Blandina
(d. 177). She was a virgin slave girl. Blandina was one of forty-eight Christians who were martyred at Lyons, France, during a persecution by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Her heroic courage is described in a “Letter of the Churches of Lyons and Vienne,” which was preserved by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History. Blandina and the Bishop of Lyons, Pothinus, are among seven of the forty-eight martyrs who are mentioned by name. They are all known as “The Martyrs of Lyons.” They are commemorated in the Episcopal calendar of the church year on June 2.
Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from “An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians,” Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors.