St. Nune and St. Mane were part of the group of the Hripsime virgins who left Rome and came to Armenia during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. However, it was not predestined by God that these two virgins would be martyred along with their fellow believers. Separating from the 37 virgins who came to Armenia, Mane went to Mount Sepouh in the province of Yekegyats, where she locked herself in a cave and became an ascetic.
Thus, the virgin Mane, strengthened by the “angelic life”, prayer and divine consolation, lived in that cave, which was later named in her honor “the cave of Mane”. The chronicler tells an interesting story about the last days of Mane. During this period, St. Gregory the Illuminator also wanted to retire from society and spend the last days of his life in solitude.
With this inspiration, the Armenian patriarch comes to the Daranagi Mountains and chooses the cave of Mount Sepuh as his place of residence, where Mane was a hermit. When the widow approaches, she hears the voice of Mane, who commands Saint Gregory to return to the cave he has chosen in three days. Fulfilling the saint’s wish, the patriarch returns after three days and, finding the saint dead, buries her in the cave with psalms (323 AD). And the maiden Nune (in Georgian sources, Nino), freed from the persecution of the Armenian king Trdat, goes to Georgia, to the capital Mtskhita, where she continues to live a holy, prayerful life, preaches and converts all the people. For the miracles and good deeds she has performed, the maiden is taken to the palace, where she heals the sick queen, then, refusing all precious gifts, preaches the Gospel of the Lord. King Migran also immediately feels the power of the unknown God and is converted. The Gospel is also preached to the great people of the country. As a result of all this, on the advice of Nune, a delegation is sent to Saint Gregory the Illuminator and King Trdat with a request to send clergymen to their country to perform baptisms and serve the people. Thus, Saint Nune becomes the apostle of Georgia.