In the third century, a prostitute named Afra worked in Augsburg, one of modern Germany’s oldest cities. By chance, she met a fugitive bishop named Narcissus, on the run from Roman authorities. Afra and her mother gave him a place to stay, and he converted them in short order. As soon as she was known to be a Christian, though, Afra was arrested and burned to death on a small island in a river.
Three of her servants watched this scene from the riverbank, and after everything had settled they swam across and collected her dead body. That night, with Afra’s mother, Hilaria, they took Afra to be buried in a proper tomb. But the Romans knew about this, and when the mourners set foot in that ancient sepulcher, they found it had been partially filled with dry vines with thorns. The Romans followed them into the tomb, and they set the vines on fire, then they left and locked the door.