FAMOUS EARLY SAINTS AND MARTYRS

EARLY SAINTS

Death of St. Stephen by Stephen RembrandtIn Christianity, a saint is someone who is judged to be particularly holy and worthy. The first saints were often martyrs who were believed to have died for their faith and were immediately whisked off to heaven. Local congregation began venerating them. Pilgrims visited their burial sites and groups or towns adopted them as patron saints and prayed to them for help and miracles. Later saints included "confessors,” people who lived heroic lives but were not killed for their beliefs. Among these were St. John of the Cross, known for experiencing ecstasies, and Magnus, a Viking warrior who killed indiscriminately before his conversion.

Jean-Pierre Isbouts wrote in National Geographic History: After Jesus' death in A.D. 33 , his early followers began slowly spreading out from Jerusalem to find sanctuary in places such as Cyrus, Phoenicia, Damascus, and Antioch. The authors of the New Testament, like St. Luke the Evangelist who is believed to have penned the book Acts of the Apostles around A.D. 80, tell the struggles believers and the early church faced in their nascent days. [Source: Jean-Pierre Isbouts, National Geographic History, December 1, 2022]

Early saints were credited with raising the dead, emitting strange odors, miraculously producing bread and wine and performing a number of bizarre acts. Saint Egido of Taronto is said to have retrieved the limbs of dismembered cow, reattached them and ordered the animal to walk. One saint is said to have emitted steam through his clothing. San Giangiusseppe della Croce didn't bath or wash his clothes for 64 years. After his death one of his followers bit off his toe and the blood that miraculously flowed out was attributed to miraculous cures.

Michael J. McClymond wrote in the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: Anthony (c. 251–356) initiated and promoted the monastic tradition in Egypt. Athanasius (c. 296–373), the patriarch of Alexandria, was repeatedly deposed and reinstated during a decades-long struggle with the Arians, who denied the full divinity of Jesus. While Anthony promoted a solitary (anchoritic, or eremitic) life, Pachomius (c. 290–346) encouraged a communal (cenobitic) approach to monasticism. In Europe, Benedict (c. 480–c. 545) carried on this communal tradition with his Rule. Constantine (died in 337), who first made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire, presided over the Nicene Council and may have played a role in its theological outcome. [Source: Michael J. McClymond, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, 2000s, Encyclopedia.com]

Websites and Resources: Saints and Their Lives Today's Saints on the Calendar catholicsaints.info ; Saints' Books Library saintsbooks.net ; Saints and Their Legends: A Selection of Saints libmma.contentdm ; Saints engravings. Old Masters from the De Verda collection colecciondeverda.blogspot.com ; Lives of the Saints - Orthodox Church in America oca.org/saints/lives ; Lives of the Saints: Catholic.org catholicism.org ; Early Christianity: PBS Frontline, From Jesus to Christ, The First Christians pbs.org ; Elaine Pagels website elaine-pagels.com ; Sacred Texts website sacred-texts.com ; Gnostic Society Library gnosis.org ; Guide to Early Church Documents iclnet.org; Early Christian Writing earlychristianwritings.com ; Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Christian Origins sourcebooks.fordham.edu ; BBC on Christianity bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity ; Candida Moss at the Daily Beast Daily Beast Christian Classics Ethereal Library www.ccel.org;

Early Martyrs

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St. Peter, St. Paul and St. James were among the first martyrs and saints. They were all said to have died violent deaths. Among other early saints that died violent often gory deaths were St. Cyprian, who was beheaded; St. Denis of France, who reportedly carried his head to his village after being decapitated in the 3rd century; and St. Lorenzo, who was slowly burned to death on a spit on August 10th, A.D. 258. St. Catherine, who is said to have lived in the 4th century, is reputed to have been torn to death by spiked wheels for refusing to marry any man except for Jesus Christ.

