5th century
Saint Thomais of Alexandria
Young wife from Alexandria who was killed by her father-in-law for resisting his advances and is honoured as a martyr of marital fidelity.
Biography
Thomais was born and lived in Alexandria in the 5th century. From a young age she devoted herself to works of charity and continued this service after her marriage, living with her husband in genuine love and chastity.
According to her Life, while her husband was away she was subjected to an improper advance by her own father-in-law, who tried to seduce her and, faced with her refusal, stabbed her to death. Her relics were taken by monks and buried with honour, and she has since been honoured as a model of marital fidelity.