Emmelia of Caesarea
wife of Basil the Elder and mother of several influential early Christians
Feast: 30 May (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
At Caesarea in Cappadocia, in present-day Turkey, Saints Basil and Emmelia, who were the parents of the holy bishops Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste, and of Saint Macrina, virgin. These holy spouses, driven from their land at the time of the emperor Galerius Maximian, lived in the deserts of Pontus and, when the persecution was over, rested in peace, leaving their children the inheritance of their virtues.
The miracles
There was never a formal cause: she has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.
Why that counted as sanctity
The Roman Martyrology remembers her on 30 May as the mother of Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Peter of Sebaste and Macrina.
Connected on this site
- Basil of Caesarea Saint Child“She was the wife of Basil the Elder and bore nine or ten children, including Basil of Caesarea (born circa 330), Macrina the Younger, Peter of Sebaste, Gregory of Nyssa, and Naucratius.” — Wikipedia
- Basil the Elder Saint Spouse“She was the wife of Basil the Elder and bore nine or ten children, including Basil of Caesarea (born circa 330), Macrina the Younger, Peter of Sebaste, Gregory of Nyssa, and Naucratius.” — Wikipedia
- Gregory of Nyssa Saint Child“She was the wife of Basil the Elder and bore nine or ten children, including Basil of Caesarea (born circa 330), Macrina the Younger, Peter of Sebaste, Gregory of Nyssa, and Naucratius.” — Wikipedia
- Macrina the Younger Saint Child“She was the wife of Basil the Elder and bore nine or ten children, including Basil of Caesarea (born circa 330), Macrina the Younger, Peter of Sebaste, Gregory of Nyssa, and Naucratius.” — Wikipedia
- Naucratius Saint Child“Saint Naucratius (Greek: Ναυκράτιος) was the son of Basil the Elder and Emmelia of Caesarea.” — Wikipedia
- Peter of Sebaste Saint Child“She was the wife of Basil the Elder and bore nine or ten children, including Basil of Caesarea (born circa 330), Macrina the Younger, Peter of Sebaste, Gregory of Nyssa, and Naucratius.” — Wikipedia
- Macrina the Elder Saint“Both her mother-in-law, Macrina the Elder, and her daughter Macrina the Younger are recognized as saints in the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.” — Wikipedia
- Roman Martyrology, 30 May (Italian Bishops' Conference, Santo del giorno)
- Wikidata Q2186180 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Emmelia of Caesarea (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 22 September 2026. Corrections welcome.