The Cult of Saint Thecla: A Tradition of Women's Piety in Late AntiquityThecla, a disciple of the apostle Paul, became perhaps the most celebrated female saint and martyr among Christians in late antiquity. In the early church, Thecla's example was associated with the piety of women in particular, with women's ministry and travel. Devotion to Saint Thecla quickly spread throughout the Mediterranean world: her image was painted on walls of tombs, stamped on clay flasks and oil lamps, engraved on bronze crosses and wooden