A Roman Woman Who Kept Her Chastity

It is plain that the capture of so great a city as Rome must have been accompanied by many remarkable events. So I will now go on to tell such events as seem to deserve a place in a church history. I will tell of a godly act done by a barbarian, and record the courage of a Roman woman in keeping her chastity. The barbarian and the woman were both Christians, but not of the same heresy: he was an Arian, and she was a zealous follower of the teaching of Nicaea. A young man among Alaric’s soldiers saw this very beautiful woman. He was overcome by her loveliness and tried to drag her into sleeping with him. But she pulled away and struggled not to be defiled. He drew his sword and threatened to kill her. But the passion he felt for her held him back, and he only gave her a slight wound on the neck. The blood flowed freely, and she offered her neck to the sword, for she would rather die chaste than live on, after she had been lawfully joined to a husband, and then be assailed by another man. When the barbarian pressed his purpose again and followed it with more fearful threats, he got no further. Struck with wonder at her chastity, he led her to the church of Peter the apostle, gave six gold coins for her keep to the officers who were guarding the church, and ordered them to keep her safe for her husband. [a]