Saint Eugenia was the daughter of Alexander of Alexandria, who ruled Egypt as a vassal of the Roman emperor. One day she came out of the palace dressed as a man with two servants and joined in a monastery.
It is said that she was baptized by Helinus, Bishop of Heliopolis. No one recognized her because she was always disguised as a man. That ascetic who led an ideal life was promoted to the Abbot of the monastery.
At the time, a woman accused Eugenia of adultery and filed a complaint with Alexander the Great. Her accusation was that the ‘abbot’ himself had raped her. The king sentenced the ‘abbot’ to imprisonment and the death penalty. The ‘Abbot’ met the king and revealed the fact that she was his daughter and narrated the childhood stories. She explained to him the greatness of the Christian faith.
Through her efforts, Alexander converted to Christianity. After some time, he left the kingship and became a priest. Finally, he became a Bishop. One day he was killed by his enemies during Mass. After that, Eugenia and her mother, Claudia, and their families moved to Rome. As a result of their efforts there, many people accepted the faith. Eugenia is believed to have died as a martyr for the faith. There is not enough historical backing for the biography of Eugenia.