Abstract
Saint Thecla of Iconium, a respected female saint in the Early Christian
Church, was an especially popular female ascetic piety between the fourth and
eight centuries. Her biography is preserved in Acta Pauli and Theclae (Acts of
Paul and Thecla).
Acta Pauli and Theclae, originally an oral story, probably written at the end of
the second century BC, has various forms in Greek, Latin, Syriac, Armenian,
Slavic and Coptic.
Acta Pauli and Theclae begins with Paul arriving in Iconium and preaching on
the blessings of purity and the “virgin life”. Thecla hears him speak and captivated
by his words decides to follow Paul and teach. Her betrothed, Thamyris, and her
mother, Theocleia, oppose her idea to follow Paul. In her journey, she and Paul
travel to many cities in Asia Minor. In her journey she is twice miraculously saved
from the death penalty. In the end Thecla declares her intentions to preach the
Gospel. With Paul’s permission to teach on her own she then travels to Seleucia
and teaches many years until her death.
The fifth century expanded narration of Thecla’s life, probably written by Basil
of Seleucia, includes stories of forty-six miracle that she performed posthumously.
In these stories she heals sick and injured people and animals, fights with local
pagan deities, and protects sailors and soldiers.
The female pilgrim Egeria (IV AD) describes her visit to the shrine of Saint
Thecla in her diary Itinerarium Egeriae (Egeria’s Travels). She is among the many
Early Christian writers who praised Saint Thecla and her cult in Seleucia
Details
| Primary Language | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | November 1, 2004 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2004 Issue: 10 |