Saint Prisca
Encyclopedia
Saint Prisca was a Roman
young woman allegedly tortured and executed for her Christian
faith. Her dates are unknown. She is revered as a saint
and a martyr
by the Roman Catholic Church
. Though some legends suggest otherwise, scholars do not believe she is the Priscilla (Prisca) of the New Testament
couple, Priscilla and Aquila, who were friends of the Apostle Paul.
Especially in England, she is honored as a child martyr. January eighteenth is the day which is sacred to her.
Legend says that Saint Prisca was of a noble family. At age thirteen, she was accused of Christianity
before Emperor Claudius
. He ordered her to make a sacrifice to the god Apollo
. When she refused because of her Christian faith, she was beaten and sent to prison.
Upon her release from prison, she still held steadfastly to her faith in Jesus Christ
. This time her punishment included flogging, the pouring of boiling tallow
upon her, and a second imprisonment. She was at last thrown to a lion
in the amphitheater
, but it quietly lay down at her feet.
She was starved for three days in a slaves' prison house, and then tortured upon the rack. Pieces of flesh were next torn from her body with iron hooks, and she was thrown on a burning pile.
She miraculously still remained alive, but was beheaded
at the tenth milestone on the Via Ostiensis—the road from Rome to Ostia. The Christian
s buried her body in a catacomb at the place of her death. There still exists on the Aventine in Rome a church of St. Prisca. It stands on the site of a very early title church, the Titulus Priscoe, mentioned in the fifth century and built probably in the fourth.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
young woman allegedly tortured and executed for her Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith. Her dates are unknown. She is revered as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
and a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
by the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Though some legends suggest otherwise, scholars do not believe she is the Priscilla (Prisca) of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
couple, Priscilla and Aquila, who were friends of the Apostle Paul.
Especially in England, she is honored as a child martyr. January eighteenth is the day which is sacred to her.
Legend
According to Catholic theologian Johann Kirsch, extant narratives are unhistorical and their details impossible.Legend says that Saint Prisca was of a noble family. At age thirteen, she was accused of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
before Emperor Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
. He ordered her to make a sacrifice to the god Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
. When she refused because of her Christian faith, she was beaten and sent to prison.
Upon her release from prison, she still held steadfastly to her faith in Jesus Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. This time her punishment included flogging, the pouring of boiling tallow
Tallow
Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...
upon her, and a second imprisonment. She was at last thrown to a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
in the amphitheater
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
, but it quietly lay down at her feet.
She was starved for three days in a slaves' prison house, and then tortured upon the rack. Pieces of flesh were next torn from her body with iron hooks, and she was thrown on a burning pile.
She miraculously still remained alive, but was beheaded
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
at the tenth milestone on the Via Ostiensis—the road from Rome to Ostia. The Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s buried her body in a catacomb at the place of her death. There still exists on the Aventine in Rome a church of St. Prisca. It stands on the site of a very early title church, the Titulus Priscoe, mentioned in the fifth century and built probably in the fourth.
External links
Santa Prisca St. Prisca at the Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...