Thecla
1st Century Virgin Martyr
Thecla was a first century virgin martyr from Iconium, whose story is told in the second century text, The Acts of Paul and Thecla. Like many of the virgin martyrs, she was a noblewoman who refused to be married and as a result, she was condemned to be executed. What is unique about Thecla’s story, however, is that she was inspired by the teachings of Paul, which led to her conversion and subsequent passion for the Christian mission.
Hagiography: According to the story, Thecla refused to marry her fiancé, Thamryus. During this time, Paul was thrown into prison for spurring up controversy between wives and husbands. In the first failed attempt to execute her, Thecla was sent to be burned at the stake, but she was miraculously protected. Tryphaena, an important woman of Iconium, cared for Thecla until she was sent to the arena a second time. Though she was given over to the beasts, she miraculously survived again. Even more, she baptized herself in a pool of sea lions and emerged unscathed. She was later reunited with Paul, who empowered her to go forth and teach God’s word. She lived out this calling and taught both in Iconium and Seleucia. There are several manuscripts with differing endings to Thecla’s story, which included her performing healings and teaching to men and women alike. She even escaped rape by a gang of men, and after telling them of God’s might, Thecla walked through an opening in a cave and was taken up to heaven. It is for this reason that Thecla is seen as a martyr; she dedicated her life to Christ and died doing so.
Though the historicity of her life is debated by modern scholars, Thecla’s hagiography nonetheless proved to be influential throughout the life of the early church. She is commended for her asceticism seen through the power of her virginity. Her commitment to God’s word and denial of her blood family expanded the vision of God’s family and encouraged persecuted Christians in ancient Rome. Unsurprisingly, there were ancient churches and shrines dedicated to Thecla, and her martyrdom story was told on her feast day in the fourth century. Patristics such as Methodius, Gregory of Nyssa, and Jerome talk of her wisdom and powerful imitation of Christ. Indeed, women alongside men were encouraged to follow in Thecla’s footsteps.
Resources:
- Cohick, Lynn and Amy Brown Hughes, “Thecla: Christian Female Protomartyr and Virgin of the Church,” 1–26. In Christian Women in the Patristic World: Their Influence, Authority, and Legacy in the Second through Fifth Centuries. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017.