Catherine of Alexandria

Saint Catherine of Alexandria, known as Saint Catherine of the Wheel and The Great Martyr Saint Catherine (Greek {{polytonic|ἡ Ἃγια Ἃικατειρίνα ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς}}) is a figure claimed to have been a noted scholar in the early 4th Century who, at the age of only 18, is said to have visited the Emperor Maximinus II and to have convinced him of the error of his ways in persecuting Christians. According to legend, she also converted many pagans, who were subsequently murdered. The legend of Catherine continues that she was condemned to death on the breaking wheel (an instrument of torture), but that it broke when she touched it, so she was beheaded. Her symbol is the spiked wheel, which became known as the Catherine wheel, and her feast day is celebrated the 25 November in Orthodox churches.

Footnotes

• See, for example, Harold Thayler Davis: "Alexandria: The Golden City" (Principia Press of Illinois, 1957).
• [http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/news0066.htm catholic-forum.com News