st. athanasia was the daughter of christian nobles, niketas and irene, and experienced a mystical union of a star merging with her heart while weaving at the loom when she was a young girl. she wanted a spiritual life but an imperial edict required all single women of marriageable age to marry soldiers. at 16 years old, at her parents urging, she complied and married a young officer. sixteen days after her wedding, her husband was killed in a battle with raiding arabs. she again married this time to a deeply religious man who felt drawn to become a monk and left with her blessing to do so.