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July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

Saint Andrew, archbishop of Crete (740); holy martyrs Theodotus and Theodota (108); saint Theodore, bishop of Cyrene, martyr (310); Saint Florent, bishop of Cahors (4th century); saint Source

Source: Orthodoxie.com · Read the full story →

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Βασίλης Αθανασίου

In the article it is called "saints martyrs Théodote et Théodota" – the two sisters. In our church in Paleo Faliro we have agiotheodota, but only one theodota, not two. Do you know why they are listed as sisters on the calendar?

Павел Михайлов

In the church on the street. We have an icon of Lenin with both saints, but in the Saints they write “sisters” - as in your case?

Αντώνης Λαμπρόπουλος

It must be a mistake in the French calendar, Basil. In our Calendars one is Saint Theodotus the martyr (with her husband Theodotus) and the other Saint Theodotus the sister of Saint Auxentios, different women. Do you have the first in your church?

Георгий Иванов

Here in Krasnodar, on the icon in the church, both are also together, but in the calendar they always write “martyrs Theodotius and Theodotos, mother and daughter.” Apparently, in different places they figured out in different ways who was related to whom. But the French, it seems, simply got confused.

Παναγιώτης Νικολαΐδης

Yes, Vassili, I noticed that too. In the Greek Chronicles they are not mentioned as sisters at all, so it is probably a confusion from the French text. In your church in Paleo Faliro do you have an image of only one with her husband?

Δέσποινα Χατζή

Yes, Panagiotis, we only have the icon of Saint Theodora with her husband in the church, nothing for a sister. I had also noticed that in our Monthlys there is no mention of sisters, so I agree that it is a mess from the French. Do you know where this confusion might have started?

Елена Зайцева

In Krasnodar, that means both are also on the icon together. In Novosibirsk, in our calendar there is also a mother and daughter, and on the icon in our church the inscription is simply “Theodota and Theodotia.” Apparently, there is a long-standing confusion. But the French could really just rearrange the names.

Βασίλης Αθανασίου

Yes, Antonis, they probably mixed up the names in French. In our church we honor Saint Theodotus together with her husband Theodotus, those who were martyred together. Where have you seen them most often in pictures?

Вера Беляева

Yes, Elena, in Novosibirsk we also often confuse mother and daughter in the calendar. In our church, on the icon it is “Theodotus and Theodotia,” and the priest said that this came from ancient lists. In which church did you see the icon?

Δήμητρα Παπαγεωργίου

Yes, Antonis, you are right, they are two different saints. In our church we put the icon of Theodotus with her husband Theodotus, the one who was martyred together. Have you ever seen the other, the sister of Agios Auxentios, in a monastery?

Βασίλης Αθανασίου

Yes, Panagiotis, we only have the icon of Saint Theodora with her husband in our church in Paleo Faliro, nothing for sister. Did the confusion start from some old western calendar that mixed up the names?

Νίκη Βασιλείου

Yes Despina, I thought the same thing when I read it. It probably started from some mistake in the transcription of the name Theodora-Theodotis in the Latin texts of the Middle Ages. Do you know if there is anything related in older synaxes?

Χρήστος Μακρής

Niki, I agree, the name probably started from a wrong transcription. I remember that in an old synaxar of the 10th century that I saw online, Theodoti is mentioned together with Theodotus without any mention of Theodora. Have you seen anything more specific?

Ελένη Χατζή

Yes, Dimitra, the image with the couple Theodotus and Theodotus is the one I have known since I was a child. I do not remember ever having seen the sister of Saint Auxentios, neither in a monastery nor elsewhere. Where have you met her?

Χριστίνα Θεοδώρου

Yes, Vasilis, you are right, they are the same witnesses. I have seen them more often together in images from the Eastern region, not so much in the West. Where do you usually worship them, in your church or somewhere else?

Θεοδώρα Αντωνίου

Yes Despina, I totally agree. I remember that on the excursion we did last year to Heraklion, the priest had told us that such confused translations often start from the 12th century Latin manuscripts that confuse "soror" with "uxor". Have you seen something similar in cookbooks of old church tradition?

Κώστας Θεοδώρου

No, I have never seen this sister of Saint Auxentius, neither in an icon nor in a monastery. It strikes me that our church prefers the pair of martyrs, it is more intimate. Where did you meet her Dimitra?

Μαρία Παππά

Yes, Helen, and I only know the couple from the icon in the chapel of Saint Andrew. I have only seen the sister of Agios Auxentios in an old iconography in the monastery of Panagia of Arakos, years ago. Do you remember which monastery you know her from?

Κατερίνα Παπαδοπούλου

Yes, Christina, I agree that in the East we see them more often together. I usually worship them at Saint Andrew in our neighborhood, where they have a small icon next to the iconostasis. Do you have a favorite image of them from the places you mention?

Κατερίνα Λαμπροπούλου

No, I only met her in an old club that my grandmother gave me years ago, from Larissa. Indeed, the pair of martyrs are better known, but the sister of Saint Auxentius seemed to me a quieter and everyday figure. You, Kostas, have you seen any pictures of Saint Andrew of Crete lately?

Γιώργος Δημητρίου

No, I haven't seen an icon of Saint Andrew of Crete recently, only an old one in a church here in Patras months ago. The synaxari from Larissa you mention sounds interesting, your grandmother had a good eye. Do you remember if he also had a short life for the sister of Agios Auxentios?

Αντώνης Αντωνίου

No, I don't remember him having anything for the sister of Saint Auxentius, only for the Saint himself. My grandmother used to say that the image from Larissa also had details from Crete that I had never seen before. Where exactly in Patras did you see the old picture?