Quick Facts
Biography
Saint Sophia of Rome (died ca. 304) is venerated as a Christian martyr. According to tradition, she was a young woman of Rome who was killed for her faith during the reign of Diocletian. She was buried in the cemetery of Gordianus and Epimachus.
Veneration
Pope Sergius II transferred her relics around 845 to the high altar of the church of San Martino ai Monti. Some of her relics were brought by Remigius of Strasbourg to the convent at Eschau in 778. She was invoked against frosts that occurred late in the year; thus she was called kalte Sophie 'cold Sophia' in Germany by those who invoked her aid in planting arable crops. She is thus considered to be one of the "Ice Saints". Sophia is also an "ice saint" in Slovenia and Central Europe, where St. Sophia's day ("Cold Sophie") is considered the last day of cold weather. There, Sophia is associated with rain and is nicknamed poscana Zofka 'pissing Sophie' or mokra Zofija 'wet Sophia' in folk tradition.
Sisymbrium sophia, called the Sophienkraut in Germany, is named after her. She is depicted on a column in the nave of the cathedral of St. Stephen in Vienna; it dates from the 15th century.