Domnina, Berenice, and Prosdoce

Who was Domnina, Berenice, and Prosdoce?

Saint Domnina and her daughters Berenice and Prosdoce are venerated as Christian martyrs by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

According to Eusebius, Domnina was a Christian noblewoman from Antioch who had two young daughters. According to one account, Domnina and her daughters settled at Edessa, Mesopotamia. Her husband was a pagan.

Domnina was arrested by soldiers for her adherence to the Christian religion. Fearing that the soldiers would rape her and her daughters, they threw themselves into a river after they asked their guards for a chance to rest for a while or after the soldiers had become drunk with wine. All three women drowned.

The account of St. John Chrysostom tells a slightly different story: according to Chrysostom, Domnina, after jumping into the river, pulled her daughters in with her to prevent them from being raped. Chrysostom praised Domnina for her courage and Domnina’s daughters for their obedience.