Martyr Hermione, daughter of Saint Philip the Deacon

Commemorated on September 4.

At that time, Emperor Trajan (98-117) was waging war against the Persians. When he heard of Saint Hermione's prophetic gift, he stopped at Ephesus in order to have her predict what his future would be. She told him that he would defeat the Persians, and that his son-in-law Hadrian would succeed him as the Emperor of Rome. Then Trajan discovered that Hermione was a Christian, and at first he tried to persuade her to renounce Christ with gentle admonitions. When this did not succeed, he commanded that she should be struck in the face for several hours, but she endured this suffering with patience. Moreover, she was comforted by a vision of the Lord, Who appeared in the form of Petronius, and sitting upon the Judgment Seat.

Convinced that Hermione would continue steadfast in her faith, Trajan released her. Later she built a hospice where she cared for the sick, treating their physical and spiritual infirmities.

Trajan’s successor, Hadrian, also demanded that the Saint be brought to trial for professing the Christian Faith. At first, the Emperor ordered that she be beaten mercilessly, then the soles of her feet were pierced with nails; and finally they threw her into a cauldron filled with boiling tar, lead, and sulphurous brimstone. The Saint bore all this without complaint, giving thanks to God.

The Lord was merciful and the fire was extinguished, the lead poured out, and Saint Hermione remained unharmed. Astonished, Hadrian went to the place of torture and touched the cauldron to ascertain whether it had cooled. When he touched the cauldron, he burned the skin of his hand, but even this did not dissuade the Emperor.

Then Hadrian ordered that she be thrown naked into a large red-hot copper vessel. Her Guardian Angel protected her and put out the fire, which burned those standing around her. The Saint stood in the vessel, as if on dewy grass, singing hymns of praise to the Lord.

When she was removed from the vessel, the Holy Martyr pretended that she was ready to sacrifice to the pagan "god" Hercules. The delighted Emperor had her taken to the temple, but when she prayed to the only true God, a loud thunderclap was heard, and all the idols in the pagan temple fell down and shattered.

In a rage, Trajan ordered that Saint Hermione be led out of the city and executed. Two servants, Theódoulos and Theótimos, were commanded to carry out his orders. Because they were in such a hurry to execute the Saint, they did not allow her time to pray, and their hands were withered. Then they believed in Jesus Christ, and falling at Saint Hermione's feet in repentance, they entreated her to pray that the Lord would heal them and call them to Himself before her martyrdom. By her prayers, that is what transpired. Afterward, she was beheaded and was buried at Ephesus.