Tripti Joshi (Editor)

Saint Shushanik

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Feast
  
October 17

Died
  
475 AD, Georgia


Role
  
Martyr

Name
  
Saint Shushanik

Saint Shushanik

Venerated in
  
Georgian Orthodox Church Eastern Orthodox Church Armenian Apostolic Church Eastern Catholic Churches

Grandparents
  
Sahakanoysh, Hamazasp Ier Mamikonian

Parents
  
Doustr, Vardan Mamikonian

Great-grandparents
  
Isaac of Armenia

Saint Shushanik (Armenian: Շուշանիկ, Georgian: შუშანიკი) (born Vardeni Mamikonian c. 440-475) was an early medieval Christian Armenian martyr who was murdered by her husband Varsken in the town of Tsurtavi, Georgia. Since she died defending her right to profess Christianity, she is regarded as a martyr. Her martyrdom is described in her confessor Jacob’s hagiographic work. The hagiography details extensive resistance to forms of imprisonment, isolation, torture and cruelty by Shushanik.

Shushanik was a daughter of the Armenian supreme military commander (sparapet) Vartan Mamikonian and married to the prominent Mihranid feudal lord (pitiakhsh) Varsken, son of Arshusha II. Varsken was in opposition to Vakhtang I Gorgasali, King of Kartli, and took a pro-Persian position, renouncing Christianity and adopting Zoroastrianism. He killed his spouse after she refused to submit to his order to abandon her Christian faith. Varsken himself was put to death by King Vakhtang in 483.

Shushanik has been canonized by the Georgian Orthodox Church and is venerated by the Armenian Apostolic Church. Her feast day is celebrated on October 17 in Georgia and Tuesday between September 20-26 in Armenia.

References

Saint Shushanik Wikipedia


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