History of St. George

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Saint George according to legend, was a Roman soldier of Syrian origin and officer in the Guard of Roman emperor Diocletian, who ordered his death for failing to recant his Christian faith. As a Christian martyr, he later became one of the most venerated saints in Christianity and in particular the Crusades.

In hagiography, as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and one of the most prominent military saints, he is immortalized in the myth of Saint George and the Dragon. His memorial, Saint George's Day, is traditionally celebrated on April 23. Numerous countries, cities, professions and organizations claim Saint George as their patron.

George's parents were Christians of Syrian background, his father Gerontius was a Roman army official from Cappadocia, and his mother Polychronia was a Christian and a Syrian native from Lydda in the Roman province of Palestine. Accounts differ regarding whether George was born in Cappadocia or Syria Palaestina, but agree that he was raised at least partly in Lydda.

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St. George and the Dragon

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St. George is considered one of the 14 Holy Helpers that gave rise and foundation and the establishment of the Christianity we all know today. St. George and the Dragon has been a popular theme for many great art works, paintings and sculptures dating back to the 5th century.

In the medieval romances, the lance with which Saint George slew the dragon was called Ascalon. Sculptures of Saint George battling the dragon can be found in Stockholm, United States, England, Portugal, Serbia and at the Prague Castle among others.

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Resources about St. George

Learn more about St. George on Wikipedia and in other encyclopedias there is a lot of interesting information and facts to explore. Try different search terms too like 'St. George in Art' ad 'St. George the Patron Saint' to get a wide variety of matches using your favorite search engine.

You can also read more about St. George on Biography.