Venerable (Monastic) 5th century

Venerable Euphrosyne of Alexandria

c. 410 – c. 470

Also known as Smaragdus

A wealthy Alexandrian woman who fled an arranged marriage and entered a men's monastery in disguise as the monk Smaragdus to pursue the ascetic life.

Feast Day

September 25

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Mother Euphrosyne of Alexandria

Life

Euphrosyne of Alexandria (c. 410 – c. 470) was the only daughter of Paphnutius, a wealthy and prominent Alexandrian, and his wife. Her parents had been childless and, by the account of her life, received her through prayer. She was baptized at the age of seven, educated in the scriptures, and became known for her wisdom and love of learning; her mother died when she was twelve.

When at eighteen her father arranged her marriage to a wealthy nobleman, Euphrosyne resolved instead to pursue the ascetic life. To escape the marriage she disguised herself in men's clothing and entered a men's monastery, presenting herself as a eunuch and taking the monastic name Smaragdus. She lived there as a monk for thirty-eight years, unrecognized, until her death about the year 470.

Her life is remembered chiefly for the concealment she maintained even from her own father, Paphnutius, who in his grief sought spiritual counsel at the monastery and received it repeatedly from his disguised daughter without recognizing her. Euphrosyne revealed her identity only as she was dying; afterward her father himself became a monk and lived out his remaining years in her cell.

Timeline 6 moments Read Hide

c. 410 Birth in Alexandria Born the only daughter of the wealthy Paphnutius and his wife, who had been childless and received her through prayer.
c. 417 Baptism Baptized at the age of seven and educated in the scriptures, becoming known for her wisdom and love of learning.
c. 422 Death of her mother Her mother died when Euphrosyne was twelve years old.
c. 428 Flight from marriage At eighteen, with her father arranging her marriage to a wealthy nobleman, she disguised herself as a man and entered a men's monastery under the name Smaragdus.
c. 470 Death and reconciliation After thirty-eight years of monastic life she revealed her identity to her father Paphnutius and was reconciled with him shortly before her death.
c. 480 Death of Paphnutius Paphnutius, having become a monk and lived about ten years in his daughter's cell, died and was buried beside her.

Contributions & Legacy

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Monastic Life as Smaragdus

Advised that disguise would let her escape her impending marriage, Euphrosyne entered the monastery claiming to be a eunuch. By one account she presented herself to the abbot as 'a eunuch of Emperor Theodosius,' adopting the monastic name Smaragdus.

Under the spiritual guidance of the monk Agapitus, she is said to have excelled in ascetic practice, surpassing the other monks of the community in fasting and prayer. When dissension later arose in the community over her beauty, she withdrew to a solitary desert cell, keeping contact thereafter only with her spiritual director and the abbot.

Reconciliation with Paphnutius

During Euphrosyne's final year, the abbot assigned the monk Smaragdus to give spiritual direction to Paphnutius, who had come to the monastery seeking solace for his grief over his lost daughter. He received counsel and comforting exhortation repeatedly, never recognizing her, as she kept her face covered with a veil.

Before she died, Euphrosyne revealed herself to her father, telling him that she was Euphrosyne, his daughter, and the two were reconciled. After her death Paphnutius entered the monastery himself, living in his daughter's former cell for about ten years until his own death, when he was buried beside her. Her tomb became a place of prayer, with miracles attributed to her by tradition.

Commemoration

Euphrosyne is commemorated on September 25 in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic calendars. In the Roman Catholic calendar her feast is kept on January 16, and the Episcopal Church added a commemoration on September 27 in 2022.

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints