Saint Apollonia

The life of Saint Apollonia

Not much is known about the life of Apollonia of Alexandria. Numerous myths entwine around her existence. Believers agree that St. Apollonia was a virgin who lived in Alexandria in Egypt in the 3rd century, where she died in 248.

In a letter that Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria wrote to his colleague Fabius of Antioch, the churchman reports that Apollonia, a consecrated virgin, was forcibly abducted. She was the victim of persecution of Christians and was brutally abused: Her torturers knocked out the virgin's teeth. They then threatened the Christian woman with burning her at the stake if she did not publicly turn away from her faith. The church fathers Augustine and Ambrose interpreted the course of history as follows: The unbending Apollonia built a pyre with her own hands, lit it, threw herself - praying loudly - into it and burned to death.

Parallel to this legend there is another tradition of the story of St. Apollonia: the saint was supposedly the daughter of a king who gave the order to torture his own daughter. A third tradition indicates that Apollonia was the sister of deacon Laurentius, also a saint. In Egypt, Apollonia is said to have suffered martyrdom under the Emperor Decius, who ruled from 249 to 251, and to have been buried on Sinai or Mount Tabor.

The veneration of the saints of Apollonia of Alexandria spread over the Orient to Europe and can certainly only be traced back to the 9th century, where the name of the saint can be found in various collections of martyr stories. For the Church the interpretation of Apollonia's suicide was difficult: while the Virgin was considered a saint by the people from the beginning, there was a dispute among church people as to whether Apollonia's act was suicide - an act that is forbidden in Christianity.

Apollonia of Alexandria as patron saint

Saint Apollonia is often depicted together with other helpers in need. Together with the Virgin Lucia she can be asked for help with eye and tooth problems. Since Apollonia's teeth were knocked out during her martyrdom, the Virgin was raised to be the patron saint of dentists. All other professions working in the dental field also invoke Apollonia as their patron saint.

Iconography: the representation of Saint Apollonia

If Saint Apollonia is depicted as a wooden statue, she bears almost all the attributes that can be taken from the history of her martyrdom. Carved wooden figures show the saint as a virgin with a martyr's palm. Crown and laurel wreath are also often given to her. Forceps or teeth remind us of the torments the steadfast Christian had to endure.

The commemoration of the saint

In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, St. Apollonia is commemorated on February 9th. According to a country rule, a rainy Apollonia day indicates that winter will last long. It is also interesting to note that in the past, a chain was used to hold the peony seeds in place around the teeth of small children. These grains, on which the children should chew to relieve the toothache, are popularly called "Apollonia grains".