Saints Callinica and Basilissa (died 252) were two Christian

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, 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 external party. In ...

s. They were "wealthy matrons" who helped imprisoned Christians by providing them with food, money, and other necessities. They were "arrested for their generosity" and beheaded by the sword in Rome in 252, probably during the persecution conducted by Roman emperor

Decius Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius ( 201June 251), known as Trajan Decius or simply Decius (), was Roman emperor from 249 to 251. A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was proclaimed emperor by his troops a ...

. Basilissa was described as "a rich lady of

Galatia Galatia (; , ''Galatía'') was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (cf. Tylis), who settled here ...

in Asia Minor, was distinguished for her charitable zeal". Callinica was her helper in her good works. Callinica was arrested first; her testimony led to Basilissa's arrest. Hagiographer Agnes Dunbar said this about them: "Both avowing their belief in Christ, and steadfastly refusing to sacrifice to the idols, they were tortured and beheaded". Their feast day is March 22. Dunbar also states that some sources refer to Callinica as a man ("Callinicus"), and that other sources say that the two lived during the reign of the Roman emperor

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

100–150 years earlier. They also say that the women were part of the five companions of Trajan's daughter Drozella (also known as Drosis). Another source, also according to Dunbar, states that Callinica and Basilissa were companions of Saint Birillus of Antioch, who was the first bishop of Cantania in

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, appointed by

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

References

Ancient Roman saints 3rd-century Christian martyrs 3rd-century Christian saints Female saints Saints duos Christian martyrs executed by decapitation Groups of Christian martyrs of the Roman era {{saint-stub