Michael J. McClymond wrote in the “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”: The term "martyr" originally meant "witness," and those who had died rather than renounce the Christian faith were regarded as the ultimate witnesses to the truth of the gospel. The martyrs had undergone a "baptism of blood" that was a sure mark of saintliness. By the end of the second century, the anniversary of a martyr's death was kept as a feast, with a worship service at the tomb. Churches were later built on these sites. [Source: Michael J. McClymond, “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices”, 2000s, Encyclopedia.com]

Early Christians believed that a dying martyr had the power to declare the forgiveness of a person's sins. Eventually the idea of a martyr's "intercession" was carried beyond death, and people prayed to deceased martyrs for their aid. Originally ora pro nobis (pray for us) was a collective prayer to all deceased martyrs and saints. In time individual saints emerged as intercessors for particular classes — for example, those bearing a certain name or following a given occupation — or for particular issues. Thus, Christopher became the patron saint of travelers and Jude the champion of hopeless causes.

In Acts, Luke tells the story of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr to be gruesomely executed in A.D. 36. Stephen's stoning, Luke says, prompted other followers to flee so as not to fall victim to similar persecutions. However, the tales of martyrs helped win new converts. Their stories made good copy and they left the impressions that must have died for something worth dying for. Some early martyrs were honored to be selected to die. St. Ignatius (c. 35–c. 107), the bishop of Antioch, said he was thrilled, after being given a death sentence, to have the opportunity to “imitate the passion of my God.” Ignatius wrote letters that reveal much about the early church. After being condemned to die, he underscored the authority of the bishop with the words ubi episcopus, ibi ecclesia (where the bishop is, there is the church). Other were defiant. St. Tertullian, a 3rd century theologian, sneered: “The oftener we are mown down by you the more we grow in numbers: the blood of the Christian seed!”

SEE SEPARATE ARTICLE: FATHERS OF THE CHURCH: 4TH AND 5TH CENTURY CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIANS europe.factsanddetails.com

Patron Saints

Patron saints are those who look after special things and select groups of people. Some saints are honored with pilgrimages and feasts. Some are adopted by people as their personal saints. There are hundreds of patron saints, including St. Apolonnia is the patron saint of dentists; St. Anthony, who became the patron saint of pigs and swineherds because he reportedly had a friend who was a pig; and San Antonio de Padua, a saint whose name is often invoked for help locating lost objects and lost husbands.

St. Blaise, the patron saint of sore throats, was a doctor and bishop who lived in Sebaste (Armenia) is the 3rd and 4th centuries. After living in a cave for many years he was arrested during a period of persecution of the Christians. He earned his sainthood on his way to prison when he healed a young boy who was in great pain as a result of a fishbone in his throat.

Saint George is the patron saint of England and famous for slewing the dragon. No one knows whether ever really existed, There was a St. Gorge of Cappadochia, who suffered martyrdom about A.D. 303 in Lydda in Palestine during the persecution of the Christians but nothing is known about his life. In the 6th century his name became associated with killing a dragon. Many legends grew up around St. George in the Middle Ages. The best known story features him as knight rescuing the a king’s daughter, Sabra (representing the Church) from a dragon (representing the Devil). After slaying the dragon, George gave all he had to the poor and went forth to preach Christianity, and died a martyr.St. George was adopted as the patron saint of England in the days of Edward II and the Hundred Years’ War. His feast day is celebrated in April 23. England’s flag bears the Red Cross of Saint George on a white field.

Saint Anthony and Other Ascetic Saints

Saint Anthony Saint Anthony is credited with launching the greatest monastic movement in religious history. A healer, sufferer, pioneer of monasticism in Christianity, he promulgated celibacy and asceticism and spent most of his life praying and fasting in the desert, where it was said he was tempted many times by the devil, who often appeared dressed as a woman. There is now an Anonite order of monks.

St. Anthony was born in Egypt in 251. Following the admonitions of Matthew, he sold all of his possession, gave his money to the poor so the at he could find the treasure of heaven. He fled to the deserts of Egypt, where he took up an austere life. Others followed his example and a monastic colony arose around his cave in the mountains. Since the Middle Age St. Anthony has been acknowledged as the patron saint of domestic animals. The day of the saint is celebrated with bonfires in communities across Spain.

