The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the feast day of St Sophia (Wisdom) and her three daughters, Pisti (Faith), Elpida (Hope) and Agape (Love) on 17 September.
The saints lived circa 126 AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, and all three were tormented from eldest to youngest when their faith was contested.
Sophia, their mother, mourned the death of Pisti, aged 12, Hope, 10, and Love, 9. She fell asleep mourning their graves for three days, and was also counted as a martyr because of her strength and endurance in the face of her daughters’ suffering.
READ MORE: Happy Name Day to Steve, Stavroula, Stavros: What we celebrate today
It is unknown when Saint Sophia, the martyr, was born, however she resided in the region now known as Italy. She was a widow who lived with her daughters. A devout Christian, she named them after the three virtues mentioned in the bible, but they lived at a time when Emperor Hadrian regularly tortured Christians in an effort to prevent the spread of the faith.
All four of them, refused to renounce their faith when brought before Hadrian. He tortured the girls after they refused to make a sacrifice to the goddess Artemis.