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St
Sebastian
(–c. 288)
Biographical
A Christian martyr, St Sebastian's festival is celebrated on the 20th
of January. According to St Ambrose (in Psalm 118, oct. 20) Sebastian
was a native of Milan, went to Rome at the height of Diocletian's persecution,
and there suffered martyrdom. The Acta of St Sebastian, falsely attributed
to the same St Ambrose, are far less sparing of details. They make him
a citizen of Narbonne and captain of the first cohort under the emperors
Diocletian and Maximian. Having secretly become a Christian, Sebastian
was wont to encourage those of his brethren who in the hour of trial seemed
wavering in their profession. This was conspicuously the case with the
brothers Marcus and Marcellinus. He made many converts, several of whom
suffered martyrdom. Diocletian, having been informed of this conduct,
sent for him and earnestly remonstrated with him, but, finding him inflexible,
ordered him to be bound to a stake and shot to death. After the archers
had left him for dead, a devout woman, Irene, came by night to take his
body away for burial, but, finding him still alive, carried him to her
house, where his wounds were dressed. No sooner had he wholly recovered
than he hastened to confront the emperor, reproaching him with his impiety;
Diocletian ordered him to be instantly carried off and beaten to death
with rods. The sentence was forthwith executed, his body being thrown
into the cloaca, where, however, it was found by another pious
matron, Lucina, whom Sebastian visited in a dream, directing her to bury
him ad Catacombas juxta vestigia apostolorum. It was on this spot,
on the Appian way, that was built the basilica of St Sebastian, which
was a popular place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages. The translation
of his relics to Soissons in 826 made that town a new centre of his cult.
As a young and beautiful soldier, St Sebastian is a favourite subject
of sacred art, being most generally represented undraped, and severely
though not mortally wounded with arrows.
He is the patron saint of archers, plague victims,
soldiers, the police,
and of those desiring a saintly death, and was venerated as a protector
from the bubonic plague.
His martyrdom was a favourite subject of Renaissance artists. He has become
somewhat of a gay icon.
Place of birth: Gaul (traditional)
Place of death: Rome
Place of burial: Appian Way, Rome; relics held at Soissons
© 2024 The Universal Compendium