Martyr Alexander and Virgin Martyr Antonina at Constantinople

Confession and Arrest

According to the synaxarion, Antonina came from the city of Krodamna in Asia Minor. She was arrested as a Christian and brought before the governor — named in the sources as Festus (also rendered Fistus). He urged her to worship the pagan gods and promised to make her a priestess of the goddess Artemis.

Antonina refused, bravely confessing Christ and, by the account, urging the governor himself to renounce the worship of idols. For this she was imprisoned and subjected to torture.

Alexander and the Escape

A soldier named Alexander, moved with compassion at Antonina's suffering, helped her to escape: by tradition he gave her his military garments so that she could flee disguised as a soldier, while he remained in the cell in her place.

When the guards discovered Alexander alone, he was beaten severely but would not reveal where Antonina had gone. Both saints were eventually recaptured.

Martyrdom

By the account preserved in the synaxarion, the authorities cut off the hands of the two martyrs, smeared them with pitch, and cast them into a burning pit; snakes were placed in the pit to prevent Christians from recovering their remains.

The tradition further relates that the governor Festus suffered divine punishment: returning home, he was struck with paralysis, unable to eat or drink, and died after seven days of torments. The martyrdom is traditionally dated to May 3, 313, with the liturgical commemoration kept on June 10.

Relics & Shrines

The relics of Saints Alexander and Antonina were later translated to Constantinople, where by tradition they were housed in the Maximov (Maximian) monastery — the association with Constantinople that gives the joint commemoration its name.