Theopista

Who they were

Theopista was the wife of Eustace, also called Placid, a Roman general under the emperor Trajan. Guéranger gives her story from the Breviary lesson for the feast of Saint Eustace and his companions, and calls it a legend. It tells that after Eustace saw Christ on the cross between the horns of a stag while hunting, he, Theopista and their two young sons, Agapitus and Theopistus, became Christians.

The same account says Eustace then lost everything, and on the road his wife and then his sons were taken from him. Years later, while leading Trajan's army again, he found them unexpectedly. Back in Rome he refused to sacrifice to the gods for his victory. The family was thrown to the lions, which did not harm them, and then shut inside a red-hot bronze bull, where they died praising God on 20 September. Christians buried their bodies, which were later moved to a church built in their name.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: she has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

Early Roman martyr, wife of Saint Eustace, honoured with him on 20 September.