On This Day – 23rd April 303

According to tradition, Saint George was beheaded in Nicomedia near Lydda in Palestine on the 23rd of April 303.

George is one of the most venerated saints in the Roman Catholic, the Anglican, the Eastern Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox , and the Eastern Catholic Churches.  He is the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Fakiha, Bteghrine, Cáceres (Spain), Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo, Milan, Pomorie, Preston, Qormi, Rio de Janeiro, Lod, Barcelona and Moscow.

It is generally agreed that George was born in Cappadocia, in what is now Turkey, sometime between 275 and 281. Some believe that both his parents were Christians.

George enlisted into the Cavalry of the Roman Army at about the age of 17, during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. He quickly reached the rank of Tribune in the Imperial Guard stationed at Nicomedia.

Diocletian was a skilled military tactician and strict disciplinarian, who had set himself the task of rejuvenating the morale of the citizens of Rome by reviving the traditions of Rome. Diocletian’s second in command was Galerius, who was an avid supporter of the Roman religion. According to Wiki, Diocletian, influenced by Galerius, issued an edict to arrest every Christian soldier in 302.  It is said that George went to the Emperor and declared himself to be a Christian and refused any  incentives to renounce his faith.

With little alternative, Diocletian ordered George’s execution. It is claimed that George’s body was buried in the church that bears his name in Lydda, and that his head was taken to Rome, where it was preserved in the Church that is also dedicated to him.

George was known in England by the eighth century, his Life was translated into Anglo Saxon, and English churches were dedicated to him. He became the patron of knighthood and arms, and finally the patron saint of England. The famous flag appeared in 1284, and in the fourteenth century the red cross on the white ground was worn by both soldiers and sailors.  The Order of the Garter, the premier order of knighthood in England, was established by Edward III about 1347 and placed under the principal patronage of St. George, as it still is.  St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, was built as the chapel of the order. The Insignia of the order consists of a collar and badge appendant known as the George, the Star, the Garter and the Sash with the Investment Badge called the lesser George. This is a gold and richly enamelled representation of St George on horseback slaying a dragon.

The legends about St George spread far and wide and it was claimed that near the town of Silene in Libya there was a dragon which terrorised the local population. The population tethered animals to satisfy him, until they had no more. They then provided human sacrifices and ultimately a young princess was selected. The story relates how St George rode up on his white charger, dismounted and fought the monster on foot, until it eventually succumbed. He then dragged the dying monster into the city, using the girdle of the Princess and slew the dragon in front of the people. St George was greeted as their saviour and the King offered him a bag of gold as a reward for saving his daughter. This he refused and asked that it be given to the poor.

32 thoughts on “On This Day – 23rd April 303”

  2. That’s what Wiki said! It also included a few other bits and bobs – but I left them out. I did check against other sites and they seem to agree…

  4. It seems to me that ordering the arrest of every Christian soldier was a bit of a daft idea. Depleting the ranks a good deal. Perhaps that’s why Diocletian was not successful.

  6. It struck me as daft as well Sheona. But two very different accounts said that was the case, so I’m assuming that it was right. One account said that the edict was issued because of a rumour that the Christians were going to assassinate Galerius.

    The problem with these ‘saintly tales’ is that there is very little evidence to support the details of any story. There almost certainly was a Christian George, and he was probably executed for his faith – but how much of the rest of the story is accurate is anyone’s guess.

  8. He is the current manager of the English Football team – cheated and looked him up. 🙂 And at least he has visited England…

  13. Of course you do, Brendano. 🙂

    But did you know (I expect you did, being a good Catholic boy) that the Patron Saint of Australia is “The Lady Help of the Christians”, otherwise known, when she takes her burqa off, as the dear old Virgin Mary?

    And that until 1976, when Australia ceased to be a “Mission country under the Propaganda”, we had two other Saints, a Xavier and a someone else?

    And that the “Propaganda” (long Latin title) is an organisation which is so powerful that the Cardinal-in-charge is known as the “Red Pope”?

