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Iulia is an ancient form of the female name Julia, the origin of which has three main versions:
- according to the first, it has ancient Greek roots and comes from “ioulos” – “curly”, “fluffy”;
- according to the second, this name has a Latin meaning – “from the Julian family,” or born in July;
- the third version is the Scandinavian version, where it means “born at Christmas” (and, indeed, not so long ago, girls born in December were often called Julia).
The name Julia, apparently, was one of the most popular in the Roman Empire (even if it meant “belonging to the Julian family,” which meant that any owner of it, even of the simplest origin, could be at least a little closer to the most noble and famous Roman family). It probably explains why there have been so many holy martyrs in history bearing this name. Among them were Julia of Lisbon, of Ancyra or Corinthian and of Carthage or Corsica, about which the story will go further.
Currently, this is a well-known and popular Eastern European female name, which is no less common in other countries of the world – Juliana, Julia, Julie, Juliet…
Julia of Ankyra (Corinthian) is a Holy martyr, whose name is closely connected with the martyr Theodotus and with six other virgin martyrs – Tecusa, Faina, Claudia, Matrona, Alexandra and Euphrasinia – who lived in the 2nd half of the 3rd century in the city of Ancyra, Galatian region. All 7 Holy Virgins were drowned in the lake after torture for the faith of Christ. Later, their bodies were buried by Saint Neo-Clad, and then burned by the pagans. Her memorial day is 31 May, 19 November according to the new style.
Julia of Lisbon is also a Holy Martyr who, together with her brother Verissimo and sister Maxima, suffered in Lisbon during the Diocletian persecution. The sisters and brother were reported for not making sacrifices to idols – at that time an obligatory action for everyone.
Verissimo and his sisters endured the exquisite torture to which they were subjected without any complaining, but nothing could force the disobedient to worship idols. As a warning to others, the legs of the martyrs were tied to dog tails, and the pack was driven throughout the city. Afterwards the stoic martyrs were beheaded. Their bodies were not given the dignity of burial, but were thrown to be devoured by dogs. Since the animals did not touch them, stones were tied to the remains and thrown into the Tagus River (modern Tajo). Miraculously, the bodies of Verissimo, Julia and Maxima were beached near another Christian community, which carried out the burial with all honors. The place, where the martyrs were buried, was called “Santos”; at the behest of King Afonso I, a church was erected there. Under his son, King Sancho, a monastery was formed on the site of the Lisbon martyrs’ veneration, and today the National Museum of Ancient Art is located there.
The memory day of Saint Julia of Lisbon is celebrated on 14 October according to the new style.
Saint Iulia/Julia – the martyr of Corsica or Carthage lived at the dawn of Christianity, and there are two versions of her life: the Corsican version and the version of the Bollandists (a Catholic congregation consisting mainly of Jesuit scholars involved in collecting, composing and publishing the Hagiographies of Saints and manuscripts. The congregation received its name from Jean Bolland, one of its founders.
According to the Corsican version, Iulia/Julia was from the city of Nonza (today it is a commune in France, in the Corsica region) and lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian, that is, in the 4th century. For refusing to sacrifice to the pagan gods, she was tortured. According to legend, at the site of the Saint’s torture, below Nonza, two springs opened in the rock. The miracle enraged her executioners, who tied Saint Iulia/Julia to a fig tree to let her die in pain. According to legend, a dove flew out of her mouth, which is consistent with another version of the Hagiography.
The Corsican version of the Hagiography is sometimes considered less plausible, while such chroniclers as by Vitale, Colonna and Fra Paolo Olivese support the Bollandist version.
It usually happens that the Hagiographies of the Saints are deliberately shortened, but Saint Iulia/Julia’s story is worthy of a series to shoot!
Therefore, according to this version, the drama of Saint Julia/Julia began in 439, when the vandals of Geiseric captured her hometown of Carthage. The invaders acted quite traditionally and sold all the captured inhabitants of Carthage into slavery (a good way to get rich – minimum investment, maximum profit!).
