Agnes is so well attested historically that it is not accurate to think—as some have suggested—that she was merely a pious legend created in the ascetical circles of Roman women in the early 4th century. In the time of Saints Damasus, Prudentius, and Ambrose, she was already greatly venerated. Her feast on January 21 is confirmed by the Depositio Martyrum.
Among the archaeological witnesses to her cult, the most important is the basilica on the Via Nomentana, built over her tomb before 349 by Constantina, daughter of Constantine the Great. The exact date of her martyrdom is unknown, and even her name may not have been her original one. Agnes could come from the Greek hagné (pure), serving as a title for the young Roman girl who, at about twelve years of age, gave her life both for her chastity and for her faith in Christ.
The ancient sources do not agree on how she died—whether by the sword or in the flames. By the 4th century, legends were already circulating, both oral and written, and from them the liturgical texts for her feast drew their inspiration.
A special tradition remains alive today: the palliums of archbishops are woven from the wool of two lambs blessed each year on Saint Agnes’ feast day in her basilica.
