After the death of the Greek Emperor Arcadius, his eight-year-old son, Theodosius, was left orphaned. Arcadius’ brother, Emperor Honorius, appointed Anthemius as the boy’s guardian. Anthemius had two daughters. The younger was suffering possesed by demons, while the elder, Apollinaria, longed to embrace the monastic life. She refused marriage, desiring instead to serve God. She also begged her parents to bring a nun to teach her the spiritual life.
Seeing her steadfastness, her parents agreed and brought a nun to the palace. When she felt ready, Apollinaria asked the permission to travel to Jerusalem in order to venerate the Holy Land. Although her parents did not want to loose her, they eventually consented and provided her with gifts for the journey.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, she devoted herself to prayer and donated her possessions to a monastery. She then traveled to Alexandria to venerate Saint Menas. Rejecting all honors offered to her, she distributed gifts to the poor. She also obtained men's monastic garments and secretly departed for the desert, where she lived a life of prayer and fasting, struggling against all passions and temptations.
Several years later, her younger sister was taken to some God-inspired fathers of the Church in search of healing. Concealing her true identity, Saint Apollinaria visited her sister and healed her. Yet she refused to accept any honor and returned to her secluded dwelling, where she continued her life of prayer.
When she surrendered her soul to the Lord, her true identity was finally revealed. The faithful glorified God for her holiness and grace. The brethren buried her with honor, while numerous miraculous healings later took place through her holy relics.