Among the captives there was a very young Christian girl named Iulia/Julia, the daughter of a certain Analson, a rich, noble and pious man (however, all this did not help either him or his family to protect themselves from the barbarian invaders). She was sold into slavery to a Syrian merchant named Eusebius. Despite the fact that Eusebius was a wicked man (that is, a pagan), Iulia/Julia served him honestly and diligently carried out everything that was entrusted to her, but only if it did not contradict her Christian beliefs.
Eusebius tried his best to persuade Iulia/Julia to return to the fold of paganism, but the girl was steadfast in her faith. The tenacity with which she prayed, fasted, and, most importantly, maintained her chastity, aroused respect from her master. He stopped harassing her and gave Iulia/Julia full opportunity to practice her faith. She continued to pray and read spiritual literature not only in between work, but also at night. Ultimately, after his unsuccessful courtship, Eusebius generally gave up chasing her, but he still admired her ability to create an atmosphere of warmth and comfort in the house, her ability to play cheerfully harmless tricks on people.
Some time later, when Julia was already about twenty years old, Eusebius decided to sail with goods to Gaul. He took his faithful slave with him, either because he needed confidant and extra hands, or because he wanted to feel at home – in warmth, comfort and care. It was a long sailing to Gaul, and the ship made a stop in Corsica to replenish water and food supplies. At that time, most of the local population were still pagans, and Eusebius, respecting local traditions, bought a fat bull, made a sacrifice to the pagan gods, and arranged a feast for the local residents, sailors and his accompanying people (apparently, in addition to Iulia/Julia, a large retinue sailed with him).
While the people were having fun, Iulia/Julia remained on the ship, praying, of course, and shedding tears, grieving over the errors of her companions, which would not allow them to find the Kingdom of Heaven. She probably sobbed so loudly that one of the local residents went to see what was happening on the ship. Finding a crying girl, he asked what happened to her, and she, without hesitation, told him everything about her Christian faith, and what she thought about paganism.
Assuming the fact that informing the authorities has been in the blood of many representatives of the human race in all eras, it is not surprising that, having heard such a compromising confession, the curious Corsican did not return to the feast, but took his time to go to the local governor, Félix Saxo, and report the presence of a Christian virgin on the Syrian ship. However, perhaps he was hoping for new fun, since mockery of Christians was the top-rated entertainment show at that time.
Félix Saxo summoned Eusebius and invited him to persuade Iulia/Julia to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The merchant, knowing well the stubborn character of his slave, answered quite unequivocally,
“…It is impossible to force her to do this, because she would rather die than renounce her faith. And if you gave me all your property for this slave, it would not compare with her service, for she is very faithful, and my property increases in her hands…”
The governor did not believe it and decided to speak with the girl in person. He ordered his men to bring wine for Eusebius and his companions, and eventually got them all drunk into insensibility (maybe they even mixed something into the wine). After this, he summoned Iulia/Julia to him and, as usual, invited her to submit and make a sacrifice to the pagan gods, and as a bonus he promised to ransom her from slavery, “Girl, make a sacrifice to the gods, I will give your master a ransom for you, whatever it is, and I will set you free.” Of course, she refused (and who would doubt it…), declaring, “My freedom is to serve Christ, and I abhor your delusion!”
Then Félix Saxo ordered to whip her on the cheeks until she bled, but this did not impress much Iulia/Julia, but, on the contrary, only strengthened her in faith, “If my Lord Jesus Christ endured humiliation for me, then will I not endure the same for Him! Let them hit me on the cheeks for Him and let the tears flow down my face!”
Moreover, Félix Saxo came up with the idea of crucifying Iulia/Julia on a cross, which was built hastily, while her owner had not yet woken up (undoubtedly, it looks like something was actually mixed into his alcohol).
The execution by crucifixion is a slow and painful death, so it is not surprising that Eusebius still managed to wake up before the girl died. He was hardly delighted that while he was sleeping, Iulia/Julia was condemned to death. It is very likely that this was also mixed with indignation over the fact that his slave, who, after all, was his property, was meant to be killed without even asking him.
Well, what happened next? Eusebius and his companions, as well as all the inhabitants of Corsica, witnessed how with the last breath of Iulia/Julia a snow-white dove flew out of her mouth as a symbol of holiness and purity, and then angels appeared to those present in the radiance of divine light.
