Saint Antonina of Nicaea

About Saint Antonina of Nicaea

Saint Antonina of Nicaea is a Christian martyr, whose name comes from the ancient Latin name Antonius , meaning “born before”. She died in Nicea, in Bithynia (present-day Turkey), at the end of the 3rd century, being mentioned in the Roman Martyrology on three different dates (March 1, May 4 and June 12).

The work of César Baronio

In the 16th century, the Vatican cardinal and librarian, Caesar Baronius, was tasked with unifying the Church's liturgical calendars, at the request of Pope Clement VIII. To this end, he created the Roman Martyrology, a dictionary of saints of all times.

However, when dealing with the Egyptian, Greek and Syriac calendars, which commemorated Saint Antonina on different dates, Baronio did not realize that the celebrations always honored the same person, due to the name being common and the martyrdoms being described in different ways.

The martyrdom of Saint Antonina

Saint Antonina was martyred during the rule of Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century. She was arrested and sentenced to death after being denounced as a Christian. Before her death, she was subjected to various forms of torture, such as burning her hands and feet with a hot iron.

Later, she was tied up and placed in a sack, and thrown to the bottom of a swampy lake on the outskirts of Nicaea. That was May 4, 306, the date that was established for the veneration of Saint Antonina, the martyr of Nicaea.