Sainte Marciana: A courageous Kabyle woman
Her courage led her to martyrdom around 303.
Born in Rusucuru (Dellys, on the Kabylian coast), Marciana belonged to a distinguished family. Although she was gifted with a rare beauty, she wanted to devote herself to God. Having come to Caesarea, she lived in a cell far from the world.
One day, however, she gave in to the temptation to visit the city. When she arrived in front of the amphitheatre, not far from the Tipaza gate, she noticed a statue of Diana in a square, adorning a fountain. Angered by the sight of this idol and by the thought that the Christians were being persecuted by Diocletian, she broke its head and overturned it. The crowd seized the young girl, beat her and dragged her to the governor. The governor ordered her to be handed over to gladiators, but a wall repeatedly stood between them and Marciana, preventing them from attacking her chastity.
In the midst of these trials, she was insulted by a man of the Israelite faith whose house was next door to the gladiators’ barracks. She begged God to set fire to the house of this wicked man.
The next day, she was taken to the amphitheatre. She was tied to a post and presented to a lion, who did not want her. But the wicked man and his friends, bitter in their hatred of a Christian woman, demanded loudly and obtained her delivery to a bull. The animal, furious, wounded her in the breast. Then a leopard appeared and finished her off. At that very moment, the denouncer’s house caught fire. Many attempts were made to rebuild it, but it always fell into ruin.
The manuscripts of Acts do not agree on the date of the martyrdom, 9 January or 12 July. Baronius, in his notes on the Roman martyrology, believes that 12 July marks a transfer of relics, and 9 January the anniversary of the martyrdom, which seems to date from around 303. On 12 July, the Roman martyrology mentions a Martian saint, a virgin and martyr in Toledo; Baronius believes that this is Saint Marciana of Kabylia, honoured in Toledo. The Mozarabic breviary contains a beautiful ancient hymn in her honour. For the Doctors of the Church, her act was reprehensible: they condemned the reckless zeal of those who ran to their deaths knocking down idols and who risked, by their imprudence, bringing great misfortune on the whole community. However, the ecclesiastical authorities often had to take into account the enthusiasm that such sacrifices aroused among the faithful, and grant the glorious title of martyr to these undisciplined heroes.
The memory of Marciana was venerated, not only in Africa, but even in Spain, especially in Toledo, where a hymn in her praise has survived to the present day.
(Extract from ‘Promenades archaeologies/Cherchell’).
Hymn to Saint Martian
Saint Marciana awakens the Christian faith, Virgin Tutelary, hear our prayer, We sing in your honour, Be always our model, Lead us faithful troop, Towards the lord, The sky opens and the angelic choirs, Let us hear one of the most beautiful canticles (bis), It is the story, the glorious story, Of the holy martyrs entered the arena, In their midst, walking to the sacrifice, Marciana advances and smiles at the torture.
Marciana of Maretania: A courageous Kabyle woman
