The Philosopher of Athens
“Some men joined him and believed; among whom were both Dionysios the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.” Acts 17:34
St. Damaris is remembered as the first Athenian woman to believe in Christ. At the time of his initial preaching in Athens, only a few people accepted Saint Paul’s message of good news: St. Damaris was one of them, along with Dionysius the Areopagite. The fact that she is named could mean that she had a high social status or was an educated woman among the philosophers of Athens.
It also likely meant that she was a name that readers would recognize. Tradition tells us that after her conversion, Damaris remained in Athens and served the needs of the fledgling Church there. (Scholar Richard Baughman has made a convincing case in Gospel Women and in Jesus and the Eyewitnesses that "names (apart from those of public figures such as Herod) were usually retained in the Gospel traditions only when the named persons were well-known figures in the e arly Christian communities"). There still is a street named in her honor in Athens today, Odos Damareos. For those curious, it is beside the Profitis Ilias Square, which is one of the main urban open spaces in the Pagkrati neighborhood.
From what little we know about her life, we can assume that St. Damaris was an intelligent, courageous, and steadfast woman. She took a bold risk in accepting the teachings of the Apostle Paul, and once she had decided to follow Christ, she stayed the course. She committed herself to a lifetime of serving the Church and living out the faith she had embraced, using what wealth or influence she had for the good of all.
There are so many incredible women like Damaris who labored side-by-side to nourish and support the early Church. In Heather MacKean’s icon of the Women of the New Testament, St. Damaris is on the middle right-hand side of the icon. A high-quality 8×10 print of this icon, produced on heavyweight, acid-free cardstock with a matte finish, is our thank you gift to everyone who donates $100 or more—or a monthly commitment of $10 or more–to our Myrrhbearing Women Fundraiser.
If you are already a monthly donor, thank you! Any amount you are able to increase your donation will come with a thank-you gift of an icon to your mailbox! Your support directly makes possible gatherings, scholarships, and resources that enable Orthodox women to come together across differences, deepen in faith, and find the encouragement and training they need to live out their callings in the Church.