Basilla of Rome, also known as Basilissa and Babilla, was a saint and

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

of the 3rd century. According to myth she was born into a Roman noble family and was a niece of the emperor

Gallienus Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (; c. 218 – September 268) was Roman emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260 and alone from 260 to 268. He ruled during the Crisis of the Third Century that nearly caused the collapse of the empi ...

. She was beheaded in 257 under the Roman emperor Valerian because she refused to marry Pompeius (or Pompey), a

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

and pagan described as "a man of equal rank" to her, after she converted to Christianity. She was baptized by

Pope Cornelius Pope Cornelius was the bishop of Rome from 6th or 13th March 251 until his martyrdom in June 253. He was pope during and following a period of persecution of the church, while a schism occurred over how repentant church members who had practiced ...

. Her maid accused her of being a Christian, and Pompeius betrayed her to Valerian when "she remained steadfast in her refusal to marry him". Basilla was buried in the cemetery and catacombs of Saint Hermes on the Salarian Way near

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

.Kirsch, Johann Peter. "Basilissa." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 27 September 2021 Hagiographer Agnes Dunbar states that Basilla was buried in a cemetery that she owned, which may have been named for her or for the other martyrs buried there. In the 9th century, her body was moved to the Basilica of Santa Prassede. In 1654, her relics were found and buried at the Hôtel-Dieu de Bayeux. Saint Basillia's feast day is May 20.

References

257 deaths Saints from Roman Italy 3rd-century Christian martyrs Groups of Christian martyrs of the Roman era Year of birth unknown Christian martyrs executed by decapitation 3rd-century Roman women {{Italy-saint-stub