    I researched this thoroughly, and I have to say I have rarely read so much balderdash in my life. The bureaucratic organisation of the RCs is so utterly removed from the simplicity of Christ as to blow one’s mind. No wonder they’re corrupt. Yuk!

  14. Bearsy, I didn’t know most of that … I had a vague inking about the Propaganda.

    I agree about the organization. The hierarchical structure and obsessive secrecy provided a recipe for disaster, which was duly cooked up.

  15. I always find George a strange choice. He is neither English nor did anything for the country. Also on this day in 1860 a popular referendum in Nice and Savoie approuved the treaty of Turin by which the Savoie became part of France. It was the last addition of territory by France here in Europe before the impending integration of England.
    Incidentally I have followed Soutie’s instructions and assigned myself a gravatar but it doesn’t show up even after 36 hours of waiting.

  16. I agree – an exceedingly odd choice.

    I can see your gravatar… have done for a while. Check out the FAQs – you may have to clear your cache, there are instructions on how to do that.

  21. Interesting post Boa and some interesting comments as well. Too bad that the flag has been hijacked by thuggish English football fans.

  22. Shakespeare was born today too.

    Was just listening to a debate on the radio about this St Georges Day business, seems that some people want it to be that we spend the day celebrating our Englishness, but as we have the PC brigade saying that we can’t say that we are English anymore, even though the Irish can be Irish and the Scots the Scottish etc, it cannot be seen as the way to go.

    Also, as you have all picked up on, the thugs have taken the English flag and have turned it into some kind of sign for loutish behaviour, it would be a stupid thing to do to celebrate it as it would turn into some kind of national excuse to get drunk and behave badly.

    Why shouldn’t we celebrate our ‘English’ day, for a saint who is not even relevant to our country? We have adopted St Patrick’s Day, you can’t move for green and white in March, the American’s go bonkers once a year, well, not once, and get to celebrate all that is good about their country, the Australians have Australia Day, and why wouldn’t we want to celebrate all that is great about our patch of land?? I can think of several…..

    xxx

  25. I always thought it a great pity the dragon didn’t win.
    Why you all need a bloody foreigner to be your patron saint was always a total mystery to me!
    should have picked Shakespeare instead-

    This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
    This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
    This other Eden, demi-paradise;
    This fortress, built by nature for herself,
    Against infection, and the hand of war;
    This happy breed of men, this little world;
    This precious stone set in the silver sea,
    Which serves it in the office of a wall,
    Or as a moat defensive to a house,
    Against the envy of less happier lands;
    This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,
    (With dragons)

  27. Thanks for that Zen, can’t ever see a Tank being called a ‘clegg’, can you?

  28. RoODo you fancy writing about the said lady? I don’t have exclusive rights on the ‘On This Day’ series… anyone is more than welcome to have a go.

    TocinoIt is a shame – perhaps it’s time to reclaim it? The problem with picking another saint is that the St George cross is part of the Union flag.

    KateIt’s only assumed that Shakespeare was born on the 23rd of April. He was baptised on the 26th of that month and the vicar did not actually write the date of his birth in the registers. Historians have assumed that he was baptised three days after his birth – but he could have been born quite a bit earlier. He did die on the 23rd April 1616, and I rather suspect that historians like the symmetry of being born and dying on St George’s Day – but then I an a bit cynical about such matters.

    ChristinaAs I said earlier – total mystery to me too – especially as George seems to have spread his patronage around a good bit. I’d prefer one that was 100% English – but most of them are a bit wishy-washy. Edward the Confessor? St Cuthbert? It’s rather significant that the English chose a ‘military’ saint rather than one who simply banished snakes… 🙂

  29. Boa I would be interested in your account of the lifting of the Orléans siege. See how objective you can be.

  32. Happy St George’s Day all you English folk. No-one seems to have been in the spirit in Chelters today – not one single suit of armour. Doh.

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