St. Simeon the Younger (A.D. 521-97) displayed his love of God by long spells of prayer, severe fasting and sitting for 45 years on top of a 66-foot-high stone pillar on the Hill of Wonders near Antioch, Syria.. People came from all over to pray to him and get his advise.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was impassioned mystic and "purifier" of monasteries and churches filled with gold, silver and stained glass that he called Synagogues of Satan. He founded the Cistercian reform movement that preached a return to the simple life and established the Abbey of Tontenay in France in about 1118.

Saint Stephen, the First Martyr

St. Stephen (Sebastion) was an early Christian convert who became the first Christian martyr. The chief defender of the Diocletian guard, he was a fervent defender of the faith and offered spirited consolation to countless Christian martyrs in their most difficult moments. The Roman emperor considered these action a betrayal so he ordered Stephen to be tied a tree and shot dead by archers. Miraculously he survived, but he was killed and thus martyred on January 20th, 228 by being stoned to death. St. Sebastian was a popular subject in Renaissance paintings, often depicted punctured by numerous arrows, and was made the patron saint of those who hade suffered from the plague.

According to the BBC: Saint Stephen was one of the first deacons of the Christian Church. He is believed to have been a Greek Jew who converted to Christianity. When the number of disciples increased, there was much confusion over the distribution of alms and the serving of the poor. Stephen's trustworthy character marked him out, and he was chosen as one of the seven deacons who would perform this task. [Source: BBC, September 13, 2011 |::|]

St. Stephen by Rafael “An excellent and well trusted orator, his preaching style was so effective that many Jews became worried about his success. They accused him of blasphemy and he was made to stand trial. |::| At the supreme Jewish law court, the Sanhedrin, Stephen recounted the many mercies that God had given the children of Israel, and the ungrateful way in which they had repaid Him. He accused them of murdering Jesus, whose coming, he said, had been foretold by Moses. This angered the crowd and he was dragged out onto the streets. He was then stoned to death according to the law at that time, an event witnessed by St Paul. It is believed he died around the year A.D. 34. “He is believed to have been initially buried in a grave to the north of Jerusalem, but this body was exhumed and moved to a new grave outside the Damascus Gate. This is where the stoning is believed to have taken place. Stephen is the patron saint of deacons, headaches, horses, coffin makers, and masons. He is often represented carrying a pile of rocks or with rocks on his head. St Stephen's Day is 26th December and it is name checked in the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas.

Mark Oliver wrote in Listverse: The Apocalypse of Stephen tells the story of the first Christian martyr, who was crucified for telling people that Jesus would return on Judgment Day. It’s a relatively normal story of early Christian persecution except an angel keeps showing up just to drag out poor Stephen’s death. Stephen is sentenced to die by Saul, who has Stephen nailed to a cross. An angel swoops down from Heaven, heals Stephen, and throws away the cross, saving Stephen’s life. But it never occurs to the angel to get him out of there. Saul then has seven men pour molten lead into Stephen’s mouth and nail him up again. But the angel pulls him down once more. Finally, they just hurl rocks at Stephen until he dies. But it takes Stephen a full 10 hours to finally end his suffering. So all the angel’s work was pointless, and Stephen probably spent his last moments wishing they’d have just let him be crucified. [Source: Mark Oliver, Listverse, August 4, 2016]

St. Polycarp

Around 160 AD, Polycarp — Bishop of the church in Smyrna, a city in Asia Minor (modern Izmir in Turkey) — was martyred. He was an old man, at least 86 and probably the last surviving person to have known an apostle, having been a disciple of St. John. This was one reason he was greatly revered as a teacher and church leader. The account here is in the form of a letter from eye-witnesses to other churches in the area. It is the earliest chronicle of a martyrdom outside the New Testament. One interesting feature of the letter is that the writer is very conscious of how Polycarp’s death followed the pattern of Christ’s. As you read it, look for parallels between this story and the Easter story in the gospels. devoted to Roman worship. [Source: Christian History Institute]

The Arrest: “The police and horsemen came with the young man at suppertime on the Friday with their usual weapons, as if coming out against a robber. That evening, they found him lying down in the upper room of a cottage. He could have escaped but he refused saying, “God’s will be done.” When he heard that they had come, he went down and spoke with them. They were amazed at his age and steadfastness, and some of them said. “Why did we go to so much trouble to capture a man like this?” Immediately he called for food and drink for them, and asked for an hour to pray uninterrupted. They agreed, and he stood and prayed, so full of the grace of God, that he could not stop for two hours. The men were astounded and many of them regretted coming to arrest such a godly and venerable an old man.”

