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St. Sebastian
Who is St. Sebastian?
St. Sebastian was an earlyChristiansaint who is believed to have been martyred during the persecution of Christians by the Roman emperor Diocletian in the 3rd century. He was born inGaul and served as a captain in the Roman army under Diocletian.
How did St. Sebastian die?
According to tradition, themartyr St. Sebastian was ordered to be killed by arrows for converting his fellow Roman soldiers toChristianity. He was left for dead by the archers but was rehabilitated by a pious widow. Following his recovery, he presented himself to the emperorDiocletian and was subsequently beaten to death.
What is St. Sebastian the patron saint of?
The early Christianmartyr St. Sebastian is thepatron saint of archers and athletes and of those who desire a saintly death. (His association with archers stems from alegend that claims he was martyred by being shot with arrows.) He was also venerated as a protector from thebubonic plague and as a patron ofplague victims.
How did St. Sebastian’s martyrdom become widely known?
St. Sebastian’smartyrdom was popularized by numerousRenaissance painters, includingGian Lorenzo Bernini, Sandro Botticelli, Andrea Mantegna, Perugino, and El Greco. He is usually shown as a handsome youth pierced by arrows.
St. Sebastian (died c. 288, Rome [Italy]; feast day January 20) was an early Christiansaint popularized byRenaissance painters and believed to have beenmartyred during the persecution ofChristians by the Roman emperorDiocletian. He is apatron saint of archers and athletes and of those who desire a saintly death. He was alsovenerated as a protector from thebubonic plague and as a patron ofplague victims.
According tolegend, he was born inGaul, went toRome, and joined (c. 283) the army of the emperorCarinus, later becoming a captain under Diocletian. When it was discovered that he was a Christian who had converted many soldiers, Sebastian was ordered to be killed by arrows. The archers left him for dead, but a Christian widow nursed him back to health. He then presented himself before Diocletian, who condemned him to death by beating. His body, thrown into a sewer, was found by another pious woman, who dreamed that Sebastian told her to bury his remains near thecatacombs. Hisrelics are believed to be in the Basilica of San Sebastiano on theAppian Way, to which manypilgrims were attracted in theMiddle Ages.
Sebastian’smartyrdom was a favorite subject of Renaissance artists, and it was depicted by, among others,Gian Lorenzo Bernini,Sandro Botticelli,Andrea Mantegna,Perugino, andEl Greco. The saint is usually shown as a handsome youth pierced by arrows.
