Talk:Philothea of Arges

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Virgin-Martyr Philothea (Philothea of Argeș) in the Greek Synaxarion

The Synaxarion lists the "Venerable Virgin-Martyr Philothea" ((Greek)

Ἡ Ὁσία Φιλοθέα ἡ Παρθενομάρτυς) for May 28th, and it appears to be the same saint as the "Philothea of Arges" listed here for December 7th, but with a very different hagiography; an abridged / rough translation of the Greek life is as follows:
Great Synaxaristes: (Greek)
Ἡ Ὁσία Φιλοθέα ἡ Παρθενομάρτυς. 28 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
"Martyr Philothea was born in Molyvoto in Pamphylia in Asia Minor. Her parents, the Patrician John and his wife Irene, gave her a Christian upbringing, but they died when Philothea was still young. From her youth she was interested in the ascetic life. When she was 14 years old she was obliged to marry a 17 year old named Constantine, however she was able to convince him that they should preserve their virginity, and not know eachother, following the example of Venerable Ammon of Egypt (mid-4th c., October 4). Her husband became a priest but died six years later. Philothea then sold all the family wealth, giving the proceeds to the poor, to churches, and monasteries, and withdrew to an island in the middle of a lake, near Molyvoto. She practiced fasting, prayer, and all-night vigils, and her asceticism became well-known in the region, and God blessed her as a Wonderworker. She reposed in peace, and her holy relics were enshrined in the church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Later her holy relics were transferred from Eastern Thrace to Tarnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, by decree of Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria (1197-1207). In Tarnovo, her sacred relics were credited with many miracles and curing the sick. In 1395 AD, after Tarnovo was captured by the Ottoman Turks, her holy relics were transferred in a grand procession to Vidin. However in 1396 the Ottoman Turks captured Vidin as well, and the Virgin-Martyr's holy relics were lost in the ensuing chaos. They were discovered again in the second half of the 16th century in Argesh in Wallachia, Romania."

Therefore, unless there are 2 different Wonderworking "Philotheas" of Romania, the saint for May 28th (Greek Synaxarion) is the same saint as that of December 7 (Slavonic), and there is a discrepancy between the 2 accounts.

Angellight 888 04:43, September 5, 2012 (HST)