The Ante-Nicene Church · AD 180–313
Lucy of Syracuse
d. c. 304 · Virgin · Martyr of Sicily · Syracuse
The Ante-Nicene Church
Who Lucy of Syracuse was
A young Christian of Syracuse martyred under Diocletian, whose cult spread so fast that her name entered the Roman canon of the Mass among the honoured virgins. The traditional Acts tell of a vow of virginity, a rejected pagan suitor who denounced her, and torments she miraculously survived before the sword. Her name (Lucia, “light”) drew to her the imagery of light and, in the north, the festival of lights on her December feast. One of the West’s most beloved martyr-saints, her historical core the fact of a Sicilian virgin who died in the persecution.
Also listed in martyrs, women and the great persecution.
Common questions
When did Lucy die?
Lucy of Syracuse is dated d. c. 304 in the archive, which places Lucy in the Ante-Nicene Church (AD 180–313). The dating is traditional and approximate; the archive marks it as uncertain rather than fixing a year the sources do not give.
Which early sources mention Lucy?
Lucy of Syracuse is named in 2 primary-source passages catalogued here, drawn from The Hieronymian compilers and Latin liturgical tradition. Every passage is quoted from a named public-domain translation, earliest first.
Where was Lucy from?
The archive associates Lucy of Syracuse with Syracuse.
Who were Lucy’s contemporaries?
The archive links Lucy of Syracuse to 2 other figures, including Agnes of Rome and Emperor Diocletian. 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.
Martyrologium Hieronymianum ('at Syracuse, Lucy' — 13 December)
c. AD 450The Roman Canon (Communicantes) & early Sicilian cult
c. AD 600…Felicity, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and all thy saints.Latin liturgical tradition · source text
Connected in the archive
People
Events in this lifetime
- AD 235 · Maximinus Thrax targets the clergy, AD 235
- AD 250 · The Decian persecution, AD 250
- AD 251 · The Novatianist schism, AD 251
- AD 257 · The Valerian persecution, AD 257
- AD 260 · Gallienus’ edict of toleration, AD 260
- AD 268 · Antioch deposes Paul of Samosata, AD 268
- AD 272 · Aurelian awards the Antioch church, AD 272
- AD 301 · Hripsime and her company, AD 301
- AD 303 · The Great Persecution begins, AD 303
- AD 303 · The search of the church at Cirta, AD 303
Place
Places served
The one place the sources put Lucy.