Theodora of Alexandria was a saint and Desert Mother who was married to a prefect of Egypt. In order to perform penance for adultery, she disguised herself as a man and, pretending to be a eunuch, joined a monastery in the Thebaid.[3] Her true identity as a woman was discovered only after her death.[4]
A rare image of Theodora in Western art is a print by Bernardino Capitelli, made in 1627 for Theodora Costa dal Pozzo, showing the saint disguised as a monk and caring for the child she was accused of fathering (Vienna: Graphische Sammlung Albertina).[5]
Theodora is honored with a Lesser Feast (with Sarah, and Syncletica) on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America[6] on 5 January.[7]
References
- ^ "Roman Martyrology September, in English".
- ^ "Baramouda 11 : Lives of Saints : Synaxarium - CopticChurch.net".
- ^ "Theodora the Martyr of Alexandria", Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
- ^ Delaney, John J. (15 March 2005). Dictionary of Saints. Random House Digital, Inc. p. 590. ISBN 978-0-385-51520-7. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
- ^ Bonaccorso, Patrizia (1985). Bernardino Capitelli, 1589–1639. Siena: Edisiena. pp. 32–38.
- ^ "Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018".
- ^ "Sarah, Theodora, and Syncletica of Egypt". satucket.com. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
