Saint
Apollonia
Born: 2nd Century
Died: c249
Feast Day: 9th February
Patron Saint: Dentists, Dental Disease
Symbols in Art: Forceps gripping a drawn tooth, Gold tooth
Saint Apollonia was born
in Alexandria sometime in the 2nd Century. She was an elderly
deaconess during the reign of Emperor Philip whose persecution of Christians
started with an old man Metrius, then a woman named Quinta. Shortly after this Apollonia was captured,
refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods, she had her teeth extracted, one by
one and was finally threatened with burning on a large fire. Legend has it that she asked to wait a moment,
acting as if she was considering their request, instead she threw herself
willingly into the flames. She died c249.
Other legends claim she did
not die in the flames and her throat was finally cut. It is said that before her death, she shouted
out to prayer in her name for anyone with teeth problems.
Saints
Robbie Blake, HarperCollins
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