Previously, I talked about the cult of Thecla in general.  Today, I wanna look briefly at the physical shrine to Thecla at Seleucia.  We will see, through its physical development and imperial patronage, its popularity and subsequent influence on the minds of second through seventh century Christians.

As referenced Wednesday, Hagia Thekla, the main shrine dedicated to Saint Thecla, was located a mile south of Seleucia on the southern coast of Asia Minor. The earliest manuscript tradition only casually mentions this city as the place where Thecla travel to and died a peaceful death. [1]   Despite this, the city became the center around which the cult was centered. An international pilgrimage developed around this site to the extent that “regiments were stationed in Seleucia, offering pilgrims protection from the potential threats or robbery or assault.” [2]

The shrine there underwent several physical changes during its history; these changes are important because they demonstrate the importance of the Thecla tradition at the time. The original location of the site is unknown; more than one literary work suggests a different location than the earliest archaeological find and we are certain the site has been the subject of embellishment in the past. Both the Life and Miracles ((Ibid., 37.)) and Egeria’s diary [3]   speak of a much simpler site which was not connected to grotto. [4]   The earlier of the two works, Egeria’s diary from 384CE, [5] establishes the upper limit at which the original shrine would have to have been built.  However, there is strong evidence that the shire, and therefore the Theclan devotion, may date back into the second century [6]

The importance of Hagia Thekla is underscored by site itself and its embellishment. The diary of Egeria describes a simple hillside shrine and church with many cells which housed devotees. In the second half of the fifth century the shrine was moved to a natural limestone grotto in the area and a small, three aisled church was built at the new site. [7] Later in the fifth century the emperor Zeno sponsored the site and consequently build over the shrine and church, increasing it in size four-fold. [8]   According to the 6th century historian Evagrius, Zeno was overthrown by his rival Basiliskos in 476 CE and spent time in Isauria. He attributed his protection and rise back to power to Saint Thecla. [9] The expanded site included a public bath, four cisterns, and another small church. The architectural style matches that of the time. [10]   This imperial patronage and the increased building activity reflect the changing needs and increased demands of the pilgrimage site.

Hagia Thekla was connected with political intrigue and was embellished, which demonstrates its importance in the second [11] through seventh centuries.  This attests to the vitality of the Thecla tradition and implores us to seek out the tradition’s drawing power in the minds of its adherents.

Now that we have explored the importance of the cult of Thecla, we can now turn to its makeup structurally, socially, and ideologically.  Monday, I’ll look at the devotees to the shrine and we can see what life was like there and in doing so, peer into the the thoughts and expectations of this important, but often overlooked, group of Christians.

1. Acts of Thecla 43. [↩]
2. Davis, The Cult of St. Thecla: An Introduction to Women’s Piety in Late Antiquity, 69. [↩]
3. Wilkinson, Egeria’s Travels to the Holy Land, 121. [↩]
4. The grotto was the supposed location of the cave to which Life and Miracles and Acts of Thecla-Seleucia refer. [↩]
5. vs. the Life and Miracles from 450 CE [↩]
6. This upper limit may or may not be approximate to the actual founding of the shrine there. A case could be made for the shrine dating back to the writing down of the Acts of Thecla as it makes a point to mention the location of Seleucia even though it makes no sense whatsoever in the narrative. Perhaps as is the case with the Acts of Thecla-Seleucia, the author intended to give legitimacy to the location of the shrine at Seleucia. If this is the case, which is much more unlikely, the upper limit would be dropped to the late second century. What is certain is that the shrine and its pilgrimage were well established by 384CE and originated at a substantially earlier point in time. [↩]
7. Davis, The Cult of St. Thecla: An Introduction to Women’s Piety in Late Antiquity, 37. [↩]
8. George H. Forsyth, "Architectural Notes on a Trip through Cilicia," Dumbarton Oaks Papers 11 (1957): 223. The original site was around 20 meters long and the embellishment under Zeno resulted in a basilica that was over 80 meters long. [↩]
9. Davis, The Cult of St. Thecla: An Introduction to Women’s Piety in Late Antiquity, 38. [↩]
10. Ibid. [↩]
11. This is the most optimistic date, but it was certainly important well before 385 CE [↩]