ON SAINT THOMAIS, MARTYR AT ALEXANDRIA.
FIFTH CENTURY.
CommentaryThomais, Martyr at Alexandria (St.)
G. H.
[1] Guglielmo Sirleto, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, in the Greek Menologium collected by him, has only these things about this holy matron on this day: "On the same day of the holy Martyr Thomais, from the city of Alexandria." With this Menologium cited, these words are inserted into today's Roman Martyrology: "At Alexandria, St. Thomais Martyr." [St. Thomais did not live with St. Febronia, the Martyr in Mesopotamia under Diocletian,] In the Notes Baronius adds that more concerning her is in the Acts of St. Febronia. This one is venerated on June 25, crowned with martyrdom under Diocletian, at Nisibis in Mesopotamia, previously a nun, with a certain Thomais; who followed her when she was led off, disguising herself in a man's clothing, and afterwards wrote up her martyrdom, which she had seen with her eyes. We have the Acts of the martyrdom in various Latin MSS., and published by Mombritius, which the mentioned Sirleto also found transcribed in Greek at Grottaferrata near Rome, and translated again into Latin by himself sent to Luigi Lippomano Bishop of Verona: who published them under the name of Metaphrastes in volume 7 of the Lives of the Saints, and from him Surius on June 25. But this nun Thomais is much older than this our Thomais: who was not a nun, but a married matron; not in Mesopotamia or Assyria, but at Alexandria in Egypt; not in any persecution of the ancient Emperors, but in the height of the Church's peace, by her father-in-law, on account of chastity, but killed at Alexandria on account of chastity in the 5th century. in the fifth century of Christ, she underwent martyrdom. Her illustrious contest is recounted in the Great Menaea of the Greeks, both printed and written by hand, and in Maximus Bishop of Cythera, in his Lives of the Saints, which thence we here give in Latin, and is as follows.
[2] On the same day, April 14, the memorial of St. Thomais the Martyr. This holy Thomais was born at Alexandria, and was brought up by her parents in every honest way, She, having entered matrimony, and instructed in letters: and afterwards handed over in marriage to a husband, she lived in the house of her husband with great praise of honesty and temperance, conducting herself prudently and suitably in all things. Now in the same house lived the father of her husband, who had received Thomais as his daughter-in-law: but he at a certain time, when his son and husband of Thomais was absent from home, solicited to crime by her father-in-law. the destroyer of souls, the devil, cast impure thoughts into the old man against his daughter-in-law, so that he attempted to attack her with incestuous coupling, and consummate the impious conception of his wicked mind. Blessed Thomais soon resisted, dissuading the wicked old man from the crime with many words, and beseeching him not to wish to snatch away her modesty: but she did all in vain. For he, impelled, or rather led off by the demon into the darkness of mind, and incited by carnal fire, and, refusing assent, she is killed. seizing a sword, struck his daughter-in-law and wife of his son, and divided her in the middle with the weapon. She therefore soon poured forth her soul; and bore off the laurel of martyrdom, killed for the sake of guarding her chastity: but the old father-in-law, immediately struck with blindness, was wandering about the house. It happened meanwhile, that some approached, seeking his son. The father-in-law struck with blindness, These find Thomais, his wife, lying dead on the ground: and seeing these things, and together the old blind father-in-law creeping and wandering about the walls, they ask what this spectacle means. The old man confesses the crime, and voluntarily approaching the Praetor, and accuses himself as guilty of parricide: and adds and asks that he be led by them to the Praetor, from whom he may receive sentence for the crime committed. They do what the old man had asked, and lead him to the tribunal of the Praetor: he is beheaded. who, having learned the case, orders the old man's head to be cut off with the sword.
[3] When Daniel Abbot of Scetis had learned these things, he took care that Thomais be carried to Scetis, and there buried her in his own cemetery, The body of the Saint brought to the monastery of Scetis, as one who had shed her blood for chastity. Now there was in Scetis itself a certain one, who was violently incited by the spirit of fornication to lust: he, when he had approached the relics and tomb of the blessed Martyr, and had anointed himself with oil from a lamp hanging there; having received through nocturnal rest, in which the Martyr appeared to him, a heavenly greeting, awoke, and felt himself wholly freed from every affection of lust. is made clear by miracles: From this time therefore until now the Brothers of this monastery, in this conflict of the flesh, have received singular aid through Blessed Thomais.
[4] Thus far the Menaea, in which the Daniel indicated, Abbot in the monastery of Scetis, seems to be the one, under Abbot Daniel in the 5th century. who with St. Arsenius lived there; whose virtues after his death he was accustomed to recount to those who came after, as is recounted in Rufinus, book 2 of the Lives of the Fathers, chapter 37 and the two following; and in book 5, with Pelagius as interpreter, little book 10 chapter 8, little book 15 chapter 9, and little book 18 chapter 3. This being supposed, we establish that St. Thomais suffered martyrdom in the fifth century, and that her body was preserved in the said cenobium. The distich prefixed to the elogium in the Menaea, containing no mention of Martyrdom, could be fitted to any female Saint, even one who died in peace, and is such.
Ἀιῶνος ἦρας τοῦδε τὴν Θωμαίδα, Τοῦ τῆς γραφῆς μέλλοντος ἀιῶνος Πάτερ.
From this age you took Thomais, O Father, once called of the coming age.