Margaret of Antioch

Saint Margaret of Antioch, also known as Marina, was a virgin martyr of the 4th century. Born in Antioch in Pisidia as the daughter of a pagan priest, she converted to Christianity. Her beauty caught the attention of the Roman prefect Olybrius, who attempted to force her into marriage and renounce her faith. Upon her refusal, she was subjected to severe tortures. The legend of her life, though largely apocryphal, is widely known and recounts that she was swallowed by a dragon (or a demon in that form) and emerged unharmed, causing the beast to burst. This iconography is the origin of her patronage for pregnant women and during childbirth. Her cult was immensely popular in the Middle Ages, especially in the West, and she was one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. Her feast day is celebrated on July 20, although her veneration was reduced after the Second Vatican Council due to the non-historical nature of her "Acts."