Catherine of Alexandria

Egyptian missionary, saint depicted with a wheel

Fame60.3
Momentum2.2
Egypt rank#118

Source-basedStable

Fame60.3
Momentum2.2
Egypt rank#118
Religious Figures rank#88
Wikipedia49.2K

Lived 287–305, aged 18Egypt

Egypt Religious Figures

Wikipedia
66 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in Egypt
#118
Religious Figures
Era
287–305
Aged 18

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

A virgin scholar who, tradition says, converted hundreds to Christianity before her martyrdom under Maxentius in the early 4th century. Venerated across Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism, her story may draw from other Alexandrian figures — some scholars point to the philosopher Hypatia or Saint Dorothea — but the cult endures whether the legend is composite

Biography

About

According to her hagiography, Catherine was a princess who became a Christian around age 14 and quickly distinguished herself as a noted scholar. Her learning and conviction led hundreds to convert, which brought her before the emperor Maxentius in early 4th-century Alexandria. She was martyred for refusing to renounce her faith. The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates her as a great martyr, celebrating her feast on 24 or 25 November depending on region. Catholics count her among the Fourteen Holy Helpers; her feast was dropped from the Roman calendar in 1969, then restored in 2002. Modern schol…

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