Saint Barbara the Great Martyr – Beheaded by her Father

 

 

Saint Barbara, a third-century martyr, lived in Nicomedia with her rich pagan father, Dioscorus, who imprisoned her in a tower and after discovering she had secretly become a Christian, beheaded Barbara himself with his own sword.

 

Why Dioscorus Imprisoned his Daughter Barbara

 

 

Dioscorus, a tyrannical father and wealthy pagan citizen of Nicomedia (an ancient Greek city now modern day Izmit Turkey), was intent on protecting his head-strong daughter Barbara, whom he was teaching how to worship pagan gods in the correct way, from the newly-emerging Christians.

 The best way to achieve this, thought Dioscorus, was to keep her isolated from the rest of the world and so he kept her locked up in a tower.

Although forcing Barbara into a life of imprisonment, Dioscorus desired only the best for his daughter and decided to build a bathhouse for her, next to the tower.

However, before the bathhouse was completed, Dioscorus was called away on business, so he left strict instructions with the builders of how the finished structure was to look.

 

The Three Windows

 

 

During her father’s absence, Barbara noticed the bathhouse had only two windows.

She called the builders to her and requested they add an extra window, reluctantly, they went against their boss’s wishes and installed a third window; what harm could it do? If only they had know the significance of three windows.

Barbara, who had somehow secretly been in touch with newly-converted Christians, knew the significance all too well; triple windows meant triple light; a symbol of the Holy Trinity and the threefold light of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit which enlightens whomsoever comes into the world.

 

Dioscorus Returns

 

 

On arriving home, Dioscorus is eager to see how the new bathhouse is coming along and goes to inspect.

 All is to his liking until he suddenly realizes there are three windows instead of the two twin windows specified in the plans; he calls a builder over to explain; fearing the wrath of his boss, the trembling workman tells all; it was Barbara’s fault!

Later in the day, not really concerned about the third window; when Dioscorus comes across Barbara, he mentions it to her, asking if the bathhouse did not have enough light for her liking.

He was not prepared for her reply!

Calmly and in no uncertain terms, Barbara informed her father that, no, there was not enough light, well, for pagans, maybe but not for those who had faith in the Holy Trinity, as she did.

“What are you saying child?” Dioscorus menacingly asked his daughter.

“I am saying Father, I have become a Christian and nothing you can say or do will change my convictions”, replied Barbara.

 

The Fury of Dioscorus

 

 

All his efforts to keep his daughter from the clutches of Christians had failed.

 In a rage, Dioscorus informed, Marcian, the prefect of Maximianus, Roman emperor of the East from 450 to 457, of his daughter’s betrayal and asked his advice.

Marcian instructed Dioscorus to bring his unruly daughter to him; he would soon sort her out and set her on the right path again.

Dioscorus did as Marcian bid and delivered his unrepentant daughter to her fate.

The words and cajoling of Marcian had no effect whatsoever on the determined girl; he had tried his best, to no avail, to convince Barbara to renounce Christianity, there was nothing else for it; he sent her off to the torture chamber.

 

The Torture of Barbara

 

 

Poor Barbara was whipped and burned with flaming torches until her flesh was raw and to make matters worse, vinegar was rubbed into her wounds.

However, through all her pain and suffering, Barbara would not deny Jesus Christ.

Barbara was thrown into a prison cell; her torturers would see if she had changed her ideas in the morning.

However, during the night a strange thing happened, the dark prison was suddenly bathed in light and even stranger, in the morning; all her terrible wounds were healed.

Marcian couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw her and gave her one last chance to reject Christianity, again, Barbara refused, which angered him so much, he ordered his men to tie Barbara to a stake and whipp her with iron claws.

Throughout her horrendous ordeal, Barbra prayed to Jesus to deliver her from these evil men, which only incited the emperor even more, resulting in him declaring that she must be executed

Her father, who all the while had been following the trials and tribulations of his daughter, proclaimed he would do the job himself and execute Barbara with his own sword.

 

Juliana

 

 

Barbara’s ordeal had been witnessed by Juliana, who was incarcerated in the cell next to Barbara’s and had gone through the same barbaric experience.

Juliana, again, was the daughter of an affluent pagan of Nicomedia named Africanus.

He had arranged for his daughter to be married to one of Emperor Maximianus’s advisors but unbeknown to Africanus, Juliana had been secretly baptized into the Christian faith and when the time of her wedding came around, she refused to be married.

As had happened with Barbara, Juliana’s father turned his daughter over to Marcian.

 

The Executions of Barbara and Juliana

 

 

Barbara and Juliana were led from their cells and out of the city, where, on a mountainside both were beheaded; Barbara by her father, who cut of her head with his own sword and Juliana by an executioner.

The Feast Day of the Saint Juliana is celebrated in the Catholic Church on 16 February and in the Greek Orthodox Church on 21 December.

 

What Goes Around Comes Around

 

After the martyring of Barbara and Juliana, a great thunder storm appeared out of nowhere and as the men hurried home down the mountainside a great bolt of lightning struck Dioscorus, killing him on the spot.

 Another bolt of lightning killed Juliana’s executioner and when the news of the two men’s death reached Marcian, he died of fright.

 

Saint Barbara the Great Martyr

 

 

Saint Barbara is usually depicted with small chains and lightning bolts, palms, a chalice, the crown of martyrdom and the tower, where she was imprisoned and the three-windowed bathhouse.

 

 

She is the patron saint of armourers, artillerymen, military engineers, miners; anyone in fact, who works with explosives, owing to her association with lightning.

 

 

 

Saint Barbara is one of “The Fourteen Holy Helpers” a group of saints revered by the Roman Catholic Church, as their intervention is believed to be especially powerful against diseases.

The group originated in the 14th century, first in the Rhineland, as a result of the epidemic that became known as the Black Death.

 

The Feast Day of Saint Barbara in Greece:

4 December

 

In Greece, Saint Barbara’s Day, is celebrated by the Artillery Corps of the Greek Army and the Cypriot National Guard, where the tradition is to serve loukoumades  (deep fried dough balls, soaked in syrup or honey), to soldiers and visitors, apparently because they bear a resemblance  to cannonballs!

 

 

Saint Barbara is also the patron saint of the city of Drama, in northern Greece, where here, on the Feast Day of Saint Barbara; a sweet called varvara (Greek pronunciation for Barbara) a liquid type of koliva (a dish based on boiled wheat, used liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox Church for commemorations of the dead), is prepared and eaten.

 

 

The story of Rapunzel

 

 

Legend has it that the Fairy Tale, “Rapunzel”, by the Brothers Grimm, first published in 1812; the tragic story of a beautiful princess locked away in a tall tower is based on the story of Saint Barbara.

There are many versions but basically in the Rapunzel story, the heroine is locked in a tower by an evil witch whereas Saint Barbara was locked in a tower by her own father.