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Polycarp Refuses to Deny Jesus: “As Polycarp was being taken into the arena, a voice came to him from heaven: “Be strong, Polycarp and play the man!” No one saw who had spoken, but our brothers who were there heard the voice. When the crowd heard that Polycarp had been captured, there was an uproar. The Proconsul asked him whether he was Polycarp. On hearing that he was, he tried to persuade him to apostatize, saying, “Have respect for your old age, swear by the fortune of Caesar. Repent, and say, ‘Down with the Atheists!’” Polycarp looked grimly at the wicked heathen multitude in the stadium, and gesturing towards them, he said, “Down with the Atheists!” “Swear,” urged the Proconsul, “reproach Christ, and I will set you free.” “86 years have I have served him,” Polycarp declared, “and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”

More Attempts to Make Him Submit: “I have wild animals here,” the Proconsul said. “I will throw you to them if you do not repent.” “Call them,” Polycarp replied. “It is unthinkable for me to repent from what is good to turn to what is evil. I will be glad though to be changed from evil to righteousness.” “If you despise the animals, I will have you burned.” “You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour, and is then extinguished, but you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. Why are you waiting? Bring on whatever you want.”“

St. Polycarp’s Death

The Fire is Prepared: “It was all done in the time it takes to tell. The crowd collected wood and bundles of sticks from the shops and public baths. The Jews , as usual, were keen to help. When the pile was ready, Polycarp took off his outer clothes, undid his belt, and tried to take off his sandals – something he was not used to, as the faithful always raced to do it for him, each wanting to be the one to touch his skin – this is how good his life was. But when they went to fix him with nails, he said, “Leave me as I am, for he that gives me strength to endure the fire, will enable me not to struggle, without the help of your nails.” Polycarp Prays: “So they simply bound him with his hands behind him like a distinguished ram chosen from a great flock for sacrifice. Ready to be an acceptable burnt-offering to God, he looked up to heaven, and said, “O Lord God Almighty, the Father of your beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of you, the God of angels, powers and every creature, and of all the righteous who live before you, I give you thanks that you count me worthy to be numbered among your martyrs, sharing the cup of Christ and the resurrection to eternal life, both of soul and body, through the immortality of the Holy Spirit. May I be received this day as an acceptable sacrifice, as you, the true God, have predestined, revealed to me, and now fulfilled. I praise you for all these things, I bless you and glorify you, along with the everlasting Jesus Christ, your beloved Son. To you, with him, through the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and forever. Amen.”

A Miracle: “Then the fire was lit, and the flame blazed furiously. We who were privileged to witness it saw a great miracle, and this is why we have been preserved, to tell the story. The fire shaped itself into the form of an arch, like the sail of a ship when filled with the wind, and formed a circle around the body of the martyr. Inside it, he looked not like flesh that is burnt, but like bread that is baked, or gold and silver glowing in a furnace. And we smelt a sweet scent, like frankincense or some such precious spices.”

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The Death of Polycarp: “Eventually, when those wicked men saw that his body could not be consumed by the fire, they commanded an executioner to pierce him with a dagger. When he did this [a dove flew out and] [*this may well be a later interpolation or transcription error] such a great quantity of blood flowed that the fire was extinguished. The crowd were amazed at the difference between the unbelievers and the elect – of whom the great Polycarp was surely one, having in our own times been an apostolic and prophetic teacher, and bishop of the Catholic Church in Smyrna. For every word he spoke either has been or shall be accomplished.”

