St. Alexandra the Empress icon

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Orthodox icon of Saint Alexandra, Wife of Diocletian. Copy of a contemporary icon

Commemorated April 23.

The Holy Empress Alexandra was the wife of Emperor Diocletian. Her supposed death was described in the Martyrdom of St. George, which was written immediately after his death. The empress, however, received the crown of martyrdom several years later, in 314.

Many events occurred during these years. In 305 Emperor Diocletian resigned the throne and power passed to his co-ruler Maximian Galerius, a fanatic pagan, as well as a coarse and fierce soldier. His wife was St. Valeria, the daughter of the holy Empress Alexandra, whom Diocletian had given in marriage against her will.

St. Alexandra raised her daughter in Christian piety. When Galerius died, Emperor Maximinus sought her hand in marriage. When he was refused, he banished St. Valeria to Syria, where she lived with her mother.

After the death of Maximinus in 311 the mother and daughter arrived in Nicomedia, trusting in the mercy of Emperor Licinius. Together with St. Constantine, Licinius had subscribed to the Edict of Milan, which gave Christians freedom of religion, but he secretly remained their enemy.

Licinius gave orders to execute the holy Empress Alexandra and her daughter, Valeria. They were beheaded, and their bodies thrown into the sea.

Reference: O.C.A.

We find this name of our God in two Biblical Books. The first is in the Book of Daniel and it was a vision that Daniel's had: "I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire."A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened”.

The second is in the book of Revelation 1/A 12-18: "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lamp stands and among the lamp stands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."

In the art of the orthodox iconography, sometimes Christ portrayed as an Elderly, as the “Ancient of the Days”, to symbolically show His existence in eternity and some times like a young “person” to demonstrate His incarnation. This tendency of hagiography appeared in the 6th century AD, especially in the Eastern Byzantine Empire.

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