The Holy Martyr Tatiana of Rome

St. Tatiana came from an eminent family and was educated in the Christian faith. When she reached adulthood, she became indifferent to riches and earthly blessings and came to love the spiritual way of life. She renounced wedded life and was made a deaconess of the Roman Church for her virtuosity. In this function she diligently tended the sick, visited jails, helped the needy and constantly tried to please God with prayers and good deeds.

During the reign of Alexander Severus (222-235), around the year 225, she took on a martyr’s suffering for professing her love of Jesus Christ under the Roman city mayor Ulypian. According to the ancient narrative, St. Tatiana was thrown into the arena at the Coliseum after much torture, to be ravaged by a savage lion for the amusement of the spectators. Instead the lion began to be caressed by her. St. Tatiana was then subjected to new tortures, and together with her father was beheaded with a sword. Eight servants of the city administrator, who had tortured the saint, professed Christ having seen the strength of God in her. They too were killed after torture. According to the witness of Deacon Zocim in 1420, St. Tatiana’s head was at Perivlepto in Constantinople.

Troparion, Tone 4:
Strengthened by the power of faith,/ thou didst contend for Christ our God, O glorious Tatiana;/ thou didst endure every affliction/ and by thy courage put Belial to shame./ We beseech thee to deliver us from the power of the evil one.

Kontakion, Tone 4:
Thou wast radiant in suffering, Tatiana,/ and in the royal purple of thy blood thou didst fly like a dove to heaven./ Wherefore pray unceasingly for those who honor thee.

Source: http://www.fatheralexander.org