The Body: “When the Enemy saw the wonder of his martyrdom, his blameless life and now his crowning with immortality, he did his utmost to stop us keeping any memorial of him or taking possession of his holy body. He inspired Nicetes, the father of Herod, along with the Jews to ask the governor not to hand over his body for burial. “They might turn from worshipping the crucified one,” he said, “only to start worshipping this one.” They did not realize that it is impossible for us to abandon Christ who suffered for the salvation of the world, or to worship any other.”

Celebrations: The centurion then, seeing the disturbance caused by the Jews, took the body and publicly burnt it. Later, we collected up his bones, more precious than jewels and better purified than gold, and put them in an appropriate place where, the Lord willing, we shall celebrate the birthday of his martyrdom each year with joy and rejoicing, both to remember those who have run their race and to prepare those yet to walk in their steps.

St. Valentine

St. Valentine was imprisoned by Roman Emperor Claudius Caesar II for overseeing the marriages of Roman soldiers, He was sentenced to death in A.D. 269 and clubbed, stoned and beheaded on February 24, 270. Born in Terni, Italy, he was canonized in the Middle Ages as the patron saint of lovers. According to one legend, St. Valentine was a priest who secretly married couples in defiance of a Roman edict forbidding marriage. According to another legend, he was imprisoned for failing to worship pagan gods. Before his execution he cured a jailers blind daughter and left behind a note signed "Your Valentine." Other link him to erotic festivals held in February. The custom of St. Valentine's Day began in 5th century Rome and took the place of a Roman ritual, that began as early as the forth century B.C., where teenage girls placed their names in a box and were selected by boys who paired off with girls and often and sex with them. The Benedictine priests of the Blessed John Duns Scotus Church in Glasgow insist that the remains of the saint's heart was given to them by the Vatican in 1868.

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Saint Valentine's Day on 14th February is surrounded by mystery - which is no surprise when you consider that there were at least three different Saint Valentines. According to the BBC: “The celebrations of St. Valentine's Day are steeped in legend and mystery; indeed the motives behind the day's creation and even St. Valentine himself have been shrouded in controversy and doubt. Saint Valentine's Day embraces a time of year that is historically associated with love and fertility. It encompasses the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera in Ancient Athens and the Ancient Roman festival of Lupercus, the god of fertility. [Source: BBC, July 31, 2009 |::|]

“The priests of Lupercus would perform a traditional purification ritual, slaughtering goats to the god, and after consuming wine, they would run through the streets of Rome holding aloft the skins of the goats touching anyone they met. The occasion compelled floods of young women to the streets in the belief that being touched would improve their chances of conceiving and bring forth easy childbirth. There remains some speculation over the exact date of the celebration. |::|

“The first official Saint Valentine's Day was declared on 14th of February by Pope Galasius in 496, in memory of a 3rd century martyred priest in Rome. It is not known for sure whether Pope Galasius was honouring this 3rd century priest or whether it was one of two other martyred priests associated with the 14th of February. One was Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni) and the other apparently suffered in Africa along with a number of companions. Nothing further is known about these two Saint Valentines and it is the priest in Rome that has become the most widely acclaimed of the three. |::|

“It is believed that the young priest rose to distinction after betraying Emperor Claudius in 270 AD by conducting illegitimate wedding ceremonies in the capital. Emperor Claudius claimed that married men made poor soldiers and consequently decreed that all marriages of younger citizens would be outlawed. Bishop Valentine, however, maintained that marriage was part of God's plan and purpose for the world. He continued to conduct marriages in secret between young people, sometimes as young as twelve, in the name of love. |::|

“His success gained him unwelcome notoriety, which became Bishop Valentine's downfall. He was jailed and ultimately beheaded, but not before he fell in love with the jailer's daughter. It is thought that on the evening of his execution the bishop passed her a note which read "from your Valentine". This story has blossomed into the defining tradition of Valentine's Day. An estimated one billion cards sent each year, making it the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. |::|

