Arthelais

{{Infobox saint |honorific_prefix= Saint |name= Arthelais |birth_date=544 AD |death_date=560 AD |feast_day= 3 March |venerated_in= Roman Catholic Church |image= |imagesize= |caption= |birth_place= Constantinople<br />(modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) |death_place= |titles= |beatified_date= |beatified_place= |beatified_by= |canonized_date= |canonized_place= |canonized_by= |attributes= |patronage=Benevento; kidnap victims, illness, people in exile, sick people, sickness |major_shrine= |suppressed_date= |issues= }}

'''Arthelais''' ({{langx|it|Sant' Artellaide}}) (544–560) is venerated as a Christian saint. She is one of the patron saints of Benevento,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://saints.sqpn.com/saint-arthelais-of-benevento/|title=Saint Arthelais of Benevento|date=2009-03-03|work=CatholicSaints.Info|access-date=2018-03-20|language=en-US}}</ref> with Barbatus of Benevento and Bartholomew being the others. Her feast day is 3 March.

==Narrative== A legend has Arthelais as a native of Constantinople, the daughter of an imperial proconsul named Lucius and his wife Anthusa. She is said to have been pursued by Justinian, who desired her;<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=8mUJ58SMMhEC&dq=saint+arthelais&pg=PA66 Walsh, Michael. "Arthellais of Benevento", ''A New Dictionary of Saints'', Liturgical Press, 2007, p. 66]{{ISBN|9780814631867}}</ref> however, Arthelais had taken a vow of chastity. At her own request, she was sent with three servants to her uncle Narses in Italy,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=mTqKrLX8GVwC&dq=saint+arthelais&pg=PA61 Delaney, John J.. ''Dictionary of Saints''] United States, Image/Doubleday, 2005. p. 61 {{ISBN|9780385515207}}</ref> but was kidnapped by robbers along the way. Her servants had recourse to the Church of Saint Eulalia, where they prayed for their mistress' safe return, and gave alms to the poor from their expense money.<ref name=Dunbar>[https://books.google.com/books?id=rZ8i5hLH5roC&dq=saint+Arthelais&pg=PA84 Dunbar, Agnes Baillie Cunninghame. ''A Dictionary of Saintly Women'', Vol. 1, Bell, 1904, p. 84]{{PD-notice}}</ref>

The robbers intended to sell their captive for immoral purposes, but an angel slew the gaoler (jailer) and freed her. The devil seized the rest of the robbers. Arthelais soon met her servants, and they proceeded to Siponto. From there she went to the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo to make an offering in thanksgiving. Her uncle Narses went to meet her and brought her back to Benevento.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=LP4UAAAAQAAJ&dq=Aberoh+and+Atom&pg=PA78 Holweck, Frederick George. ''A Biographical Dictionary of the Saints'', B. Herder, 1924, p. 109]</ref> Here she settled and lived in prayer and piety exercises, working many miracles. Stricken by fever, she was transported to the church of San Luca, where she died at the age of seventeen.<ref name=Dunbar/> Her relics were later transferred to the Cattedrale metropolitana di Santa Maria de Episcopio.<ref>[http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/43770 Caraffa, Fillipo. " Sant' Artellaide Vergine", Santi e Beati, August 24, 2011]</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1566 Saint Arthelais] at Catholic Online

Category:544 births Category:560 deaths Category:6th-century Byzantine people Category:6th-century Christian saints Category:Byzantine saints Category:Christian child saints Category:Medieval Italian saints Category:Byzantine female saints Category:6th-century Byzantine women