The female Martyrs of our Church did not lag behind the men in heroic wisdom. They showed the same heroism as them or even surpassed them many times. That is why they are honored as brilliantly as they are.
Saint Marina is one of the great female martyrs. He was born in Antioch in Pisidia, Asia Minor, about 255 AD to illustrious parents. Her father's name was Aidesios, he was the official priest of the idols of the region. Her mother died a few days after the birth of her only daughter, whom they named Marina. Her father, unable to care for the infant, gave it to a woman outside the city to care for it until it grew up. This woman was a secret and fervent Christian. Little Marina heard in that Christian house that they were talking about Christ and worshiping him with reverence and modesty. He heard stories of his wonderful life, of his miracles, of his teaching, of his crucifixion, of his resurrection and their divine ascension into heaven. Her childish and innocent soul remembered in a wonderful way what she saw and heard in that blessed home. He was unimaginably moved by the passion of Christ. When she understood, she asked details about the new faith, which soon became her own.
We are in the era when the terrible persecutions against Christians are in full swing. The young and cute girl was listening to the conversations of those pious people and felt unimaginably sorry for it. He could not understand that so much hatred can be hidden in the heart of man, that it leads him to hideous and inhuman tortures and death, like those of the pagans. She also heard them talk about the rare heroism of the Christian Martyrs, who did not cower in the face of torture and refused to sacrifice to idols and renounce their faith in Christ, the great God, who worshiped in the blessed house that hosted her. It did not take long for her immature young soul to cultivate a great admiration for the Christian Martyrs.
When she turned fifteen she began to openly express her desire to become a Christian. He spoke with respect and awe of Christ, whom he considered the only true God, who became man, to save the human race. She spoke passionately about the new faith and Christ to her friends and convinced many of them to become Christians as well. But rumors like this of conversion to Christianity not only spread rapidly, but had dire consequences. Same with Marina. The rumor that his daughter liked Christians reached the ears of her pagan priest father. He sent people and they brought her to him. He pretended that he knew nothing about the rumors and began to embrace them to sacrifice to his "gods". She then, with amazing courage, confessed her faith in Christ and civilized his faith in his false and demonic "gods".
Her fanatical pagan father became a beast in his anger. He didn't even want to face her. But young Marina also understood that it was useless to admonish him. At the same time, the desire to witness for Christ also grew in her.
We are in the year 270, when the prefect of Pisidia was the ferocious and fanatical pagan Olybrius, who mortally hated the Christians and persecuted them as dangerous enemies of the empire. When he arrived at
Antioch, he learned about the pagan priest's daughter, who became a Christian and seduced others to her faith. He ordered her to be bound and brought before him. She stood courageously before him and confessed Christ with all the strength of her soul. The prefect with flattery tried to change her mind, but she remained firm in her confession. Then the threats and torture began. They tortured her all day and at night they locked her in prison without food or water. Marina prayed incessantly. At night the devil came in various terrible forms to frighten her, but she repelled him with the sign of the cross.
Then they would tear her flesh with iron claws and beat her mercilessly with barbed iron sticks. They burned her wounded body with burning torches, immersed her in a cauldron of hot liquid. She endured everything with heroism and determination. Crowds of people watched her suffering and wondered how a fifteen-year-old girl could endure such torture and instead of screaming and cursing, pray and forgive her tormentors. Most of all they admired the fact that at night she was completely healed of her wounds. That is why many decided to take Marina's faith. Thousands of people were converted by the confession and heroism of the Christian daughter.
Again the prefect ordered her to be brought before him, lest he should pursue her for the last time. But still she shouted with all her might her faith in the true God. At the same time there was an earthquake and a supernatural voice was heard saying that he was waiting for the Martyr to give her the eternal and everlasting crown of glory. This event converted fifteen thousand people to Christianity.
The prefect, seeing that he was probably causing harm to the pagans, ordered that the fifteen-year-old Christian be beheaded and mercilessly slaughter those who had converted to the new faith. Together with Marina, more than fifteen thousand Christians of the province of Pisidia lost their lives, whose memory we celebrate on the 16η July, while the memory of Saint Marina on July 17.
