Saint Anastasia of Rome was orphaned at the age of three and was raised in a monastery near Rome, where she took monastic vows. At the age of 21, during the reign of Emperor Decius, Anastasia, having refused noble suitors, was accused by pagans of honoring Christ. The military commander Probus brought her to trial and ordered her to offer a sacrifice to the idols, but Anastasia refused to renounce Christ. She was subjected to cruel tortures: her nails were torn out, her hands and feet were cut off, and all her teeth were knocked out. Exhausted, she asked for water, and someone named Cyril, feeling compassion, gave her to drink. The tortures continued, and her tongue was cut off. In the end, Anastasia was beheaded, and Cyril, as a secret Christian, was also executed.
