From the Prologue of Ochrid
Born in the city of Tarsus, of pagan but distinguished and wealthy parents. Having heard from Christians about Christ and the salvation of the soul, she was inflamed with love for the Savior and was in her soul entirely a Christian. At that time there was a terrible persecution of Christians. It came to pass that Emperor Diocletian himself stopped in Tarsus, and during his stay in that city his son, the prince, fell desperately in love with Pelagia and wished to take her as his wife. Pelagia replied through her wicked mother that she had already betrothed herself to her heavenly Bridegroom, Christ the Lord. Fleeing from the vile prince and from her wicked mother, Pelagia sought out and found Bishop Clinon, a man renowned for his holiness. He instructed her in the Christian faith and baptized her. Then Pelagia distributed her luxurious garments and great wealth, returned home, and confessed to her mother that she had already been baptized. When the emperor's son heard of this and lost all hope of obtaining this holy virgin for his wife, he pierced himself with a sword and died. Then the wicked mother herself accused her own daughter before the emperor and handed her over for judgment. The emperor marveled at the beauty of the maiden, and forgetting his own son, was inflamed with impure passion for her. But as Pelagia remained unshakeable in her faith, the emperor condemned her to be burned alive in a metal ox heated by fire. When the torturers stripped her, the holy Pelagia made the sign of the Cross and, with a prayer of thanksgiving to God upon her lips, entered the heated ox of her own accord, where in the blink of an eye she melted entirely like wax. She suffered honorably in the year 287. The remains of her bones were recovered by Bishop Clinon and buried on a hill beneath a stone. In the time of Emperor Constantine Copronymus (741-775), a beautiful church was built on that site in honor of the holy virgin and martyr Pelagia, who sacrificed herself for Christ that she might reign eternally with Christ.
