Who was Saint George?
April 19, 2007
Many places in the world have chosen Saint George as a Patron Saint. His slaying of the dragon as a symbol of the victory of goodness over evil endeared him to many.
However, there is almost nothing known of the early years of Saint George's life. He was born sometime in the year 263AD, in the city of Lydia near Jerusalem. His parents were from Cappadonia, a city in present day Turkey.
When he was 17 he enlisted as a soldier in the army of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He was a skilled horseman, fighter and leader and he rose through the ranks becoming an officer.
When the Emperor Diocletian began his campaign of persecuting Christians, George, who was a devout Christian, requested an audience with the Emperor and was granted one. George pleaded with the Emperor to stop the persecution.
Diocletian was so annoyed and incensed, that he commanded George to recant his religion. When he refused, George was arrested. George was executed on April 23, 303AD. This day is now known as Saint George's Day.
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The Legend of St George and The Dragon
April 18, 2007
According to the Golden Legend (a Medieval book) the story of Saint George and the Dragon took place in Silene in Libya. This town had a pond, large as a lake where a plague-bearing dragon dwelled. To appease the dragon, the people of Silene used to feed it a sheep and a virgin every day, the virgin chosen by lottery.
It happened that the lot fell on the princess of Silene. The king, distraught with grief, told the people they could have all his gold and silver and half of his kingdom if his daughter, Cleodolinda were spared; the people refused. The daughter was sent out to the lake, decked out as a bride, to be fed to the dragon.
Saint George heard of this state of affairs, and rode to the lake. The princess, trembling, sought to send him away, but George vowed to remain and fortified himself with the Sign of the Cross.
The dragon reared out of the lake while they were talking. Saint George charged it on horseback with his lance and gave it a grievous wound. Then he called to the princess to throw him her girdle and put it around the dragon's neck. When she did so, the dragon followed the girl like a dog on a leash.
She and Saint George led the dragon back to the city of Silene, where it terrified the people at its approach. But Saint George killed the dragon before them. They would have rewarded him richly, but he asked only that they receive baptism.
The king and the people of Silene converted to Christianity. On the site where the dragon died, the king built a church to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint George, and from its altar a spring arose whose waters cured all disease.
Traditionally, the lance with which St. George slew the dragon was called Ascalon, named after the city of Ashkelon in the Middle East. From this tradition, the name Ascalon was used by Winston Churchill for his personal aircraft during World War II since St. George is the Patron Saint of England.
[from Wikipedia]
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