“Valentine's Day has spawned celebrations of love beyond western culture. In Japan and Korea, Valentine's has become almost an obligation for women to give chocolates, known as giri-choco, to all of their co-workers. A reciprocal day on 14th of March known as White Day has emerged in recent times whereby men are supposed to thank those who remembered them on Valentine's Day with white chocolate or marshmallows, hence white day. In Korea there is an additional Black Day, held the following month on the 14th of April, for less fortunate men who did not receive gifts on Valentine's Day to gather together to eat Jajangmyun, Chinese style black noodles topped with a black sauce. |::|

St. Lawrence

Saint Lawrence (A.D. 225- 258) is one of the most popular and widely venerated saints in Christianity. After St. Peter and St. Paul, he is considered to be the third patron of the city of Rome. He was one of the seven deacons of that city under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman Emperor Valerian ordered in 258. Saint Lawrence was also famous for his practical jokes.

Candida Moss wrote in the Daily Beast: He was rumored to be from northeast Spain and lived there until he ran into the future Pope Sixtus II and followed him to Rome. When Sixtus became Pope in 257 A.D. he ordained Lawrence as a deacon and appointed him as one of the seven “archdeacons” of the church. Things were quiet for the first year, but in 258 the Emperor Valerian was having difficulties controlling the eastern front. In 253 the Persians had captured and sacked the city of Antioch and Valerian traveled east to combat the military threat. Like many Roman emperors before him, Valerian thought that tighter religious and social unity would please the gods and thus ensure success on the battlefield. In 257 he wrote to the Senate demanding that Christian leaders participate in pagan religious rituals and that Christians stop meeting in cemeteries en masse. The following year, when military success continued to elude him, he dispatched a second much stronger letter commanding that church leaders—including Lawrence—be executed. [Source: Candida Moss, Daily Beast, January 26, 2020]

In addition, Valerian demand that the valuables and possessions of Christians be confiscated. Ambrose of Milan says that the Roman prefect asked Lawrence to hand over all of the church’s riches. Lawrence asked for three days to gather up the many treasures amassed by Roman Christians. He then rounded up the poor of the city (to whom he has distributed the church’s money as alms) and told the prefect, “Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the Church's crown.” The prefect was not amused.

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St. Lawrence’s Gruesome Death, Jokes and Fame

According to legend, Valerian responded to this affront by devising an especially horrible death for Lawrence: Candida Moss wrote in the Daily Beast: He had a large gridiron heated on top of hot coals (a BBQ, to you and I) and had Lawrence placed on top of it. After some time being roasted, Lawrence cheerfully told the prefect “Turn me over, I’m done on this side.” A smartass to the end, Lawrence is one of a host of ancient martyrs who do not seem to feel pain despite experiencing torture. His famous last words are part of a history of pre-mortem banter that includes everyone from Socrates to the many (near-)death parting words of James Bond. We think more highly of heroes that are cavalier enough to make snappy retorts to the bitter end. [Source: Candida Moss, Daily Beast, January 26, 2020]

It’s for this reason that Lawrence is the patron saint of cooks, chefs, and comedians. When you see him in Christian artwork—for example, in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine chapel—he’s lugging around a gridiron. Of course, there are many scholars who think that this story is nothing more than an entertaining legend. Writing at the beginning of the 20th century, the historian Patrick Healy wrote that Lawrence’s slow and (one imagines) quite pungent cannibalistic death doesn’t make sense in the context of Valerian’s orders. The language of Valerian’s letter suggests that church leaders were supposed to have been decapitated. Healey argues that the original account of Lawrence’s death was supposed to read “passus est” (he suffered) but that the “p” was missed out transforming the first word into “assus” or “grilled.” Ancient commentators, Healey imagines, couldn’t help but seize upon the detail and expand it into its own story.

Lawrence’s showy persona caught on in the tradition. One of the most famous miracles attributed to the saint involves a carpenter who instead of “measuring twice and cutting once” ended up measuring once and asking a saint for assistance. The beam that he needed to construct a church in Lawrence’s honor turned out to be too short for the job. When he asked Lawrence for help the beam suddenly grew much longer, Pinocchio-style. In fact, the beam was longer than the carpenter needed and the excess wood distributed to others as relics. After that the beam apparently had the power to heal toothache.