Everyone, including Eusebius, was scared to death, the locals fled in all directions, and the merchant, along with his retinue, loaded onto the ship and set off further along their route (nothing personal, just business!).
The body of Iulia/Julia was removed from the cross and buried by monks from the monastery on the nearby small island of Gorgona. Later, her remains were transferred to Brescia (a city in northern Italy), and she was canonized.
Saint Iulia/Julia is usually depicted crucified on a cross, or with a cross and a palm branch of the martyr in her hands. Sometimes she wears a rich dress as a reminder of her noble origin, and sometimes she wears a more modest outfit of a slave.
The German artist Gabriel von Max, the author of numerous allegories on religious themes, one of the founders of German symbolism, proposed his version of the plot with the crucifixion of Saint Iulia/Julia. In his painting “The Martyr Crucified on the Cross” (1865), he depicted a beautiful young girl in a snow-white robe, dying on a stone cross, placed in a deserted place. At the foot of the cross, a Roman youth, returning from a feast, places a wreath of roses, which previously adorned his head. The tragic expression on the young man’s face, his gaze directed straight at the face of the dying Saint, leaves no doubt that this episode will incline him to convert to Christianity. The picture is painted in gloomy silvery-grayish tones, but at the same time, it is very harmonious in terms of color.
Saint Iulia/Julia is the Patroness of the island of Corsica and the city of Livorno. Her veneration in Nonza began shortly after her martyrdom – a sanctuary was built, but destroyed in 734. However, pilgrims from all over Corsica flock to the inexhaustible springs, known as La Fontaine des Mamelles, the waters of which are reputed to have healing properties. Many pilgrims make the pilgrimage to the shrine barefoot.
The Canadian city of Sainte-Julie, as well as the asteroid (89) Julia, discovered in 1866, are named in honor of the Saint.
What was Saint Iulia/Julia like? – It is known that little Iulia/Julia was an intelligent and obedient girl; she loved to read the Holy Scriptures and Hagiographies of Saints… Later, in her youth, she worked honestly and diligently, never grumbled about hard work, was generous and honest, always was on the side of truth and fairness, fasted, prayed a lot and fervently to God…
Probably, according to the law of name giving, Saint Iulia/Julia is very similar to the beauties of the same name… More precisely, on the contrary, the beautiful Julias are very much like Saint Iulia/Julia, whose name they bear and who is their Patronesse… They are energetic, trusting of other people, funny and curious, distinguished by their analytical mind, have a rich imagination and a sharp tongue…
The bearers of this name are superstitious, sometimes even too superstitious, they believe in the supernatural, horoscopes and magic. They love fantastic stories with twisted plots. They are fond of reading books, with preference given to fantasy, mysticism, that is, everything unusual. They also like to read historical novels, imagining themselves either as a countess or as a princess… Other hobbies include everything that concerns the home – from interior decor to cooking dishes (by the way, also fantastic and unusual). Sometimes Julia may even prefer to run the house and arrange her life rather than going to work.
Julia loves travelling, and only for the sake of a journey, they are ready to get a job as a guide or as a flight attendant.
Thanks to her sharp mind, deep intellect and excellent memory, Julia can perform remarkably well in any field of activity – trade, bank management and other commercial endeavors. They make good managers, producers, psychiatrists, doctors, healers and even actresses…
They know how to make friends and know exactly the value of loyal people. They never leave people in trouble. They are always ready to give everything they have to get a loved one out of trouble.
Well, what was Saint Iulia/Julia like? – She was homely, cozy, mischievous… – UNFORGETTABLE!
People turn to Saint Iulia/Julia in a variety of life circumstances with requests to:
- help acquire those qualities and virtues that the Saint possessed;
- maintain chastity;
- strengthen in faith;
- help maintain faith when despair and disappointment creep into the soul;
- protect from evil tongues;
- maintain patience;
- help to overcome challenges;
- have an offspring;
- improve and protect children’s health;
- protect the family;
- help to overcome learning difficulties;
- help to overcome failures in love;
- get help with household chores;
- get help with increasing wealth in the house.
The Memorial Day of Saint Iulia/Julia – the Martyr of Corsica or Carthage is celebrated in Catholicism on 23 May, and in Orthodoxy – on 16 July.
