Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina the Virgin.

Saint Antonina was from the city of Krodamos in Asia Minor. Little else is recorded of her early life, but the sources depict her as a woman devoted to prayer and virtue. During her imprisonment, the martyr spent all her time at prayer, eating and drinking nothing. The silence in the historical record before her arrest suggests she lived quietly in her faith until the persecution of Governor Festus brought her before judgment.

She was brought before the governor Festus, who urged her to worship the pagan gods, promising to make her a priestess of the goddess Artemis. But the saint bravely confessed Christ, and she urged the governor to renounce the worship of demons in the form of idols. Festus gave orders to strike the saint on the face and lock her up in prison.

The governor decided to give the holy virgin over for defilement by soldiers, but the Lord inspired one of them, Saint Alexander, to save the holy virgin. No one recognized her dressed as a soldier, and she walked out of prison. Her companion Alexander, moved by divine grace, became her spiritual kinsman in the struggle for Christ. The soldiers found Saint Alexander alone in the cell; he would not respond to the governor's questions and was tortured and beaten, but through the inspiration of the Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Antonina also came to stand before Festus.

Soldiers cut off their hands, then smeared them with pitch and threw them into a pit where a fire was burning; when the fire went out, they threw snakes into the pit, so that Christians would not be able to gather up the bones of the martyrs. Sts Alexander and Antonina were martyred on May 3, 313. Thus, the holy martyrs Alexander and Antonina the virgin received their eternal reward through martyrdom, sealed in fire and blood as a testimony to Christ.

In the Prologue their memory is listed under June 10. The relics of the saints were eventually transferred to Constantinople and placed in the Maximov Monastery. Their joint commemoration became celebrated throughout the Orthodox Church as an example of spiritual fraternity and steadfast faith. They are remembered as "the spiritual kinsmen in Christ, who were of one mind in the paths of godliness; for in His good pleasure, He that glorified them hath received their struggles and wounds as fragrant myrrh." The Church continues to invoke their intercession for the protection of virgins and for courage in facing persecution and trial.

The Holy Martyrs Alexander and Antonina the Virgin represent a compelling example of Christian witness and mutual sacrifice in the early Church. Saint Antonina was from the city of Krodamos (Asia Minor) and was arrested for being a Christian, brought before the governor Festus. He urged her to worship the pagan gods, promising to make her a priestess of the goddess Artemis, but the saint bravely confessed Christ and urged the governor to renounce the worship of demons in the form of idols.

Festus gave orders to strike the saint on the face and lock her up in prison; the martyr spent all her time at prayer, eating and drinking nothing, but heard the voice of God saying, "Antonina, fortify yourself with food and be brave, for I am with you." The governor decided to give the holy virgin over for defilement by soldiers, but the Lord inspired one of them, Saint Alexander, to save the holy virgin. No one recognized her dressed as a soldier, and she walked out of prison.

The soldiers sent by Festus found Saint Alexander alone in the cell; he would not respond to the questions of the governor, and so he was tortured and mercilessly beaten. Through the inspiration of the Lord Jesus Christ, Saint Antonina also came to stand before Festus. Soldiers cut off their hands, then they smeared them with pitch and threw them into a pit where a fire was burning; when the fire went out, they threw snakes into the pit, so that Christians would not be able to gather up the bones of the martyrs. Festus became numb, and was able neither to eat nor to drink, dying after seven days of terrible torment.