By Borderline
8 years ago

The real Saint George

.
It may sound incredible, but Saint George wasn't English, Catalan, Portuguese or Romanian and he definitely never killed a dragon.

Despite that in some countries they use him as a banner for the white supremacy movements, he was a Capadoccian (Capadoccia is located in Turkey) born in Palestine.

Saint George, was born in Palestine in 280 After Christ under the name of Georgius of Capadoccia. Son of a Roman soldier of Greek origin called Gerontius serving the emperor Diocletian and a Palestinian woman called Polychronia. When he was 14, his father died and few years later his mum also passed away.

When he had the right age, he decided to move to Nicomedia (Turkey) and present himself to the emperor Diocletian. Has he knew George's fathers and considered him one of the best soldiers in the army, he took Giorgius straight away and stationed him in Nicomedia as a Imperial Guard for the emperor. At some point he was promoted to military tribune.

On the 24th of February of the 303 After Christ, the emperor Diocletian influenced by Galerius issued an edict that every Christian soldier in the army should be arrested and every other soldier should offer a sacrifice to the Roman gods. However, George objected, and with courage, approached the Emperor. Diocletian was upset, not wanting to lose his best tribune and the son of his best official, Gerontius. But George loudly renounced the Emperor's edict, and in front of his fellow soldiers and tribunes he claimed himself to be a Christian. Diocletian attempted to convert George, even offering gifts of land, money, and slaves if he made a sacrifice to the Roman gods. He made many offers, but George never accepted.

Recognizing the futility of his efforts and insisting on upholding his edict, Diocletian ordered that George be executed for his refusal. Before the execution, George gave his wealth to the poor and prepared himself. After various torture sessions, including laceration on a wheel of swords during which he was resuscitated three times, George was executed by decapitation in front of Nicomedia's city wall, on 23 April 303. A witness of his suffering convinced Empress Alexandra of Rome and Athanasius, a pagan priest, to become Christians, as well, so they joined George in martyrdom. His body was returned to Lydda for burial, where Christians soon came to honour him as a martyr.

The legend of the dragon would come up during the Medieval Age in Europe caused by the mouth to mouth, the religious influence and exaggeration, and the ignorance of the people.

More images

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.