AD 202 · Perpetua and Felicity martyred, AD 202
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Apollonia.