San Lorenzo fuori le Mura, is a church built over St. Lawrence’s tomb. It contains a stone that tradition maintains Lawrence laid on after his death. This particular church houses a number of early Christian “big guns” including Justin Martyr, one of the most influential theologians of the second century; but it’s Lawrence who gets top billing. Another church, San Lorenzo in Lucina, contains a shrine that features the legendary gridiron on which he allegedly roasted. These are just two of the nine significant Roman churches associated with Lawrence. Another, the Church of St. Lawrence in Palatio ad Sancta Sanctorum, houses a set of 28 white marble steps known as the “Holy Stairs.” Legend holds that these were the steps that Jesus climbed on his way to his trial before Pilate. You are only permitted to climb the stairs on your knees but you do receive a reduction of your time in purgatory for doing so.

Most artists show Lawrence reclining on the gridiron almost as if was a bed or couch. Bronzino’s version in Milan has bystanders leering at him; Michelangelo has him scantily clad, and Bernini’s sculpture shows a barely-concealed Lawrence with his head tossed back in what could be pleasure. Beyond the fact that the jokester Lawrence might get a kick out of the inappropriateness of his name on a condom, maybe he does know something about burning with passion.

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Hypatia — the Female Philosopher Martyr Killed by a Christian Mob

Hypatia (died A.D. 415) was a Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician who lived in Alexandria, Egypt when it was part of the Eastern Roman Empire. She was a prominent thinker in Alexandria and is the first female mathematician whose life is reasonably well recorded. [Source: Wikipedia]

Towards the end of her life, Hypatia advised Orestes, the Roman prefect of Alexandria, who was in the midst of a political feud with St. Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria. Rumors spread accusing her of preventing Orestes from reconciling with Cyril and, in March 415 AD, she was murdered by a mob of Christians led by a lector named Peter, and possibly urged on by St. Cyril. Hypatia's murder shocked the empire and transformed her into a "martyr for philosophy".

In “The Murder of Hypatia” (late 4th century), Socrates Scholasticus wrote in : “There was a woman at Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the philosopher Theon, who made such attainments in literature and science, as to far surpass all the philosophers of her own time. Having succeeded to the school of Plato and Plotinus, she explained the principles of philosophy to her auditors, many of whom came from a distance to receive her instructions. [Source: Ecclesiastical History,Bk VI: Chap. 15

“On account of the self-possession and ease of manner, which she had acquired in consequence of the cultivation of her mind, she not unfrequently appeared in public in presence of the magistrates. Neither did she feel abashed in coming to an assembly of men. For all men on account of her extraordinary dignity and virtue admired her the more. Yet even she fell a victim to the political jealousy which at that time prevailed. For as she had frequent interviews with Orestes, it was calumniously reported among the Christian populace, that it was she who prevented Orestes from being reconciled to the bishop.

Some of them therefore, hurried away by a fierce and bigoted zeal, whose ringleader was a reader named Peter, waylaid her returning home, and dragging her from her carriage, they took her to the church called Caesareum, where they completely stripped her, and then murdered her with tiles. After tearing her body in pieces, they took her mangled limbs to a place called Cinaron, and there burnt them. This affair brought not the least opprobrium, not only upon Cyril, but also upon the whole Alexandrian church. And surely nothing can be farther from the spirit of Christianity than the allowance of massacres, fights, and transactions of that sort.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Internet Ancient History Sourcebook: Christian Origins sourcebooks.fordham.edu “World Religions” edited by Geoffrey Parrinder (Facts on File); “ Encyclopedia of the World’s Religions” edited by R.C. Zaehner (Barnes & Noble Books, 1959); King James Version of the Bible, gutenberg.org; New International Version (NIV) of The Bible, biblegateway.com; Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ccel.org , Frontline, PBS, Wikipedia, BBC, National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Live Science, Encyclopedia.com, Archaeology magazine, Reuters, Associated Press, Business Insider, AFP, Library of Congress, Lonely Planet Guides, Compton’s Encyclopedia and various books and other publications.

Last updated March 2024

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