in Ecclesiastical History, a name given to certain virgins and widows, who, in the ancient church, affixed themselves with, and attended on, ecclesiastics, out of a motive of piety and charity.

In the primitive days there were women instituted Deaconesses; who, devoting themselves to the service of the church, took up their abode with the ministers, and assisted them in their functions. In the fervour of the primitive piety, there was nothing scandalous in these societies; but they afterwards degenerated into libertinism; inasmuch, that St Jerome asks, with indignation, unde agapetarum felix in ecclesiis introit? This gave occasion to councils to suppress them.—St Athanasius mentions a priest, named Leontius, who, to remove all occasion of suspicion, offered to mutilate himself, to preserve his beloved companion.