Anna 6 | Prosopography of the Byzantine Empire |
| Sex | F |
| Floruit | M VIII |
| Dates | 754 (c.) / 762 (c.) |
| PmbZ No. | 450 |
| Religion | Christian |
| Locations | Phiale (Prison of, Constantinople); Constantinople (residence); Trichinareai (Convent of, Mt Auxentius) (residence); Constantinople; Chalcedon (Bithynia); Auxentius (Mt, Bithynia) |
| Occupation | Nun |
| Titles | Widow (unclear) |
| Textual Sources | Synaxarium Ecclesiae Constantinopolitanae, Propylaeum ad AASS Novembris, ed. H. Delehaye, (Brussels, 1902) (hagiography); Vita Stephani Iunioris, by Stephanus Diaconus (BHG 1666), ed. M.-F. Auzépy, La Vie d'Etienne le Jeune par Étienne le diacre. Introduction, édition et traduction (Aldershot, 1997); PG 100. 1069-1186 (hagiography) |
A wealthy and childless widow living in Constantinople, Anna 6 made her way to Mt Auxentius on foot to visit St Stephen the Younger (Stephanos 2), at a time when his fame was spreading, and spoke to him of her longing to become a nun; returning home via Chalcedon, she sold all her property and gave most of the proceeds to the poor; she then left Constantinople, leaving behind her parents, relations, friends, acquaintances and neighbours and returned to Mt Auxentius with the remainder of her wealth; she offered this to Stephanos 2 for distribution to the poor, but he refused to be involved and insisted that she distribute it herself, giving her however the assistance of his oikonomos, Marinos 13; after she had disposed of the last of her wealth, she received from Stephanos 2 the monastic dress and the name Anna (her original name is not recorded) and was installed by him in the women's convent (of Trikhinareai) on Mt Auxentius under the supervision of the hegoumene (Anonyma 27): Vita Steph. Iun. 115, 8-116, 31 (1105A-1108A). When Stephanos 2 refused to subscribe the Council of Hieria, allegations were made against Anna 6 of misconduct with him; a document was drawn up by Sergios 52 and Aulikalamos 1, and her own maid (Anonyma 32) was suborned to give false evidence, which was all submitted to the emperor (Constantine V, Konstantinos 7); she was taken to him and questioned by him, first with the army during a campaign against the Bulgars and later, while she was held in chains in the prison of the Phiale (cf. Anonymus 250); she is alluded to as the daughter of Stephanos 2 (see Vita Steph. Iun. 135, 8 (1131D): (τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου θυγάτερα); she denied all the charges and insisted on the holiness of Stephanos 2, even though she was stripped naked and publicly tortured, and she was finally sent half dead by the emperor to confinement in one of the convents at Constantinople: Vita Steph. Iun. 131, 19-136, 16 (1125D-1132C). She is also recorded in Synax. Eccl. Const. 263/264, 54 (28 Nov.). See Rochow, Konstantin V, p. 202.
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