Juliana of Nicomedia

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For other saints named Juliana, see Juliana.

Saint Juliana of Nicomedia
Saint Juliana binding the Devil (14th century manuscript).
Born	, Cumae
Died	~304 AD, Nicomedia
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church
Feast	February 16 (Roman Catholic Church); December 21 (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Attributes	Represented in pictures with a winged devil whom she leads by a chain. She is also shown enduring various tortures or fighting a dragon.
Patronage	childbirth and sickness
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Saint Juliana of Nicomedia is said to have suffered Christian martyrdom during the Diocletian persecution in 304. She was popular in the Middle Ages, especially in the Netherlands, as the patron saint of childbirth and sickness.

1 Historical background
2 The Legend
3 Later History
4 Literature
5 External references

[edit] Historical background

Both the Latin and Greek Churches mention a holy martyr Juliana in their lists of saints. The oldest historical notice of her is found in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum for 16 February, her place of birth being given as Cumae in Campania ("In Campania Cumbas, natale Julianae").

It is true that the reference is contained only in the single chief manuscript of the above-named martyrology (the Codex Epternacensis). It is nevertheless clear that the notice is certainly authentic, from a letter of Saint Gregory the Great, which testifies to the special veneration of Saint Juliana in the neighbourhood of Naples. A pious matron named Januaria built a church on one of her estates, for the consecration of which she desired relics (sanctuaria, that is to say, objects which had been brought into contact with the graves) of Saints Severinus and Juliana. Gregory wrote to Fortunatus, Bishop of Naples, telling him to accede to the wishes of Januaria ("Gregorii Magni epist.", lib. IX, ep. xxxv", in J. P. Migne's Patrologia Latina, LXXXVII, 1015).

[edit] The Legend

The Acts of Saint Juliana used by Bede in his "Martyrologium" are purely legendary. According to this account, Saint Juliana lived in Nicomedia and was betrothed to the Senator Eleusius. Her father Africanus was a pagan and hostile to the Christians. In the persecution of Maximian, Juliana was beheaded after suffering frightful tortures. Another Christian named Barbara suffered the death of a martyr along with Juliana and was likewise sainted.

Soon after a noble lady, named Sephonia, came through Nicomedia and took the saint's body with her to Italy, and had it buried in Campania. Evidently it was this alleged translation that caused the martyred Juliana, honoured in Nicomedia, to be identified with the Saint Juliana of Cumae evidenced above, although they are quite distinct persons.

[edit] Later History

The veneration of Saint Juliana of Nicomedia became very widespread, especially in the Netherlands. She became known as the patron saint of childbirth and of sickness.

At the beginning of the 13th century her remains were transferred to Naples. The description of this translation by a contemporary writer is still extant. The feast of the saint is celebrated in the Latin Church on 16 February, in the Greek on 21 December.

Since her Acts describe the conflicts which she is said to have with the devil, she is represented in pictures with a winged devil whom she leads by a chain. She is also shown enduring various tortures or fighting a dragon.

[edit] Literature

Mombritius, Sanctuarium, II, fol. 41 v.-43 v.;
Acta SS., FEB., II, 808 sqq.;
J. P. Migne, P.G. CXIV, 1437-52;
Bibliotheca hagiogr. lat., I, 670 sq.; Bibl. hagiogr. graeca (2nd. ed.), 134;
Nilles, Kalendarium manuale, I (2nd ed., Innsbruck, 1896), 359;
Mazocchi, In vetus S. Neapolitanae ecclesiae Kalendarum commentarius, I (Naples, 1744), 556-9;
Oswald Cockayne, St. Juliana (London, 1872)
Vita di S. Giuliana (Novara, 1889);
Oskar Backhaus, Ueber die Quelle der mittelenglischen Legende der hl. Juliana und ihr Verhaltnis zu Cynewulfs Juliana (Halle, 1899).