Pelagia of Antioch

Pelagia of Antioch, also known as Pelagia the Penitent and Pelagia the Harlot, is a 5th-century Christian saint whose life was recounted by James the Deacon. Initially a famous mime actress and courtesan in Antioch, nicknamed Margaret (meaning 'pearl') for her beauty and the jewels she wore, she was described as leading a dissolute life. After an encounter with Bishop Nonnus, she repented, gave all her possessions to the poor, and adopted a male monastic habit to live as a hermit on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem. The other monks, mistaking her for a man, knew her as 'Brother Pelagius' and admired her rigorous asceticism. Her female sex was only discovered after her death. Her feast day is celebrated on October 8. Pelagia is of historical interest today as a 'prostitute saint' and 'cross-dressing saint,' her story illustrating the fluidity of identity and gender in the Middle Ages, with no significant moral condemnation from hagiographers regarding her disguise. She is sometimes confused with other saints named Pelagia.